Department of Defense Appropriations Act, 2017

Floor Speech

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Mr. TONKO. Mr. Chairman, I thank the gentleman from New York (Mr. Gibson), my colleague and friend for yielding and for leading us on this very important amendment.

Improving our artillery weapons system has been identified as a need by the Army Modernization Strategy. This amendment would make a modest increase to the Army's weapons and munitions advanced technology funding for extended-range cannon artillery.

We know that with additional research, development, and testing, we can make meaningful advances to these systems. Unfortunately, these systems have been overlooked in recent years as we have chosen to modernize other parts of our forces.

During this time, other countries have begun to produce artillery with new capabilities such as improved range, mobility, and accuracy. Not only does this increase the risk to our warfighters in the field, it has encouraged our allies to consider purchasing these systems from elsewhere.

I know we are capable of designing and building the best artillery in the world. I have seen it firsthand at the Watervliet Arsenal and Benet Laboratories in my district where hundreds of women and men support our warfighters by developing and manufacturing cutting-edge cannons and mortars.

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Mr. TONKO. Mr. Chair, we know that. It is a great inspiration just by their tradition alone.

We have an incredibly skilled workforce, the best in the world. Now we just need to make the investments necessary to ensure the products they manufacture will continue to be the best as well.

Once again, I thank our colleague, Congressman Gibson, for this amendment, and I urge my colleagues to support it.

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