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Remind everybody that today's hearing 

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is not a welcome place for 

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demonstrations , and anybody who tries 

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to disturb the proceeding is gonna be 

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echoed out . Secretary Hag , 

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uh , General Kaine , Ms . McDonnell . 

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We're glad to have you here . 

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There's no doubt that the uh 

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global threat . 

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Demands from us an uncompromisingly 

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lethal force . And 

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your efforts over recent months to 

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renew the department's focus on 

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lethality . And your attention to the 

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concerns of service members at the tip 

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of the spear . worthwhile and 

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appreciated . Of course , sustaining 

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this shift requires a clear strategy 

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and adequate investments . In 

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capabilities . So we're looking forward 

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to hearing in detail what exactly the 

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Office of Management and Budget is 

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requesting on behalf . Of the 

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Department of Defense for this coming 

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fiscal year . And whether this budget 

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flows from a strategy . Or 

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instead defines and limits 

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the strategy . This hearing will be the 

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first public demonstration of what we 

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hope to be a productive relationship 

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between the subcommittee and the 

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department . In the past , the 

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relationship has functioned best . When 

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it's based on timely . And 

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forthcoming communication . 

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Last year Details from the department 

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and the services about their growing 

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requirements . Actually did inform the 

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subcommittee's efforts to mark up a 

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bill to provide the military with $18.8 

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billion in resources . Above President 

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Biden's last request . Unfortunately , 

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we all know that didn't become law . 

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Regrettably , the CR we're under right 

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now has yet another . Was 

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another missed opportunity that 

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compounded the constraints . Facing 

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the department . On this subcommittee , 

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you'll find plenty of support for the 

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department's efforts , for example , to 

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improve air and missile defense systems . 

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Grow the pipeline for unmanned 

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technologies . Modernize our nuclear 

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triad . And expand shipbuilding 

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capacity . But lumping 

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reconciliation spending and with full 

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year appropriations risks conflating 

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different objectives . Chairman Wicker 

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in his South House . Counterpart have 

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pointed out already that even an 

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important one-time investment in 

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military modernization . Is not 

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a substitute for steady growth . In the 

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annual budget top line . In fact , 

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it may well end up functioning as a 

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shell game to avoid making the most 

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significant annual investments that we 

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spent years . Urging the previous 

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administration to make . I struggle to 

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understand , for example , why the 

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administration would cut procurement 

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funding . In the base fiscal year 26 

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budget . About 14.4 billion . 

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And move that funding . Into 

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all of which enjoys strong bipartisan 

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support . Well , that would be moved 

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into a simple majority reconciliation 

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bill . The fiscal year 26th annual 

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request seems to do just this for 

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Virginia class submarines , Harley 

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Burke class destroyers . And be 

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21 bombers . Like with critical 

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munitions , we should send the services 

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and industry a sustained demand signal 

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by incorporating them . Into 

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annual appropriations . If we're really 

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serious about making the sustained long 

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term investments in our military . Then 

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let's do it more . than just a one time 

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injection of funding . If the 

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administration wants to request a $1 

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trillion defense budget for fiscal year 

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26 . And make a full year investment in 

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urgent priorities and new programs . 

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Let's do it . In the meantime , let's 

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not overstate the fiscal 26 request . 

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The administration's requested base 

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defense budget . is lower than 

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15 of the last 20 annual requests , 

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including President Biden's request for 

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fiscal year 25 . In fact , fiscal year 

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26 extends your 

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predecessor's streak to five straight 

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base reduction requests . It would fail 

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to keep pace with inflation . Let alone 

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with the threat of China . But 

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say we do take reconciliation into 

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account . Even then , this is hardly 

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the largest funding request for the 

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Department of Defense . In constant 

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dollars , the fiscal year 26 Department 

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of Defense budget request still falls 

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short of the annual funding requests 

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for fiscal 08 . Fiscal year 009 , 

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fiscal year 10 . And fiscal year 

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11 . As a share of GDP . 

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Even including reconciliation , the 

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fiscal year 26 requests is still just 

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around 3% . That's not just 

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half the level of the Reagan buildup 

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that secured peace and strength . It's 

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even less than the 4.5% of 

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GDP requested for defense under 

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President Carter . As , as we've 

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discussed before , I , I think it's 

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worth repeating . The cost of a 

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war is a lot bigger . In preventing a 

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war at the height of World War II , 37% 

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of our gross domestic product was spent 

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on defense . In Korea 13% . 

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Vietnam 9% . The Reagan 

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buildup . 6% . 

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So we know Looking strong 

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actually works . Saves money , 

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saves lives . But 

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what we're looking at this year is less 

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than 4.5% of the GDP . 

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Which was the last defense request of 

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President Carter . Why should we expect 

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our allies to spend 5% ? 

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5% when we're investing . About half 

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that The failure to spend more on 

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defense is compounded by another 

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dynamic . Every year , a greater share 

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of the defense budget goes to cover 

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costs other than modernizing and 

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procuring new weapons and equipment for 

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our fighting forces . Without 

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additional resources . Rising personnel 

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and operations and maintenance costs 

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risk crowding out new capabilities . 

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How we will allocate taxpayer dollars 

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is an expression of our political will . 

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We can't expect our adversaries to take 

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American hard power seriously . If we 

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don't put our money where our mouth is . 

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But as I mentioned , we're also 

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interested . In your articulation of 

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the strategy that informs Or is it 

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informed by the administration's budget ? 

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How does that strategy account for 

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adversarial alignment ? How does it 

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address not only the threat of conflict 

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in the Indo-Pacific , but the reality 

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of conflict and military threats . To 

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our interests in Europe . And the 

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Middle East Most of us on this panel 

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believe that Russia's war in Ukraine . 

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Its alignment with the aims of other US 

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adversaries . And its eventual outcome 

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are profoundly important to America's 

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interests and offer more than just a 

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glimpse into the future of warfare . 

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I'd like to hear your views on this 

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conflict . Who is the aggressor ? What 

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are the stakes for America in the West ? 

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What is the return on investment of our 

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assistance to Ukraine ? I don't see 

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funding for Ukraine's security 

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assistance initiative in your budget 

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request . Is the administration's view 

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that terminating security assistance to 

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Ukraine . We'll make lasting peace , 

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more . Or less likely . What 

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lessons is the US military learning 

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from the conflict ? How will the 

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department of our industry continue to 

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learn if we cut off . Our partnership 

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with the world's leading battlefield 

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innovators . Why would Asian partners 

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trust us if we abandoned partners in 

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Europe ? What lessons are China , Iran , 

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and North Korea learning ? And how much 

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more will they benefit ? If Russia 

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prevails . I'd like to hear your views 

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on the impact of war in Europe on other 

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theaters . The Asian and Pacific allies 

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you just met with recently are under no 

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delusions about how unchecked Russian 

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aggression . Influences the calculus 

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of President Xi . They understand that 

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strategic alignment among adversaries . 

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It's actually global . They're all 

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communicate with each other . America 

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must recognize in turn that the risk of 

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simultaneous conflict on multiple 

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fronts is real and growing . 

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Your Undersecretary for Policy 

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acknowledged this reality in his 

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confirmation hearing this spring . But 

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the capabilities America needs to 

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prevail in such a conflict . Do not 

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seem to be reflected in the requests 

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we've received . From OMB . So 

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there's a lot we need to cover today . 

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We'll invite you to make opening 

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statements in just a moment , but with 

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that , I'd like to turn to Senator 

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Coons . Thank you , Mr . Chairman . Uh , 

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thank you as well , um , Secretary 

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Hegseth , Chairman Kaine , and Ms . 

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McDonnell for joining us here today . 

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Um , we are confronting a world more 

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dangerous today than at any time since 

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the Cold War . And our nation needs and 

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deserves a strong and coordinated 

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response to deter the threats we face , 

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to protect our freedoms , and keep our 

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citizens safe . The last several 

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administrations correctly prioritized 

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China , the People's Republic of China 

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is the pacing threat to our nation's 

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security . More recently , as the 

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chairman just said , and as I strongly 

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agree , China , Russia , Iran , and 

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North Korea are increasingly aligned in 

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ways that are making each of them more 

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threatening to our national security . 

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This is happening right now in Ukraine . 

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Russia's aggression is buttressed by 

241
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Iranian drones , North Korean soldiers , 

242
00:12:04,146 --> 00:12:06,257
and Chinese components , technology , 

243
00:12:06,257 --> 00:12:08,750
and funding . Ukraine's though not just 

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a preview of geopolitics , it's also 

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the future of warfare and the pervasive 

246
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electronic warfare and drone swarms we 

247
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see on the front lines are lessons from 

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which we must learn . We need to 

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address the urgency of this moment to 

250
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unify our efforts , focus our precious 

251
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time and money on what's important . 

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Chairman McConnell and I are ready to 

253
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do that with anyone interested in 

254
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engaging in good faith , which is why 

255
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it pains me to point out the obvious at 

256
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this budget hearing . That in the face 

257
00:12:37,766 --> 00:12:39,821
of these threats , the Department of 

258
00:12:39,821 --> 00:12:41,988
Defense is more internally divided and 

259
00:12:41,988 --> 00:12:44,099
beset by challenges of its own making 

260
00:12:44,099 --> 00:12:46,266
than at any point in my memory . Let's 

261
00:12:46,266 --> 00:12:48,432
start with the budget . Our Department 

262
00:12:48,432 --> 00:12:50,655
of Defense and our troops are currently 

263
00:12:50,655 --> 00:12:52,821
operating under a full year continuing 

264
00:12:52,821 --> 00:12:54,877
resolution for the very first time . 

265
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The continuing resolution provides tens 

266
00:12:57,691 --> 00:12:59,413
of billions of dollars less in 

267
00:12:59,413 --> 00:13:01,191
purchasing power than under the 

268
00:13:01,191 --> 00:13:03,413
previous administration . This does not 

269
00:13:03,413 --> 00:13:05,619
deliver on peace through strength . No 

270
00:13:05,619 --> 00:13:07,675
one on this subcommittee wanted this 

271
00:13:07,675 --> 00:13:09,539
outcome , Mister Secretary . We 

272
00:13:09,539 --> 00:13:12,539
appealed to your office to timely and 

273
00:13:12,539 --> 00:13:15,500
publicly oppose the CR as all previous 

274
00:13:15,500 --> 00:13:17,500
secretaries had done , but you were 

275
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silent . You never responded . That 

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00:13:20,159 --> 00:13:22,479
CR's cuts are forcing DOD to halt 

277
00:13:22,479 --> 00:13:24,719
training and shrink exercises , and it 

278
00:13:24,719 --> 00:13:26,775
fundamentally undermines readiness . 

279
00:13:26,775 --> 00:13:29,359
DOD has made the CR worse by paying for 

280
00:13:29,359 --> 00:13:31,960
DHS border activities with DOD funds 

281
00:13:31,960 --> 00:13:34,016
meant for military quality of life , 

282
00:13:34,400 --> 00:13:36,622
money to repair buildings , to relocate 

283
00:13:36,622 --> 00:13:38,789
military families , to keep the Navy's 

284
00:13:38,789 --> 00:13:40,900
fleet operationally ready , shrinking 

285
00:13:40,900 --> 00:13:42,719
budgets will not speed up our 

286
00:13:42,719 --> 00:13:45,210
acquisition system . Complete kill 

287
00:13:45,210 --> 00:13:47,359
chains or deep in our magazines . We 

288
00:13:47,359 --> 00:13:50,039
are falling behind thanks to some poor 

289
00:13:50,039 --> 00:13:52,190
choices . It should go without saying 

290
00:13:52,190 --> 00:13:54,190
that the People's Republic of China 

291
00:13:54,190 --> 00:13:56,190
does not operate under a continuing 

292
00:13:56,190 --> 00:13:59,780
resolution . The fiscal year 2026 

293
00:13:59,780 --> 00:14:02,429
request is no better . If you go to 

294
00:14:02,429 --> 00:14:05,179
DOD's fiscal year 2026 page right now , 

295
00:14:05,590 --> 00:14:07,890
this is what you'll see . This is what 

296
00:14:07,890 --> 00:14:10,960
is currently publicly available . And 

297
00:14:10,960 --> 00:14:13,238
the budget request was not much better . 

298
00:14:14,359 --> 00:14:17,679
We were given This on Monday . 

299
00:14:18,960 --> 00:14:21,359
More than a month after OMB's press 

300
00:14:21,359 --> 00:14:23,840
release , we are still waiting for real 

301
00:14:23,840 --> 00:14:26,559
budget details . This is officially the 

302
00:14:26,559 --> 00:14:28,989
latest budget submission of the modern 

303
00:14:28,989 --> 00:14:31,849
era . For anyone not versed in how this 

304
00:14:31,849 --> 00:14:34,071
should go at this stage , we would have 

305
00:14:34,071 --> 00:14:36,890
received at least this , if not reams 

306
00:14:36,890 --> 00:14:40,609
more . This committee to do its 

307
00:14:40,609 --> 00:14:43,609
job wants to work with you on the 

308
00:14:43,609 --> 00:14:46,369
details of exactly which programs and 

309
00:14:46,369 --> 00:14:48,480
exactly which deployments and exactly 

310
00:14:48,480 --> 00:14:50,591
which end strength you are requesting 

311
00:14:50,591 --> 00:14:53,049
so that in a timely way we can complete 

312
00:14:53,049 --> 00:14:55,659
our work and avoid another disastrous 

313
00:14:55,659 --> 00:14:57,969
continuing resolution , but the 

314
00:14:57,969 --> 00:15:00,489
department has been AWOL in the 26 

315
00:15:00,489 --> 00:15:02,559
debate as it was in the 25 debate . 

316
00:15:02,890 --> 00:15:05,001
Bills are already being written . And 

317
00:15:05,001 --> 00:15:07,112
the department's inability to explain 

318
00:15:07,112 --> 00:15:09,112
its budget is slowly making it less 

319
00:15:09,112 --> 00:15:11,530
relevant to what it receives in fiscal 

320
00:15:11,530 --> 00:15:14,210
year 26 in our appropriations process . 

321
00:15:14,330 --> 00:15:16,929
What's clear is the base request is 

322
00:15:16,929 --> 00:15:19,040
exactly the same funding level as the 

323
00:15:19,040 --> 00:15:21,289
FY25 CR that's created problems . 

