WEBVTT

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Defense , uh , subcommittee will come

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to order .

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Good morning .

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Today , the subcommittee will convene

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for open hearing to receive testimony

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from the Honorable Pete Hexi ,

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Secretary of War , General Dan Kane ,

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Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff ,

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Mr . Jay Hurst , performing the duties

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of Undersecretary of War Comptroller .

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Mr . Secretary , General Kane and Mr .

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Hurst , a warm welcome to you . Thank

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you for your service to our great

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nation , and I thank you for appearing

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before the subcommittee today . I want

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to first acknowledge the extraordinary

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demands we place on all our volunteer

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force and the military families who

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bear force and the military families

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who bear the weight of service

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alongside their loved ones . Quality of

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life and care for our service members

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and their families are central to our

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mission to continue to ensure the

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finest fighting force in human history .

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We owe everything to their sacrifice

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and send our thanks that they have

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answered the call to serve . This

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hearing addresses issues that are

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deeply interconnected and collectively

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define the national security challenge

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of our time . Let me begin with the

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budget . We want to be good partners

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with the department to ensure that our

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men and women in uniform have every

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resource they need , but I have serious

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concerns about how this bifurcated

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budget splits . Discretionary and

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mandatory funding and some of the on

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some of our highest priority programs .

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We have significant gaps in needs for

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our warfighters that we had to address

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in the FY 26 appropriations process

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because of the way mandatory was

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requested and enacted . The

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subcommittee needs to understand how

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the resources requested in this budget

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translates into real measurable

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improvements in war fighting capability .

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We also need to understand the

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consequences of this funding approach .

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We owe that level of accountability to

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the American taxpayers . Next on

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readiness , the picture demands our

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honest attention across the multiple

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domains , including munitions ,

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shipbuilding , innovation , and

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aviation . Questions persist about

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whether we are building the depth and

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reliance required for a high-end

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conflict . We have made progress in

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some areas . I want to acknowledge the

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department's efforts to address these

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questions . However , progress is not

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the same as capability in delivering ,

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and capability delivery is what we need

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at this moment demands . Finally , that

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brings me to the threat environment .

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We currently face . The world has grown

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more dangerous , more complex , and

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more interconnected in its risks .

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China is modernizing its military at a

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pace and scale that is alarming .

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Russia continues to wage a brutal war

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of aggression , and while Iran and

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their proxies have been dealt a severe

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blow , they remain a threat . Threats

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to Taiwan , Ukraine , NATO , Israel ,

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our partners in the Gulf , and our

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allies across the globe are not

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abstract concerns . They are tests of

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America's credibility and resolve .

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This subcommittee believes deeply in

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the power of deterrence . But

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deterrence must be credible and

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credibility must be funded . Finally ,

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Mr . Secretary , both you and your

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deputy must be commended for your

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commitment to reforming , modernizing ,

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and prioritizing innovation at the

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department . I've been here a long time .

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I've watched administrations come and

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go . And I promise you that there are

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bureaucrats who are trying to wait you

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out . You must demand accountability at

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every level of your organization to

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ensure that the change you have

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demanded is taking place . Your call to

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move more quickly , inject competition ,

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allow new entrants to participate

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requires rigorous and persistent

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oversight . Otherwise , the forces in

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the Pentagon will simply snap back to

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the status quo , which does not serve

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our warfighters or the United States

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taxpayer . Again , thank you for being

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here . The members of this subcommittee

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take our oversight responsibilities

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seriously . And we believe the American

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people deserve straight answers on

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these consequential questions . I look

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forward to an honest conversation on

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how we are matching resources to

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priorities and honoring our commitments

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to meet the moment . Now I recognize

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the distinguished ranking member Mrs .

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McCollum for her opening remarks .

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Thank you , Mr . Chairman . Uh , thank

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you for your courtesy of extending this

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and thank you for your statement . We

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have a lot to discuss historical high

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budget requests , the cost of the war

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in Iran . Mr . Secretary , I appreciate

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this year that you opened up a dialogue

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with Chairman Calvert , myself , and

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with our authorizing Senate colleagues .

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When we last met , we asked for

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information to help us determine what

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the department needs to ensure our

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national security . We are still

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waiting for the information . We've

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asked several times for a complete

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update on munition levels , and it has

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not been provided . This lacking of

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delivery timely information for the

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committee is appearing to become a

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pattern . We've requested briefings on

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the status of the funds appropriated

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for Ukraine that took 6 months for us

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to be adequately briefed . The

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reconciliation bill , which was enacted

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on July 4th of last year . We still

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need the details of how the funds were

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allocated and that were not provided to

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us until a 10 month wait . 10 months we

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waited for that . Details have been

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provided on Golden Dome , but only

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$185 billion of the program , and

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that's the initial research and

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development . We still have no idea

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what the costs are following on for

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procurement or maintenance of the

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program . The department must do a

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better job of sharing the information

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with us with respect to the war in Iran .

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Mr . Secretary , I saw your comments in

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the Armed Services Committee . It was

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disappointing that you referred to

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members of both parties as defeatists .

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I know you won't bring personalities

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into this , this at this hearing , and

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I will not questionize your patriotism ,

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nor will you question mine , but the

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cost of this war continues to rise as

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forces remain in the region . The

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Appropriations Committee has a

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fiduciary responsibility to the

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American people , so we will ask

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serious questions that need to be

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answered , and that's our

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constitutional duty . Chairman Calvert

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and I have asked for a breakout of

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funding needs for Operation Epic Fury .

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We need to know the impact of what it's

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having on the services executing

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missions beyond the war . The

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department notified us that the

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standard fuel price for the services

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has increased from $154 to

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$195 a barrel . That's more

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we have to pay for fuel , then there's

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less money available for training and

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exercise that the services need to

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perform , and the department does not

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have enough general transport authority

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to cover these activities without a

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supplemental . We must understand the

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department what it will do if a

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supplemental is not sent to the hill or

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enacted . Now for the . 25 , uh ,

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excuse me , the 2027 request , the

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baseline budget , the Department of

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Defense requests over $200 million over

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last year's enacted level . When

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combined with the mandatory funding for

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defense requests throughout

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reconciliation , that's an increase of

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$400 billion and that includes military

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construction . Together that's nearly

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44% increase in defense spending over

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last year , and the president proposes

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a domestic investment cut of $75

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billion or 10% . These cuts will have

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an impact on our national security in

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many ways , particular cuts to

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education . The primary concern of the

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defense budget is that the

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administration split between

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discretionary funding and the

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appropriations control , mandatory

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funding that we do not control . Mr .

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Secretary , the administration is

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taking an enormous risk by asking for

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$350 billion in priorities to

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reconciliation . As we told you in our

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last meeting , reconciliation is not

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the best way to fund the department .

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Last year , reconciliation created

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broken glass . Funding holes for vital

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programs that the appropriators had to

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fix , and that's why we need the

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information in a timely fashion . Most

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of your mandatory , uh , funding

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requests for are for what you call

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presidential priorities , Golden Dome .

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Drone dominance , munitions , the

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defense industrial base . What the

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administration submitted to us for

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these programs was a 28 page document ,

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and that's not enough to properly

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explain $350 billion in funding . These

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programs will not be completed in one

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fiscal year , and they will have tails

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that will put our department and our

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committee in a very difficult situation

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next Congress . Finally , as the chair

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did , I . I want to take this

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opportunity to thank all of our service

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members , active duty , National Guard ,

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and reserve components . They serve

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with honor and distinction , and I

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wanna especially acknowledge those who

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have served in harm's way , including

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those who have fallen and who have been

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injured in Operation Epic Fury . Their

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families need to know that we will

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never forget them and that they have

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our enduring gratitude and support .

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Gentlemen , I look forward to your

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testimony , Mr . Chair , you're back ,

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back . Thank you , Ms . McCollum .

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Before we hear from our witness , I'd

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like to recognize the distinguished

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chairman of the full committee , my

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good friend , Chairman Tom Cole , for

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any opening comments . Thank you ,

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Chairman Calvert , Ranking Member

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McCollum , my good friend , uh ,

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Ranking Member Rosa Delore , and all

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the members here , and welcome , uh ,

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Mr . Secretary and General Kane to the

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committee , and , uh , we appreciate

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all of you and certainly you as well ,

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Under Secretary Hurst . I didn't mean

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to , mean to leave you out there . I

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join Chairman Calvert and members of

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the subcommittee by saying at the

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outset of this hearing that the men and

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women of our armed forces are the

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finest in the world . They deserve our

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full support and our commitment to

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giving them the resources they need

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that will keep them ready for the

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fights of today and tomorrow . Without

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hesitation , I recognize that a strong ,

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agile , and effectively funded defense

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is not a mere priority . It is a

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necessity . The current threat

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environment facing the United States is

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as serious and as layered as anything I

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have witnessed during my time in

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Congress . The convergence of

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challenges from China , Russia , North

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Korea , and Iran demands that we all

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work together with a level of

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seriousness and urgency that frankly

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has not always characterized our

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defense debates in recent years . On

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the budget , I firmly believe that

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adequate and stable defense funding is

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a national imperative . And yet funding

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alone is not enough . Every dollar must

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reflect clear priorities , operational

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effectiveness , and strategic urgency .

