Department of Defense Appropriations Act, 2014

Floor Speech

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Ms. MICHELLE LUJAN GRISHAM of New Mexico. Mr. Chairman, In 1990, the existing U.S. satellite-communications capacity would not support the warfighters during the first gulf war. The United States made an urgent attempt to launch an additional Defense Satellite Communication System III spacecraft to support the war effort; but it was not until February 11, 1992, more than a year after the war ended, that the mission was finally launched.

In nearly every national space policy guidance document, resiliency and responsiveness are key objectives in global communications, navigation, and guided munitions, all of which rely on satellites that provide game-changing advantages on the battlefield. Before Operationally Responsive Space, ORS, was established, the capacity to rapidly develop and deploy satellites was inadequate. ORS's mission is to respond to emerging, persistent, or unanticipated needs and quickly deploy cost-effective satellites to provide transformational advantages on the battlefield. ORS has the ability to launch field-ready satellites within just a few days or weeks. It also rapidly develops, delivers, and employs new capabilities in a few months to less than a year.

Increased speed for the delivery of space assets not only helps to close gaps in the United States' space systems capacity; it can also improve resiliency and reconstitute satellites lost to countermeasures. In 2007, China used a ground-based missile to destroy one of its own satellites, demonstrating their capacity to target our satellites and space-defense systems. Russia is currently developing a sea-based missile and space-defense system. As other countries modernize their military, the threat level to our communications, navigation, and guided munitions satellites intensifies.

ORS has also demonstrated the ability to cost effectively deploy space assets. General Schwartz said:

ORS is exactly what we need, innovation and greater efficiency as we contend with ongoing fiscal constraints and changing space posture.

Secretary of the Air Force Michael Donley called ORS ``critical to our Nation's national security posture, and we need to proceed at the speed of need.''

Eliminating ORS would cut the very programs that give our Nation's warfighters their military asymmetric advantage in space. The growing need for information dominance is driving a remarkable transition in space systems. ORS is integral to maintaining our advantage in space. Our amendment reserves $10 million from RDT&E for this program.

Mr. Chairman, I thank the chair and the ranking member, and I look forward to continue to work on this important issue.

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