324
00:15:22,950 --> 00:15:25,061
Mr . Secretary , you're requesting an 

325
00:15:25,061 --> 00:15:26,839
increase instead through budget 

326
00:15:26,839 --> 00:15:29,419
reconciliation . A partisan gamble that 

327
00:15:29,419 --> 00:15:31,641
I believe shows poor judgment about how 

328
00:15:31,641 --> 00:15:34,460
to handle our nation's security . DOD's 

329
00:15:34,460 --> 00:15:36,238
ability to take care of our war 

330
00:15:36,238 --> 00:15:38,293
fighters should not be contingent on 

331
00:15:38,293 --> 00:15:40,404
whether Congress can pass a bill that 

332
00:15:40,404 --> 00:15:42,690
also explodes the national debt , gives 

333
00:15:42,690 --> 00:15:44,857
billionaires tax cuts , cuts access to 

334
00:15:44,857 --> 00:15:46,412
health care , in short , is 

335
00:15:46,412 --> 00:15:48,523
controversial and uncertain . I think 

336
00:15:48,523 --> 00:15:51,250
it sends a bad message to the US 

337
00:15:51,250 --> 00:15:53,417
defense industry about the uncertainty 

338
00:15:53,417 --> 00:15:55,530
of appropriations for key systems at 

339
00:15:55,530 --> 00:15:57,586
precisely the time we want certainty 

340
00:15:57,586 --> 00:15:59,697
and we want more from them . Who wins 

341
00:15:59,697 --> 00:16:01,919
in all this ? Not the American people , 

342
00:16:02,049 --> 00:16:05,090
our adversaries . Mr . Secretary , I'm 

343
00:16:05,090 --> 00:16:07,146
also concerned that far more of your 

344
00:16:07,146 --> 00:16:09,257
time so far has been spent inside the 

345
00:16:09,257 --> 00:16:11,312
building on culture wars rather than 

346
00:16:11,312 --> 00:16:13,312
outside the building deterring real 

347
00:16:13,312 --> 00:16:15,312
ones . This administration began by 

348
00:16:15,312 --> 00:16:17,090
firing a long list of qualified 

349
00:16:17,090 --> 00:16:19,090
uniformed leaders without cause the 

350
00:16:19,090 --> 00:16:21,034
Chairman of the Joint Chiefs , the 

351
00:16:21,034 --> 00:16:23,090
Chief of naval operations , the Vice 

352
00:16:23,090 --> 00:16:25,146
Chief of the Air Force , the head of 

353
00:16:25,146 --> 00:16:27,257
the National Security Agency , the US 

354
00:16:27,257 --> 00:16:29,368
military representative to NATO , the 

355
00:16:29,368 --> 00:16:31,590
director of the Defense Health Agency , 

356
00:16:31,590 --> 00:16:33,812
the head of the Coast Guard , and all . 

357
00:16:33,812 --> 00:16:35,979
Of the service judge advocates general 

358
00:16:35,979 --> 00:16:38,201
continues to push out tens of thousands 

359
00:16:38,201 --> 00:16:40,146
of civilians who should instead be 

360
00:16:40,146 --> 00:16:42,479
repairing our ships , testing equipment , 

361
00:16:42,479 --> 00:16:44,534
providing health care . It's rooting 

362
00:16:44,534 --> 00:16:46,534
out fully qualified , combat proven 

363
00:16:46,534 --> 00:16:48,757
service members solely because they are 

364
00:16:48,757 --> 00:16:50,989
transgender to satisfy a petty animus , 

365
00:16:51,280 --> 00:16:53,224
and it's censoring service academy 

366
00:16:53,224 --> 00:16:56,280
libraries so that no future leader of 

367
00:16:56,280 --> 00:16:59,010
our military can read Maya Angelou or 

368
00:16:59,010 --> 00:17:01,177
Janet Jacobs's book on the Holocaust . 

369
00:17:01,177 --> 00:17:03,440
Even Jackie Robinson's World War II 

370
00:17:03,440 --> 00:17:06,089
service photo is not safe from culture 

371
00:17:06,089 --> 00:17:08,219
warriors . In January of this year , 

372
00:17:08,270 --> 00:17:10,214
any patriotic American who met the 

373
00:17:10,214 --> 00:17:12,437
qualifications could serve our nation . 

374
00:17:12,437 --> 00:17:14,270
And the Marines at 29 Palms were 

375
00:17:14,270 --> 00:17:16,492
training for the Indo-Pacific , not the 

376
00:17:16,492 --> 00:17:18,680
streets of Los Angeles . We worried 

377
00:17:18,680 --> 00:17:20,902
then about our enemies rather than each 

378
00:17:20,902 --> 00:17:23,079
other , and we should return to that 

379
00:17:23,079 --> 00:17:25,709
model . We also frankly need to get 

380
00:17:25,709 --> 00:17:27,876
back to partnering with and supporting 

381
00:17:27,876 --> 00:17:30,530
our allies . This administration has 

382
00:17:30,530 --> 00:17:32,641
publicly and repeatedly threatened to 

383
00:17:32,641 --> 00:17:34,808
seize the territory of NATO allies and 

384
00:17:34,808 --> 00:17:37,130
retake the Panama Canal . The president 

385
00:17:37,130 --> 00:17:39,160
paused aid to Ukraine , both 

386
00:17:39,160 --> 00:17:41,271
intelligence partnership and military 

387
00:17:41,271 --> 00:17:43,599
support in the middle of their just war 

388
00:17:44,199 --> 00:17:46,670
against one of our primary global 

389
00:17:46,670 --> 00:17:49,810
enemies . And at times rather than help 

390
00:17:49,810 --> 00:17:51,810
and partner with our allies , we've 

391
00:17:51,810 --> 00:17:53,754
levied massive tariffs against our 

392
00:17:53,754 --> 00:17:56,229
partners . The department's fiscal year 

393
00:17:56,229 --> 00:17:59,790
26 request compounds these mistakes by 

394
00:17:59,790 --> 00:18:01,869
explicitly eliminating assistance to 

395
00:18:01,869 --> 00:18:04,150
Ukraine and slashing security 

396
00:18:04,150 --> 00:18:06,094
cooperation with allies around the 

397
00:18:06,094 --> 00:18:08,069
world , sending exactly the wrong 

398
00:18:08,069 --> 00:18:11,140
signal . Our global network of strong 

399
00:18:11,140 --> 00:18:13,196
allies is our asymmetric advantage . 

400
00:18:13,719 --> 00:18:15,941
The administration's budget request may 

401
00:18:15,941 --> 00:18:17,997
try to abandon our allies , but this 

402
00:18:17,997 --> 00:18:20,500
Congress should not . I'll also cite a 

403
00:18:20,500 --> 00:18:22,556
predecessor in your role , Secretary 

404
00:18:22,556 --> 00:18:24,880
Mattis , who testified to Congress that 

405
00:18:24,880 --> 00:18:26,491
we need to complement strong 

406
00:18:26,491 --> 00:18:29,219
investments in defense with comparable 

407
00:18:29,219 --> 00:18:30,830
investments in diplomacy and 

408
00:18:30,830 --> 00:18:33,052
development . In fact , I think he once 

409
00:18:33,052 --> 00:18:34,941
said famously , if we don't spend 

410
00:18:34,941 --> 00:18:37,275
adequately on diplomacy and development , 

411
00:18:37,275 --> 00:18:39,275
I will need more bullets because we 

412
00:18:39,275 --> 00:18:41,410
will be in more wars . Yet Joe has 

413
00:18:41,410 --> 00:18:43,530
shredded our development work , 

414
00:18:43,660 --> 00:18:45,771
shredding trust as well with partners 

415
00:18:45,771 --> 00:18:48,689
and allies . Last , I'm troubled by the 

416
00:18:48,689 --> 00:18:50,800
chaos and poor judgment that had been 

417
00:18:50,800 --> 00:18:53,022
on full display from the Pentagon front 

418
00:18:53,022 --> 00:18:55,078
office . Mr . Secretary , you should 

419
00:18:55,078 --> 00:18:57,245
not have shared operational details of 

420
00:18:57,245 --> 00:18:59,189
US military strikes on signal with 

421
00:18:59,189 --> 00:19:01,189
other executive branch officials or 

422
00:19:01,189 --> 00:19:03,245
personal acquaintances , mishandling 

423
00:19:03,329 --> 00:19:05,162
important and sensitive military 

424
00:19:05,162 --> 00:19:06,940
information in the middle of an 

425
00:19:06,940 --> 00:19:09,162
operation by secretary is unthinkable . 

426
00:19:09,162 --> 00:19:11,273
You've also fired several top aides , 

427
00:19:11,273 --> 00:19:13,329
and you've been unable to hire a new 

428
00:19:13,329 --> 00:19:15,162
chief of staff for months . Mr . 

429
00:19:15,162 --> 00:19:17,385
Secretary , this cannot continue . Your 

430
00:19:17,385 --> 00:19:19,551
responsibilities to our troops and our 

431
00:19:19,551 --> 00:19:21,469
nation are far too important . We 

432
00:19:21,469 --> 00:19:23,469
cannot win the fight for the future 

433
00:19:23,469 --> 00:19:25,413
without allies nor deter China and 

434
00:19:25,413 --> 00:19:27,580
Russia without a functional department 

435
00:19:27,580 --> 00:19:29,691
of defense , and we on this committee 

436
00:19:29,691 --> 00:19:31,910
simply cannot do our job without an 

437
00:19:31,910 --> 00:19:34,829
adequate budget submission . I welcome 

438
00:19:34,829 --> 00:19:36,551
partnership on these important 

439
00:19:36,551 --> 00:19:38,630
priorities , and I look forward to 

440
00:19:38,630 --> 00:19:40,797
discussing why we haven't been able to 

441
00:19:40,797 --> 00:19:42,797
achieve that so far and where to go 

442
00:19:42,797 --> 00:19:45,019
from here . Thank you , Mr . Chairman . 

443
00:19:47,729 --> 00:19:50,939
Mr . Secretary General . Go right ahead . 

444
00:19:51,150 --> 00:19:53,719
We're anxious to hear from you . Mhm 

445
00:19:57,689 --> 00:19:59,522
Well , Chairman McConnell , uh , 

446
00:19:59,522 --> 00:20:01,578
ranking member Coons , distinguished 

447
00:20:01,578 --> 00:20:03,633
members of the committee , thank you 

448
00:20:03,633 --> 00:20:05,800
for the opportunity to testify in full 

449
00:20:05,800 --> 00:20:08,022
support . Of President Trump's proposed 

450
00:20:08,022 --> 00:20:09,800
fiscal year 2026 budget for the 

451
00:20:09,800 --> 00:20:11,967
Department of Defense . I'm honored to 

452
00:20:11,967 --> 00:20:14,010
testify today alongside General Dan 

453
00:20:14,010 --> 00:20:16,177
Kane , Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of 

454
00:20:16,177 --> 00:20:18,232
Staff , and Brynn McDonald , who was 

455
00:20:18,232 --> 00:20:19,954
performing the duties of DOD's 

456
00:20:19,954 --> 00:20:22,288
Comptroller and chief financial officer . 

457
00:20:22,530 --> 00:20:24,697
We're also very proud to represent and 

458
00:20:24,697 --> 00:20:26,919
serve our warriors and their families . 

459
00:20:27,239 --> 00:20:29,406
Today , as they do every day , they're 

460
00:20:29,406 --> 00:20:31,128
keeping America safe . They're 

461
00:20:31,128 --> 00:20:32,961
defending the homeland , they're 

462
00:20:32,961 --> 00:20:34,795
standing up to communist China . 

463
00:20:34,795 --> 00:20:36,961
They're working hand in glove with our 

464
00:20:36,961 --> 00:20:38,906
allies and partners , and they are 

465
00:20:38,906 --> 00:20:41,128
achieving peace through strength . This 

466
00:20:41,128 --> 00:20:43,239
morning I'd like to start by thanking 

467
00:20:43,239 --> 00:20:45,295
this committee and Congress for your 

468
00:20:45,295 --> 00:20:47,183
bipartisan leadership to give our 

469
00:20:47,183 --> 00:20:50,270
troops a big pay raise in 2025 . This 

470
00:20:50,270 --> 00:20:53,050
included an additional 10.5% raise for 

471
00:20:53,050 --> 00:20:55,161
our junior enlisted service members , 

472
00:20:55,161 --> 00:20:58,189
E1 to E4 . Thank you also for improving 

473
00:20:58,189 --> 00:21:00,599
other initiatives that will improve 

474
00:21:00,599 --> 00:21:02,655
quality of life for our warriors and 

475
00:21:02,655 --> 00:21:05,369
their families . With a focus on our 

476
00:21:05,369 --> 00:21:07,319
troops and their loved ones , I've 

477
00:21:07,319 --> 00:21:09,430
directed additional actions that will 

478
00:21:09,430 --> 00:21:11,652
further improve their quality of life . 

479
00:21:12,359 --> 00:21:14,026
These include making historic 

480
00:21:14,026 --> 00:21:15,692
investments to improve living 

481
00:21:15,692 --> 00:21:18,026
conditions in barracks and base housing , 

482
00:21:18,026 --> 00:21:20,599
reforming the PCS process to reduce the 

483
00:21:20,599 --> 00:21:24,000
cost and stress of these moves . And 

484
00:21:24,000 --> 00:21:26,167
improving the quality of care provided 

485
00:21:26,167 --> 00:21:28,359
to our defense healthcare system . The 

486
00:21:28,359 --> 00:21:30,248
best part of our job of my job is 

487
00:21:30,248 --> 00:21:32,470
meeting and interacting with the troops 

488
00:21:32,470 --> 00:21:34,359
and their families . I hear their 

489
00:21:34,359 --> 00:21:36,790
concerns . I know how it feels to face 

490
00:21:36,790 --> 00:21:38,734
these challenges . I've been there 

491
00:21:38,760 --> 00:21:41,959
recently . Each of these initiatives 

492
00:21:41,959 --> 00:21:44,680
responds to feedback I or we have 

493
00:21:44,680 --> 00:21:47,160
received directly from the force . We 

494
00:21:47,160 --> 00:21:49,430
will keep listening and keep looking 

495
00:21:49,430 --> 00:21:51,486
for ways to improve their quality of 

496
00:21:51,486 --> 00:21:54,390
life . Under President Trump's 

497
00:21:54,390 --> 00:21:56,630
leadership , this budget puts America 

498
00:21:56,630 --> 00:21:59,930
first and gives our warriors what they 

499
00:21:59,930 --> 00:22:01,479
need . The 

500
00:22:01,479 --> 00:22:05,270
$961.6 billion dollar budget request , 

501
00:22:05,319 --> 00:22:08,119
which is over $1 trillion for national 

502
00:22:08,119 --> 00:22:11,760
security total , will end 4 

503
00:22:11,760 --> 00:22:14,709
years of chronic underinvestment in our 

504
00:22:14,709 --> 00:22:16,959
military by the Biden administration . 