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The subcommittee has a responsibility

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to ask hard questions about priorities ,

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program performances , and whether the

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department's acquisition process ,

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processes are keeping pace with the

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speed at which our adversaries are

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moving . To that end , I certainly

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associate myself with Chairman

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Calvert's concerns about a bifurcated

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funding of the Department of Defense .

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We have questions on the assumption of

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mandatory funding in the department's

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request . We need you to be a partner

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with us on this front . Transparency

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and communication are critical to

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ensuring that we are aligned as closely

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as we can be with your needs . And

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frankly , I do worry in the future ,

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and I hope you addressed this in your

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remarks . This is the 2nd

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reconciliation package for defense ,

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and that creates clips for this

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committee in the future . At some point

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that funding disappears , and we would

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have a massive increase in

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discretionary funding to sustain it .

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So how we do that going forward , when

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we do that is a major concern for this

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committee , certainly for me personally .

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I also want to speak directly about the

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issue of our allies and partners .

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American power is most effective when

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it's exercised in concert with

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like-minded nations who share our

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interests and our values . As we look

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back on 250 years of our exceptional

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history , uh , the truth of that

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statement is apparent over and over .

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From those who stood by us in our fight

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for independence to the shared mission

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against evil during World War II . Uh ,

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tyranny falls when free nations stand

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together . America first has never

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meant America alone . American strength

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is not diminished when allies shoulder

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their share . It's multiplied , and we

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must continue to sharpen our strategic

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advantages . And I commend you for

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working to make sure that our partners

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are beginning to step forward . NATO

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remains a critical pillar of collective

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defense while our alliances across the

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Indo-Pacific are indispensable to

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building a credible deterrent against

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rising aggression in that region . I'm

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interested today in hearing how this

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budget strengthens those partnerships

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and how the department's working to

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ensure that our allies are investing at

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levels commensurate with the threats

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that they , as well as we face together .

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The bottom line is simple . We always

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hope for peace while maintaining the

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strength to defend it . We're committed

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to ensuring our military remains

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unmatched , our adversaries deterred ,

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and the American people protected .

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Secretary Hegop and General Klain , we

13:27.059 --> 13:29.226
look forward to your candid dialogue .

13:29.500 --> 13:31.667
The American people are counting on us

13:31.667 --> 13:33.833
to get this right , and I look forward

13:33.833 --> 13:35.833
to being a partner with you in that

13:35.833 --> 13:38.000
effort . Again , I thank you for being

13:38.000 --> 13:40.056
here today , and I thank you all for

13:40.056 --> 13:39.799
your distinguished service to our

13:39.799 --> 13:41.966
country . For that , Mr . Chairman , I

13:41.966 --> 13:44.243
yield back . Thank you , Mr . Chairman .

13:44.243 --> 13:46.466
I would like to turn now to the ranking

13:46.466 --> 13:45.520
member of the full committee , Mr .

13:45.679 --> 13:47.679
Laurel , for any opening comments .

13:49.789 --> 13:51.789
Thank you very much , uh , Chairman

13:51.789 --> 13:53.900
Calvert and Ranking Member McCollum ,

13:53.900 --> 13:55.733
and , uh , good to be with you ,

13:55.733 --> 13:57.956
Chairman Cole and Secretary Hecketh and

13:57.956 --> 14:00.233
General Kaine and Undersecretary Hurst ,

14:00.233 --> 14:02.359
welcome to the committee . Um , the ,

14:02.429 --> 14:05.239
the president is requesting $1.5

14:05.239 --> 14:07.440
trillion in defense funding for the

14:07.440 --> 14:11.239
coming fiscal year . $1.5 trillion is

14:11.239 --> 14:13.017
an extraordinary sum of money .

14:13.690 --> 14:15.801
Congress and the American people have

14:15.801 --> 14:18.049
concerns about what you plan to do with

14:18.049 --> 14:21.530
this money . In fact , we have concerns

14:21.530 --> 14:23.697
about what you are doing with the more

14:23.697 --> 14:25.863
than $1 trillion you already have from

14:25.863 --> 14:27.919
last year's appropriations and

14:27.919 --> 14:31.650
reconciliation bills . How much will

14:31.650 --> 14:34.750
the president's skirmish in CECO cost ?

14:35.130 --> 14:37.650
I know at a recent hearing $25 billion

14:37.650 --> 14:40.729
was cited , but we don't know what that

14:40.729 --> 14:43.479
includes or for what time period . This

14:43.479 --> 14:46.719
was only supposed to last 6 weeks . We

14:46.719 --> 14:48.775
have thus far been unable to get any

14:48.775 --> 14:51.799
reliable information as to the true

14:51.799 --> 14:54.690
cost of this war . Hm

14:56.479 --> 14:58.840
The current ceasefire is tenuous at

14:58.840 --> 15:01.559
best , with attacks on Gulf nations

15:01.559 --> 15:03.960
happening just over the weekend . The

15:03.960 --> 15:06.400
president tweeted he will not support

15:06.400 --> 15:09.549
the latest communication from Iran ,

15:10.179 --> 15:12.235
which we might agree with if we knew

15:12.235 --> 15:14.346
what was in it , but there has been a

15:14.346 --> 15:17.260
consistent lack of transparency since

15:17.260 --> 15:20.440
this war began . Media reports suggest

15:20.440 --> 15:22.520
there is intelligence that indicates

15:22.520 --> 15:25.080
Iran can survive for months at the

15:25.080 --> 15:28.150
current standoff , which means the cost

15:28.150 --> 15:30.679
of deployment of 50,000 service

15:30.679 --> 15:33.440
personnel with their equipment will

15:33.440 --> 15:36.780
only increase as every additional day

15:36.780 --> 15:39.280
this war goes on brings with it

15:39.280 --> 15:42.000
additional costs . This administration

15:42.000 --> 15:44.440
has not presented Congress with any

15:44.440 --> 15:47.400
kind of clear or coherent strategy .

15:47.869 --> 15:50.750
Week to week , day to day , hour to

15:50.750 --> 15:53.469
hour , the rationale shifts , the

15:53.469 --> 15:55.669
objectives change . The end game is

15:55.669 --> 15:58.729
ill-defined when it is defined at all .

15:59.150 --> 16:01.309
If the administration intends to ask

16:01.309 --> 16:03.609
Congress for supplemental funding for

16:03.609 --> 16:05.710
the Iran war , then you need to come

16:05.710 --> 16:08.830
back to Congress and testify on that

16:08.830 --> 16:11.809
request specifically . So that we and

16:11.809 --> 16:14.280
the American people can fully

16:14.280 --> 16:16.840
understand what this administration has

16:16.840 --> 16:19.710
gotten us into and how it plans to get

16:19.710 --> 16:22.159
us out of it . Uh , the question must

16:22.159 --> 16:24.510
be answered at the end of this crisis .

16:24.770 --> 16:26.881
What have we accomplished and at what

16:26.881 --> 16:29.969
cost ? And before you come to the

16:29.969 --> 16:31.858
Congress for additional emergency

16:31.858 --> 16:34.390
funding , we need information . Has the

16:34.390 --> 16:36.279
department or any of the services

16:36.279 --> 16:38.659
utilized mandatory funding for

16:38.659 --> 16:40.492
operational activities , uh , in

16:40.492 --> 16:42.950
CENTCOM ? If so , how much and from

16:42.950 --> 16:45.150
what accounts ? If you can provide us

16:45.150 --> 16:46.983
with that breakout , it would be

16:46.983 --> 16:49.150
enormously helpful . And again , what

16:49.150 --> 16:51.150
is the department's estimate of the

16:51.150 --> 16:53.530
full cost of the operation against Iran ,

16:53.799 --> 16:56.690
uh , to date , um , uh , the .

