Opening Statements

Washington, D.C. – U.S. Representative Pat Fallon (R-TX), Chairman of the Military Personnel Subcommittee, delivered the following opening remarks at a hearing on issues and solutions regarding military food programs. 
 
Rep. Fallon’s remarks as prepared for delivery:
 
I want to welcome everyone to this hearing of the Military Personnel subcommittee. 
 
Today’s hearing is on military food programs and the duty to feed our service members. 
 
I want to thank our witnesses for being with us today.  
 
I hope this hearing provides the opportunity for members of the subcommittee to have a productive discussion with our witnesses. 
 
Let’s be clear: our men and women in uniform put everything on the line for this country.  
 
They endure the tough conditions and constant demands of military life. 
 
Access to nutritious, high-quality meals should be a given, not a challenge or a “nice to have” - especially when money is deducted from junior enlisted member’s paychecks to pay for it.  
 
Yet, we continue to hear reports about poor food quality, inconsistent operating hours, and logistical failures that leave too many of our service members without reliable meal options.  
 
That is unacceptable. Even more concerning, fewer than one in three service members regularly use on-base dining facilities.  
 
A take rate that low signals a serious disparity between what’s being provided, and what’s actually working for the force.  
 
The services have a responsibility to provide accessible meals that meet the nutritional needs of our service members. 
 
However, a lack of tracking and proper oversight of food programs have led to wildly inconsistent standards across military installations.  
 
Some bases have top-notch dining facilities, while others struggle to serve safely cooked food. 
 
According to a RAND study, 25 percent of service members living in barracks report being food insecure. 
 
That’s not just bad for morale – it's bad for readiness- and frankly embarrassing and unacceptable!  
 
Today, we will hear directly from the leaders responsible for overseeing military food programs.  
 
I want to know what’s broken, why it’s broken, and most importantly, how we fix it.  
 
This isn’t about politics; it’s about doing right by the people who defend this nation. 
 
I look forward to this discussion and working with my colleagues to ensure that every service member – regardless of rank, duty station, or shift – has access to the quality meals they need and deserve.