505
00:22:18,119 --> 00:22:20,560
Now , as is custom with first year 

506
00:22:20,560 --> 00:22:22,393
administration budget releases , 

507
00:22:22,640 --> 00:22:24,473
additional time was necessary to 

508
00:22:24,473 --> 00:22:26,890
implement presidential initiatives . So 

509
00:22:26,890 --> 00:22:29,160
in the last 4 months , we have moved 

510
00:22:29,160 --> 00:22:32,780
very quickly . To reverse course after 

511
00:22:32,780 --> 00:22:35,579
4 years of weakness and mismanagement . 

512
00:22:36,609 --> 00:22:39,209
We found nearly $30 billion in savings 

513
00:22:39,209 --> 00:22:42,430
across the department . We killed 

514
00:22:42,430 --> 00:22:44,060
wasteful programs , targeted 

515
00:22:44,060 --> 00:22:46,699
bureaucratic excess , and redirected 

516
00:22:46,699 --> 00:22:49,020
funding from Biden era priorities to 

517
00:22:49,020 --> 00:22:52,209
President Trump's priorities . Working 

518
00:22:52,209 --> 00:22:53,987
with the Department of Homeland 

519
00:22:53,987 --> 00:22:56,320
Security , we increased border security , 

520
00:22:56,320 --> 00:22:58,680
to say the least . We reduced China's 

521
00:22:58,680 --> 00:23:00,902
malign influence in our hemisphere . We 

522
00:23:00,902 --> 00:23:03,013
defended freedom of navigation in the 

523
00:23:03,013 --> 00:23:06,089
Red Sea . However , because of so much 

524
00:23:06,089 --> 00:23:08,256
deferred maintenance , we still have a 

525
00:23:08,256 --> 00:23:10,367
lot of work in front of us to achieve 

526
00:23:10,367 --> 00:23:12,422
peace through strength . So to carry 

527
00:23:12,422 --> 00:23:14,645
out the president's mission , we've set 

528
00:23:14,645 --> 00:23:16,533
3 priorities for the department . 

529
00:23:16,589 --> 00:23:19,760
Restore the warrior ethos . Rebuild our 

530
00:23:19,760 --> 00:23:22,790
military . And reestablish deterrents . 

531
00:23:23,880 --> 00:23:25,880
First , we're restoring the warrior 

532
00:23:25,880 --> 00:23:27,991
ethos . President Trump charged me to 

533
00:23:27,991 --> 00:23:30,047
focus relentlessly on war fighting , 

534
00:23:30,047 --> 00:23:32,269
lethality , meritocracy standards , and 

535
00:23:32,269 --> 00:23:34,269
readiness , and that's exactly what 

536
00:23:34,269 --> 00:23:36,158
we're doing . We're refocusing on 

537
00:23:36,158 --> 00:23:38,609
what's important , our warriors . We're 

538
00:23:38,609 --> 00:23:40,776
sweeping away distractions and bloated 

539
00:23:40,776 --> 00:23:43,650
bureaucracy . We set standards that are 

540
00:23:43,650 --> 00:23:46,489
high , equal and unwavering . 

541
00:23:47,369 --> 00:23:51,119
DEI is dead . We replaced it with 

542
00:23:51,119 --> 00:23:53,959
a color blind , gender neutral 

543
00:23:53,959 --> 00:23:57,119
merit-based approach and our force is 

544
00:23:57,119 --> 00:23:59,119
responding incredibly positively to 

545
00:23:59,119 --> 00:24:01,175
these changes . Because of President 

546
00:24:01,175 --> 00:24:03,175
Trump , recruiting and retention is 

547
00:24:03,175 --> 00:24:06,880
higher than it's been in decades . This 

548
00:24:06,880 --> 00:24:08,959
budget provides a historic level of 

549
00:24:08,959 --> 00:24:10,800
funding for military readiness , 

550
00:24:10,810 --> 00:24:12,754
putting our war fighters and their 

551
00:24:12,754 --> 00:24:14,866
needs first , and young Americans are 

552
00:24:14,866 --> 00:24:16,977
responding and signing up in droves . 

553
00:24:17,410 --> 00:24:19,743
Second , we are rebuilding our military . 

554
00:24:19,743 --> 00:24:21,521
25 years ago , our military was 

555
00:24:21,521 --> 00:24:23,632
unchallenged , yet we squandered that 

556
00:24:23,632 --> 00:24:25,521
advantage as China carried out an 

557
00:24:25,521 --> 00:24:27,410
unprecedented military build up . 

558
00:24:27,410 --> 00:24:29,410
President Trump is correcting those 

559
00:24:29,410 --> 00:24:31,521
mistakes . We're reviving our defense 

560
00:24:31,521 --> 00:24:33,299
industrial base , reforming our 

561
00:24:33,299 --> 00:24:35,243
acquisitions process , and rapidly 

562
00:24:35,243 --> 00:24:37,410
fielding emerging technologies and new 

563
00:24:37,410 --> 00:24:39,410
weapons so that our warfighters can 

564
00:24:39,410 --> 00:24:41,354
meet the challenges of an evolving 

565
00:24:41,354 --> 00:24:45,079
threat field . This budget invests $25 

566
00:24:45,079 --> 00:24:47,246
billion in Golden Dome for America , a 

567
00:24:47,246 --> 00:24:49,135
down payment on President Trump's 

568
00:24:49,135 --> 00:24:51,190
priority to defend our homeland . It 

569
00:24:51,190 --> 00:24:53,310
also commits more than $62 billion in 

570
00:24:53,310 --> 00:24:55,254
total to modernize and sustain our 

571
00:24:55,254 --> 00:24:57,910
nuclear forces as we face rising 

572
00:24:57,910 --> 00:25:00,510
nuclear dangers . The budget allocates 

573
00:25:00,510 --> 00:25:03,219
$3.5 billion for the F-47 , the world's 

574
00:25:03,219 --> 00:25:05,939
first six generation air superiority 

575
00:25:05,939 --> 00:25:08,140
fighter . The budget will also 

576
00:25:08,140 --> 00:25:10,540
revitalize our shipbuilding industrial 

577
00:25:10,540 --> 00:25:13,810
base with $6 billion in funding in FY 

578
00:25:13,810 --> 00:25:16,739
26 and 47 billion total in shipbuilding . 

579
00:25:18,030 --> 00:25:20,252
The budget also significantly increases 

580
00:25:20,252 --> 00:25:22,920
funds to buy next generation technology 

581
00:25:22,920 --> 00:25:25,089
including autonomous systems , long 

582
00:25:25,089 --> 00:25:27,530
range drones , long range fires , and 

583
00:25:27,530 --> 00:25:30,050
hypersonics . We will put these 

584
00:25:30,050 --> 00:25:32,106
capabilities in the hands of our war 

585
00:25:32,106 --> 00:25:35,270
fighters . These steps will keep us the 

586
00:25:35,270 --> 00:25:37,437
strongest and most lethal force in the 

587
00:25:37,437 --> 00:25:40,489
world . Third , we're re-establishing 

588
00:25:40,489 --> 00:25:43,890
deterrence . When an opponent sees our 

589
00:25:43,890 --> 00:25:45,729
well equipped and tough as nails 

590
00:25:45,729 --> 00:25:47,920
warriors , they will decide that today 

591
00:25:48,489 --> 00:25:51,540
is not the day to test American resolve . 

592
00:25:52,510 --> 00:25:54,732
Credible deterrence starts at home . It 

593
00:25:54,732 --> 00:25:56,843
starts with securing our borders . We 

594
00:25:56,843 --> 00:25:59,979
will achieve 100% operational control 

595
00:25:59,979 --> 00:26:01,868
of our border , and so far border 

596
00:26:01,868 --> 00:26:05,780
crossings are down 99.9% from the open 

597
00:26:05,780 --> 00:26:07,558
border policies of the previous 

598
00:26:07,558 --> 00:26:10,369
administration . The Indo-Pacific is 

599
00:26:10,369 --> 00:26:12,569
our priority theater and China is our 

600
00:26:12,569 --> 00:26:14,347
pacing threat . That's why I've 

601
00:26:14,347 --> 00:26:16,291
traveled to the Indo-Pacific twice 

602
00:26:16,291 --> 00:26:18,347
already to visit our forces and meet 

603
00:26:18,347 --> 00:26:21,130
with our allies and partners . As we 

604
00:26:21,130 --> 00:26:23,599
shift our focus toward the Indo-Pacific , 

605
00:26:24,199 --> 00:26:26,729
President Trump looks to our allies and 

606
00:26:26,729 --> 00:26:28,979
partners to be force multipliers 

607
00:26:28,979 --> 00:26:31,035
alongside the United States . We are 

608
00:26:31,035 --> 00:26:33,130
making progress in that endeavor on 

609
00:26:33,130 --> 00:26:35,270
multiple theaters . We applaud those 

610
00:26:35,270 --> 00:26:37,492
allies and partners who are stepping up 

611
00:26:37,492 --> 00:26:40,410
but also need more to more done more 

612
00:26:40,410 --> 00:26:43,290
quickly to include with our partners in 

613
00:26:43,290 --> 00:26:45,949
Europe . As the president has rightly 

614
00:26:45,949 --> 00:26:48,116
pointed out , it is only fair that our 

615
00:26:48,116 --> 00:26:50,420
allies and partners do their part . We 

616
00:26:50,420 --> 00:26:53,630
can't want their security more than 

617
00:26:53,630 --> 00:26:56,949
they do . The Defense Department is 

618
00:26:56,949 --> 00:26:59,530
executing a common sense agenda to 

619
00:26:59,530 --> 00:27:02,589
achieve peace through strength . The 

620
00:27:02,589 --> 00:27:04,478
threats we face are serious . Our 

621
00:27:04,478 --> 00:27:06,589
investments to counter them must also 

622
00:27:06,589 --> 00:27:09,410
be . That's what this budget does . It 

623
00:27:09,410 --> 00:27:13,310
matches capabilities to threats . We 

624
00:27:13,310 --> 00:27:15,532
long for peace , so we must prepare for 

625
00:27:15,532 --> 00:27:18,689
war . We are overcoming decades of 

626
00:27:18,689 --> 00:27:22,020
neglect and decline . We must fortify 

627
00:27:22,020 --> 00:27:24,242
our position as the world's most lethal 

628
00:27:24,242 --> 00:27:26,409
fighting force , and that means acting 

629
00:27:26,409 --> 00:27:29,439
fast . This committee is a critical 

630
00:27:29,439 --> 00:27:31,383
partner in everything we do . Your 

631
00:27:31,383 --> 00:27:33,606
leadership and oversight is essential . 

632
00:27:33,680 --> 00:27:35,847
We look forward to accomplishing these 

633
00:27:35,847 --> 00:27:38,229
goals to achieve peace through strength , 

634
00:27:38,670 --> 00:27:41,680
support our warriors , protect our 

635
00:27:41,680 --> 00:27:44,040
citizens , and do right by our 

636
00:27:44,040 --> 00:27:47,819
taxpayers together . May God grant 

637
00:27:47,819 --> 00:27:49,875
us the wisdom to see what is right . 

638
00:27:50,739 --> 00:27:53,280
And the courage to do it . Thank you . 

639
00:27:57,170 --> 00:27:59,059
Chairman McConnell , uh , ranking 

640
00:27:59,059 --> 00:28:01,349
member Coons , Chair Collins , uh , 

641
00:28:01,410 --> 00:28:03,688
other ranking members of the committee , 

642
00:28:03,688 --> 00:28:05,910
senators , uh , thank you for having me 

643
00:28:05,910 --> 00:28:08,021
today . I'm honored to join Secretary 

644
00:28:08,021 --> 00:28:09,966
Hegseth and Ms . Brynn McDonald to 

645
00:28:09,966 --> 00:28:12,077
appear before you today to testify on 

646
00:28:12,077 --> 00:28:15,079
the president's fiscal year 2026 budget . 

647
00:28:15,890 --> 00:28:17,890
Today's hearing reflects our shared 

648
00:28:17,890 --> 00:28:21,109
commitment to maximize efficiency and 

649
00:28:21,109 --> 00:28:22,942
accountability of our taxpayers' 

650
00:28:22,942 --> 00:28:25,819
dollars . Ensuring every expenditure 

651
00:28:25,819 --> 00:28:28,060
increases the lethality and 

652
00:28:28,060 --> 00:28:30,859
survivability of our joint force and 

653
00:28:30,859 --> 00:28:32,859
providing our war fighters with the 

654
00:28:32,859 --> 00:28:35,099
advanced capabilities and cutting edge 

655
00:28:35,099 --> 00:28:37,930
technologies at scale required to 

656
00:28:37,930 --> 00:28:40,430
dominate our adversaries . I've got 

657
00:28:40,430 --> 00:28:43,030
deep gratitude for the leaders in this 

658
00:28:43,030 --> 00:28:45,310
room and your commitment to helping 

659
00:28:45,310 --> 00:28:48,489
deliver the capability and capacity 

660
00:28:48,489 --> 00:28:50,810
required of our 2.8 million service 

661
00:28:50,810 --> 00:28:52,910
members , civilians , and their 

662
00:28:52,910 --> 00:28:55,349
families , uh , to deliver peace 

663
00:28:55,349 --> 00:28:57,380
through strength . It's my 

664
00:28:57,380 --> 00:29:00,900
responsibility as chairman to 

665
00:29:00,900 --> 00:29:03,739
understand , advise and integrate our 

666
00:29:03,739 --> 00:29:06,020
joint force capabilities to confront 

667
00:29:06,020 --> 00:29:09,099
the risks that we face worldwide . This 

668
00:29:09,099 --> 00:29:11,459
demands a comprehensive understanding 

669
00:29:11,459 --> 00:29:14,890
across every domain land , sea , air , 

670
00:29:14,900 --> 00:29:17,209
space , and cyber across all the 

671
00:29:17,209 --> 00:29:19,589
military services , every region of the 

672
00:29:19,589 --> 00:29:22,989
globe and and all time horizons . It 

673
00:29:22,989 --> 00:29:26,000
also requires making hard informed 

674
00:29:26,000 --> 00:29:28,670
decisions about where to recommend we 

675
00:29:28,670 --> 00:29:31,109
prioritize our finite capital that you 

676
00:29:31,109 --> 00:29:33,189
give us in order to determine and 

677
00:29:33,189 --> 00:29:35,709
return the ROI on that capital . The 

678
00:29:35,709 --> 00:29:37,653
president's budget enables a joint 

679
00:29:37,653 --> 00:29:39,765
force to defend our great nation from 

680
00:29:39,765 --> 00:29:41,859
adversaries , Mr . Chairman , as you 

681
00:29:41,859 --> 00:29:44,390
said , seeking to do us harm . We're 

682
00:29:44,390 --> 00:29:46,750
relentless in our pursuit of innovation 

683
00:29:46,750 --> 00:29:48,939
and technology that allows us to 

684
00:29:48,939 --> 00:29:50,819
hopefully deter war at every 

685
00:29:50,819 --> 00:29:53,099
opportunity while ensuring that we're 

686
00:29:53,099 --> 00:29:55,339
positioned to win should we be called 

687
00:29:55,339 --> 00:29:58,910
upon to do so . This budget empowers 

688
00:29:58,910 --> 00:30:00,743
the joint force to get after the 

689
00:30:00,743 --> 00:30:02,521
Secretary's three pillars as he 

690
00:30:02,521 --> 00:30:04,939
mentioned , restoring the warrior ethos , 

691
00:30:05,030 --> 00:30:06,589
rebuilding our military and 

692
00:30:06,589 --> 00:30:09,510
re-establishing deterrence . We intend 

693
00:30:09,510 --> 00:30:11,709
to to deliver that through ensuring 

694
00:30:11,709 --> 00:30:14,260
that the joint force is properly armed , 

695
00:30:14,670 --> 00:30:17,339
globally integrated , and ready to go . 

