Washington, D.C. – The House Armed Services Committee yesterday held a full committee hearing, "Department of the Army Fiscal Year 2024 Budget Request," during which Congressman Fallon demanded the Army move forward with critical safety upgrades for the Army’s High Mobility Multipurpose Wheeled Vehicle (HMMWV) fleet. 

Congressman Fallon pressed Secretary of the Army Christine E. Wormuth on the linked issues of increased safety and fiscal responsibility. Retrofitting the HMMWV fleet with electronic stability control and anti-lock brake systems would simultaneously save $8 billion and countless lives.  The majority of this work is done in TX-04 at Red River Army Depot. Congressman Fallon issued the following statement: 

“The Department of Defense has seen more than 900 incidents and has suffered more than 125 deaths as the result of 'Humvee roll-overs.' How many more American soldiers need to be killed before the Army takes this program seriously? Congress has clearly demonstrated that it is willing to appropriate funding for the HMMWV retrofit program. The Army needs to put aside political posturing inside the Pentagon and put the safety of soldiers first. Delaying this program any further will cost lives and that is not a risk I am willing to accept.”

Over the last two years, Congress has appropriated $312 million for the HMMWV retrofit program yet the Army has delayed execution of those funds. Recently, Rep. Fallon led 12 Members of Congress in requesting $193 million for the program, the amount that would allow the program to operate at full capacity.  

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