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Forbes: Seapower Subcommittee Releases Mark Requiring Realistic Shipbuilding Plan, Investment in New Technologies

Tue, 21 May 2013 04:00:00 GMT

Congressman J. Randy Forbes (VA-04), Chairman of the Seapower and Projection Forces Subcommittee of the House Armed Services Committee, released today the legislative language of the Seapower Subcommittee’s mark of the National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA). Chairman Forbes and Ranking Member Mike McIntyre (NC) led the Seapower Subcommittee in producing a mark which designates essential funding and sets priorities for the U.S. Navy, Marine Corps and Air Force.

“To those predicting the decline of American power, this mark signals that we do not intend to meekly accept a world where U.S. interests can be ignored with impunity by our adversaries. Having recently received a 30 Year Shipbuilding Plan from the Navy with no basis in reality, our mark requires a detailed roadmap for how the service will reach its shipbuilding goals under likely budget scenarios,” Chairman Forbes said. “We have laid the groundwork to ask difficult questions of the Navy about the cost overruns on the Ford-class aircraft carrier, while also ensuring the Navy has an additional Virginia-class attack submarine each year. And we have made investments in technologies like the UCLASS carrier-launched unmanned vehicle, which will ensure the viability of the Carrier Air Wing for decades to come.”

Highlights of the Seapower Subcommittee mark include:

Directing the Navy to report on projected Fleet size under the current budget. The Seapower mark requires the Navy to report to Congress on the likely size of the Navy’s Fleet given the current shipbuilding budget. “The Navy’s 30 year shipbuilding plan is a “plan” in name only,” Chairman Forbes noted. “Under the current shipbuilding budget, the Fleet will continue to shrink to a level completely antithetical to U.S. national security interests.”
Maintaining funding for the Ford-class aircraft carrier. The Subcommittee, while expressing concern with the program’s continued cost growth, continues funding for the next-generation aircraft carrier that will anchor the Fleet for decades to come.
Preserving Navy cruisers and amphibious ships. The Full Committee mark is expected to support the modernization of seven cruisers and two landing dock landing ships (LSDs) that were proposed for early retirement well ahead of their useful service life. Keeping these assets in the Fleet enhances the Navy’s ability to undertake critical missions like ballistic-missile defense (BMD) and amphibious power projection.
Supporting the Navy’s continued procurement of Virginia-class submarines, Littoral Combat Ships (LCS) and Arleigh Burke-class destroyers. The Full Committee mark is expected to support the continued procurement of Virginia-class SSNs at a rate of two-per-year while procuring an additional DDG-51 destroyer and four LCSs.
Expanding investments in game-changing technologies. The mark encourages further investment in the Unmanned Carrier-Launched Airborne Surveillance and Strike System (UCLASS) that will be critical to maintaining the Carrier Air Wing’s versatility in the years ahead.
Continuing investment in critical Projection Forces capabilities for aerial refueling and long-range strike. The Full Committee mark is expected to continue to support the Air Force’s Long Range Strike-Bomber (LRS-B) program and the KC-46A aerial refueling tanker.
Ensures full funding of Navy ship maintenance. The Full Committee mark is expected to provide for full funding of vital ship repair and maintenance activities.

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GSA shorts small business by over $3 million

Mon, 20 May 2013 04:00:00 GMT

I thought you might be interested in a recent article I read in The Washington Post, which detailed a disturbing trend: The GSA has failed to fully pay 1,334 federal contractors, shorting small businesses by over $3 million. Today’s economic environment is uncertain enough, but when you add in federal agencies that cannot be trusted to fulfill their half of the bargain, small businesses become discouraged from competing and hesitant to invest, stunting our entire country’s economic growth.

As the backbone of the American economy, entrepreneurs and small businesses are crucial contributors to our nation’s economic success. I will continue to work to promote policies that create a healthy economic environment which encourages small businesses to do what they do best: grow, innovate, creat jobs, and lead our country forward.

Time to Admit China is a Military Competitor

Mon, 20 May 2013 04:00:00 GMT

I wanted to share with you an article I wrote that was published by National Review, regarding China as a military competitor. We must acknowledge China’s military ambitions and their potential consequences for U.S. interests in the region. By assessing the intentions of the Chinese, the United States will be better prepared to evaluate our interests in Asia and act accordingly.

As Chairman of the Congressional China Caucus, I want to hear your thoughts on how the United States should address China’s military modernization.

Time to Admit China Is a Military Competitor

By J. Randy Forbes

May 17, 2013 1:56 PM

The early-May release by the Defense Department of its annual report to Congress on China’s military developments is a prime opportunity to reevaluate how the United States frames the future of its security relationship with Beijing. For too long, politicians and pundits of both parties have refused to clearly state the obvious: The U.S. and China are engaged in a long-term peacetime competition with economic, diplomatic and, yes, military components. The sooner Washington begins speaking honestly about our relationship with China, the sooner we’ll have policies that adequately address the challenges facing our two countries.

