Hudson Amendment to Increase Funding for SF Training Added to Defense Spending Bill
June 27, 2018
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
June 27, 2018
Hudson Amendment to Increase Funding for SF Training Added to Defense Spending Bill
WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today U.S. Representative Richard Hudson (NC-08), Fort Bragg’s Congressman and an outspoken advocate for North Carolina's military community, spoke on the House floor in support of his amendment to increase funding for the United States Army Special Operations Command (USASOC) to provide for additional training of Special Forces.
His amendment, which would transfer funds from the Research Development Testing and Evaluation Account, was adopted by voice to the Department of Defense Appropriations Act for FY19 (H.R. 6157). The House plans to finish consideration of the defense appropriations bill tomorrow.
To watch Rep. Hudson’s remarks in support of his amendment, click here.
The transcript is below.
“Thank you Mr. Speaker. Today I rise to offer an amendment to the Department of Defense Appropriations Act which would increase funding for USSOCOM to provide for additional training of Special Operations Forces. Simply put, I never want our men and women in uniform to be in a fair fight. My amendment would allow for an increase in training budget to ensure whenever our forces are deployed, they’ve been fully prepared and are ready to fight, win and return home safely.
Mr. Speaker, one of the greatest honors of my life is representing Fort Bragg, the epicenter of the universe and home of the Airborne and of the Army Special Operations Command. The units stationed here support the best of the best and have a vast footprint across our nation. As our nation continues to fight terrorism around the world while simultaneously preparing for the threats of near-peer adversaries, our training requirements increase and diversify.
As a result, we must ensure that we are ready for any situation at a moment’s notice. Readiness cannot be built overnight. A Green Beret cannot be built over night. In order to conduct their mission set effectively, we must provide them with a steady stream of predictable resources to enable them to train and prepare for the dangerous task our nation asks them to perform.
We must never underestimate the most important asset our military has: the individual. My amendment would ensure we continue to take care of that asset by providing them every edge, every bit of preparation, and yes, every bit of training that they require. Chairwoman Granger, I want to thank her for her excellent work on this bill and I would urge my colleagues to support this amendment. Thank you and I reserve the balance of my time.”
###
Issues:Defense & National Security