Chairman Burgess Opening Remarks on NDAA FY2025 and Garland Contempt Resolutions
As prepared for delivery:
Good afternoon.
Without our nation’s military, the United States couldn’t hope to defend itself—let alone serve as the greatest force for freedom around the world. Congress has a constitutional duty to provide for the common defense and support our servicemembers’ mission. It’s why we’re here today.
The Servicemember Quality of Life Improvement and National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2025 is a significant step forward in honoring that obligation. The bill before us today provides the Department of Defense with clear direction on how to ensure our warfighters can meet any threat at a moment of intense global instability. It is absolutely critical we move this authorizing measure forward.
H.R. 8070 is the product of extensive bipartisan collaboration. The House Armed Services Committee produced this important measure through an open and transparent process, incorporating hundreds of Member proposals. It also received an overwhelming 57-1 vote when it came time to report the bill out of the committee. We’re grateful for their hard work. Regular order is rarely easy and often slower than we’d prefer. But it ensures all voices are heard and the best ideas incorporated.
The Armed Services Committee’s diligent efforts produced a truly exceptional product that restores American deterrence and improves quality of life for our men and women in uniform. The FY25 NDAA counters China by bolstering Indo-Pacific defense and reforming DoD’s acquisition process. It supports Israel by fully funding cooperative missile defense programs and expanding funding for R&D and anti-tunneling efforts. I applaud the bipartisan work to eliminate inefficiencies in our defense budget and thank the Committee for finding $30 billion in taxpayer savings through cuts to redundant programs, obsolete weapons, and Pentagon bureaucracy.
The NDAA rightly refocuses our military on lethality and national security. It requires promotions be based on merit, ends affirmative action at service academies, and abolishes the DEI bureaucracy at DoD schools. H.R. 8070 also foils efforts to establish a military Green New Deal. Additionally, the bill fully funds the deployment of National Guard units currently responding to the Border Crisis.
House Republicans made a commitment to advance bills that do what their titles claim. This year’s NDAA is no different—it truly improves servicemember quality of life. The authorizing bill gives junior enlisted members of the military a much needed 19.5% pay raise in these challenging economic times. It improves military housing, expands access to medical care, increases childcare options, and makes it easier for military spouses to work and thrive wherever their service takes them. Our heroes—and their families—deserve nothing less.
The policies in this bipartisan bill support ready, capable, and lethal warfighters. As the world grows more dangerous by the day, that’s exactly who we need to ensure deterrence.
I encourage my fellow members to continue with the bipartisan and collaborative tone set by the House Armed Services Committee as we advance this measure towards floor consideration. I do not take lightly our obligation to fulfill our constitutional responsibilities and advance the NDAA for the 64thstraight year.
Additionally, the Rules Committee will consider two reports accompanying resolutions which recommend the House find Attorney General Merrick Garland in contempt of Congress. His continued refusal to comply with subpoenas hinders our ability to provide the oversight expected by the Founders and demanded by our constituents. House Republicans promised to deliver a government that’s accountable and these resolutions are central to continuing our efforts to honor that pillar of our Commitment to America.
The Committees appearing before us today have articulated the impeachment and legislative purposes for their subpoenas related to Special Counsel Hur’s interview of President Biden. They are acting well within the scope of our Article I responsibilities, yet the Attorney General refuses to comply. He has left us with no choice but to pursue contempt charges to preserve the spirit of congressional oversight and safeguard our delicate system of checks and balances.
I doubt my friend the ranking member will agree on this course of action, but I’m reminded of his words when Tom Cole departed this Committee. He said: “We don’t have to agree on everything to agree on something.” I hope he will at least join me and agree the House Armed Services Committee deserves to be commended for their adherence to bipartisanship and regular order.
With that, I look forward to compelling testimony from our witnesses and the opportunity to advance critical measures which fulfill our constitutional responsibilities.
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