696
00:30:18,459 --> 00:30:20,681
As I mentioned , the president's budget 

697
00:30:20,681 --> 00:30:22,792
invests in our war fighters to win on 

698
00:30:22,792 --> 00:30:24,848
the battlefields of the future . Our 

699
00:30:24,848 --> 00:30:26,903
forces must be properly armed now at 

700
00:30:26,903 --> 00:30:28,459
scale with the right mix of 

701
00:30:28,459 --> 00:30:31,569
capabilities lethal , modern , reliable , 

702
00:30:31,619 --> 00:30:34,500
and survivable . Victory requires 

703
00:30:34,500 --> 00:30:36,722
people and platforms that will allow us 

704
00:30:36,722 --> 00:30:38,722
to overmatch the enemy systems that 

705
00:30:38,722 --> 00:30:41,140
will work under the most harshest 

706
00:30:41,140 --> 00:30:43,500
conditions and technologies that will 

707
00:30:43,500 --> 00:30:46,209
give our war fighters a lethal edge . 

708
00:30:46,900 --> 00:30:49,122
The budget gives us the necessary tools 

709
00:30:49,122 --> 00:30:51,369
to reinvigorate our national and 

710
00:30:51,369 --> 00:30:54,250
defense industrial base and our nation 

711
00:30:54,250 --> 00:30:56,469
is full of incredible talent . We need 

712
00:30:56,469 --> 00:30:58,413
every bit of it to support the war 

713
00:30:58,413 --> 00:31:01,479
fighters' demands . This budget also 

714
00:31:01,479 --> 00:31:03,959
helps the joint force to become more 

715
00:31:03,959 --> 00:31:06,069
globally integrated . We are 

716
00:31:06,069 --> 00:31:08,291
relationship entrepreneurs in the joint 

717
00:31:08,291 --> 00:31:10,347
force not only working together with 

718
00:31:10,347 --> 00:31:12,125
our military but our allies and 

719
00:31:12,125 --> 00:31:15,319
partners , the interagency and industry 

720
00:31:15,319 --> 00:31:17,486
to deliver the capabilities that we've 

721
00:31:17,486 --> 00:31:19,920
got to have . Finally , the president's 

722
00:31:19,920 --> 00:31:22,253
budget reflects our mandate to be ready , 

723
00:31:22,439 --> 00:31:24,829
always on the account , anticipating 

724
00:31:25,030 --> 00:31:27,439
the next fight , not fighting the last 

725
00:31:27,439 --> 00:31:30,000
fight in order to deliver for our force 

726
00:31:30,000 --> 00:31:32,689
and their families . And our force and 

727
00:31:32,689 --> 00:31:34,856
our families are most important part . 

728
00:31:35,050 --> 00:31:37,170
This budget makes meaningful 

729
00:31:37,170 --> 00:31:39,337
investments in our service members and 

730
00:31:39,337 --> 00:31:41,448
their families , improving quality of 

731
00:31:41,448 --> 00:31:43,670
life , housing and medical care and and 

732
00:31:43,670 --> 00:31:46,689
the moving process as long as our most 

733
00:31:46,689 --> 00:31:49,489
precious asset , our people are 

734
00:31:49,489 --> 00:31:51,849
properly armed , integrated together 

735
00:31:51,849 --> 00:31:54,016
and ready to go , our citizens will be 

736
00:31:54,016 --> 00:31:56,890
defended our enemies deterred , and our 

737
00:31:56,890 --> 00:31:59,900
nation safe . Speaking of keeping our 

738
00:31:59,900 --> 00:32:02,140
nation safe , I want to highlight the 

739
00:32:02,140 --> 00:32:04,589
gunnery sergeant behind me , the senior 

740
00:32:04,589 --> 00:32:06,867
enlisted adviser to the chairman , who , 

741
00:32:06,867 --> 00:32:09,579
after 37 years of selfless service to 

742
00:32:09,579 --> 00:32:11,969
the nation and is the nation's highest 

743
00:32:11,969 --> 00:32:14,469
ranking enlisted service member , uh , 

744
00:32:14,500 --> 00:32:16,500
will , uh , retire from the service 

745
00:32:16,500 --> 00:32:18,778
later this month , and he and his wife , 

746
00:32:18,778 --> 00:32:21,160
who's also a Marine , have gone all in 

747
00:32:21,160 --> 00:32:23,969
over and over again . It's an honor to 

748
00:32:23,969 --> 00:32:26,080
serve every day alongside some of the 

749
00:32:26,080 --> 00:32:28,247
most extraordinary warriors , civilian 

750
00:32:28,247 --> 00:32:30,302
teammates , civil servants , and our 

751
00:32:30,302 --> 00:32:32,636
families in this nation have ever known . 

752
00:32:32,636 --> 00:32:34,802
I assure this committee that the joint 

753
00:32:34,802 --> 00:32:37,025
force remains committed and ready to go 

754
00:32:37,589 --> 00:32:40,030
with your continued support , we'll 

755
00:32:40,030 --> 00:32:42,141
maintain the competitive edge that we 

756
00:32:42,141 --> 00:32:44,719
need to have . I'm also reminded to 

757
00:32:44,719 --> 00:32:46,939
always remember our deployed service 

758
00:32:46,939 --> 00:32:48,995
members right now and their families 

759
00:32:49,099 --> 00:32:51,329
who are right now as we sit here today 

760
00:32:51,329 --> 00:32:53,385
in this hearing room out there doing 

761
00:32:53,385 --> 00:32:55,496
our nation's business and I would ask 

762
00:32:55,496 --> 00:32:57,849
us all to remember , uh , our fallen 

763
00:32:57,849 --> 00:33:00,071
and their families who continue to show 

764
00:33:00,071 --> 00:33:02,380
us what right looks like . I thank you 

765
00:33:02,380 --> 00:33:04,602
for the Congress and this committee for 

766
00:33:04,602 --> 00:33:06,769
the support and I look forward to your 

767
00:33:06,769 --> 00:33:10,170
questions . Thank you , General . Uh , 

768
00:33:10,469 --> 00:33:12,247
Mr . Secretary , probably won't 

769
00:33:12,247 --> 00:33:14,469
surprise you , but I'm gonna start with 

770
00:33:14,469 --> 00:33:17,339
Ukraine . And I'm gonna ask you a 

771
00:33:17,339 --> 00:33:19,506
series of questions , but I don't want 

772
00:33:19,506 --> 00:33:22,989
you to linger on any one of them . But 

773
00:33:22,989 --> 00:33:26,260
answer the series of questions in one 

774
00:33:26,670 --> 00:33:28,260
answer , uh . 

775
00:33:30,489 --> 00:33:32,545
Number one , who's the aggressor and 

776
00:33:32,545 --> 00:33:35,369
who's the victim ? In the conflict 

777
00:33:37,890 --> 00:33:41,810
Uh , Russia is the aggressor . Which 

778
00:33:41,810 --> 00:33:45,170
side do you want to win ? Uh , as we've 

779
00:33:45,170 --> 00:33:46,948
said time and time again , this 

780
00:33:46,948 --> 00:33:49,170
president is committed to peace in that 

781
00:33:49,170 --> 00:33:51,650
conflict . Ultimately peace serves our 

782
00:33:51,650 --> 00:33:53,817
national interests , uh , and we think 

783
00:33:53,817 --> 00:33:55,983
the interest of both parties , even if 

784
00:33:55,983 --> 00:33:58,150
that outcome will not be preferable to 

785
00:33:58,150 --> 00:34:00,039
many in this room and many in our 

786
00:34:00,039 --> 00:34:02,094
country . Which side is President Xi 

787
00:34:02,094 --> 00:34:06,089
pulling for ? Well , as was stated , uh , 

788
00:34:06,099 --> 00:34:07,766
by both of you , we obviously 

789
00:34:07,766 --> 00:34:10,300
understand unfortunately under this 

790
00:34:10,300 --> 00:34:12,633
administration and the policy excuse me , 

791
00:34:12,633 --> 00:34:14,744
under the previous administration and 

792
00:34:14,744 --> 00:34:16,967
the policies they pursued it has driven 

793
00:34:16,967 --> 00:34:19,189
Russia and China closer together , uh , 

794
00:34:19,189 --> 00:34:21,300
so there's no doubt , uh , that China 

795
00:34:21,300 --> 00:34:24,810
would prefer that Vladimir Putin have a 

796
00:34:24,810 --> 00:34:27,032
good outcome , but it would also prefer 

797
00:34:27,032 --> 00:34:29,199
a prolonged conflict , uh , that would 

798
00:34:29,199 --> 00:34:31,310
keep us and other countries tied down 

799
00:34:31,310 --> 00:34:33,366
and incapable of paying attention to 

800
00:34:33,366 --> 00:34:35,699
the malign influence of China elsewhere . 

801
00:34:35,699 --> 00:34:37,810
One thing I'm sure we agree on is you 

802
00:34:37,810 --> 00:34:39,977
want , we don't want a headline at the 

803
00:34:39,977 --> 00:34:42,110
end of this conflict . It says Russia 

804
00:34:42,110 --> 00:34:45,780
wins and America loses . And 

805
00:34:45,780 --> 00:34:47,820
given the fact that all of our 

806
00:34:47,820 --> 00:34:50,042
adversaries are communicating with each 

807
00:34:50,042 --> 00:34:54,020
other . That's extremely important if 

808
00:34:54,020 --> 00:34:56,131
we're gonna continue to play the role 

809
00:34:56,131 --> 00:34:59,080
in the world . That the vast majority 

810
00:34:59,080 --> 00:35:01,469
of members of Congress think we should 

811
00:35:01,679 --> 00:35:04,120
still play . Particularly now our 

812
00:35:04,120 --> 00:35:07,479
adversaries . Or more significant than 

813
00:35:07,479 --> 00:35:11,090
they have been . Since the Berlin Wall 

814
00:35:11,090 --> 00:35:14,060
came down . With regard to the money 

815
00:35:14,060 --> 00:35:17,540
we're spending . What's the return on 

816
00:35:17,540 --> 00:35:19,489
the investment of our security 

817
00:35:19,489 --> 00:35:22,959
assistance to Ukraine ? Senator , I 

818
00:35:22,959 --> 00:35:25,126
would just say , given the approach of 

819
00:35:25,126 --> 00:35:27,169
President Trump . That's not the 

820
00:35:27,169 --> 00:35:30,229
headline regardless . The previous 

821
00:35:30,229 --> 00:35:32,850
under the Obama administration , Crimea 

822
00:35:32,850 --> 00:35:35,072
was invaded and we gave them blankets . 

823
00:35:35,110 --> 00:35:37,277
Under President Trump during his first 

824
00:35:37,277 --> 00:35:39,443
term , he gave the Ukrainians javelins 

825
00:35:39,443 --> 00:35:41,666
and the Russians did not invade . Under 

826
00:35:41,666 --> 00:35:44,780
Biden , the Russians did invade and aid 

827
00:35:44,780 --> 00:35:47,739
was slow walked incompletely and as a 

828
00:35:47,739 --> 00:35:49,406
result it became a gridlock . 

829
00:35:49,406 --> 00:35:51,572
Thankfully the javelins that President 

830
00:35:51,572 --> 00:35:53,572
Trump provided actually stalled the 

831
00:35:53,572 --> 00:35:55,628
Russian advance . Now here we are at 

832
00:35:55,628 --> 00:35:57,683
the plans where Vladimir Putin knows 

833
00:35:57,683 --> 00:35:59,683
that President Trump is strong . He 

834
00:35:59,683 --> 00:36:01,906
knows his word means something and as a 

835
00:36:01,906 --> 00:36:04,379
result , a negotiated peace in Ukraine . 

836
00:36:04,689 --> 00:36:07,350
Makes America look strong , makes us 

837
00:36:07,350 --> 00:36:09,406
look like we understand the state of 

838
00:36:09,406 --> 00:36:11,294
the world and where we want to be 

839
00:36:11,294 --> 00:36:13,350
focused , even if we understand that 

840
00:36:13,350 --> 00:36:15,517
Russia is the aggressor and we applaud 

841
00:36:15,517 --> 00:36:17,628
the efforts of the Ukrainians . There 

842
00:36:17,628 --> 00:36:19,850
is a moment where you have to recognize 

843
00:36:19,850 --> 00:36:22,072
what exists on the battlefield and that 

844
00:36:22,072 --> 00:36:22,000
a better outcome is a negotiated peace 

845
00:36:22,000 --> 00:36:23,833
to stop the killing and stop the 

846
00:36:23,833 --> 00:36:25,833
slaughter , and our budget reflects 

847
00:36:25,833 --> 00:36:28,000
that if I may , I'm not here to defend 

848
00:36:28,000 --> 00:36:30,699
the previous administration . They were 

849
00:36:30,699 --> 00:36:32,755
completely inadequate anyway , and I 

850
00:36:32,755 --> 00:36:34,866
think you could make an argument that 

851
00:36:34,866 --> 00:36:36,643
the precipitous withdrawal from 

852
00:36:36,643 --> 00:36:38,866
Afghanistan . With like a green light . 

853
00:36:39,860 --> 00:36:42,260
Putin , but we are where we are , and 

854
00:36:42,260 --> 00:36:45,419
beating up the past is not a plan for 

855
00:36:45,419 --> 00:36:47,086
going forward to the future . 

856
00:36:49,110 --> 00:36:52,389
What has benefited the United States , 

857
00:36:52,469 --> 00:36:56,120
I think you would agree . 38 different 

858
00:36:56,120 --> 00:36:58,469
states have produced . 

