Chairman Wilson on Emerging Threats and Capabilities Markup
Congressman Joe Wilson (SC-02), Chairman of the House Armed Services Subcommittee on Emerging Threats and Capabilities, released the following statement after today’s Subcommittee markup of the Fiscal Year (FY) 2017 National Defense Authorization Act:
“In the past year, our nation has faced new threats both in cyber space and in real-time—whether from cyberattacks that targeted the Office of Personnel Management (OPM), or from asymmetrical warfare threats posed by Russia and Iran.
“The Emerging Threats and Capabilities markup fully resources our critical counterterrorism efforts and special operations activities, and biodefense provisions. We are clear—if our enemies are going to attack our soldiers and American families with new and unconventional attacks, our military will have every tool to respond.”
For full text of the mark and to watch the markup, please click here
The ETC proposal is a vital part of the NDAA through which the Committee conducts oversight of counterterrorism programs and initiatives, U.S. Special Operations Forces, related Intelligence support, DoD science and technology programs and policy, information technology and Cyber operations and programs, homeland defense, force protection policy and oversight, and combating weapons of mass destruction. Specifically, the ETC proposal will:
Strengthen efforts against terrorists and violent extremists by fully supporting Special Operations Forces and other DoD elements and programs:
Strengthen efforts against terrorists and violent extremists by fully supporting Special Operations Forces and other DoD elements and programs:
- Extends 1208 counterterrorism authority used by Special Operations Forces.
- Directs a strategy for Regional Counter-Narrative Capabilities against ISIS and other threats to mitigate propaganda and recruitment efforts.
- Extends vital authorities including Non-Conventional Assisted Recovery (NAR), an authority used to rescue isolated service members and U.S. citizens.
- Strengthens congressional oversight of ongoing counterterrorism operations and activities.
Fully support and strengthen DoD cyber operations and programs:
- Prioritizes the readiness of the Cyber Mission Force, cyber tools, and capabilities.
- Ensures resiliency for DoD networks, weapons systems, and capabilities; mitigates against insider threats; and, provides special procurement authority to facilitate recovery from a cyber attack.
- Supports funding and advanced oversight of the development of a new security clearance IT architecture to replace OPM’s networks that resulted in the compromise of millions of records of federal civil servants and their families.
Support emerging technologies and counter unconventional threats:
- Supports directed-energy weapon and counter–unmanned aerial systems technology research.
- Supports test and evaluation capabilities.
- Places renewed emphasis on the congressionally-directed strategy on Counter-Unconventional Warfare threats such as those being posed by Russia and Iran.
- Fully funds the Defense Threat Reduction Agency, the Chemical and Biological Defense program, and the Chemical Demilitarization program.
- Implements Biodefense Blue Ribbon Panel recommendations, including directing a National Biodefense Strategy and review of enhanced public-private partnerships for medical countermeasures.