Durbin Secures Promise From Secretary Of The Army To Protect Rock Island Arsenal From Drastic Job Cuts

Durbin Secures Promise From Secretary Of The Army To Protect Rock Island Arsenal From Drastic Job Cuts

In today's Appropriations Defense Subcommittee hearing on the President's FY27 budget request for the Army, Durbin questioned Secretary Driscoll on U.S.-Ukraine relations, NATO partnerships, and protecting Rock Island Arsenal

WASHINGTON - U.S. Senate Democratic Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL), a member of the Senate Appropriations Committee, today questioned the Secretary of the Army Dan Driscoll during a Senate Appropriations Subcommittee on Defense hearing about the President's Fiscal Year 2027 (FY27) budget request for the Army. During the hearing, Durbin spoke with Secretary Driscoll about supporting Ukraine during Russia's ongoing attacks on the U.S. ally; preserving the United States' relationship with Baltic countries; and protecting Rock Island Arsenal from job cuts.

Durbin began his questioning by speaking to the bravery of the Ukrainian people, who have fought off attacks from Russia for more than four years.

"For more than four years now, the Ukrainian people have bravely fought on the front line of democracy against Russian aggression. Today, Putin continues to bomb and kill innocent civilians, while ignoring President Trump's call for peace. I want to thank you, Mr. Secretary, for standing alongside Ukraine, for visiting the country, for highlighting its achievements on the battlefield, and for being a voice in support of security assistance. Ukraine has truly offered an incredible glimpse into modern warfare with notable ingenuity and agility developed with low-cost technology," Durbin began.

"Secretary Driscoll, can you elaborate on the value of U.S.-Ukraine cooperation and advancement in emerging technologies to prepare our own soldiers for the battlefields of the future?" Durbin asked.

Secretary Driscoll explained that the U.S. Army will continue to support Ukraine. He noted that when the U.S. Army considers a new technology, it considers lessons learned from Ukraine's defense against Russia. Secretary Driscoll further acknowledged that Ukraine has been able to quickly innovate to fit the evolving needs of their military, and Secretary Driscoll emphasized his hope that the U.S. and industry can similarly adapt.

Durbin then spoke about the United States' longstanding relationship with the Baltic region and the passing of four U.S. soldiers during a tragic training exercise in Lithuania last year.

"The U.S. currently has stationed and rotates forces through the Baltic states and Poland-countries on the front lines of Russia's sabotage and belligerence, countries that are also far exceeding their obligations under NATO. They've been true partners to the United States. In fact, I'll never forget last year, Mr. Secretary, accompanying you to the dignified transfer at Dover Air Force Base of four American soldiers who died in a tragic training exercise in Lithuania. In Vilnius the day before, the Lithuanian people came out and publicly mourned with us as these soldiers were returned home. This issue hit close to home, as one of these soldiers was from my home state of Illinois," Durbin said.

"The U.S. troop presence in these countries is a strategic decision, one rooted in shared values between our nations. I am deeply concerned as I learn about the Administration's plans to reduce forces in this theater. I wonder if you can tell me, if we walk away from our allies in that region, what is the plan for U.S. force posture in the world?" Durbin asked.

General Christopher LaNeve, Acting Chief of Staff of the U.S. Army, answered that while one Army brigade is being pulled from the region, there is still a significant U.S. military presence around Europe.

Durbin concluded his questioning by urging Secretary Driscoll to protect the Rock Island Arsenal from further workforce cuts as several civilian employees at the Arsenal were impacted by the Army's recent "rebalancing" effort.

"Mr. Secretary, I want to thank you for visiting Rock Island Arsenal last year. I asked you to do it, and you did it so quickly that I couldn't go with you. But thank you anyway for visiting and for working with me over the past year to protect the Arsenal team from job cuts that may hurt our organic industrial base (OIB). Can you commit to protecting our OIB sites like Rock Island Arsenal from further job cuts?" Durbin asked.

Secretary Driscoll emphasized that the U.S. Army has prioritized strengthening its OIB and workforce, including at Rock Island Arsenal, which is at the forefront of military manufacturing.

Durbin has long been a supporter of the Rock Island Arsenal and the groundbreaking manufacturing performed there. In the Fiscal Year 2026 National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA), Durbin secured significant support for the Arsenal including provisions to:

• Authorize a new pilot program modeled after Durbin's Arsenal Workload Sustainment Act to give contracting preference to public-private partnerships between industry and Army arsenals such as at Rock Island. This provision will help ensure Rock Island Arsenal remains active and viable while preserving the skilled workforce, equipment, and production capacity critical to the nation's defense industrial base;

• Restrict the Army from using any funds allocated for restructuring until the Army provides more information about its proposed plan to integrate Joint Munitions Command and Army Sustainment Command, helping to ensure operations and protect jobs at Rock Island Arsenal from unnecessary cuts; and

• Authorize the Army to expand robotic munitions manufacturing capabilities at government-owned, contractor-operated facilities, which will help boost workload for facilities such as the Quad City Cartridge Case Facility.

Video of Durbin's questions in Committee is available here.

Audio of Durbin's questions in Committee is available here.

Footage of Durbin's question in Committee is available herefor TV stations.

-30-