16:59.140 --> 17:01.940
$1 trillion allocated for fiscal year

17:01.940 --> 17:05.560
2026 $1.5 trillion requested

17:05.959 --> 17:09.300
uh for fiscal year 2027 , and possibly

17:09.300 --> 17:11.420
$25 billion for an upcoming

17:11.420 --> 17:15.300
supplemental , all as the total debt in

17:15.300 --> 17:18.699
the United States has reached 100% of

17:18.699 --> 17:21.390
gross domestic product . In other words ,

17:21.469 --> 17:23.949
the national debt is now larger than

17:23.949 --> 17:27.150
the US economy and about twice the

17:27.150 --> 17:29.589
historic average , according to the

17:29.589 --> 17:32.069
Committee for a Responsible Federal

17:32.069 --> 17:35.130
Budget . The defense budget includes

17:35.130 --> 17:37.290
requested funding for the expanded

17:37.290 --> 17:40.780
Golden Dome for America at $185

17:40.780 --> 17:43.410
billion though those budget numbers are

17:43.410 --> 17:46.849
tenuous . A new Golden Fleet in which

17:46.849 --> 17:50.180
three ships are estimated to cost $43

17:50.180 --> 17:53.170
billion and billions for private equity

17:53.170 --> 17:56.089
ventures which do not have well-defined

17:56.089 --> 17:58.770
processes or sufficient transparency .

17:59.170 --> 18:01.290
With gas prices and inflation numbers

18:01.290 --> 18:03.890
increasing , the American people just

18:03.890 --> 18:06.689
want to afford the basic necessities

18:06.689 --> 18:09.599
for everyday life , but this

18:09.599 --> 18:11.821
administration is not doing anything to

18:11.821 --> 18:13.770
help them with the cost of living

18:13.770 --> 18:16.770
crisis . In fact , the administration

18:16.770 --> 18:18.810
is making the problem worse by

18:18.810 --> 18:21.069
proposing dramatic cuts across the

18:21.069 --> 18:24.089
board to domestic programs that support

18:24.089 --> 18:27.130
American families . We have the most

18:27.130 --> 18:29.920
powerful military . In the history of

18:29.920 --> 18:32.449
humankind , I am extraordinarily

18:32.449 --> 18:34.616
grateful , as my other colleagues have

18:34.616 --> 18:36.729
pointed out , to the men and women of

18:36.729 --> 18:39.849
our armed services who sacrifice

18:39.849 --> 18:42.729
everything to keep us safe . Their

18:42.729 --> 18:46.560
devotion to duty is exemplary , and it

18:46.560 --> 18:49.170
must be matched by the seriousness and

18:49.170 --> 18:51.949
the sobriety of those at the very top

18:52.290 --> 18:54.969
of the chain of command . And right now

18:55.150 --> 18:57.829
I worry if that standard is being met .

18:58.150 --> 19:00.689
Look forward to your testimonies today

19:00.910 --> 19:02.869
and hearing the answers to this

19:02.869 --> 19:04.980
committee's questions shortly . Thank

19:04.980 --> 19:07.258
you , Mr . Chairman , and I yield back .

19:07.258 --> 19:09.313
Thank the ranking member . We'll now

19:09.313 --> 19:11.425
begin witness testimony . Gentlemen ,

19:11.425 --> 19:11.030
without objection , your full written

19:11.030 --> 19:13.308
testimony will be placed in the record .

19:13.308 --> 19:15.474
Secretary Hexi , we begin with you for

19:15.474 --> 19:18.479
a brief summary of your remarks . Well ,

19:18.520 --> 19:20.353
thank you , Mr . Chairman , um ,

19:20.353 --> 19:22.520
ranking member . Distinguished members

19:22.520 --> 19:24.687
of the committee , I thank you for the

19:24.687 --> 19:26.853
opportunity to testify in full support

19:26.853 --> 19:28.742
of President Trump's historic 1.5

19:28.742 --> 19:31.140
trillion fiscal year 2027 budget for

19:31.140 --> 19:33.449
the Department of War . The president's

19:33.449 --> 19:36.579
budget request reflects the urgency of

19:36.579 --> 19:38.989
the moment , as was mentioned by many .

19:39.479 --> 19:41.520
Addressing both the deferment of

19:41.520 --> 19:43.449
long-standing problems as well as

19:43.449 --> 19:45.616
positioning our forces for the current

19:45.616 --> 19:48.170
and future fight . I'm honored to

19:48.170 --> 19:50.170
appear alongside General Dan Kane ,

19:50.170 --> 19:52.392
Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff ,

19:52.392 --> 19:54.392
and Jay Hurst , our Chief Financial

19:54.392 --> 19:56.337
Officer . And I'd like to start by

19:56.337 --> 19:58.392
thanking this committee and Congress

19:58.392 --> 20:00.489
for your partnership in securing the

20:00.489 --> 20:02.689
investments needed for a stronger and

20:02.689 --> 20:05.479
more secure America . A nation's

20:05.479 --> 20:08.329
ability to build , to innovate , and to

20:08.329 --> 20:10.218
support the critical needs of its

20:10.218 --> 20:13.250
warfighters at speed and at scale is

20:13.250 --> 20:15.417
the foundation upon which its survival

20:15.417 --> 20:18.579
rests . However , upon taking office on

20:18.579 --> 20:21.060
January 20th of 2025 , President Trump

20:21.060 --> 20:23.959
inherited a defense industrial base

20:24.260 --> 20:26.900
that had been hollowed out by years of

20:26.900 --> 20:29.540
America last policies , resulting in a

20:29.540 --> 20:32.180
diminished capability and capacity to

20:32.180 --> 20:34.420
project strength . Offshoring ,

20:34.579 --> 20:37.819
outsourcing , cost overruns , degraded

20:37.819 --> 20:40.880
capabilities . Under the leadership of

20:40.880 --> 20:43.158
President Trump , our builder in chief ,

20:43.640 --> 20:45.862
we're reversing this systemic decay and

20:45.862 --> 20:47.862
putting our defense industrial base

20:47.862 --> 20:51.119
back on a wartime footing . Urgency

20:51.119 --> 20:53.280
informs everything we do at this

20:53.280 --> 20:55.209
department . We are rebuilding a

20:55.209 --> 20:57.320
military that the American people can

20:57.320 --> 20:59.542
be proud of , one that instills nothing

20:59.542 --> 21:01.653
less than the unrelenting fear in our

21:01.653 --> 21:03.979
adversaries and confidence in our

21:04.040 --> 21:07.060
allies . We fight to win in every

21:07.229 --> 21:10.430
scenario . The $1.5 trillion dollar

21:10.430 --> 21:12.319
budget request put forward by the

21:12.319 --> 21:14.486
president will build upon the historic

21:14.486 --> 21:17.510
$1 trillion FY 26 top line and will

21:17.510 --> 21:19.621
continue to reverse the four years of

21:19.621 --> 21:21.829
underinvestment and mismanagement of

21:21.829 --> 21:25.300
the Biden administration . The $1.5

21:25.300 --> 21:27.467
trillion budget will ensure the United

21:27.467 --> 21:29.300
States continues to maintain the

21:29.300 --> 21:31.189
world's most powerful and capable

21:31.189 --> 21:33.300
military as we grapple with a complex

21:33.300 --> 21:35.244
threat environment across multiple

21:35.244 --> 21:37.619
theaters , not to mention the budget

21:37.619 --> 21:40.500
also includes a historic troop pay

21:40.500 --> 21:42.222
increase , building on the pay

21:42.222 --> 21:44.278
increases this committee has given ,

21:44.278 --> 21:46.389
and the budget eliminates all poor or

21:46.389 --> 21:49.380
failing barracks . Quality of life for

21:49.380 --> 21:51.699
our troops is front and center in this

21:51.699 --> 21:54.369
budget . By supercharging our

21:54.369 --> 21:56.449
industrial capacity and transforming

21:56.449 --> 21:58.560
how the department does business , we

21:58.560 --> 22:00.449
are restoring American commercial

22:00.449 --> 22:03.250
dominance at a pace unseen in

22:03.250 --> 22:05.417
generations , transforming the defense

22:05.417 --> 22:07.583
industrial base from the broken , slow

22:07.583 --> 22:10.239
moving systems of the past . We have

22:10.239 --> 22:12.160
flipped the Pentagon acquisition

22:12.160 --> 22:14.327
process from a bureaucratic model to a

22:14.327 --> 22:16.560
business model , decisively moving from

22:16.560 --> 22:18.782
an acquisition environment paralyzed by

22:18.782 --> 22:20.989
bureaucratic red tape into an

22:20.989 --> 22:23.640
outcomes-driven organization focused on

22:23.640 --> 22:25.473
delivering the most for taxpayer

22:25.473 --> 22:27.529
dollars . And Mr . Chairman , you're

22:27.529 --> 22:29.751
right , it's a war of attrition against

22:29.751 --> 22:31.862
the Pentagon bureaucracy every single

22:31.862 --> 22:33.918
day , and we intend to win it . Over

22:33.918 --> 22:35.751
the past year , through historic

22:35.751 --> 22:37.751
multi-year procurement agreements ,

22:37.751 --> 22:39.751
smart business deals , we have sent

22:39.751 --> 22:41.529
ambiguous demand signals to our

22:41.529 --> 22:43.529
industry partners to build more and

22:43.529 --> 22:46.239
build faster . The result has been a

22:46.239 --> 22:49.160
surge , a revitalization of our great

22:49.160 --> 22:50.949
American factories and massive

22:50.949 --> 22:53.005
reinvestment in the skilled American

22:53.005 --> 22:55.005
workers who serve as the industrial

22:55.005 --> 22:58.500
muscle behind our warriors . Let me

22:58.500 --> 23:00.667
briefly provide you with some concrete

23:00.667 --> 23:02.500
high-level metrics of what we've

23:02.500 --> 23:04.722
accomplished over the last few months .