859
00:36:59,469 --> 00:37:03,149
Weapons or parts of weapons out of the 

860
00:37:03,149 --> 00:37:06,510
money that the Ukraine supplemental 

861
00:37:06,510 --> 00:37:10,510
package passed last year . Two new 

862
00:37:10,510 --> 00:37:14,050
members of NATO . Yeah . 

863
00:37:15,010 --> 00:37:19,000
Increase Spending by virtually all of 

864
00:37:19,000 --> 00:37:21,360
our NATO allies , which President Trump 

865
00:37:21,360 --> 00:37:23,290
deserves part of the credit for 

866
00:37:23,290 --> 00:37:26,659
encouraging that . Uh , Vladimir Putin 

867
00:37:26,659 --> 00:37:28,548
probably guaranteed that it would 

868
00:37:28,548 --> 00:37:31,729
happen . Everybody seems to be moving 

869
00:37:31,729 --> 00:37:33,785
in the right direction and then they 

870
00:37:33,785 --> 00:37:37,409
look at us . And wonder whether we're 

871
00:37:37,409 --> 00:37:40,060
in the midst of brokering . 

872
00:37:41,250 --> 00:37:44,889
What appears to be . Allowing the 

873
00:37:44,889 --> 00:37:48,139
Russians to define victory . 

874
00:37:49,070 --> 00:37:51,610
I think victory is defined by the 

875
00:37:51,610 --> 00:37:53,929
people that have to live there , the 

876
00:37:53,929 --> 00:37:57,399
Ukrainians . And I don't think they're 

877
00:37:57,399 --> 00:38:01,020
gonna ever conclude that victory means 

878
00:38:01,830 --> 00:38:04,989
Basically adopting the Russian views on 

879
00:38:04,989 --> 00:38:07,149
all this . So , so what do you , what 

880
00:38:07,149 --> 00:38:09,371
do you make of what the Russians are up 

881
00:38:09,371 --> 00:38:11,427
to ? They don't seem to me to be too 

882
00:38:11,427 --> 00:38:14,500
interested in talking . We want to talk . 

883
00:38:14,949 --> 00:38:18,649
They seem to be increasing . The war , 

884
00:38:18,810 --> 00:38:20,754
what's your take on that ? No , no 

885
00:38:20,754 --> 00:38:22,969
one's adopting views , sir . Uh , I 

886
00:38:22,969 --> 00:38:26,090
would say that , uh . The budget 

887
00:38:26,090 --> 00:38:28,257
reflects the reality that Europe needs 

888
00:38:28,257 --> 00:38:30,423
to step up more for the defense of its 

889
00:38:30,423 --> 00:38:32,530
own continent , and President Trump 

890
00:38:32,530 --> 00:38:34,530
deserves the credit for that in his 

891
00:38:34,530 --> 00:38:36,752
first term at this in this term , we're 

892
00:38:36,752 --> 00:38:38,919
about to go to The Hague where we hope 

893
00:38:38,919 --> 00:38:41,086
most European NATO countries are going 

894
00:38:41,086 --> 00:38:44,219
to commit to a 3.5% , 1.5% to total of 

895
00:38:44,219 --> 00:38:47,080
5% defense spending , which was 

896
00:38:47,080 --> 00:38:49,969
inconceivable before President Trump . 

897
00:38:50,379 --> 00:38:52,250
And he has set the standard that 

898
00:38:52,250 --> 00:38:54,250
America can't be everywhere all the 

899
00:38:54,250 --> 00:38:56,306
time for everybody , and if you're a 

900
00:38:56,306 --> 00:38:58,472
European country , you cannot freeload 

901
00:38:58,472 --> 00:39:00,750
off of the United States in perpetuity . 

902
00:39:00,750 --> 00:39:02,806
You are our allies and our friends , 

903
00:39:02,806 --> 00:39:02,360
and we will stand with you , but you 

904
00:39:02,360 --> 00:39:04,770
need to stand up in times of peace and 

905
00:39:04,770 --> 00:39:06,659
in times of war , and this budget 

906
00:39:06,659 --> 00:39:08,548
reflects that it's long overdue . 

907
00:39:08,548 --> 00:39:10,326
Europe does more and that we be 

908
00:39:10,326 --> 00:39:12,492
strategic about the outcome there even 

909
00:39:12,492 --> 00:39:14,770
if it's not preferable for all parties . 

910
00:39:14,879 --> 00:39:17,879
So that our focus can turn , as was 

911
00:39:17,879 --> 00:39:19,935
mentioned by everybody thus far , to 

912
00:39:19,935 --> 00:39:22,101
the Indo Pacific and our pacing threat 

913
00:39:22,101 --> 00:39:24,179
while Europe ensures peace on that 

914
00:39:24,179 --> 00:39:26,346
continent . And so the budget is meant 

915
00:39:26,346 --> 00:39:28,457
to reflect that reality . It includes 

916
00:39:28,457 --> 00:39:30,568
hard choices , but that's been one of 

917
00:39:30,568 --> 00:39:30,520
the things we're trying to do in this 

918
00:39:30,520 --> 00:39:32,464
defense department is make some of 

919
00:39:32,464 --> 00:39:34,631
those hard choices alongside President 

920
00:39:34,631 --> 00:39:36,742
Trump . Yeah , the only thing I would 

921
00:39:36,742 --> 00:39:38,964
say to conclude this before turnover to 

922
00:39:38,964 --> 00:39:41,959
Senator Coons , um , re relitigate in 

923
00:39:41,959 --> 00:39:45,149
the past it seems to me is not helpful . 

924
00:39:46,149 --> 00:39:48,919
I , I didn't defend any of the 

925
00:39:48,919 --> 00:39:51,679
submissions , budget submissions that 

926
00:39:51,679 --> 00:39:55,189
the previous administration made . I 

927
00:39:55,189 --> 00:39:57,356
had a lot of the same complaints about 

928
00:39:57,356 --> 00:39:59,578
how they were handling this . I want to 

929
00:39:59,578 --> 00:40:02,239
avoid that for the future . And it 

930
00:40:02,239 --> 00:40:05,260
seems to me pretty obvious . That 

931
00:40:05,260 --> 00:40:08,500
America's reputation is on the line . 

932
00:40:09,620 --> 00:40:13,270
Will we defend democratic allies 

933
00:40:14,040 --> 00:40:17,149
against Authoritarian . 

934
00:40:18,189 --> 00:40:21,800
Aggressors . That's the 

935
00:40:21,800 --> 00:40:24,320
international concern that I have about 

936
00:40:24,320 --> 00:40:27,709
this , and I think a number of 

937
00:40:28,570 --> 00:40:30,850
My members share that view . Senator 

938
00:40:30,850 --> 00:40:33,479
Coons . Thank you , Mr . Chairman . Uh , 

939
00:40:33,850 --> 00:40:36,017
Mr . Secretary , just a quick question 

940
00:40:36,017 --> 00:40:38,129
to clarify something . Is a full year 

941
00:40:38,129 --> 00:40:40,290
continuing resolution bad for the 

942
00:40:40,290 --> 00:40:42,568
Department of Defense ? Just yes or no ? 

943
00:40:43,649 --> 00:40:45,871
Sir , a full year continuing resolution 

944
00:40:45,871 --> 00:40:47,830
is , is never preferable for any 

945
00:40:47,830 --> 00:40:49,774
department , especially the , uh , 

946
00:40:49,774 --> 00:40:52,052
Department of Defense , not preferable , 

947
00:40:52,052 --> 00:40:54,310
and I , I know General Ken , I don't 

948
00:40:54,310 --> 00:40:56,366
need to ask you because your written 

949
00:40:56,366 --> 00:40:58,477
testimony specifically says routinely 

950
00:40:58,477 --> 00:41:00,754
operating under continuing resolutions , 

951
00:41:00,754 --> 00:41:02,754
uh , lowers buying power results in 

952
00:41:02,754 --> 00:41:04,977
less deployable capital makes it harder 

953
00:41:04,977 --> 00:41:06,699
for industry to make long term 

954
00:41:06,699 --> 00:41:08,588
investments , um , and is it your 

955
00:41:08,588 --> 00:41:08,469
commitment , Mr . Secretary , that 

956
00:41:08,469 --> 00:41:10,580
you'll work with us to achieve a full 

957
00:41:10,580 --> 00:41:12,747
year appropriation . Uh , you , you'll 

958
00:41:12,747 --> 00:41:14,969
submit the budget documents necessary , 

959
00:41:14,969 --> 00:41:17,025
work with us closely , that we'll be 

960
00:41:17,025 --> 00:41:19,358
able to do our work so you can do yours . 

961
00:41:19,800 --> 00:41:21,911
Senator , we are committed to working 

962
00:41:21,911 --> 00:41:23,800
with you to make sure the Defense 

963
00:41:23,800 --> 00:41:25,744
Department gets as robust , uh , a 

964
00:41:25,744 --> 00:41:27,800
budget as possible where we can meet 

965
00:41:27,800 --> 00:41:29,800
the threats of today and tomorrow . 

966
00:41:29,800 --> 00:41:31,856
Thank you . I , I'll just say at the 

967
00:41:31,856 --> 00:41:33,856
outset for all my colleagues , I am 

968
00:41:33,856 --> 00:41:35,800
increasingly concerned , um , that 

969
00:41:35,800 --> 00:41:37,800
there is a threat that some believe 

970
00:41:37,800 --> 00:41:39,744
they can best govern by continuing 

971
00:41:39,744 --> 00:41:41,522
resolution , reconciliation and 

972
00:41:41,522 --> 00:41:44,590
rescission . And not ever actually have 

973
00:41:44,590 --> 00:41:46,590
us appropriate so I look forward to 

974
00:41:46,590 --> 00:41:48,868
working with you to avoid that outcome , 

975
00:41:48,868 --> 00:41:51,090
um , which I think would both disregard 

976
00:41:51,350 --> 00:41:53,909
the role of Congress and put all of us 

977
00:41:53,909 --> 00:41:56,620
at greater risk . It seems to me clear 

978
00:41:56,620 --> 00:41:58,870
with regards to Ukraine , um , that 

979
00:41:58,870 --> 00:42:01,469
Vladimir Putin has no serious intent of 

980
00:42:01,469 --> 00:42:03,830
negotiating . He continues to attack 

981
00:42:03,830 --> 00:42:06,052
civilian targets night after night with 

982
00:42:06,052 --> 00:42:08,163
hundreds and hundreds of drones . The 

983
00:42:08,163 --> 00:42:10,108
Ukrainians have just carried out a 

984
00:42:10,108 --> 00:42:12,108
spectacular attack against military 

985
00:42:12,108 --> 00:42:14,820
targets . Um , and it seems to me , um , 

986
00:42:14,830 --> 00:42:17,100
concerning that the 2026 request 

987
00:42:17,429 --> 00:42:20,830
eliminates aid to Ukraine entirely . At 

988
00:42:20,830 --> 00:42:22,663
the same time , the Senate has a 

989
00:42:22,663 --> 00:42:24,886
strongly bipartisan bill led by Senator 

990
00:42:24,886 --> 00:42:27,108
Graham and Senator Blumenthal to impose 

991
00:42:27,108 --> 00:42:29,108
more sanctions on Russia , and many 

992
00:42:29,108 --> 00:42:30,941
senators of both parties want to 

993
00:42:30,941 --> 00:42:33,239
provide more aid to Ukraine . Would you 

994
00:42:33,239 --> 00:42:35,128
agree , Mr . Secretary , that the 

995
00:42:35,128 --> 00:42:37,295
United States should use every tool it 

996
00:42:37,295 --> 00:42:39,072
has at its disposal , including 

997
00:42:39,072 --> 00:42:41,580
additional sanctions to pressure Russia 

998
00:42:41,580 --> 00:42:44,310
to come to the table to negotiate a 

999
00:42:44,310 --> 00:42:46,989
just and lasting peace for the war in 

1000
00:42:46,989 --> 00:42:50,620
Ukraine ? Senator , every tool at our 

1001
00:42:50,620 --> 00:42:53,139
disposal ? No , we have a , a lot of 

1002
00:42:53,139 --> 00:42:55,195
tools in a lot of places . Let me be 

1003
00:42:55,195 --> 00:42:58,649
more , let me be more , um , you said , 

1004
00:42:58,699 --> 00:43:00,866
and I'll take some exception to this , 

1005
00:43:00,866 --> 00:43:02,643
that our European allies cannot 

1006
00:43:02,643 --> 00:43:04,532
freeload off the United States in 

1007
00:43:04,532 --> 00:43:07,290
perpetuity . Um , my impression is that 

1008
00:43:07,290 --> 00:43:09,401
Article 5 of the NATO treaty was only 

1009
00:43:09,401 --> 00:43:12,050
invoked once . It was after 9/11 , um , 

1010
00:43:12,090 --> 00:43:13,868
and a significant number of our 

1011
00:43:13,868 --> 00:43:15,979
European allies and partners deployed 

1012
00:43:15,979 --> 00:43:17,757
to Afghanistan alongside us and 

1013
00:43:17,757 --> 00:43:20,034
suffered significant combat casualties . 

1014
00:43:20,034 --> 00:43:22,201
Um , in the first two years of the war 

1015
00:43:22,209 --> 00:43:23,929
in Ukraine , a war of Russian 

1016
00:43:23,929 --> 00:43:26,969
aggression , 50 other countries stepped 

1017
00:43:26,969 --> 00:43:29,479
forward , deployed military support , 

1018
00:43:29,850 --> 00:43:32,209
delivered material , provided financial 

1019
00:43:32,209 --> 00:43:34,780
and operating support . And at regular 

1020
00:43:34,780 --> 00:43:37,002
meetings of the defense contact group , 

1021
00:43:37,002 --> 00:43:39,649
um , your predecessor led that process 

1022
00:43:39,649 --> 00:43:43,090
of deploying military assistance . What 

1023
00:43:43,090 --> 00:43:46,010
message do you think it sends ? That as 

1024
00:43:46,010 --> 00:43:48,409
Ukraine continues to suffer day after 

1025
00:43:48,409 --> 00:43:50,465
day of punishing attacks on civilian 

1026
00:43:50,465 --> 00:43:53,370
centers , we're not using the 3.8 

1027
00:43:53,370 --> 00:43:55,203
billion in presidential drawdown 

1028
00:43:55,203 --> 00:43:56,926
authority that remains to send 

1029
00:43:56,926 --> 00:43:59,530
additional air defense and interceptors 

1030
00:43:59,530 --> 00:44:01,850
and you yourself chose to not attend . 

1031
00:44:02,110 --> 00:44:04,388
The Ukraine Defense Contact Group . Mr . 

