At Subcommittee Hearing, Democrats Demand Real Action to Support Servicemembers and Strengthen Military Readiness

Washington, D.C. (March 29, 2023)—Rep. Robert Garcia, Ranking Member of the Subcommittee on National Security, the Border, and Foreign Affairs, led Democrats in addressing the serious challenges affecting our nation's military readiness, including recruitment, representation, and modernization.

"We should focus on what studies and what the facts and data actually say are causing issues around diminishing recruitment and retention. There are issues around sexual violence that we know still exist in the military, the need for improved mental health support for our servicemembers, the need for reliable and affordable child care, which are incredibly important and so many others. Even recent news and numerous studies have shown sexual assault, mental health care, and affordable child care still remain the key factors in military recruitment, retention, and readiness. But none of those real factors are unfortunately what is going to be much of the focus here at this Oversight Committee today," said Ranking Member Garcia in his opening statement.

The hearing included testimony from Lieutenant General David Barno (Ret.), a 30-year veteran of the U.S. Army and Visiting Professor of Strategic Studies, Johns Hopkins School of Advanced International Studies. The hearing also featured testimony from Jeremy Hunt, Chairman, Veterans on Duty, Inc; Dr. Meaghan Mobbs, Ph.D, Senior Fellow, Independent Women's Forum; and Brent Sadler, Senior Research Fellow, The Heritage Foundation.

Committee Democrats highlighted how diverse ideas, backgrounds, and capabilities are essential for military readiness.

• Responding to Ranking Member Robert Garcia, General Barno explained: "The United States has an immense advantage over our adversaries in that we are a very diverse culture . . . If you look to the Chinese military, if you look to the Russian military, you don't see that. They are going to operate at that permanent disadvantage. Our ability to knit teams together that can function well no matter what their educational background, no matter what their race, or their religious beliefs are, their gender—that's an incredible advantage the United States has always brought to the battlefield. That's going to make us out-think and out-innovate the enemy in any future conflict."

• In addressing a question from Rep. Dan Goldman, General Barno stated: "One of the reasons that the United States military is the envy of the world is because of the incredible teams of diverse individuals that we have. If I go to any other major military, they are almost all homogeneous in terms of racial background, their ethnic background, few have as many women as we have in the force. We bring a lot to the table in terms of thinking around all aspects of a problem and being able to harness that energy."

Committee Democrats criticized Committee Republicans for using the military as a prop in their political stunts instead of addressing the real factors that affect recruitment, retention, and military readiness.

• After Ranking Member Jamie Raskin asked about military recruitment, General Barno recounted: "I know that at least two service chiefs—the Commandant of the Marine Corps, General Berger, and the Chief of Staff of the Air Force, General C.Q. Brown—both said that ‘wokeism' is not affecting military readiness. There is no such thing. There is no evidence that this is a problem inside their two services."

• Following a question from Ranking Member Jamie Raskin regarding attacks by Republicans on training programs that mitigate sexual assault and sexual harassment, Dr. Mobbs stated, "I do not think focusing on sexual harassment or assault prevention is a bad thing. I think it is absolutely critical to build teams that have trust."

• In response to a request from Rep. Dan Goldman to define the term "woke," Mr. Hunt offered an unclear, ambiguous definition, "I describe it as a loose collection of progressive political ideas that are constantly thrust upon our institutions in the United States."

Committee Democrats emphasized their commitment to strengthening the military and providing solutions to address issues such as standard of living, health and safety, and sexual assault and harassment.

• When asked by Ranking Member Jamie Raskin about how to improve the lives of junior servicemembers, General Barno answered, "We ought to devote more attention to ensure that they have a tolerable standard of living, especially if they are married and perhaps have dependents."

• In highlighting the need for robust programs to mitigate and respond to sexual assault and harassment in the military, Rep. Maxwell Alejandro Frost stated: "This is not an issue of ‘wokeness.' We are talking about the women in our military that are serving our country, defending our freedom that deserve to not be assaulted in the workplace. And we as Members of Congress need to look at how we are protecting them and how are we ensuring that the quality of life for our servicemembers is better than it is right now."

• Following a question from Rep. Stephen Lynch on the importance of the health and safety of our servicemembers, General Barno said: "I think that is critical. Individual young men and women don't make these decisions to join by themselves. They rely upon the advice from their family members, their teachers, their coaches. And if those older adults in the room don't perceive the military as safe for these people, they will never recommend they join."

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