
Despite plans to take a hard look at the Defense Department’s forthcoming fiscal year 2020 budget request, the House Armed Services Committee’s (HASC) incoming chairman will ensure that readiness funding is safeguarded to mitigate aviation mishaps and other incidents.Military readiness is “one thing that I will not look to cut, … absolutely not,” Rep. Adam Smith (D-Wash.) told reporters at a Dec. 12 Defense Writers Group breakfast in Washington, D.C. Instead, he will work with the services to find ways…