00:00I have the privilege and honor of representing a district that has a huge
00:03Navy presence, so I want to switch gears and talk a little bit about naval
00:06aviation. Although I am the daughter of a Green Bray who served in Vietnam, I
00:10had the privilege of serving for 10 years as a helicopter pilot. I'm married
00:14to a 20-year veteran who flew F-18s. I'm now a proud mom of a naval aviator and a
00:18son who graduated from VMI about three weeks ago. So big military family and I
00:23represent a district where naval aviation, really the heart of East Coast
00:26Naval Aviation is the East Coast Master Jet Base. Yesterday we spent some time
00:29talking about the importance of the East Coast. I understand the importance of
00:32the West Coast very much and this potential China fight that we are all
00:35thinking of every day, but it can't be understated the value of what the East
00:40Coast brings in our battle groups and our carrier strike groups that deploy the
00:44people that live in my district. So it's a little bit disheartening when I read
00:47about and think about the future of naval aviation when I hear from the Department
00:52of Defense that about 500 million dollars that was appropriated for the
00:56next-generation strike fighter in the form of FAXX is to be reallocated to the
01:01Air Force. And then when I read memos from this committee, this committee is
01:04unaware of any changes to the Navy's requirements justifying the procurement
01:08of FAXX and continues to support efforts to award the FAXX development and
01:12design contract to the Navy. So we're trying to piece together and I asked the
01:16same question yesterday and I echo the comments of my colleague from
01:19Virginia, Congressman Whitman, but that piece is very important. Right now I house
01:23very aging F-18 squadrons. There's no prioritizing no commitment from the Navy
01:29to give me even F-35 squadrons. I have four F-35 squadrons that the Marine Corps
01:33has on the East Coast, but you all know better than anybody that putting all your
01:37eggs in one basket is one of the worst strategies. I've got the West Coast Naval
01:41Air Station, the Moore, West Coast Master Jet Base, looks great. We've been out there to
01:45visit just to compare. They're slated to have I believe eight F-35 squadrons and
01:49there's even a F-35 Center for Excellence that they want to put
01:55there with no mention of the East Coast Master Jet Base. So I just want to hear
01:59from you all. I'll start with you Secretary Hugginseth, but could you explain a
02:02little bit about your comments, why that is, and what your plans are to be
02:06supportive of our East Coast Master Jet Base that is equally if not more
02:10important? I think it's a fair point. I do think it's equally important on the FAXX. We are
02:17reviewing it, no doubt, it's fair to say. The budget does provide for a completion
02:22of the design. As I've stated, the F-47, the EDGAD program is the priority in this
02:27budget to get that moving. So we are invested in 6th Gen and we do recognize
02:32the Navy's unique power projection capabilities. The F-35 factors into that
02:36also and so we're looking at its development in the future and we'll take
02:41into consideration those options and certainly make sure as we're planning it's
02:46considered. That base needs it and General Cannon would love to hear your
02:49thoughts too. To quote you, you said we need a capability that is mobile. There's
02:53nothing more mobile than a United States aircraft carrier and when I turn on the
02:57television and we want to talk about dropping bombs on Houthis in Yemen, who
03:00do they show? They always show my husband taking off F-18s. I get very jealous. I
03:03know there's a helicopter over there in Starbirdie just waiting for something to happen, but that's
03:06what they show. It's naval aviation. Ready to fish somebody out of the water. Ma'am, thanks for the
03:13question. Thanks for your service. Thanks for your husband's service and
03:16congratulations to your son. That's a that's a big big deal. You know obviously
03:21the Navy's work on all those issues, East Coast, West Coast power, but you know as a
03:26global integrator having 5th Gen on the West Coast that can go in those carrier
03:30air groups and get out there and provide deterrence and or capabilities is key.
03:35You know echo the Secretary's comments. I'll get with the Navy and take a look at
03:39their force rail in terms of 5th Gen and moving forward and of course the FAXX timing
03:45is a policy decision so defer to my my leadership. Thank you. Well I also just I
03:50know that you all are aware of our work we did from this Congress last Congress
03:54with the quality of life initiatives and the infrastructure needs at our bases, but
03:57that base is hurting and again that is our East Coast master jet base and we all
04:01know money follows a new toy sometimes so so please think of that and please
04:05prioritize at least give us a commitment that that is coming our way. And in
04:08closing I just want to talk about I'm the co-chair of Women Peace and Security
04:11Caucus which we have here we've had here this is a 2017 Trump Trump bill that
04:16was signed into law co-sponsored them by Senator Marco Rubio strongly championed by
04:21Ivanka Trump it's a design to improve military readiness strengthen our
04:25allies promote lasting stability through the inclusion of women and peace and
04:28security efforts just please be mindful of that it's a cheap three million
04:32dollars in fiscal year 24 but having to been in a lot of meetings with a lot of
04:36our allied partners it's a cheap form of just maintaining those relationships and
04:41and really giving giving a role to the roles that women want to play I mean it's
04:46an important role for us I will say this I will say that we are watching women are
04:51watching and as a person who was commissioned in 1993 which was the first
04:55year that women could fly in combat it was important piece in my decision to
04:58serve so so I just would love to hear your thoughts about the future women peace and
05:02security ma'am my issues not what women peace and security was it's what it
05:09became under the Biden administration so our review showed that what it became
05:14which is far more ideologically focused was not what it should be and so our
05:19decision there was driven by removing that aspect I don't disagree and happy to
05:23be a part of the solution to fix that and my time is expired and
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