Rep. Mac Thornberry has a message for everyone who accused lawmakers last year of ignoring Pentagon recommendations, meddling too much with the military budget and causing too many headaches for the administration:

Get used to it.

In his first major address since the start of the congressional session, the new chairman of the House Armed Services Committee offered an aggressive plan for the coming year, promising closer oversight on defense spending and a more active role in cleaning up the defense acquisition process.

"Some people expect lawmakers to just cut the check and not ask too many questions," said Thornberry, R-Texas. "But Congress should not give any president a blank check, nor should Congress be a rubber stamp. It is the branch of government most responsible for the character and contours of the military."

The comments were a shot not only at the White House but also at Pentagon leaders, who last year frequently lamented congressional decisions to ignore their requested changes on military benefits and weapons systems.

But Thornberry defended those decisions as more than just parochial, political moves. For example, he said lawmakers' decision to continue Army tank production, overruling the recommendations of service officials, was not about special interests, but about maintaining defense capabilities.

"Just last month, the Army sent 100 M1 Abrams tanks back to Europe in response to the Ukraine crisis," he said. "That might be some evidence that Congress made the right call. They asked to retire the A-10, but a few months later sent it to fly attack missions in Iraq and Syria."

He said that lawmakers on occasion put the interests of their own districts ahead of the nation's defense. But, Thornberry added, "sometimes there is parochialism within the Pentagon … and sometimes their priorities are just plain wrong."

In coming months, he said, his committee will tackle ways to improve the speed and efficiency of weapons buying, and consider massive overhauls to the military's pay and benefits systems.

He acknowledged that both issues likely will upset some at the Pentagon, but added that both are critical to ensuring the military is ready for future threats.

But the committee's main challenge remains the same as in the last two congressional sessions: fixing mandatory spending cuts outlined under sequestration. Thornberry said he believes the key to finding a solution is educating other House members about the dangerous training and readiness cuts that are already hurting the services.

Still, lawmakers have shown little progress over the last three years in finding a compromise to the spending cuts. Thornberry would not offer any preferences in budget totals or possible deals — "you have to be careful about drawing red lines," he said in another jab at the White House — but said lawmakers must find some workable solution.

"Whatever can pass the House and Senate and be signed by the president, I'm on board," he said.

Leo covers Congress, Veterans Affairs and the White House for Military Times. He has covered Washington, D.C. since 2004, focusing on military personnel and veterans policies. His work has earned numerous honors, including a 2009 Polk award, a 2010 National Headliner Award, the IAVA Leadership in Journalism award and the VFW News Media award.

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