23:04.722 --> 23:06.889
These are announced new facilities and

23:06.889 --> 23:08.667
investments to support American

23:08.667 --> 23:10.889
warfighters . The department has helped

23:10.889 --> 23:12.667
stimulate more than 250 private

23:12.667 --> 23:14.859
investment deals in 39 states , in 180

23:14.859 --> 23:17.569
cities , in 150 different companies

23:17.800 --> 23:20.560
worth more than $50 billion . This has

23:20.560 --> 23:23.439
resulted in 280 new and expanded

23:23.439 --> 23:25.959
facilities , more than 18 million new

23:25.959 --> 23:28.270
square feet of American manufacturing ,

23:28.560 --> 23:30.838
and more than 70,000 new American jobs .

23:32.410 --> 23:34.729
These $50 billion in defense

23:34.729 --> 23:37.369
investments in new plants , assembly

23:37.369 --> 23:39.650
lines , and factories are private

23:39.650 --> 23:43.290
investments , not taxpayer dollars . By

23:43.290 --> 23:44.846
completely transforming our

23:44.846 --> 23:47.012
department's business model , American

23:47.012 --> 23:49.234
companies are investing in America with

23:49.234 --> 23:51.000
their own capital . A historic

23:51.000 --> 23:53.222
demonstration of American manufacturing

23:53.222 --> 23:55.333
and defense revitalization , all with

23:55.333 --> 23:58.119
their money , not Uncle Sam's . This

23:58.119 --> 24:00.729
has never been done before and is long

24:00.729 --> 24:02.896
overdue from a bureaucratic model to a

24:02.896 --> 24:05.959
business model . These investments

24:06.069 --> 24:07.902
equal great things for America ,

24:07.902 --> 24:10.069
American families and American workers

24:10.069 --> 24:12.236
and help us ensure our warfighters can

24:12.236 --> 24:14.520
defend this great country . Together

24:14.520 --> 24:16.742
with the help of the policy updates and

24:16.742 --> 24:18.742
appropriations passed by Congress ,

24:19.060 --> 24:21.116
President Trump's War Department has

24:21.116 --> 24:23.116
begun to turn the lights back on in

24:23.116 --> 24:25.338
manufacturing towns across this country

24:25.338 --> 24:28.099
to forge a lethal arsenal of freedom .

24:28.680 --> 24:30.736
Where our critical supply chains are

24:30.736 --> 24:32.902
threatened , the Department of War has

24:32.902 --> 24:34.958
acted decisively to inject capital ,

24:34.958 --> 24:36.902
stimulate production . And prevent

24:36.902 --> 24:38.791
adversarial exploitation . We are

24:38.791 --> 24:41.079
firing up the American economic engine

24:41.380 --> 24:43.047
at every level of the defense

24:43.047 --> 24:45.369
industrial base . Every policy we

24:45.369 --> 24:47.660
pursue , every budgetary item we

24:47.660 --> 24:49.604
request serves to ensure that this

24:49.604 --> 24:51.604
department remains laser focused on

24:51.604 --> 24:53.771
increasing lethality and survivability

24:53.771 --> 24:55.827
of our fighting force from the front

24:55.827 --> 24:58.449
lines to the factory floors . This is

24:58.449 --> 25:01.699
admittedly a historic budget . It is a

25:01.699 --> 25:04.819
fiscally responsible budget . And it is

25:04.819 --> 25:07.920
a war fighting budget . Under President

25:07.920 --> 25:09.531
Trump , we are restoring the

25:09.531 --> 25:11.198
unbreakable might of American

25:11.198 --> 25:13.198
manufacturing that we will need for

25:13.198 --> 25:15.364
generations . We are providing for our

25:15.364 --> 25:17.309
warfighters and we are putting the

25:17.309 --> 25:19.364
people and interests of this country

25:19.364 --> 25:21.839
first . May Almighty God continue to

25:21.839 --> 25:24.006
watch over all of our troops , and may

25:24.006 --> 25:25.950
we honor the legacy of those brave

25:25.950 --> 25:28.172
Americans that we've lost . That is our

25:28.172 --> 25:30.719
sacred mission that we will continue to

25:30.719 --> 25:32.810
execute on . Thank you again to this

25:32.810 --> 25:35.032
committee for your partnership , and we

25:35.032 --> 25:36.754
look forward to answering your

25:36.754 --> 25:39.032
questions . Thank you . Thank you , Mr .

25:39.032 --> 25:41.143
Secretary . General Kane , you're now

25:41.143 --> 25:40.790
recognized for your remarks . Chairman ,

25:40.969 --> 25:43.247
uh , Calvert , Ranking Member McCollum ,

25:43.247 --> 25:45.525
Chairman Cole , Ranking Member DeLauro ,

25:45.525 --> 25:47.525
thank you for having me and all the

25:47.525 --> 25:49.580
members of the committee . Thank you

25:49.580 --> 25:51.858
for having me . I'm honored here today .

25:51.858 --> 25:54.080
Uh , to testify alongside the Honorable

25:54.080 --> 25:56.025
Pete Hegseth and the Honorable Jay

25:56.025 --> 25:58.080
Hurst on the president's fiscal year

25:58.080 --> 26:00.247
2027 budget , and I'm grateful for the

26:00.247 --> 26:01.969
opportunity to speak about the

26:01.969 --> 26:04.191
foundations of America's strength , the

26:04.191 --> 26:06.719
2.8 million members of our joint force .

26:07.130 --> 26:09.329
I am continually inspired by the

26:09.329 --> 26:12.000
soldiers , sailors , airmen , marines ,

26:12.250 --> 26:14.583
guardians , coast guardsmen , guardsmen ,

26:14.583 --> 26:16.639
and civilians standing the watch for

26:16.639 --> 26:18.750
our nation , supported each and every

26:18.750 --> 26:20.972
day by their families . They could have

26:20.972 --> 26:22.806
chosen anything in their path of

26:22.806 --> 26:24.917
service , but they chose to serve our

26:24.917 --> 26:26.917
great country and meet our nation's

26:26.917 --> 26:29.139
challenge , challenges , with courage ,

26:29.139 --> 26:31.306
tenacity , and grit that's keeping our

26:31.306 --> 26:33.780
nation strong and safe . I would also

26:33.780 --> 26:36.319
like to express my deep gratitude for

26:36.319 --> 26:39.119
the 40 members of the Joint Force who

26:39.119 --> 26:42.239
we've lost in operations , combat and

26:42.239 --> 26:44.350
training during my time as chairman ,

26:44.760 --> 26:46.482
including 14 who passed during

26:46.482 --> 26:48.880
Operation Epic Fury , and our most

26:48.880 --> 26:51.280
recent loss , First Lieutenant Key ,

26:51.319 --> 26:53.430
who valiantly gave his life trying to

26:53.430 --> 26:55.560
save a teammate , uh , while deployed

26:55.560 --> 26:57.510
on a temporary duty assignment in

26:57.510 --> 26:59.621
Africa , and we continue to hold hope

26:59.621 --> 27:01.788
for his teammate . The secretary and I

27:01.788 --> 27:03.843
are deeply grateful for each of them

27:03.890 --> 27:05.946
and their families , and their names

27:05.946 --> 27:08.168
will never be forgotten . As chairman ,

27:08.168 --> 27:10.057
my duty is to ensure our civilian

27:10.057 --> 27:12.849
leadership has a comprehensive range of

27:12.849 --> 27:15.449
options , military options , alongside

27:15.449 --> 27:17.282
the associated risks to make the

27:17.282 --> 27:19.729
nation's hardest and most complex

27:19.729 --> 27:22.010
decisions . I owe the president , the

27:22.010 --> 27:24.288
secretary , and the Congress the truth .

