U.S. Congressman Mac Thornberry, Vice Chair of the House Armed Services Committee, issued the following statement in response to President Obama's Defense Strategy Rollout released during a press conference at the Pentagon earlier today: "The “Strategic Guidance” issued by the Obama Administration today is primarily a series of vague statements and aspirational goals. Calling a piece of paper a “strategy” does not make it one. What really matters are the specifics on people, weapons, and budgets...
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For the second year in a row, the U.S. House approved a funding bill that cuts billions in discretionary spending. U.S. Congressman Mac Thornberry (R-Clarendon) voted in support of the bipartisan bill, which funds the government through September 2012. The final vote was 296 to 121. “This year has been a challenging one. Yet overall, the House has been pretty successful at reversing the growth of government and changing the debate from spending more to spending less,” said Thornberry. “The resul...
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U.S. Congressman Mac Thornberry (R-Clarendon), the Vice Chairman of the House Armed Services Committee, voted in support of the final annual defense policy bill that authorizes spending for military personnel, weapons systems, national security programs, and the Iraq and Afghanistan wars. The National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA), which passed with bipartisan support, also includes funding for Sheppard Air Force Base, the Pantex Plant, and the V-22/MV-22 Osprey program at Bell-Helicopter’s M...
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U.S. Congressman Mac Thornberry (R-Clarendon) today voted to support the “Middle Class Tax Relief and Job Creation Act,” which passed the House with bipartisan support. The bill includes fully paid-for extensions of the payroll tax holiday and protects reimbursements to doctors under the Medicare program for two years. It also reforms the unemployment insurance program and forces action on the Keystone XL pipeline project in 60 days. The vote was 234 to 193. “This bill makes sense for several re...
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U.S. Congressman Mac Thornberry supported two bills this week to reform the regulatory process: the “Regulatory Flexibility Improvements Act of 2011” (HR 527) and the “Regulatory Accountability Act of 2011” (HR 3010). “The House has passed over 10 bills this year aimed largely at reining-in agency rules already in the works,” said Thornberry. “HR 527 and HR 3010 get at the heart of the matter by overhauling the rulemaking process to force agencies of the Executive Branch to consider the cost of ...
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Statement of Rep. Mac Thornberry (TX-13) before the House Committee On Small Business Subcommittee On Healthcare and Technology United States House Of Representatives December 1, 2011 Chairwoman Ellmers, Ranking Member Richmond, and Members of the Subcommittee, I appreciate the opportunity to offer some thoughts today about cybersecurity. Cybersecurity is a complex set of issues that touches nearly every aspect of our lives. It is not only about national security, but also job creation and our e...
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U.S. Congressman Mac Thornberry, the leader of the House Cybersecurity Task Force and a senior member of the Intelligence Committee, made the following comments about the bipartisan "Cyber Intelligence Sharing and Protection Act of 2011," introduced by Rep. Mike Rogers (R-MI) and Rep. Dutch Ruppersberger (D-MD): "The Rogers/Ruppersberger bill is a very positive step forward in improving our cybersecurity. It focuses on one of the central issues identified by the House Cybersecurity Task Force, w...
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U.S. Congressman Mac Thornberry (R-Clarendon) issued the following statement after the Super Committee announced there will not be an agreement before the deadline on November 23, 2011: "I am disappointed that the 'Super Committee' was unable to agree on a deficit reduction plan. This is a lost opportunity to make the long-term, structural changes to federal spending that need to be made." "While an agreement was not reached this week, it is still possible for the Congress to adopt a plan by Dec...
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By Rep. Mac Thornberry Special to Roll Call Nov. 21, 2011, Midnight No one has a crystal ball that can tell us what will happen in the future, especially with national security. But we can predict one thing based on past experience: There will be change and turbulence in the world. America needs to be prepared to deal with it. We face great security challenges in an increasingly interconnected world. We must be realistic about the dangers facing our country, whether from terrorism, aggressive ac...
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