1032
00:44:04,388 --> 00:44:06,459
Secretary , why not use the already 

1033
00:44:06,459 --> 00:44:08,403
appropriated presidential drawdown 

1034
00:44:08,403 --> 00:44:10,580
authority to deliver defense material 

1035
00:44:10,580 --> 00:44:12,413
badly needed by Ukraine ? Well , 

1036
00:44:12,413 --> 00:44:14,024
Senator , um , as you know , 

1037
00:44:14,024 --> 00:44:16,080
presidential drawdown authorities 71 

1038
00:44:16,080 --> 00:44:18,219
through 74 still apply , and they are 

1039
00:44:18,219 --> 00:44:20,300
still flowing . Uh , there's some in 

1040
00:44:20,300 --> 00:44:23,209
reserve . Uh , to your question about 

1041
00:44:23,209 --> 00:44:26,010
my statement , and I served with a lot 

1042
00:44:26,010 --> 00:44:28,232
of NATO allies in Afghanistan as well , 

1043
00:44:28,232 --> 00:44:30,399
incredibly capable Canadians , Brits , 

1044
00:44:30,399 --> 00:44:32,232
and Australians and others , and 

1045
00:44:32,232 --> 00:44:32,010
grateful for them , and I've gotten to 

1046
00:44:32,010 --> 00:44:33,954
know a lot of them in this process 

1047
00:44:33,954 --> 00:44:36,010
going to Brussels . Amazing people , 

1048
00:44:36,010 --> 00:44:38,232
amazing countries . Thus I was struck , 

1049
00:44:38,232 --> 00:44:40,399
Mr . Secretary , but we also , we also 

1050
00:44:40,399 --> 00:44:42,566
wore a patch on our shoulder that said 

1051
00:44:42,566 --> 00:44:44,232
ISAF , International Security 

1052
00:44:44,232 --> 00:44:46,288
Assistance Force , and you know what 

1053
00:44:46,288 --> 00:44:48,343
the joke was that it stood for I saw 

1054
00:44:48,343 --> 00:44:48,340
Americans fighting . Because what 

1055
00:44:48,340 --> 00:44:50,580
ultimately was a lot of flags , a lot 

1056
00:44:50,580 --> 00:44:52,580
of flags , was not a lot of on the 

1057
00:44:52,580 --> 00:44:54,691
ground capability . You're not a real 

1058
00:44:54,691 --> 00:44:56,747
coalition you're not a real alliance 

1059
00:44:56,747 --> 00:44:58,969
unless you have real defense capability 

1060
00:44:58,969 --> 00:45:01,191
and real armies that can bring those to 

1061
00:45:01,191 --> 00:45:03,302
bear , and that that's a reality that 

1062
00:45:03,302 --> 00:45:05,302
Europe is waking up too quickly and 

1063
00:45:05,302 --> 00:45:07,358
we're glad . Because they're friends 

1064
00:45:07,358 --> 00:45:09,413
and we want them to be safe and free 

1065
00:45:09,413 --> 00:45:11,524
and secure . And sometimes that takes 

1066
00:45:11,524 --> 00:45:13,580
true talk and tough love and they've 

1067
00:45:13,580 --> 00:45:15,747
responded very well to that because we 

1068
00:45:15,747 --> 00:45:17,524
want them to succeed . And Mr . 

1069
00:45:17,524 --> 00:45:19,636
Secretary , let's just make clear for 

1070
00:45:19,636 --> 00:45:21,747
the record that our military partners 

1071
00:45:21,747 --> 00:45:23,969
in Afghanistan included many who served 

1072
00:45:23,969 --> 00:45:26,191
and died . Uh , our Danish partners and 

1073
00:45:26,191 --> 00:45:28,247
allies on a per capita basis , don't 

1074
00:45:28,247 --> 00:45:30,358
try to make it look like I don't care 

1075
00:45:30,358 --> 00:45:29,879
about the , the investments of our 

1076
00:45:29,879 --> 00:45:32,101
partners , of course I do . I recognize 

1077
00:45:32,101 --> 00:45:34,212
that there were lives lost from other 

1078
00:45:34,212 --> 00:45:36,379
countries , but the bulk of the effort 

1079
00:45:36,379 --> 00:45:38,490
was Americans , and an alliance needs 

1080
00:45:38,490 --> 00:45:40,657
to include other countries and be more 

1081
00:45:40,657 --> 00:45:42,879
balanced alliance , as I pointed out in 

1082
00:45:42,879 --> 00:45:45,046
my opening comments , our partners and 

1083
00:45:45,046 --> 00:45:47,323
allies have stepped up , have invested , 

1084
00:45:47,323 --> 00:45:49,601
have engaged in the defense of Ukraine , 

1085
00:45:49,601 --> 00:45:51,601
and so should we . We should not be 

1086
00:45:51,601 --> 00:45:53,823
pursuing . A ceasefire and a negotiated 

1087
00:45:53,823 --> 00:45:56,046
resolution to the war in Ukraine at any 

1088
00:45:56,046 --> 00:45:58,070
cost . Peace through strength means 

1089
00:45:58,070 --> 00:46:00,060
actually using our strength , 

1090
00:46:00,540 --> 00:46:02,729
continuing to support Ukraine and 

1091
00:46:02,729 --> 00:46:05,260
securing a lasting peace . Putin will 

1092
00:46:05,260 --> 00:46:07,649
only stop when we stop him , and the 

1093
00:46:07,649 --> 00:46:09,840
best way to stop him . Is indeed 

1094
00:46:09,840 --> 00:46:12,060
through a stronger NATO . I look 

1095
00:46:12,060 --> 00:46:14,116
forward to the NATO summit . I agree 

1096
00:46:14,116 --> 00:46:16,282
with you that a significant investment 

1097
00:46:16,282 --> 00:46:18,504
by NATO in our collective security is a 

1098
00:46:18,504 --> 00:46:20,550
great investment , but we cannot 

1099
00:46:20,550 --> 00:46:22,739
abandon Ukraine . That would put us 

1100
00:46:23,389 --> 00:46:25,000
significantly at a strategic 

1101
00:46:25,000 --> 00:46:26,778
disadvantage . Thank you , Mr . 

1102
00:46:26,778 --> 00:46:30,320
Chairman . Senator Collins , thank you , 

1103
00:46:30,330 --> 00:46:33,530
Mr . Chairman , and let me start by 

1104
00:46:33,530 --> 00:46:36,969
thanking you for framing what is at 

1105
00:46:36,969 --> 00:46:40,290
stake and for your emphasis on 

1106
00:46:40,290 --> 00:46:44,080
Ukraine . I also agree with Vice Chair 

1107
00:46:44,080 --> 00:46:47,719
Coons that the department has been 

1108
00:46:47,719 --> 00:46:51,550
unacceptably slow in providing us with 

1109
00:46:51,550 --> 00:46:55,120
the account level information that we 

1110
00:46:55,120 --> 00:46:57,199
need to draft the Defense 

1111
00:46:57,199 --> 00:47:00,979
Appropriations bill . I agree with him 

1112
00:47:00,979 --> 00:47:04,750
that a CR is not conducive 

1113
00:47:05,229 --> 00:47:08,229
to the smooth and effective operations 

1114
00:47:08,229 --> 00:47:10,870
of the department , but I would 

1115
00:47:10,870 --> 00:47:13,310
respectfully point out to my colleague 

1116
00:47:13,790 --> 00:47:15,790
that the appropriations Committee . 

1117
00:47:16,165 --> 00:47:18,165
Reported the Defense Appropriations 

1118
00:47:18,165 --> 00:47:21,594
bill before the August recess and it 

1119
00:47:21,594 --> 00:47:25,034
was the Democratic leader who decided 

1120
00:47:25,034 --> 00:47:28,145
not to bring the bill to the floor and 

1121
00:47:28,145 --> 00:47:30,554
that is why we ended up with a 

1122
00:47:30,554 --> 00:47:34,304
continuing resolution , Mr . 

1123
00:47:34,314 --> 00:47:36,705
Secretary , let me turn to you now . 

1124
00:47:37,370 --> 00:47:41,310
You recently stated that DOD is 

1125
00:47:41,310 --> 00:47:44,389
focused on the strategic threat posed 

1126
00:47:44,389 --> 00:47:47,850
by China and that this threat is , and 

1127
00:47:47,850 --> 00:47:50,830
these are your words , real and could 

1128
00:47:50,830 --> 00:47:53,979
be imminent , and I agree with you . 

1129
00:47:54,639 --> 00:47:57,120
China now fields a navy of 

1130
00:47:57,120 --> 00:48:00,639
approximately 400 ships and is 

1131
00:48:00,639 --> 00:48:04,120
expanding its fleet at a pace that 

1132
00:48:04,120 --> 00:48:08,000
far exceeds ours . The US Navy 

1133
00:48:08,000 --> 00:48:11,840
currently has only 293 

1134
00:48:11,840 --> 00:48:15,419
ships , clearly inadequate . Yet 

1135
00:48:15,419 --> 00:48:19,340
the Department of Defense budget for FY 

1136
00:48:19,340 --> 00:48:23,320
26 proposes funding for only 3 

1137
00:48:23,320 --> 00:48:25,969
additional ships a Columbia class 

1138
00:48:25,969 --> 00:48:28,247
submarine , a Virginia class submarine , 

1139
00:48:28,419 --> 00:48:31,699
and an ocean surveillance ship . No 

1140
00:48:31,699 --> 00:48:34,540
funding in the base budget is requested . 

1141
00:48:35,250 --> 00:48:39,189
For DDG 51s , the Navy's workhorse 

1142
00:48:39,189 --> 00:48:42,889
surface combatant . Instead , the 

1143
00:48:42,889 --> 00:48:45,929
administration unwisely is relying on 

1144
00:48:45,929 --> 00:48:49,139
reconciliation to fund a second 

1145
00:48:49,139 --> 00:48:52,810
Virginia class submarine and to our 

1146
00:48:52,810 --> 00:48:56,500
class destroyers . Reconciliation , 

1147
00:48:56,540 --> 00:49:00,189
Mr . Secretary , was meant to provide 

1148
00:49:00,620 --> 00:49:03,969
one time supplemental funds to 

1149
00:49:03,969 --> 00:49:07,739
augment the defense budget , not to 

1150
00:49:07,739 --> 00:49:11,370
supplant the investments that should be 

1151
00:49:11,659 --> 00:49:14,854
in the base . Budget , could you 

1152
00:49:14,854 --> 00:49:17,455
explain the department's rationale for 

1153
00:49:17,455 --> 00:49:21,294
excluding these critical war fighting 

1154
00:49:21,294 --> 00:49:23,534
platforms from the annual 

1155
00:49:23,534 --> 00:49:26,685
appropriations request and creating 

1156
00:49:26,685 --> 00:49:30,334
instability for future defense budgets . 

1157
00:49:31,850 --> 00:49:33,739
Well , Senator , I appreciate the 

1158
00:49:33,739 --> 00:49:35,906
question . Uh , there are a lot of , a 

1159
00:49:35,906 --> 00:49:37,961
lot of complexities that go into how 

1160
00:49:37,961 --> 00:49:40,183
budgets are formed from the view of our 

1161
00:49:40,183 --> 00:49:42,239
department working across working on 

1162
00:49:42,239 --> 00:49:44,350
Capitol Hill and with the White House 

1163
00:49:44,350 --> 00:49:46,517
is that it's , we have two bills and 1 

1164
00:49:46,517 --> 00:49:48,683
budget . So when I look at the threats 

1165
00:49:48,683 --> 00:49:50,906
that we face in the Indo-Pacific , that 

1166
00:49:50,906 --> 00:49:52,870
is precisely , precisely as we've 

1167
00:49:52,870 --> 00:49:55,037
worked with the chairman and the joint 

1168
00:49:55,037 --> 00:49:57,037
staff and across OSD and all the uh 

1169
00:49:57,037 --> 00:49:59,300
COCOMs that is precisely been the 

1170
00:49:59,300 --> 00:50:01,350
compass by which we have judged the 

1171
00:50:01,350 --> 00:50:03,572
capabilities that we need . So when you 

1172
00:50:03,572 --> 00:50:05,750
look at the totality of the $961 

1173
00:50:05,750 --> 00:50:07,583
billion or 1 trillion total over 

1174
00:50:07,583 --> 00:50:09,583
national security , that's 19 new . 

1175
00:50:09,583 --> 00:50:11,694
Ships , it's a historic investment in 

1176
00:50:11,694 --> 00:50:13,806
shipbuilding . It's over 6 billion in 

1177
00:50:13,806 --> 00:50:15,806
the shipbuilding defense industrial 

1178
00:50:15,806 --> 00:50:17,806
base . It's long range fires , it's 

1179
00:50:17,806 --> 00:50:19,694
hypersonics , it's prepositioning 

1180
00:50:19,694 --> 00:50:21,917
stocks , it's critical munitions . It's 

1181
00:50:21,917 --> 00:50:23,750
all focused in ways the previous 

1182
00:50:23,750 --> 00:50:25,972
administration talked a lot about , but 

1183
00:50:25,972 --> 00:50:25,864
we are actually making the tough 

1184
00:50:25,864 --> 00:50:28,031
choices to invest in . So I understand 

1185
00:50:28,031 --> 00:50:30,145
the dynamics of of base bill versus 

1186
00:50:30,145 --> 00:50:32,256
reconciliation , and I can see that , 

1187
00:50:32,256 --> 00:50:34,145
ma'am . Uh , but ultimately we're 

1188
00:50:34,145 --> 00:50:36,312
looking at it as one investment for FY 

1189
00:50:36,312 --> 00:50:38,959
26 , and we think with a 13% increase 

1190
00:50:38,959 --> 00:50:41,080
over last year that it's a historic 

1191
00:50:41,080 --> 00:50:44,169
investment . Well , I would point out 

1192
00:50:44,169 --> 00:50:47,820
that the budget overall actually 

1193
00:50:47,820 --> 00:50:51,409
provides less buying power than 

1194
00:50:51,409 --> 00:50:54,570
the FY 25 enacted budget 

1195
00:50:55,179 --> 00:50:57,219
because it does not adjust for 

1196
00:50:57,219 --> 00:51:00,020
inflation and I hope that's something 

1197
00:51:00,020 --> 00:51:03,219
that we can work together on to correct . 

1198
00:51:03,949 --> 00:51:07,870
Let me turn to another issue . The 

1199
00:51:07,870 --> 00:51:10,149
Portsmouth Naval Shipyard in Kittery , 

1200
00:51:10,229 --> 00:51:13,989
Maine overhauls the Navy's long 

1201
00:51:13,989 --> 00:51:16,540
submarines , nuclear submarines . 

