On September 18, 2001, Congress enacted a joint resolution authorizing the President to, "Use all necessary and appropriate force against those nations, organizations, or persons he determines planned, authorized, committed, or aided the terrorist attacks that occurred on September 11, 2001, or harbored such organizations or persons." This authority is referred to as the Authorization for the Use of Military Force (AUMF). Today's hearing will examine the legal basis for the use of military force in accordance with the law of armed conflict, including the use of drones. We have asked our...

Last year, for the fourth year in a row, there were more than 3,000 reported cases of sexual assault in the military, including 2,558 unrestricted reports and an additional 816 restricted reports. Restricted meaning that in accordance with the victim's request, they were handled in a confidential manner and not investigated. A recent survey conducted by the Department of Defense (DOD) indicates that the actual number of sexual offenses could be considerably higher, as 6.1 percent of active duty women and 1.2 percent of active duty men surveyed reported having experienced an incident of...

After twelve years of persistent conflict, the United States finds itself in a familiar situation - facing a declining defense budget and a strategic landscape that continues to evolve. As our current large-scale military campaign draws down, the United States still faces a complex and growing array of security challenges across the globe as "wars over ideology have given way to wars over religious, ethnic, and tribal identity; nuclear dangers have proliferated; inequality and economic instability have intensified; damage to our environment, food insecurity, and dangers to public health are...

In March of 2011, the Senate Armed Services Committee initiated an investigation into counterfeit electronic parts in the Department of Defense (DOD) supply chain. The investigation uncovered overwhelming evidence of large numbers of counterfeit parts making their way into critical defense systems. It revealed failures by defense contractors and DOD to report counterfeit parts and gaps in DO D's knowledge of the scope and impact of such parts on defense systems. The investigation exposed a defense supply chain that relies on hundreds of unvetted independent distributors to supply electronic...

The Bipartisan Budget Act (BBA) of 2013 included a provision that reduced the cost-of-living adjustments (COLA) for working age military retirees by 1 percent until the retiree reaches the age of 62, at which time retired pay is adjusted to the level it would have been had the COLA not been reduced. In a USA Today column defending the legislation, Congressman Paul Ryan explained the provision as follows: "We make no changes for those currently at or above age 62. This reform affects only younger military retirees. Right now any person who has served 20 years can retire regardless of age. That...

30 years ago, Congress passed Goldwater-Nichols in response to serious concerns about the effectiveness of our military. The failure of the Iranian hostage rescue mission in 1980 and poor coordination between the services during the invasion of Grenada in 1983 were clear signs that something was wrong. Congress and others concluded that these failures were driven by a number of factors, including the absence of unity of command and an inability to operate jointly. Just 5 years after the passage of Goldwater-Nichols, America's rapid and stunning victory in the 1991 Gulf War seemed to suggest...

Vladimir Putin's invasion of Ukraine and annexation of Crimea forced a recognition, that we're confronting a challenge that many had assumed was resigned to the history books, a strong militarily capable Russia that is hostile to our interests and our values, and seeks to challenge the international order that American leaders of both parties have sought to maintain since the end of World War II. Russia continues to destabilize Ukraine and menace our NATO allies in Europe with aggressive military behavior. For more than a year, an overwhelming bipartisan majority in Congress, as well as many...