27:24.288 --> 27:26.510
At every turn and my blueprint for this

27:26.510 --> 27:28.732
approach has always been General George

27:28.732 --> 27:31.104
C . Marshall . His firm commitment to

27:31.104 --> 27:33.185
civilian control and a nonpartisan

27:33.185 --> 27:35.925
military remains my constant standard ,

27:36.025 --> 27:38.785
and I strive to follow his example by

27:38.785 --> 27:41.579
working with each of you . Uh , and

27:41.579 --> 27:44.310
providing clear and candid nonpartisan

27:44.310 --> 27:46.750
military advice and to present this

27:46.750 --> 27:48.806
committee with the clearest possible

27:48.806 --> 27:51.229
assessment of operational risk and

27:51.229 --> 27:54.229
readiness and executability within the

27:54.229 --> 27:56.709
unclassified environment that we find

27:56.709 --> 27:59.069
ourselves in today . As the chairman

27:59.069 --> 28:01.125
said , we're operating in a delicate

28:01.125 --> 28:03.229
and dangerous time . Global risk is

28:03.229 --> 28:05.790
scaling , and the complexities of the

28:05.790 --> 28:08.250
modern battlefield demand America's

28:08.250 --> 28:11.260
constant adaptation . And innovation .

28:11.949 --> 28:14.989
America's joint forces , operational at

28:14.989 --> 28:16.989
its core , purpose built for the

28:16.989 --> 28:19.310
realities of a complex world . We're

28:19.310 --> 28:21.949
organized , trained , and equipped to

28:21.949 --> 28:24.189
execute the most demanding missions

28:24.189 --> 28:26.589
across the globe with unrivaled

28:26.589 --> 28:29.319
precision . And over the last year ,

28:29.589 --> 28:31.869
our warfighters have consistently

28:31.869 --> 28:34.189
demonstrated exactly what it means to

28:34.189 --> 28:37.729
be the most capable . Adaptable and

28:37.729 --> 28:40.969
professional military on Earth , we are

28:40.969 --> 28:42.969
able to accomplish this highly

28:42.969 --> 28:45.410
complicated work because we draw from a

28:45.410 --> 28:48.449
deep , enduring reservoir of training ,

28:49.030 --> 28:51.530
professionalism , and commitment . Our

28:51.530 --> 28:54.329
ops tempo is high , but we're designed

28:54.329 --> 28:56.890
to sustain it , rebuilding our strength

28:56.890 --> 28:59.890
continuously . We rebuild readiness

28:59.890 --> 29:01.890
every day . We train every day . We

29:01.890 --> 29:04.057
learn and sharpen our edge every day .

29:04.209 --> 29:07.810
And driving this pace of change and

29:07.810 --> 29:10.209
maintaining our superiority requires

29:10.209 --> 29:13.089
timely , predictable , and sustained

29:13.089 --> 29:15.256
investment and a partnership with this

29:15.256 --> 29:17.311
committee and the broader Congress ,

29:17.311 --> 29:19.449
and I appreciate that . And the

29:19.449 --> 29:21.890
resources that we'll discuss today are

29:21.890 --> 29:24.310
critical to modernizing the joint force

29:24.500 --> 29:27.170
and ensuring that if whatever threats

29:27.170 --> 29:29.719
emerge , or when called upon , our

29:29.719 --> 29:32.550
nation can win . The president's budget

29:32.550 --> 29:34.494
supports the department's goals of

29:34.494 --> 29:36.661
recharging the defense industrial base

29:36.661 --> 29:38.828
and the national industrial base while

29:38.828 --> 29:41.260
enhancing our military readiness . We

29:41.260 --> 29:43.550
will continue to ensure our warfighters

29:43.550 --> 29:45.829
are properly armed , globally

29:45.829 --> 29:48.510
integrated , and ready while always

29:48.510 --> 29:50.788
taking care of our most precious thing ,

29:50.788 --> 29:52.732
and that is our people . And while

29:52.732 --> 29:54.843
advancing the hardware and technology

29:55.199 --> 29:57.421
essential to fight , it's the character

29:57.421 --> 29:59.143
and competence of our people ,

29:59.143 --> 30:01.366
particularly the 1.8 million members of

30:01.366 --> 30:04.030
our enlisted force who make us proud

30:04.030 --> 30:06.030
every day , and they're represented

30:06.030 --> 30:08.319
today by the senior enlisted adviser to

30:08.319 --> 30:10.760
the chairman , United States Navy SEAL

30:10.760 --> 30:13.540
Dave Isom sitting behind me . While we

30:13.540 --> 30:16.260
face dynamic and dangerous times , I

30:16.260 --> 30:18.459
have absolute trust and confidence in

30:18.459 --> 30:21.969
our people who every day execute the

30:21.969 --> 30:24.619
most challenging missions with quiet

30:24.619 --> 30:27.290
professionalism . And coupled with the

30:27.290 --> 30:28.957
American spirit to outthink ,

30:29.300 --> 30:31.939
outcompete , and relentlessly innovate ,

30:32.020 --> 30:34.250
we will maintain our decisive edge ,

30:34.619 --> 30:37.020
but doing so requires your continued

30:37.020 --> 30:39.810
partnership . It is also graduation

30:39.810 --> 30:41.930
season where we welcome a whole bunch

30:41.930 --> 30:45.140
of new members to the Joint Force , to

30:45.140 --> 30:47.140
include members like 2nd Lieutenant

30:47.140 --> 30:49.196
Archie Dennis , United States Army ,

30:49.260 --> 30:51.371
who along with his Citadel classmates

30:51.371 --> 30:53.500
in South Carolina , joined the Joint

30:53.500 --> 30:56.280
Force this weekend . And I welcome him

30:56.280 --> 30:58.447
and all the other new graduates to the

30:58.447 --> 31:01.280
joint force . As I close , I humbly ask

31:01.280 --> 31:03.502
that we remember right now our deployed

31:03.502 --> 31:05.669
teammates out there doing our nation's

31:05.669 --> 31:07.800
work , going out into the darkness to

31:07.800 --> 31:10.078
do the things that we asked them to do .

31:10.160 --> 31:12.439
And I ask , as always , that we

31:12.439 --> 31:14.719
remember not just the 40 fallen that I

31:14.719 --> 31:16.663
mentioned earlier , but all of our

31:16.663 --> 31:19.199
nation's fallen and their families who

31:19.199 --> 31:21.199
soldier on . Thank you , and I also

31:21.199 --> 31:23.366
look forward to your questions . Thank

31:23.366 --> 31:25.532
you . I want to ensure each member has

31:25.532 --> 31:27.755
a chance to ask questions , so everyone

31:27.755 --> 31:29.977
will have 5 minutes for their remarks .

31:29.977 --> 31:32.143
I'll begin by recognizing myself for 5

31:32.143 --> 31:34.143
minutes . Uh , Secretary Hexi , for

31:34.143 --> 31:36.255
decades , Congress and the department

31:36.255 --> 31:38.199
have sought acquisition reform and

31:38.199 --> 31:40.199
innovative technologies . It's only

31:40.199 --> 31:42.560
since FY 24 that the level of

31:42.560 --> 31:44.782
investment started to catch up with the

31:44.782 --> 31:47.670
rhetoric . The FY 27 budget request

31:47.670 --> 31:50.069
includes over $950 million for the

31:50.150 --> 31:53.530
Defense Innovation Unit . 54.6 billion

31:53.530 --> 31:55.474
for the Defense Autonomous Warfare

31:55.474 --> 31:57.969
Group , $580 million for the Joint

31:57.969 --> 32:01.459
Interagency Task Force 401 . And for

32:01.459 --> 32:03.579
the , for uh the counter small UAS .

32:04.260 --> 32:06.316
And I believe these investments will

32:06.316 --> 32:08.849
deliver um overdue capability . And

32:08.849 --> 32:11.071
this subcommittee will continue to work

32:11.071 --> 32:13.150
with you to ensure success . I also

32:13.150 --> 32:15.390
note there's only 100 million for the

32:15.390 --> 32:17.612
accelerate the procurement and fielding

32:17.612 --> 32:19.501
of innovative technology . That's

32:19.501 --> 32:22.510
surprisingly low given APFI's success .

