Operationally and financially, the Defense Department has had a good year and Defense Secretary James N. Mattis urged the House Appropriations Committee's defense subcommittee to build on this.
The secretary and Marine Corps Gen. Joe Dunford, the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, testified in a closed hearing before the subcommittee today. DoD released the secretary's opening statement.
Mattis highlighted the National Defense Strategy, noting the document provides “clear direction for America's military to restore its competitive edge in an era of re-emerging long-term great power competition.”
Confronting Current, Future Threats
He also talked of the need for the nation to refurbish and modernize its nuclear deterrent to confront 21st century threats.
The secretary also spoke about operations in Iraq and Syria, where the “by, with and through” strategy has driven the Islamic State of Iraq and Syria from 98 percent of the territory it once held.
“In South Asia and Afghanistan, uncertainty in the region has been replaced by the certainty of the administration's South Asia Strategy,” he said in his remarks.
Mattis thanked the House panel for its efforts to provide the funding needed to face the threats of this new age.
“Last month, … President Trump signed an omnibus spending bill that funds the government for the remainder of the fiscal year,” he said. “This law — along with…