1202
00:51:17,070 --> 00:51:20,389
Senator Shaheen and I helped to 

1203
00:51:20,389 --> 00:51:24,179
secure an exemption from the hiring 

1204
00:51:24,179 --> 00:51:27,800
freeze for the shipyard . And that is 

1205
00:51:27,800 --> 00:51:30,909
absolutely essential . But if I could 

1206
00:51:30,909 --> 00:51:33,530
speak for Senator Shaheen as well as 

1207
00:51:33,530 --> 00:51:36,219
myself , both of us are hearing from 

1208
00:51:36,219 --> 00:51:40,129
shipyard leaders as well as the 

1209
00:51:40,129 --> 00:51:43,635
navy , as well as . The rank and file 

1210
00:51:43,635 --> 00:51:46,985
workers , the union leadership that the 

1211
00:51:46,985 --> 00:51:50,754
delays in hiring and onboarding 

1212
00:51:51,344 --> 00:51:53,425
across the workforce from frontline 

1213
00:51:53,425 --> 00:51:56,655
mechanics to security personnel 

1214
00:51:56,655 --> 00:51:59,824
continue . Could you speak to what is 

1215
00:51:59,824 --> 00:52:03,705
causing this delay since the exemption 

1216
00:52:04,024 --> 00:52:06,854
from the hiring freeze was granted 

1217
00:52:07,264 --> 00:52:10,040
months ago . Well , it's a great point , 

1218
00:52:10,159 --> 00:52:12,270
Senator . Uh , I will have our team 

1219
00:52:12,270 --> 00:52:14,437
dive into that because that should not 

1220
00:52:14,437 --> 00:52:16,048
be the case . There was very 

1221
00:52:16,048 --> 00:52:18,103
specifically exempted because of the 

1222
00:52:18,103 --> 00:52:19,992
importance of those shipyards and 

1223
00:52:19,992 --> 00:52:22,103
whatever we can do to speed it up for 

1224
00:52:22,103 --> 00:52:25,669
you , we will do . Thank you . Thank 

1225
00:52:25,669 --> 00:52:27,947
you , Senator Collins . Senator Murray , 

1226
00:52:27,947 --> 00:52:30,199
and then Senator Graham . Uh , thank 

1227
00:52:30,199 --> 00:52:32,255
you very much , Mr . Chairman . Um , 

1228
00:52:32,360 --> 00:52:35,699
Secretary Hague said you oversee one of 

1229
00:52:35,699 --> 00:52:37,570
the largest and most important 

1230
00:52:37,580 --> 00:52:39,913
important organizations on planet Earth . 

1231
00:52:40,179 --> 00:52:42,159
More more than anything , the 

1232
00:52:42,159 --> 00:52:44,629
Department of Defense needs stable , 

1233
00:52:45,080 --> 00:52:47,699
competent , and strategic leadership , 

1234
00:52:48,239 --> 00:52:50,072
and much as I had feared back in 

1235
00:52:50,072 --> 00:52:52,295
January is not what we are seeing under 

1236
00:52:52,295 --> 00:52:54,517
your leadership . In a matter of months 

1237
00:52:54,517 --> 00:52:57,090
you have lost top aides and reportedly 

1238
00:52:57,090 --> 00:52:59,409
struggled to hire new ones . You have 

1239
00:52:59,409 --> 00:53:02,300
fired highly respected top military 

1240
00:53:02,300 --> 00:53:05,179
officials you shared highly sensitive 

1241
00:53:05,179 --> 00:53:07,419
attack plans over signal and apparently 

1242
00:53:07,419 --> 00:53:09,252
with people in your own personal 

1243
00:53:09,252 --> 00:53:10,975
circles , and you've not taken 

1244
00:53:10,975 --> 00:53:13,649
responsibility for those mistakes . All 

1245
00:53:13,649 --> 00:53:15,705
the while the security challenges we 

1246
00:53:15,705 --> 00:53:18,360
face have grown larger , not smaller , 

1247
00:53:18,649 --> 00:53:20,316
and then in the face of these 

1248
00:53:20,316 --> 00:53:22,316
challenges you've taken a series of 

1249
00:53:22,316 --> 00:53:24,427
actions that weaken our posture . For 

1250
00:53:24,427 --> 00:53:26,093
example , in my home state of 

1251
00:53:26,093 --> 00:53:28,260
Washington , which is home to many DOD 

1252
00:53:28,260 --> 00:53:29,989
installations critical to our 

1253
00:53:29,989 --> 00:53:32,489
Indo-Pacific strategy , you've pushed 

1254
00:53:32,489 --> 00:53:35,919
out almost 2000 highly trained 

1255
00:53:35,929 --> 00:53:38,360
civilian employees , including at Puget 

1256
00:53:38,360 --> 00:53:40,909
Sound Naval Shipyard . Mr . Secretary , 

1257
00:53:40,989 --> 00:53:43,211
you talk about returning the department 

1258
00:53:43,211 --> 00:53:45,489
to its mission of war fighting , but I 

1259
00:53:45,489 --> 00:53:48,229
am repeatedly hearing that your policy 

1260
00:53:48,229 --> 00:53:50,510
and personnel changes at the Pentagon 

1261
00:53:50,510 --> 00:53:53,110
are only undermining , not 

1262
00:53:53,110 --> 00:53:54,870
strengthening our military's 

1263
00:53:54,870 --> 00:53:57,070
preparedness to protect our country . 

1264
00:53:57,620 --> 00:53:59,842
You are deploying the American military 

1265
00:53:59,842 --> 00:54:02,239
to police the American people . You're 

1266
00:54:02,239 --> 00:54:04,017
sending the National Guard into 

1267
00:54:04,017 --> 00:54:05,906
California without the governor's 

1268
00:54:05,906 --> 00:54:08,159
request , sending the Marines not after 

1269
00:54:08,159 --> 00:54:10,719
foreign threats but after American 

1270
00:54:10,719 --> 00:54:13,219
protesters . And now President Trump is 

1271
00:54:13,219 --> 00:54:16,500
promising heavy force against peaceful 

1272
00:54:16,500 --> 00:54:19,169
protesters at his DC military parade . 

1273
00:54:19,419 --> 00:54:21,659
Those sorts of actions and that sort of 

1274
00:54:21,659 --> 00:54:24,100
rhetoric from a president of the United 

1275
00:54:24,100 --> 00:54:26,850
States should stop every one of us cold , 

1276
00:54:27,179 --> 00:54:29,235
threatening to use our own troops on 

1277
00:54:29,235 --> 00:54:31,659
our own citizens at such scale is 

1278
00:54:31,659 --> 00:54:35,129
unprecedented . It is unconstitutional , 

1279
00:54:35,419 --> 00:54:37,959
and it is downright un-American . We 

1280
00:54:37,959 --> 00:54:40,669
should all be speaking out against this 

1281
00:54:40,669 --> 00:54:44,000
and demanding accountability . Now Mr . 

1282
00:54:44,010 --> 00:54:46,066
Secretary , I have to say for people 

1283
00:54:46,066 --> 00:54:47,677
who tout their commitment to 

1284
00:54:47,677 --> 00:54:49,621
transparency and efficiency , I've 

1285
00:54:49,621 --> 00:54:51,788
never seen an administration more bent 

1286
00:54:51,788 --> 00:54:54,010
on hiding basic facts from American 

1287
00:54:54,010 --> 00:54:56,129
people . Your department has been 

1288
00:54:56,129 --> 00:54:59,169
unresponsive to congressional inquiries 

1289
00:54:59,169 --> 00:55:01,520
and oversight requests all the while 

1290
00:55:01,520 --> 00:55:03,464
you are working to muzzle the free 

1291
00:55:03,464 --> 00:55:05,576
press , denying journalists access to 

1292
00:55:05,576 --> 00:55:08,189
the Pentagon press corps . Now , before 

1293
00:55:08,189 --> 00:55:10,245
I turn to my questions , let me just 

1294
00:55:10,245 --> 00:55:13,810
note it is now mid June . And we only 

1295
00:55:13,810 --> 00:55:16,729
just a few days ago received some but 

1296
00:55:16,729 --> 00:55:19,209
not all important portions of your 

1297
00:55:19,209 --> 00:55:21,689
budget request . It should not have 

1298
00:55:21,689 --> 00:55:24,489
taken this long to get a re uh to get 

1299
00:55:24,489 --> 00:55:26,656
this request , and we do still need to 

1300
00:55:26,656 --> 00:55:28,656
see the justifications in order for 

1301
00:55:28,656 --> 00:55:31,010
this committee to do its work . We're 

1302
00:55:31,010 --> 00:55:33,010
missing those . Not having a full 

1303
00:55:33,010 --> 00:55:35,129
budget at this juncture is really 

1304
00:55:35,129 --> 00:55:38,080
unacceptable , so I am deeply concerned . 

1305
00:55:38,429 --> 00:55:40,540
So let me turn to my questions , um , 

1306
00:55:40,540 --> 00:55:42,540
and this is important , this , this 

1307
00:55:42,540 --> 00:55:44,651
administration . Has put the civilian 

1308
00:55:44,651 --> 00:55:46,651
workforce under attack from day one 

1309
00:55:46,651 --> 00:55:48,540
encouraging resignations , firing 

1310
00:55:48,540 --> 00:55:50,596
probationary employees , instituting 

1311
00:55:50,596 --> 00:55:53,050
hiring freeze , requiring OPM to 

1312
00:55:53,050 --> 00:55:56,810
approve any new hire one by one and now 

1313
00:55:56,810 --> 00:55:59,290
new last week requiring prospective 

1314
00:55:59,290 --> 00:56:01,969
employees to explain how they would 

1315
00:56:01,969 --> 00:56:04,250
quote help support the president's 

1316
00:56:04,250 --> 00:56:06,689
executive orders and policy priorities . 

1317
00:56:07,260 --> 00:56:09,090
We have spoken with military 

1318
00:56:09,090 --> 00:56:11,429
installations across our country . 

1319
00:56:11,699 --> 00:56:14,459
Almost all of them have been forced to 

1320
00:56:14,459 --> 00:56:17,820
fire skilled civilian employees who are 

1321
00:56:17,820 --> 00:56:20,540
badly needed , and all of them also 

1322
00:56:20,540 --> 00:56:22,379
have hundreds and in some cases 

1323
00:56:22,379 --> 00:56:25,699
thousands of new hires ready to bring 

1324
00:56:25,699 --> 00:56:28,739
on board . But now have to individually 

1325
00:56:28,739 --> 00:56:31,649
be reviewed by OPM apparently to ensure 

1326
00:56:31,649 --> 00:56:33,538
that they support the president's 

1327
00:56:33,538 --> 00:56:36,020
priorities . Secretary Hague said , I 

1328
00:56:36,020 --> 00:56:38,242
wanna know and keep your answer short . 

1329
00:56:38,242 --> 00:56:40,131
I have limited time . Will you be 

1330
00:56:40,131 --> 00:56:42,298
firing more shipbuilders ? Yes or no ? 

1331
00:56:42,989 --> 00:56:44,949
Um , Senator , we haven't fired 

1332
00:56:44,949 --> 00:56:47,116
shipbuilders . We've offered through a 

1333
00:56:47,116 --> 00:56:49,790
right sizing of our civilian positions 

1334
00:56:49,790 --> 00:56:51,957
which everyone in this committee would 

1335
00:56:51,957 --> 00:56:54,123
acknowledge the Defense Department has 

1336
00:56:54,123 --> 00:56:56,179
had a bloated bureaucracy for a long 

1337
00:56:56,179 --> 00:56:58,290
time , have given a voluntary process 

1338
00:56:58,290 --> 00:57:00,512
by which some people can choose to take 

1339
00:57:00,512 --> 00:57:02,179
a DRP so it's not a firing of 

1340
00:57:02,179 --> 00:57:03,901
shipbuilder . That's a totally 

1341
00:57:03,901 --> 00:57:06,012
disingenuous characterization of what 

1342
00:57:06,012 --> 00:57:07,790
our department is doing . We're 

1343
00:57:07,790 --> 00:57:09,901
focusing on shipbuilding , do we need 

1344
00:57:09,901 --> 00:57:12,110
more or fewer shipbuilders ? We are 

1345
00:57:12,110 --> 00:57:14,149
investing historically in our ship 

1346
00:57:14,149 --> 00:57:16,270
building defense industrial base and 

1347
00:57:16,270 --> 00:57:18,540
workforce and ships in this budget more 

1348
00:57:18,540 --> 00:57:20,060
than anything the previous 

1349
00:57:20,060 --> 00:57:22,171
administration ever did . So well you 

1350
00:57:22,171 --> 00:57:24,449
managed to fire highly skilled workers , 

1351
00:57:24,449 --> 00:57:26,560
including my home state of Washington 

1352
00:57:26,560 --> 00:57:29,169
for so for no reason . So let me just 

1353
00:57:29,169 --> 00:57:31,969
say the Navy needs welders , not people 

1354
00:57:31,969 --> 00:57:34,810
who can recite a president's executive 

1355
00:57:34,810 --> 00:57:37,209
orders . If the Navy wants to hire a 

1356
00:57:37,209 --> 00:57:39,489
qualified candidate for the role but 

1357
00:57:39,489 --> 00:57:41,656
that candidate happened to vote for or 

1358
00:57:41,656 --> 00:57:43,656
donate to Democrats , would they be 

1359
00:57:43,656 --> 00:57:46,409
hired ? Senator , there's never been a 

1360
00:57:46,409 --> 00:57:48,631
litmus test for hiring welders . Well , 

1361
00:57:49,699 --> 00:57:51,643
if you can , you can work with the 

1362
00:57:51,643 --> 00:57:53,755
defense department . That's , that is 

1363
00:57:53,755 --> 00:57:55,755
what they're being asked , and Mr . 

1364
00:57:55,755 --> 00:57:57,921
Secretary , I just have to say we need 

1365
00:57:57,921 --> 00:58:00,088
to drop the politics in our military . 

1366
00:58:00,088 --> 00:58:02,310
We need to hire the best people . We do 

1367
00:58:02,310 --> 00:58:04,366
not need to force them out . That is 

1368
00:58:04,366 --> 00:58:06,588
simply the case at this point . I'm out 

1369
00:58:06,588 --> 00:58:08,588
of time . Thank you , Mr . Chairman 

1370
00:58:08,588 --> 00:58:11,850
Senator Graham . Thank you . Welcome . 

1371
00:58:13,090 --> 00:58:15,201
One of the things you're trying to do 

1372
00:58:15,201 --> 00:58:17,423
is hire people based on merit , right ? 

1373
00:58:17,423 --> 00:58:19,257
Yes sir , you could care less if 

1374
00:58:19,257 --> 00:58:21,201
they're libertarian , vegetarian , 

1375
00:58:21,201 --> 00:58:23,423
Democrat , Republican , as long as they 

1376
00:58:23,423 --> 00:58:23,290
didn't do the job . Yes , sir . OK . 