As China’s economic development continues and its regional aspirations expand, its military modernization has continued apace. This reality, and the necessity of the United States’ remaining a force in Asia-Pacific for the sake of regional stability, makes many in Washington uncomfortable. Indeed, the pressure to refrain from speaking openly about the issue has led some U.S. officials to begin referring to China as a national “Voldermort.”

It’s immensely counterproductive to avoid speaking openly and truthfully about the Sino-American rivalry and its future trajectory. By failing to acknowledge China’s military ambitions and their potential consequences for U.S. interests in the region, American policymakers are choosing timidity when resolute leadership is required.

The reality is this: Over the past decade, China has been developing military capabilities designed to deny the United States access to the waters and airspace of the western Pacific. Through the acquisition of anti-ship ballistic missiles designed to target American aircraft carriers, advanced aircraft capable of hitting U.S. and allied bases around the region, and large numbers of modern submarines, Beijing has clearly signaled its intention to subvert the balance of power that has anchored peace in Asia for six decades, and to do so in ways inimical to American interests.

This is not simply the case of a rising power seeking a military befitting its economic might; rather, China has specifically geared its military development to areas of perceived American weakness with the objective of restricting U.S. action in East Asia.

Speaking clearly about Beijing’s actions and intentions is not a fatalistic acceptance that Sino-American conflict is inevitable, or even likely. Instead, by realistically appraising Chinese intentions, the United States will be better prepared to assess our interests in Asia and act accordingly.

With 80 percent of global trade traveling by sea, a substantial amount of that through the waters of East Asia, allowing the United States to be pushed out of the region is simply unacceptable. American military power, particularly our navy, has ensured the peaceful, liberal order that currently predominates in East Asia. As our fleet has slowly atrophied from the nearly 600 ships of the Reagan era to 283 today, the ability of the United States to uphold its obligations and interests around the world has become sorely tested. Even as the Chinese are developing sophisticated systems to target our perceived vulnerabilities, the U.S. is expected to experience major shortfalls in areas from attack submarines and surface combatants to Air Force long-range bombers. Understanding, and speaking clearly about, our interests in Asia and the challenges we face is critical to fixing the military gaps we have incurred over the last decade.

The Pentagon’s latest report on Chinese military modernization is an excellent opportunity for leaders in both parties to begin the process of speaking honestly about the China challenge. Our future relations with China are not preordained. Sound policy based on American strength and rooted in longstanding American interests is achievable only through recognition that China is a long-term competitor of the United States across a range of areas, including the military. The sooner we are comfortable admitting this fact, the better our chances of marshaling the resources to maintain a free and prosperous Asia.

Question of the week: Do you believe the Prevent IRS Overreach Act is a necessary step in ensuring protection for the American people?

Fri, 17 May 2013 04:00:00 GMT

Last Friday, Lois Lerner, Director of the Exempt Organizations Division at the IRS, apologized for the Agency requiring certain conservative groups to submit excessive paperwork regarding their 501(c)(4) tax exempt status.

Her apology was issued just days before the Treasury Inspector General for Tax Administration (TIGTA) was scheduled to release its oversight report of IRS activities. This report not only confirmed that the IRS was in fact targeting conservative organizations, but that this has been going on since 2010.

Groups with the word “patriot” in their names, and those with the mission of “educating on the Constitution and Bill of Rights” have been subjected to enhanced scrutiny in their applications for tax exempt status. The TIGTA report indicated that 160 applications were open from 206 to 1,138 days, some more than three years and crossing two election cycles.

The Department of Justice launched an investigation in conjunction with the FBI, and the House Ways and Means Committee is holding a hearing today to further investigate this matter and bring to light why these groups were targeted.

While these investigations are pending, and Americans are calling into question the integrity of what should be a non-partisan, non-political government agency, I have introduced the Prevent IRS Overreach Act, H.R.1993, to prohibit the IRS from hiring any personnel for the purpose of implementing the healthcare law. Read more about this bill here.

Question of the week: Do you believe the Prevent IRS Overreach Act is a necessary step in ensuring protection for the American people?

( ) Yes.
( ) No.
( ) I don’t know.
( ) Other (leave your comments below).

Take the instaPoll here.

Find the results of last week’s instaPoll here.

The Unaffordable Care Act

Thu, 16 May 2013 04:00:00 GMT

I wanted to share a recent article from AEIdeas, the American Enterprise Institute blog, further highlighting the destructive nature of the health care law. The article notes that, according to a recent Gallup poll, 48% of small business owners believe that the law will be bad for their business.

The increased taxes and regulations are bad enough, but when you add in the uncertainty surrounding implementation of the health care law, businesses are not expanding. Even worse, they are closing their doors.

Access to health care should not come at an unacceptable price to our small business community. I will continue to support the repeal and defunding of this law, and promote policies that encourage, not stifle, economic growth.

Forbes Introduces Bill to Stop IRS from Using Obamacare Tax as Next Political Bludgeon

Wed, 15 May 2013 04:00:00 GMT

Congressman J. Randy Forbes (VA-04) announced today that he is introducing legislation that would prohibit a massive expansion of the Internal Revenue Service at a time when many Americans are calling into question the integrity of what should be a non-partisan, non-political government agency. The Prevent IRS Overreach Act would prohibit the IRS from hiring any personnel for the purpose of implementing the 2010 Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act. The bill introduction comes on the heels of confirmation that the IRS has purposely targeted applicants for tax-exempt status for having “Tea Party” or “Patriot” in their names — demanding confidential donor lists and delaying applications in many cases for years.

