U.S. Rep. Scott DesJarlais, a Republican representing Tennessee’s Fourth Congressional District, announced Friday he will co-chair a new forum to educate his colleagues in Congress about military issues.
The forum, DesJarlais said in a press release, is the Congressional Range and Testing Center Caucus. DesJarlais will co-chair alongside U.S. Rep. Julia Brownley, a Democrat representing California’s 26th Congressional District
DesJarlais and Brownley represent large military communities in their districts. The forum is designed to educate members of Congress about Department of Defense range and testing facilities, such as Naval Base Ventura County in California and Arnold Air Force Base in Tennessee.
DesJarlais and Brownley released joint statements about their common agenda in the current 116th Congress.
“Tennessee’s Fourth District lies at the heart of the Aerospace and Defense Technology Corridor spanning several states. It includes public and private enterprises developing cutting-edge technology to protect our country: unmanned aircraft, hypersonic flight and more,” DesJarlais said.
“These facilities, such as Arnold Air Force Base, University of Tennessee’s Space Institute and Redstone Arsenal in Alabama, are crucial defense assets and economic resources, reliant on a high-skilled workforce. Congresswoman Brownley and I are helping to generate more public understanding and support for their work.”
For her part, Brownley said she represents Naval Base Ventura County and more than 19,000 personnel.
“I know how critical range and testing centers are to ensure our troops have the best technology available to help defend our country,” Brownley said in the press release.
“I am looking forward to continuing to work with Congressman DesJarlais and other members of the Caucus to ensure our military has the resources needed to support our major range and test facility bases, which play a critical role in protecting the U.S. military’s technological advantages.”
The CRTCC is comprised of bipartisan members from across the United States, representing an array of Air Force, Army, and Naval installations. As it did in the previous 115th Congress, the Caucus will continue its efforts to educate elected officials and their constituents about range and testing centers’ capabilities, their infrastructure, budgetary and workforce needs, the press release said.
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Chris Butler is an investigative journalist at The Tennessee Star. Follow Chris on Facebook. Email tips to [email protected].