32:22.589 --> 32:24.478
The subcommittee will continue to

32:24.478 --> 32:26.700
support AFIT as we have in the past . I

32:26.700 --> 32:29.290
invite you to join me at the APFT day

32:29.290 --> 32:31.430
on the Hill , July 21st to see

32:31.430 --> 32:33.829
firsthand how APFT is delivering

32:33.829 --> 32:35.662
capabilities to the warfighter .

32:36.060 --> 32:37.782
Consistent with the desire for

32:37.782 --> 32:40.530
injecting innovation at scale for

32:40.530 --> 32:42.419
decades , there's been increasing

32:42.419 --> 32:45.010
demand for increasing resilience in the

32:45.010 --> 32:47.232
industrial base and more specifically ,

32:47.232 --> 32:50.010
the supply chain . The FY 27 budget

32:50.010 --> 32:52.349
request includes over $20.2 billion for

32:52.349 --> 32:54.550
the Office of Strategic Capital and

32:54.550 --> 32:56.630
$30.4 billion for the Defense

32:56.630 --> 32:58.810
Production Act . As you're aware ,

32:58.920 --> 33:00.642
we're working closely with the

33:00.642 --> 33:02.642
industrial-based policy team on the

33:02.642 --> 33:04.849
Civil reserve manufacturing network to

33:04.849 --> 33:06.960
ensure the department can qualify and

33:06.960 --> 33:09.489
certify second and alternate sources to

33:09.489 --> 33:12.479
maximize American manufacturing . With

33:12.479 --> 33:14.423
the exception of DIU and the Joint

33:14.423 --> 33:16.969
Interagency Task Force 401 , most of

33:16.969 --> 33:19.349
the investments listed are in mandatory

33:20.040 --> 33:22.619
funding . What was the strategy to

33:22.619 --> 33:25.199
heavily rely on the mandatory funding

33:25.199 --> 33:29.170
sector in this budget ? Well thank

33:29.170 --> 33:31.448
you for the question Mr . Chairman and ,

33:31.448 --> 33:33.750
and I would , um , first I would thank

33:33.750 --> 33:36.290
you and this committee for your efforts

33:36.290 --> 33:38.401
on acquisition reform , many of which

33:38.401 --> 33:40.290
were had not been embraced by the

33:40.290 --> 33:42.512
department before . And , uh , a lot of

33:42.512 --> 33:44.679
templates on the table that were there

33:44.679 --> 33:46.790
for us to fall in and run fast with .

33:46.790 --> 33:49.123
And so speed , scale , cutting red tape ,

33:49.170 --> 33:51.650
uh , reducing requirements where we can ,

33:51.719 --> 33:53.989
looking at things like DIU , uh ,

33:54.209 --> 33:56.589
replicator , now the dog , um , uh ,

33:56.650 --> 33:58.761
the Defense Autonomous Working , uh ,

33:58.761 --> 34:00.983
warfare Group , uh , all , all of those

34:00.983 --> 34:03.094
are , were born of collaboration with

34:03.094 --> 34:04.928
the committee and efforts of now

34:04.928 --> 34:07.150
reformers we have in the department who

34:07.150 --> 34:09.261
are ready to run with it . Um , as it

34:09.261 --> 34:11.261
pertains to the , to the budget , I

34:11.261 --> 34:13.483
think there's a reality in this town of

34:13.483 --> 34:15.706
how , what can get done and how it gets

34:15.706 --> 34:17.483
done . And in a perfect world ,

34:17.510 --> 34:19.566
everything would get done in regular

34:19.566 --> 34:21.510
order , uh , and , and with a $1.5

34:21.510 --> 34:23.732
trillion top line , but there are a lot

34:23.732 --> 34:25.899
of challenges and dynamics , um , some

34:25.899 --> 34:27.621
of which I don't control , and

34:27.621 --> 34:29.732
ultimately we look forward to working

34:29.732 --> 34:29.530
with the committee to ensuring however

34:29.530 --> 34:32.580
it shakes out . Um , that it's the full

34:32.580 --> 34:35.070
transparency with you and maximizing

34:35.070 --> 34:37.030
options for the department , and I

34:37.030 --> 34:39.620
think . Uh , the reconciliation last

34:39.620 --> 34:41.787
year was a , was a new vehicle , so it

34:41.787 --> 34:43.787
took some time , especially because

34:43.787 --> 34:45.731
we're doing new things , Office of

34:45.731 --> 34:47.953
Strategic Capital , different avenues .

34:47.953 --> 34:50.287
So figuring out how to deploy that , uh ,

34:50.287 --> 34:52.398
took longer than we'd like , uh , but

34:52.398 --> 34:51.919
we're committed to ensuring this year ,

34:52.050 --> 34:54.272
uh , with that as a vehicle , a part of

34:54.272 --> 34:56.459
it , that we do it in concert with you

34:56.459 --> 34:58.570
to ensure the most important things ,

34:58.570 --> 35:00.515
whether they're in that or , or in

35:00.515 --> 35:02.403
regular order are included in the

35:02.403 --> 35:01.840
budget .

35:09.540 --> 35:11.762
Understand the desire for flexibility .

35:11.762 --> 35:15.360
I , you know , I understand . Why we're

35:15.360 --> 35:17.360
breaking this up in order to , into

35:17.360 --> 35:20.060
chunks , I guess more digestible to

35:20.060 --> 35:23.979
some degree politically . But um I

35:23.979 --> 35:26.035
would hope we can get a supplemental

35:26.035 --> 35:29.570
bill here soon . Obviously

35:29.770 --> 35:32.370
we know of the munitions issue and we

35:32.370 --> 35:35.669
know of the cost of this conflict . And

35:35.669 --> 35:38.409
we know the cost of other conflicts .

35:38.419 --> 35:40.929
And so we need to repay those O&M

35:40.929 --> 35:43.096
accounts that are going to be used , I

35:43.096 --> 35:45.040
suspect , in order to pay for this

35:45.040 --> 35:47.207
ongoing operation . So , any idea when

35:47.207 --> 35:49.373
we're going to get this supplemental ?

35:50.239 --> 35:52.959
Uh , we're Well aware of all those

35:52.959 --> 35:55.189
dynamics , I think first of all , uh ,

35:55.239 --> 35:57.183
the munitions issue issue has been

35:57.183 --> 35:59.350
foolishly and unhelpfully overstated .

35:59.479 --> 36:01.535
We're , we , we know exactly what we

36:01.535 --> 36:03.646
have . We have plenty of what we need

36:03.646 --> 36:05.201
and the reason we're , um ,

36:05.290 --> 36:07.401
accelerating a lot of this is because

36:07.401 --> 36:09.568
the department's been static in how it

36:09.568 --> 36:09.449
does this kind of business , not to

36:09.449 --> 36:11.505
mention the amount that was given to

36:11.505 --> 36:13.879
Ukraine for years and years . So we are

36:13.879 --> 36:16.046
getting after changing that dynamic so

36:16.046 --> 36:17.990
that we're not getting 100 more of

36:17.990 --> 36:19.879
something . But the companies are

36:19.879 --> 36:22.046
investing , so there's new plants . So

36:22.046 --> 36:23.979
you're getting 2X , 3X4X of those

36:23.979 --> 36:26.201
munition in future years because that's

36:26.201 --> 36:28.257
what we need . That's what the , our

36:28.257 --> 36:30.590
allies and partners through FMS require ,

36:30.590 --> 36:32.868
and we just haven't been delivering it .

