POLISCOPE
Back to feed

The civic record

Read. Follow. Verify.
High Impact

Review of the 2022 Budget for U.S. Special Operations Forces

Original title: [H.A.S.C. No. 117-56] REVIEW OF THE FISCAL YEAR 2022 BUDGET REQUEST FOR U.S.SPECIAL OPERATIONS FORCES AND COMMAND

Record date · January 1, 2022

Track this bill to get notified when it advances a stage. One tap to stop, anytime.

What This Bill Does

This hearing transcript covers the House Subcommittee on Intelligence and Special Operations' review of the 2022 budget request for U.S. Special Operations Command (). The discussion focuses on shifting military priorities following the withdrawal from Afghanistan, emphasizing force health, cognitive rehabilitation, and investments in new technologies and capabilities.

Why it matters

The hearing sets the legislative oversight framework for how U.S. Special Operations Command allocates its 2022 budget toward personnel health, cybersecurity, and strategic competition with global adversaries.

Who It Affects

Groups the bill's text affects, as described in the record. Being affected is not a position for or against it.

Directly affected

Special Operations Forces personnel

These individuals are subject to new training, health support programs, and recruitment priorities outlined in the budget.

Directly affected

U.S. Department of Defense

The department is responsible for executing the budget and implementing the strategic shifts requested by the subcommittee.

Key Facts

  • The hearing was held on July 21, 2021, to review the Fiscal Year 2022 budget request for U.S. Special Operations Forces (SOF).
  • The budget request prioritizes investments in irregular warfare, clandestine activities, and information operations.
  • The budget includes funding for the 'Preservation of the Force and Family' program to support cognitive rehabilitation and mental health for SOF personnel.
  • The command is shifting focus toward strategic power competition with adversaries like China and Russia.
Show all 8 facts
  • The budget includes investments in cybersecurity, rotary-wing aircraft upgrades, and emergent technologies.
  • The subcommittee emphasized the need to diversify the SOF workforce, specifically in technical fields like cybersecurity, biomedical engineering, and programming.
  • The subcommittee identified a need to reprioritize and incentivize personnel in civil affairs and psychological operations.
  • Responses to specific questions asked by members during the hearing were classified and not included in the public record.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the main goal of the 2022 budget for Special Operations?
The budget aims to shift focus toward strategic power competition, , and information operations, while investing in new technologies and force health.
How does the budget address the mental health of special operations forces?
The budget prioritizes investments in the 'Preservation of the Force and Family' program, which provides specialized care for cognitive rehabilitation and psychological support.
Are there specific workforce changes planned for Special Operations?
Yes, the subcommittee is pushing for increased diversity in background and skills, specifically targeting technical expertise in cybersecurity, programming, and biomedical engineering.

What else do you want to know?

News Coverage

No news coverage found yet. Articles are indexed twice daily.

Full breakdown

Who this bill affects and the strongest case for and against it, written only from the bill’s own text.

Discoveries

1 pattern noticed across the record

Patterns POLISCOPE noticed across the record. These are observations to investigate, not conclusions.

policy shift90% confidence

Post-Afghanistan Strategic Pivot

The hearing explicitly marks a transition from two decades of counter-insurgency in Iraq and Afghanistan toward 'strategic power competition' with nations like China and Russia.

Connected Entities

Trent Kelly, Ruben Gallego, Richard D. Clarke and 2 more
PersonTrent Kelly“Ranking Member of the Subcommittee”Map →
PersonRuben Gallego“Chairman of the Subcommittee on Intelligence and Special Operations”Map →
PersonRichard D. Clarke“General, Commander of U.S. Special Operations Command”Map →
PersonJoseph J. McMenamin“Performing the Duties of Assistant Secretary of Defense for Special Operations a”Map →
OrganizationU.S. Special Operations Command“The military command subject to the budget review”Map →

Sources

Open source document

www.govinfo.gov

Analysis Score

0–100
  • Significance80
    How much this matters to a regular citizen
  • Controversy20
    Intensity of disagreement among stakeholders
  • Entertainment10
    Compellingness for a non-policy-wonk reader
  • Buzz15
    Current news / social attention level

Publisher tools

Share or embed this record

POLISCOPE publisher tools

Share or embed this record