1377
00:58:23,419 --> 00:58:25,699
All right , uh , more people are 

1378
00:58:25,699 --> 00:58:27,866
joining the military now than any time 

1379
00:58:27,866 --> 00:58:30,032
in recent memory , right ? Yes , sir . 

1380
00:58:30,032 --> 00:58:32,143
So the situation described by Senator 

1381
00:58:32,143 --> 00:58:34,143
Murray is not being viewed by other 

1382
00:58:34,143 --> 00:58:36,366
Americans because they're signing up in 

1383
00:58:36,366 --> 00:58:38,255
droves . Senator , there's been a 

1384
00:58:38,255 --> 00:58:40,820
historic surge . You know why ? Because 

1385
00:58:40,820 --> 00:58:43,370
they think you're a winner . They think 

1386
00:58:43,370 --> 00:58:45,481
you're gonna lead , they think you're 

1387
00:58:45,481 --> 00:58:47,426
gonna have their back . That's why 

1388
00:58:47,426 --> 00:58:49,481
they're signing up . Keep doing what 

1389
00:58:49,481 --> 00:58:52,040
you're doing . Um , now , do you agree 

1390
00:58:52,040 --> 00:58:54,096
that the world kind of miscalculated 

1391
00:58:54,096 --> 00:58:58,050
Hitler in the 20s and 30s ? Certainly 

1392
00:58:58,050 --> 00:59:00,050
did not understand the scope of the 

1393
00:59:00,050 --> 00:59:02,217
threat . Like the guy wrote a book . I 

1394
00:59:02,217 --> 00:59:04,272
want to kill all the Jews and nobody 

1395
00:59:04,272 --> 00:59:06,494
believed him . You remember that ? Uh , 

1396
00:59:06,494 --> 00:59:08,717
General Kane , is that a fair statement 

1397
00:59:08,717 --> 00:59:11,090
that the military industrial complex of 

1398
00:59:11,090 --> 00:59:12,949
the 20s and 30s really didn't 

1399
00:59:13,320 --> 00:59:16,669
miscalculated Hitler ? Yes , sir . And 

1400
00:59:16,889 --> 00:59:19,000
the danger of that is like 50 million 

1401
00:59:19,000 --> 00:59:21,111
people get killed , so let's don't do 

1402
00:59:21,111 --> 00:59:24,169
that now . As to Iran , they say they 

1403
00:59:24,169 --> 00:59:26,113
want to kill all the Jews . Do you 

1404
00:59:26,113 --> 00:59:28,969
agree with them ? I believe they uh 

1405
00:59:28,969 --> 00:59:30,858
they mean what they chant . Yes , 

1406
00:59:30,858 --> 00:59:32,802
Senator . Do you agree with that , 

1407
00:59:32,802 --> 00:59:35,860
General King ? Uh , sir , I think 

1408
00:59:35,860 --> 00:59:38,459
they've got some agendas for sure that 

1409
00:59:38,459 --> 00:59:40,626
agenda to use a nuclear weapon against 

1410
00:59:40,626 --> 00:59:44,550
Israel ? Uh , sir , I , I think they 

1411
00:59:44,550 --> 00:59:46,810
would potentially they had a nuclear 

1412
00:59:46,810 --> 00:59:48,754
weapon , would they use it against 

1413
00:59:48,754 --> 00:59:51,500
Israel ? In your professional military 

1414
00:59:51,500 --> 00:59:53,556
judgment , uh , sir , I think they'd 

1415
00:59:53,556 --> 00:59:55,929
use it to to pressure Israel . I don't 

1416
00:59:55,929 --> 00:59:58,151
know whether they would use it . Well , 

1417
00:59:58,151 --> 01:00:00,590
is it 50/50 , 6040 , 7010 ? What is it ? 

1418
01:00:00,909 --> 01:00:03,076
I don't know what the , uh , you can't 

1419
01:00:03,076 --> 01:00:05,187
be wrong , can you ? What does Israel 

1420
01:00:05,187 --> 01:00:07,679
think ? So , I think , uh , I think 

1421
01:00:07,679 --> 01:00:09,735
they think they would potentially do 

1422
01:00:09,735 --> 01:00:12,750
you think ? They had a nuclear weapon , 

1423
01:00:12,830 --> 01:00:14,997
would they use it to wipe out Israel ? 

1424
01:00:14,997 --> 01:00:16,979
I think Israel believes , quite 

1425
01:00:16,979 --> 01:00:19,201
understandably you believe that that it 

1426
01:00:19,201 --> 01:00:21,257
is an existential threat . Hold on , 

1427
01:00:21,257 --> 01:00:23,479
and in the hands of the wrong Iranian , 

1428
01:00:23,500 --> 01:00:25,611
a cleric or a radical that they would 

1429
01:00:25,611 --> 01:00:27,667
seek . Well , is this a uh a radical 

1430
01:00:27,667 --> 01:00:29,979
cleric that exists there today ? Well , 

1431
01:00:30,360 --> 01:00:33,149
he's not , who the hell would be ? So 

1432
01:00:33,149 --> 01:00:35,379
I'm trying to get everybody to think , 

1433
01:00:35,750 --> 01:00:37,972
let's don't do what we did in the 30s . 

1434
01:00:37,972 --> 01:00:40,083
They're going to use a nuclear weapon 

1435
01:00:40,083 --> 01:00:42,083
if they get it . Are they trying to 

1436
01:00:42,083 --> 01:00:43,870
build a nuclear weapon versus a 

1437
01:00:43,870 --> 01:00:46,310
peaceful nuclear power program , Mr . 

1438
01:00:46,469 --> 01:00:48,413
Secretary , have the Iranians been 

1439
01:00:48,413 --> 01:00:50,358
trying to build a nuke ? There are 

1440
01:00:50,358 --> 01:00:52,413
plenty of indications that they have 

1441
01:00:52,413 --> 01:00:54,636
been moving their way towards something 

1442
01:00:54,636 --> 01:00:53,949
that would look a lot like a nuclear 

1443
01:00:53,949 --> 01:00:55,909
weapon . Does China intend to take 

1444
01:00:55,909 --> 01:00:59,030
Taiwan by force if necessary ? 

1445
01:01:00,540 --> 01:01:02,484
We don't believe they've made that 

1446
01:01:02,484 --> 01:01:04,484
decision yet , but certainly if you 

1447
01:01:04,484 --> 01:01:06,540
look at their exercises that they're 

1448
01:01:06,540 --> 01:01:08,651
performing in that area , do you , do 

1449
01:01:08,651 --> 01:01:10,651
you think China is intent on taking 

1450
01:01:10,651 --> 01:01:12,873
Taiwan ? So , I think it's , uh , not , 

1451
01:01:12,879 --> 01:01:14,879
not to split hairs , but I think it 

1452
01:01:14,879 --> 01:01:16,879
depends on what you define take . I 

1453
01:01:16,879 --> 01:01:19,320
think if I like take it over . I think 

1454
01:01:19,320 --> 01:01:21,376
if they could get them their way for 

1455
01:01:21,376 --> 01:01:23,376
sure , do I think they're gonna use 

1456
01:01:23,376 --> 01:01:25,709
military capability ? Maybe , maybe not . 

1457
01:01:25,709 --> 01:01:27,764
Do we need to be prepared for that ? 

1458
01:01:27,764 --> 01:01:29,931
Yes . Is Putin gonna stop in Ukraine ? 

1459
01:01:31,520 --> 01:01:33,687
Uh , I don't , I don't believe he is , 

1460
01:01:33,687 --> 01:01:35,742
sir . I think he'll do you , what do 

1461
01:01:35,742 --> 01:01:37,742
you think , Secretary ? Is he gonna 

1462
01:01:37,742 --> 01:01:39,853
stop ? Remains to be seen , Senator . 

1463
01:01:39,853 --> 01:01:41,939
Well , he says he's not . You know , 

1464
01:01:42,020 --> 01:01:44,131
this is the 30s all over . It doesn't 

1465
01:01:44,131 --> 01:01:46,459
remain to be seen . He tells everybody 

1466
01:01:46,459 --> 01:01:48,739
around what he wants to do . Uh , are 

1467
01:01:48,739 --> 01:01:50,906
you familiar with his military buildup 

1468
01:01:50,906 --> 01:01:54,100
in terms of armaments ? is well beyond 

1469
01:01:54,100 --> 01:01:56,156
what we need to do to take Ukraine . 

1470
01:01:56,340 --> 01:01:58,540
Listen , I think I like what you're 

1471
01:01:58,540 --> 01:02:00,762
doing . I just think we got to get this 

1472
01:02:00,762 --> 01:02:04,239
stuff right . Iran cannot have a 

1473
01:02:04,239 --> 01:02:06,461
nuclear weapon because they'll use it . 

1474
01:02:06,461 --> 01:02:08,350
They're homicidal maniacs who are 

1475
01:02:08,350 --> 01:02:10,570
religious Nazis . China is an 

1476
01:02:10,570 --> 01:02:12,850
expansionist power who will take Taiwan 

1477
01:02:12,850 --> 01:02:15,649
if we don't deter them . Russia will 

1478
01:02:15,649 --> 01:02:17,816
dismember Ukraine and keep going if we 

1479
01:02:17,816 --> 01:02:20,010
don't stop them . Radical Islam , are 

1480
01:02:20,010 --> 01:02:22,530
they still out there , uh , General 

1481
01:02:22,530 --> 01:02:26,179
King . Sir , I think there are still uh 

1482
01:02:26,179 --> 01:02:28,290
folks that would do America harm . So 

1483
01:02:28,290 --> 01:02:31,979
as ISIS did . Uh , no , sir . Is Al 

1484
01:02:31,979 --> 01:02:35,179
Qaeda dead , mostly and , and dying 

1485
01:02:35,179 --> 01:02:37,235
more every day . Yeah , but are they 

1486
01:02:37,235 --> 01:02:39,568
still out there trying to get here ? Uh , 

1487
01:02:39,568 --> 01:02:41,568
yeah , yes , sir , to the threat of 

1488
01:02:41,568 --> 01:02:44,379
radical Islam is still real to the 

1489
01:02:44,379 --> 01:02:47,120
American people . Uh , yes , sir , if , 

1490
01:02:47,139 --> 01:02:49,361
if allowed to scale , we , we work hard 

1491
01:02:49,361 --> 01:02:51,472
to not allow that to happen . And how 

1492
01:02:51,472 --> 01:02:53,583
you do that , you hit them over there 

1493
01:02:53,583 --> 01:02:55,695
before they come here , right ? So we 

1494
01:02:55,695 --> 01:02:57,750
have a variety of ways as you know . 

1495
01:02:57,750 --> 01:02:59,972
It's better to have partners than do it 

1496
01:02:59,972 --> 01:03:02,195
by yourself . Always , sir . OK , so go 

1497
01:03:02,195 --> 01:03:04,306
over just a little bit . The point is 

1498
01:03:04,306 --> 01:03:06,361
radical Islam is out there . They're 

1499
01:03:06,361 --> 01:03:08,583
trying to get here . Miss . Secretary , 

1500
01:03:08,583 --> 01:03:10,639
if they had a nuclear weapon , would 

1501
01:03:10,639 --> 01:03:12,583
they use it ? Would al Qaeda use a 

1502
01:03:12,583 --> 01:03:14,417
nuclear weapon if they had one ? 

1503
01:03:14,417 --> 01:03:16,639
Senator , a nuclear weapon in the hands 

1504
01:03:16,639 --> 01:03:16,489
of al-Qaeda would be a very bad thing . 

1505
01:03:16,780 --> 01:03:18,947
Is there a whole lot of the difference 

1506
01:03:18,947 --> 01:03:18,899
between a nuclear weapon in the hands 

1507
01:03:18,899 --> 01:03:21,121
of al-Qaeda and the Ayatollah in Iran ? 

1508
01:03:24,149 --> 01:03:26,260
I don't think so . They just have a 

1509
01:03:26,260 --> 01:03:28,371
different religious reason to do it . 

1510
01:03:28,371 --> 01:03:30,093
The point is these budgets are 

1511
01:03:30,093 --> 01:03:32,371
important , but we need to up our game . 

1512
01:03:32,371 --> 01:03:34,371
We need to build more ships because 

1513
01:03:34,371 --> 01:03:36,371
China's building more ships , so we 

1514
01:03:36,371 --> 01:03:38,482
need to hit the enemy before they hit 

1515
01:03:38,482 --> 01:03:40,593
us . We need the ability to project , 

1516
01:03:40,593 --> 01:03:43,209
um , as to final thought , as to Russia . 

1517
01:03:44,360 --> 01:03:48,330
China buys . And India buys 70% of 

1518
01:03:48,330 --> 01:03:50,552
Russia's oil , Mr . Secretary , are you 

1519
01:03:50,552 --> 01:03:52,929
familiar with that ? Yes . If they stop 

1520
01:03:52,929 --> 01:03:54,929
buying cheap Russian oil tomorrow , 

1521
01:03:54,929 --> 01:03:57,040
would that grind , uh , Putin's war 

1522
01:03:57,040 --> 01:03:58,570
machine to a halt ? It's a 

1523
01:03:58,570 --> 01:04:00,626
vulnerability . Yes sir . We have an 

1524
01:04:00,626 --> 01:04:03,679
ability to legislation to get China and 

1525
01:04:03,679 --> 01:04:05,879
India's attention that if you keep 

1526
01:04:05,879 --> 01:04:07,919
buying cheap Russian oil to empower 

1527
01:04:07,919 --> 01:04:09,863
Putin to kill Ukrainian children , 

1528
01:04:09,863 --> 01:04:12,197
you're gonna lose access to our markets . 

1529
01:04:12,280 --> 01:04:14,560
I would urge you and the administration 

1530
01:04:14,560 --> 01:04:16,840
to use that tool to get the attention 

1531
01:04:16,840 --> 01:04:19,173
of China and India . I'll end with this . 

1532
01:04:19,173 --> 01:04:21,173
We're not gonna evict every Russian 

1533
01:04:21,173 --> 01:04:23,229
from Ukraine . I'm a practical guy , 

1534
01:04:23,229 --> 01:04:25,396
but we got to end this war so we don't 

1535
01:04:25,396 --> 01:04:28,669
entice time to take . Uh , Taiwan , and 

1536
01:04:28,669 --> 01:04:30,989
we don't encourage Iran to think we're 

1537
01:04:30,989 --> 01:04:33,045
just all talk stopping their nuclear 

1538
01:04:33,045 --> 01:04:34,979
ambitions . So you live in very 

1539
01:04:34,979 --> 01:04:37,580
dangerous times . I wanna help you . 

1540
01:04:38,620 --> 01:04:41,459
General Kane , you're the right man at 

1541
01:04:41,459 --> 01:04:43,300
the right time . Thank you .