36:32.868 --> 36:34.868
So we're , we're in , we're in good

36:34.868 --> 36:34.590
shape on that front . Whatever we . I

36:34.590 --> 36:36.701
think we need , uh , we will submit ,

36:36.701 --> 36:38.923
but I , I'll say even in the conduct of

36:38.923 --> 36:40.701
the conflict , working with the

36:40.701 --> 36:42.646
chairman and Admiral Cooper , uh ,

36:42.646 --> 36:44.979
ensuring that any munitions we're using ,

36:44.979 --> 36:47.034
we know what we're trading off of to

36:47.034 --> 36:48.868
preserve capabilities so we have

36:48.868 --> 36:51.034
maximum optionality across the globe ,

36:51.034 --> 36:53.034
which we do . Again , though , uh ,

36:53.034 --> 36:54.534
it'd be helpful to get the

36:54.534 --> 36:56.701
supplementals sooner rather than later

36:56.701 --> 36:56.459
before we can get to work on it . Uh ,

36:56.550 --> 36:58.661
and I recognize Ms . McCollum for her

36:58.661 --> 37:01.330
question . Thank you Mr . Chair . Um ,

37:01.949 --> 37:03.782
Mr . Secretary , the House Armed

37:03.782 --> 37:06.116
Services Oversight hearing , Mr . Hurst ,

37:06.116 --> 37:08.227
uh , stated that the cost for the war

37:08.227 --> 37:11.949
for Operation Epic Fury are at 25

37:11.949 --> 37:14.171
billion . Am I correct with , with that

37:14.171 --> 37:16.282
number that you used at the hearing ,

37:16.282 --> 37:18.393
Mr . Hurst ? Yes ma'am , that was the

37:18.393 --> 37:20.616
cost at that time , at that time , um ,

37:20.780 --> 37:22.836
I would request that you provide the

37:22.836 --> 37:24.770
committee , uh , in writing the

37:24.770 --> 37:26.881
specifics of what the department will

37:26.881 --> 37:29.048
be requesting the supplemental and the

37:29.048 --> 37:31.214
breakouts for the following costs . We

37:31.214 --> 37:33.620
talked munitions and Mr . Secretary , I

37:33.620 --> 37:35.287
think we'd have a more robust

37:35.287 --> 37:37.231
discussion on that if we were in a

37:37.231 --> 37:39.564
classified setting , but I respect what ,

37:39.564 --> 37:41.620
what , what you shared with us . But

37:41.620 --> 37:43.939
this is what I'd like , uh , a breakout

37:43.939 --> 37:47.219
for military personnel . Operational

37:47.219 --> 37:50.169
activities . Additional maintenance for

37:50.169 --> 37:54.139
deployed ships . Munitions used ,

37:54.699 --> 37:58.340
equipment lost , and updated fuel costs .

37:58.760 --> 38:00.879
Now we need to know the funding

38:00.879 --> 38:03.199
required to cover the damage to the US

38:03.199 --> 38:05.560
facilities and if there are any

38:05.560 --> 38:07.671
agreements from our regional allies ,

38:07.671 --> 38:09.838
we hear things in the press that would

38:09.838 --> 38:11.893
be helping for any new facilities or

38:11.893 --> 38:14.429
improvements in CENTCOM . Now Mr .

38:14.510 --> 38:16.788
Hurst , here , here's , here's the rub .

38:17.030 --> 38:19.989
We need that by June 11th . We mark up

38:19.989 --> 38:22.870
our bill . And some of these are not

38:22.870 --> 38:25.149
new asks , but I thought I'd , I'd

38:25.149 --> 38:27.260
drill down it'd be just a little more

38:27.260 --> 38:31.060
specific for you . Um , so I know

38:31.060 --> 38:33.739
you're gonna do your best . We'll take

38:33.739 --> 38:35.739
the homework assignment in pieces .

38:35.939 --> 38:38.272
Anything you can provide would be great .

38:38.272 --> 38:40.383
Now under the war powers resolution ,

38:40.383 --> 38:42.272
the administration has 60 days to

38:42.272 --> 38:44.495
conclude activities unless Congress has

38:44.495 --> 38:46.717
declared war , provided authorization .

38:47.159 --> 38:49.270
Congress has not done that and I know

38:49.270 --> 38:51.159
there's different opinions and it

38:51.159 --> 38:53.326
changes from day to day whether or not

38:53.326 --> 38:55.381
the war powers clock is paused , but

38:55.381 --> 38:57.949
this law states beyond May 2nd , the

38:57.949 --> 38:59.893
administration needs congressional

38:59.893 --> 39:01.838
authorization to continue military

39:01.838 --> 39:03.838
operations , and the president just

39:03.838 --> 39:06.005
recently said yesterday that epic fury

39:06.005 --> 39:08.171
is not over . Military operations have

39:08.171 --> 39:10.459
continued . We have a naval blockade

39:10.959 --> 39:13.280
and both sides are exchanging fire .

39:13.760 --> 39:15.939
They did so over the weekend . Speaker

39:15.939 --> 39:18.161
Johnson , in my opinion , should put an

39:18.161 --> 39:20.328
authorization on the floor this week ,

39:20.328 --> 39:22.540
but Mr . Secretary , if Congress does

39:22.540 --> 39:25.199
not authorize , if we don't authorize

39:25.199 --> 39:27.699
this to continue military operations

39:27.699 --> 39:29.699
against Iran , you're gonna have to

39:29.699 --> 39:32.699
have a plan put in place to draw down

39:32.699 --> 39:35.139
our troops , to reset the region , to

39:35.139 --> 39:38.350
protect our assets . Um , and , um ,

39:38.399 --> 39:40.566
I'm wondering , and that might be in a

39:40.566 --> 39:42.788
classified uh situation , but could you

39:42.788 --> 39:44.732
provide this committee with Plan B

39:44.732 --> 39:46.955
because if we go there we're gonna have

39:46.955 --> 39:49.979
to reset our budget after June 11th if

39:50.199 --> 39:52.899
the War Powers Act , in my opinion ,

39:53.360 --> 39:56.080
should be invoked and um it comes to

39:56.080 --> 39:58.191
Congress , but we don't know what the

39:58.191 --> 40:00.524
outcome would be . Do you have a Plan B ?

40:02.020 --> 40:04.187
Ranking member , I would say we have a

40:04.187 --> 40:06.298
plan for all of that . We have a plan

40:06.298 --> 40:08.353
to escalate if necessary . We have a

40:08.353 --> 40:11.270
plan to retrograde if necessary . We

40:11.270 --> 40:13.492
have a plan to shift assets . Certainly

40:13.492 --> 40:15.714
in this setting we wouldn't reveal what

40:15.714 --> 40:17.770
the next step may be considering the

40:17.770 --> 40:19.548
gravity of the mission that the

40:19.548 --> 40:21.770
president is undertaking to ensure that

40:21.770 --> 40:21.429
Iran never has a nuclear bomb . Well ,

40:21.510 --> 40:23.621
Mr . Secretary , as you know , we can

40:23.621 --> 40:25.677
be in receipt of that in a different

40:25.677 --> 40:27.899
situation , and we would also like that

40:27.899 --> 40:30.860
by June 11th with that I yield back .

40:33.739 --> 40:35.989
Thank you gentle lady , uh , Mr .

40:36.000 --> 40:38.111
Chairman , uh , thank you very much ,

40:38.111 --> 40:40.222
Mr . Chairman . Uh , Mr . Secretary ,

40:40.340 --> 40:42.340
as I said in my opening remarks , I

40:42.340 --> 40:44.062
have concerns about the use of

40:44.062 --> 40:45.951
reconciliation . I don't have any

40:45.951 --> 40:48.173
concerns about the amounts , and , uh ,

40:48.173 --> 40:50.229
the effort to restore the industrial

40:50.229 --> 40:52.507
base . You're to be commended for that .

