Defense
Chairman Ken Calvert
H-405 The Capitol
(202) 225-2847
Majority | Minority |
| Ken Calvert – Chair | Betty McCollum – Ranking Member |
| Hal Rogers | Marcy Kaptur |
| Steve Womack | Henry Cuellar |
| Robert Aderholt | Pete Aguilar |
| John Carter | Ed Case |
| Mario Diaz-Balart | Susie Lee |
| Dave Joyce | Joe Morelle |
| Jake Ellzey – Vice Chair | |
| Chuck Fleischmann | |
| David Valadao |
FY26 Member Day Hearing Instructions
Recent Activity
Thank you, Chairman Calvert and Ranking Member McCollum. This hearing comes at a pivotal moment for our national security, as we face an increasingly complex and volatile global landscape. Among the challenges before us, none looms larger than the rising threat posed by China. With its rapid military modernization, expanding global influence, and assertive posture in the Indo-Pacific, China presents a strategic challenge that demands our full attention and a robust response.
Today, the Subcommittee will receive testimony on the posture of the United States Army. First, I would like to welcome our two witnesses, Secretary of the Army Daniel Driscoll, and General Randy George, the Chief of Staff of the Army. Mr. Secretary, congratulations on your appointment. I look forward to working with you. General George, thank you for joining us once again.
Thank you, Chairman Calvert and Ranking Member McCollum. I want to thank the witnesses for being here with us today to discuss the current lay of the land for the Department of the Air Force.
Acting Secretary Ashworth, welcome to the Defense Subcommittee. Generals, nice to see you this afternoon. You are sitting before us as the Air Force and Space Force face a critical path ahead. The world continues to be a volatile place, with malign actors challenging American interests near and far. Time is not on our side as our adversaries have been outpacing and outproducing us.
Good afternoon. The Defense Subcommittee will come to order.
The topic of today’s hearing is oversight of the Department of the Air Force. We have three witnesses before us today: Acting Secretary of the Air Force, Gary Ashworth; General David Allvin, Chief of Staff of the Air Force; and General Chance Saltzman, Chief of Space Operations. Secretary Ashworth, welcome to the subcommittee. General Allvin and General Saltzman, welcome back. The Administration released the “skinny budget” for Fiscal Year 2026 last Friday. This request includes more than $1 trillion overall for National Defense, however, it does so by assuming $113 billion in funds through reconciliation. The reconciliation process is not a sustainable approach to resourcing defense and is not a substitute for regular appropriations.