"Americans have witnessed egregious political bullying at the hands of IRS agents -- bullying that senior leadership of the IRS have been aware of for two years. Under current law, the authority to implement the President's healthcare tax rests with the very people who used their government positions to act as political operatives working to influence the electoral process. I'm introducing legislation today to prevent the IRS from being handed their newest bludgeon to target businesses and individuals that do not come in line with their political philosophy or policy positions. The IRS would be better to police its own than to police the millions of Americans who believe this healthcare law to be bad for their families and bad for our businesses,” Forbes said.

The scandal-plagued agency has publicly admitted that it wrongfully subjected tax-exempt groups with conservative leaning ideologies to intense and unnecessary scrutiny, targeting groups in some cases simply for purposes such as "Educating on the Constitution and Bill of Rights." The IRS is now the subject of a federal criminal investigation to determine whether agents knowingly and willfully violated the law by using their official positions to tamper with election processes. Congressman Forbes’ “Prevent IRS Overreach Act” is a necessary step towards reining in an overtly intrusive government which has once again failed to hold itself accountable.

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Questioning Eric Holder on Benghazi, IRS, and Fast and Furious

Wed, 15 May 2013 04:00:00 GMT

Today, I questioned Attorney General Eric Holder before the House Judiciary Committee in regards to the lack of personal accountability of members of this Administration. A pattern has emerged of senior Administration officials "accepting responsibility," but failing to suffer any personal repercussions for actions which have resulted in the murder of Americans and the degradation of our Constitution.

4 Americans dead in Benghazi under the watch of Secretary Clinton
U.S. Agent Brian Terry and over 150 Mexicans dead because of Fast and Furious under the watch of Attorney General Holder
U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement released over 2000 criminal illegal aliens, some convicted of aggravated felonies under the watch of Director Morton
IRS agents targeted conservative groups and used government positions to act as political operatives working to influence the electoral process under the watch of Commissioner Miller

Watch the exchange here:

These senior officials have one thing in common – they all have said there’s nothing they could have done to prevent these things from happening.

Now, the IRS is preparing to implement over 30 tax related provisions of the President's healthcare law. I have introduced legislation - "The Prevent IRS Overreach Act"- to get the IRS out of healthcare. Read more about the bill and weigh in with your thoughts below.

Forbes: X-47B Test "Major Leap Forward"

Tue, 14 May 2013 04:00:00 GMT

Congressman J. Randy Forbes (VA-04), Chairman of the Seapower and Projection Forces Subcommittee of the House Armed Services Committee, released the following statement on the successful test of the Navy’s carrier-launched X-47B unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV):

"Today’s successful test of the X-47B is a major leap forward in the Navy’s development of a carrier-launched unmanned aerial vehicle capability. If the U.S. Navy is to maintain its technological edge in the years ahead, our continued investment in potential game-changing technologies like the UCAS-D/UCLASS will be essential. As anti-access environments proliferate, the Navy’s Carrier Air Wings will require a mix of aircraft, both manned and unmanned, with the extended range, persistence, stealth, and payload to ensure U.S. power projection around the globe. The X-47B test program and the follow-on UCLASS system are at the heart of this effort.”

Congressman Forbes has commented regularly about the importance of the UCAS-D/UCLASS programs for the Carrier Air Wing. Below are links to his views on the subject:

http://breakingdefense.com/2013/04/29/beyond-f-35-rep-forbes-and-adm-greenert-on-cyber-drones-and-carr/

http://www.informationdissemination.net/2012/06/what-is-potential-and-what-are.html

http://www.informationdissemination.net/2013/04/learning-from-doolittle-raiders.html

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Forbes Will Continue Working to Reverse Furloughs

Tue, 14 May 2013 04:00:00 GMT

Congressman J. Randy Forbes (VA-04), Chairman of the Seapower and Projection Forces Subcommittee of the House Armed Services Committee, released the following statement on the Defense Department’s announcement regarding the duration of civilian furloughs:

"Since voting against sequestration in 2011, I have warned of the devastating effects these cuts will have on our national security and economic well-being, in Virginia and across the country. I will continue to work to reverse these devastating cuts, restore our military readiness, and end the destructive furloughing of our Defense Department civilians”.

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IRS Targets American Taxpayers Over Politics

Tue, 14 May 2013 04:00:00 GMT

I wanted to bring to your attention a recent article, as well as timeline, both indicating that officials at the IRS knew that conservative groups were being targeted.

Last April, I joined my colleagues in sending a letter to the IRS Commissioner expressing deep concern over these actions impacting free speech, and requesting information for the basis of the excessive requests for information from particular organizations

The House Ways and Means Committee is holding a hearing on Friday to further investigate this matter and bring to light why conservative groups were targeted. We must remain vigilant to protect the tax information of individuals and organizations, and ensure that they are not targeted again.