WASHINGTON—Senate Appropriations Subcommittee on Military Construction, Veterans Affairs, and Related Agencies (MilCon-VA) Chairman John Boozman (R-AR) held a hearing examining the Fiscal Year 2027 budget request for military infrastructure and family housing. 

The following is Chairman Boozman’s opening statement, as prepared for delivery:

Good morning. The subcommittee will come to order.

We meet today to discuss the President’s Fiscal Year 2027 budget request for military construction and family housing for the Department of Defense.

I would like to begin by recognizing today’s panel. Today we will hear from representatives of the military services as well as the Office of the Secretary of Defense. 

Joining us are:

• The Honorable Dale Marks, Assistant Secretary of Defense for Energy, Installations, and Environment;

• Lieutenant General Michelle Donahue, Deputy Chief of Staff for Army Logistics;

• Rear Admiral Timothy Brown, Director, Logistics Division, Office of the Chief of Naval Operations; 

• Lieutenant General Stephen Sklenka, Deputy Commandant for Installations and Logistics, who will be retiring shortly after 38 years of service. General, thank you for your many years of service and I wish you well in your retirement;

• Lieutenant General Kenyon Bell, Air Force Deputy Chief of Staff for Logistics, Engineering, and Force Protection; and

• Ms. Kathryn Kolbe, Space Force Assistant Deputy Chief of Space Operations, Installations and Logistics.

This year’s MILCON request totals $28.6 billion, an increase of $8.8 billion above the Fiscal Year 2026 enacted level. After years of persistent underinvestment in military construction, this request represents a generational investment toward rebuilding and modernizing our military footprint –– from barracks to bomber infrastructure.

Increased investment alone does not solve the underlying challenges in efficiently and effectively executing MILCON.

We see a growing concentration of large projects and expensive increments in the request, which crowd-out smaller but no less critical projects. We also continue to see cost overruns and schedule delays.

I know the department has been taking a hard look at its internal processes to identify opportunities for improvement, and Congress has also done its part by enacting targeted authorities within our jurisdiction to help address these challenges.

The new MILCON authorities enacted last year include Progressive Design Build, Other Transaction Authority, and Alternate Defense Construction Agent approaches. While it is still early to assess their effectiveness, I am encouraged that the department is already taking steps to align policies and procedures with these new authorities. 

Separately, I am concerned that several projects were requested within the mandatory portion of the budget, including two projects associated with the President’s Golden Dome for America effort.  

I am also aware of several new construction barracks projects requested in FSRM – under the jurisdiction of the Defense Appropriations Subcommittee – rather than in MILCON.

Given the uncertainty surrounding reconciliation, and the unpredictable nature of FSRM, I worry about whether these projects will ultimately move forward as planned. 

Lastly, while this subcommittee has not received an official damage assessment from Iranian strikes on our bases in the Middle East, we understand that assessments are ongoing. Even as those assessments continue, it is important we receive regular updates from the department and that any supplemental request includes funding for CENTCOM installations and support infrastructure to protect our troops and maintain a strong presence in the region.