Department of Defense Appropriations Act, 2019

Floor Speech

BREAK IN TRANSCRIPT

Mr. CRAWFORD. Mr. Chairman, I thank the gentlewoman from Texas, the distinguished chair, for her leadership.

The amendment I am offering will support explosive ordnance disposal equipment upgrades and technology enhancements.

When the Department of Defense canceled the EOD/Low Intensity Conflict Program, which formerly developed and delivered capabilities commonly required by each services' EOD tactical units, it was done without transferring this program and the oversight responsibility on EOD research, development, and acquisition to that of the Under Secretary of Defense for Acquisition, Technology, and Logistics.

It is my understanding that DOD's Combating Terrorism Technical Support Office will now absorb this specific mission set within their Improvised Device Defeat and Explosives Countermeasures program. This program is unique in that it supports the United States Government's Interagency Deputies' Technical Support Working Group to combat terrorism by using a whole-government approach. Specifically, the program leverages the intelligence community, the Departments of Defense, Homeland Security, Justice, and State, as well as State, local, and Tribal levels of government.

There are about 33,000 annual call-outs, approximately 4,500 of which are on DOD military munitions. The Improvised Device Defeat and Explosives Countermeasures program develops or improves operational capabilities to neutralize, render safe, and contain blast fragmentation during these emergency response operations and terrorist incidents involving use of IEDs in the homeland. Furthermore, it produces dual-use capabilities on enhancing lifesaving technologies for military tactical EOD units and those of public safety bomb squads organized at the State, local, and Tribal levels of government.

Therefore, I encourage the Director of the Combating Terrorism Technical Support Office to appropriately prioritize funding toward delivery of these advanced dual-use capabilities in the IED countermeasures program used by military tactical EOD units and public safety bomb squads.

In closing, this program is critical to the safety and security of America's citizens. Military tactical EOD units and public safety bomb squads deserve the best tools and equipment we can provide so they are able to neutralize, disable, dismantle, render safe, and exploit improvised explosive devices and explosive ordnance both at home and abroad. My amendment will ensure they receive the equipment upgrades and technology enhancements they need.

Mr. Chairman, I urge my colleagues to support this amendment, and I yield back the balance of my time.

BREAK IN TRANSCRIPT

Source