My name is Ammon Blair, I am representing the Texas Public Policy Foundation and testifying in support of H.B. 930.
Today, we face the most complex security environment since World War II. The United States confronts potential near-peer conflicts and unprecedented asymmetric threats directly targeting our homeland. According to the Commission on the National Defense Strategy, current military readiness is “grossly inadequate” to effectively counter these evolving threats.
Inflation and our escalating national debt compound this readiness crisis, placing extraordinary pressure on defense budgets and compromising essential capabilities. Consequently, the Department of Defense has become increasingly reliant on the National Guard, transforming it from a strategic reserve into an operational combat reserve frequently deployed overseas, often without explicit congressional authorization.
Read the full testimony below.