40:52.507 --> 40:54.062
And frankly , I think we've

40:54.062 --> 40:56.340
underinvested for a long time , so I'm ,

40:56.340 --> 40:58.562
I'm happy to see a robust number . I am

40:58.562 --> 41:00.618
worried about the ability to sustain

41:00.618 --> 41:02.784
that number through the reconciliation

41:02.784 --> 41:04.840
process . At some point , that money

41:04.840 --> 41:06.951
disappears , uh , and we'll be , uh ,

41:07.020 --> 41:09.389
you know , so give me some sense of how

41:09.389 --> 41:11.790
much of this reconciliation money is

41:11.790 --> 41:13.810
one-time expense that you expect to

41:14.030 --> 41:16.030
either invest , use for procurement

41:16.030 --> 41:18.141
that may not , you may not need to do

41:18.141 --> 41:20.252
it . for a long time or injecting the

41:20.252 --> 41:22.669
industrial base , how much is for day

41:22.669 --> 41:25.320
to day operations that we would need ,

41:25.540 --> 41:27.596
frankly , to think of as a long term

41:27.596 --> 41:29.590
recurring expense ? It's a good

41:29.590 --> 41:31.590
question , Mr . Chairman , and I'll

41:31.590 --> 41:33.739
defer to Jay on details , but I would

41:33.739 --> 41:36.050
say a big take for example the deals

41:36.050 --> 41:38.217
that are being cut that will be funded

41:38.217 --> 41:40.383
here that ultimately look at companies

41:40.383 --> 41:42.606
that make exquisite weapons systems for

41:42.606 --> 41:44.772
us and they say in exchange for a 5 to

41:44.772 --> 41:46.883
7 year contract which committees like

41:46.883 --> 41:48.772
this have authorized for us , the

41:48.772 --> 41:50.883
authorizing committees , uh , not the

41:50.883 --> 41:50.060
appropriating committees , the

41:50.060 --> 41:52.110
authorizing committees . And now

41:52.110 --> 41:54.110
because they have that clear demand

41:54.110 --> 41:56.166
signal , they're able to invest in a

41:56.166 --> 41:58.388
new plant and they're paying for it and

41:58.388 --> 41:58.139
that's what I talked about in my

41:58.139 --> 42:00.361
opening remarks . So they're building 2

42:00.361 --> 42:02.139
or 3 new facilities , but we're

42:02.139 --> 42:04.361
committed to paying for those munitions

42:04.361 --> 42:06.583
for 5 to 7 years from this budget . And

42:06.583 --> 42:08.806
ultimately , but the nice part is we're

42:08.806 --> 42:07.939
saving money because there's no

42:07.939 --> 42:09.883
inflation . It's at the cost of it

42:09.883 --> 42:12.106
today , even when we buy it seven years

42:12.106 --> 42:14.328
from now , and that's why you're seeing

42:14.328 --> 42:16.500
a $331 billion in munitions as part of

42:16.500 --> 42:18.556
this budget . There is a , there's a

42:18.556 --> 42:20.778
rocket fuel component to this given the

42:20.778 --> 42:23.000
underinvestment that exists inside this

42:23.000 --> 42:24.944
budget . There will be some tail ,

42:24.944 --> 42:27.167
obviously . And , and as I acknowledged

42:27.167 --> 42:29.333
up front , a higher top line from this

42:29.333 --> 42:31.389
department's perspective is always a

42:31.389 --> 42:33.556
welcome thing , uh , but the intention

42:33.556 --> 42:35.778
is not to get anyone stuck in a certain

42:35.778 --> 42:35.360
place but to address the needs of the

42:35.360 --> 42:37.770
moment , cut different deals , create

42:37.770 --> 42:39.881
new dynamics where companies actually

42:39.881 --> 42:42.010
invest , so we have , you know , this

42:42.010 --> 42:44.232
committee knows the exquisite munitions

42:44.449 --> 42:46.616
that we're going to be using . In 5 to

42:46.616 --> 42:48.616
7 years from now , no matter what ,

42:48.616 --> 42:50.838
it's about time we look into the future

42:50.838 --> 42:52.949
the way we are with this budget , but

42:52.949 --> 42:55.116
you have to fund that . And so I think

42:55.116 --> 42:55.080
that's , that's a big chunk of , of an

42:55.080 --> 42:57.080
increase that you see . I mean , if

42:57.080 --> 42:59.136
you're investing in the shipbuilding

42:59.136 --> 43:00.802
industrial base , the defense

43:00.802 --> 43:02.747
industrial base , um , housing and

43:02.747 --> 43:04.913
barracks , all of that increase , uh ,

43:04.913 --> 43:07.136
troop pay . We're looking at increasing

43:07.136 --> 43:09.136
the top line of the entire force by

43:09.136 --> 43:11.191
50,000 troops . That's a , that's an

43:11.191 --> 43:13.413
investment into the future . So I would

43:13.413 --> 43:15.413
acknowledge that a lot of this does

43:15.413 --> 43:17.580
have follow-on cost , uh , but some of

43:17.580 --> 43:17.429
it is something we're gonna pay for now

43:17.429 --> 43:19.485
and benefit from in the future . But

43:19.485 --> 43:21.762
Jay , I would defer to you . Yeah , Mr .

43:21.762 --> 43:23.651
Chairman , in this , there's $113

43:23.651 --> 43:25.818
billion for investments in the defense

43:25.818 --> 43:27.985
industrial base . I would characterize

43:27.985 --> 43:30.318
that as a one-time plus up for catch up ,

43:30.318 --> 43:32.540
uh , $35 billion for FSRM to fix all of

43:32.540 --> 43:34.762
our poor and failing barracks and other

43:34.762 --> 43:36.985
facilities in the department . And also

43:36.985 --> 43:38.985
some catch up investments in AI and

43:38.985 --> 43:41.096
autonomy . And so if you look at what

43:41.096 --> 43:40.709
we're doing with mandatory , probably

43:40.709 --> 43:42.487
about $200 billion of that is a

43:42.487 --> 43:44.709
one-time expense . Uh , we come down to

43:44.709 --> 43:47.290
1.23 for a requested top line for FY 28 .

43:47.469 --> 43:49.525
And so we think we can sustain these

43:49.525 --> 43:51.302
investments over the F app with

43:51.302 --> 43:53.840
discretionary dollars after this . Well ,

43:54.209 --> 43:56.431
that's reassuring . And again , I don't

43:56.431 --> 43:58.542
have any disagreement with the , what

43:58.542 --> 44:00.709
you're trying to accomplish at all . I

44:00.709 --> 44:02.969
would remind you that , uh , frankly ,

44:03.090 --> 44:05.489
the use of reconciliation depends on

44:05.489 --> 44:07.656
political support in Congress . It can

44:07.656 --> 44:10.250
be very transitory . Uh , so it's a

44:10.250 --> 44:12.850
high-risk , uh , strategy as opposed to

44:12.850 --> 44:15.389
building things into the baseline . Uh ,

44:15.729 --> 44:17.673
but again , I'm supportive of what

44:17.673 --> 44:19.451
you're trying to do in terms of

44:19.451 --> 44:21.396
recharging the industrial base . I

44:21.396 --> 44:23.451
think it's long overdue . Let me ask

44:23.451 --> 44:25.673
you a specific question , um , uh , and

44:25.673 --> 44:27.951
you may want to get back to me on this .

44:27.951 --> 44:29.951
I don't know , but , uh , we've had

44:29.951 --> 44:32.118
some discussion over , uh , you know ,

44:32.118 --> 44:35.260
we lost 1 E3 , uh , on the ground ,

44:35.719 --> 44:37.719
thank goodness , uh , uh , it looks

44:37.719 --> 44:40.399
like no crew lost . Uh . This

44:40.399 --> 44:42.320
committee's been interested in

44:42.540 --> 44:45.399
investing in the E7 . Uh , the Pentagon

44:45.399 --> 44:48.580
signed the contract for 5 additional

44:49.199 --> 44:51.419
planes , not in the Air Force budget .

44:51.840 --> 44:54.062
Is there going to be a fix to that , or

44:54.062 --> 44:56.118
are we , where are we at on thinking

44:56.118 --> 45:00.100
about the E7 ? I'm well aware of

45:00.100 --> 45:02.156
that dynamic . I know our department

45:02.156 --> 45:04.489
had taken the position that it was , uh ,

45:04.489 --> 45:06.750
airborne or other satellite ISR that

45:06.750 --> 45:08.917
was probably gonna be capable of a lot

45:08.917 --> 45:10.917
of that in the future , but I think

45:10.917 --> 45:13.028
that mindset was indicative of , of ,

45:13.028 --> 45:15.449
um , Of a mindset that we've shed ,

45:15.709 --> 45:18.139
which is the divest to invest mindset ,

45:18.429 --> 45:20.469
which was an austerity mindset that

45:20.469 --> 45:22.691
we're gonna get in continued resolution

45:22.691 --> 45:24.636
after continued resolution . So we

45:24.636 --> 45:26.636
gotta get rid of these platforms in

45:26.636 --> 45:26.260
order to invest in these platforms ,

45:26.270 --> 45:28.381
and there are gaps that need to still

45:28.381 --> 45:30.437
be filled and there are systems that

45:30.437 --> 45:32.548
see it still . Need to be funded that

45:32.548 --> 45:32.419
are used on the battlefield right now ,

45:32.580 --> 45:36.500
say MQ9s , A-10s , you name it . Um , I

45:36.500 --> 45:39.100
think this and the E7 is one of those .

45:39.219 --> 45:41.497
So I , I , we've actually sent it , uh ,

45:41.497 --> 45:43.719
a budget amendment to OMB to add that .

45:43.719 --> 45:45.775
I think it has a future . It has a ,

45:45.775 --> 45:47.941
has a place on the battlefield , and ,

45:47.941 --> 45:50.163
uh , we'll get more information for you

45:50.163 --> 45:49.620
on that as well . Well , I appreciate

45:49.620 --> 45:51.659
that , and I particularly though

45:51.659 --> 45:53.881
appreciate the mindset . I think you're

45:53.881 --> 45:55.937
100% right . I've seen this over and

45:55.937 --> 45:58.103
over again about eliminating platforms

45:58.103 --> 46:00.469
on the idea we would . Immediately use

46:00.469 --> 46:02.469
that money for new things and quite

46:02.469 --> 46:04.691
often it just simply didn't happen . We

46:04.691 --> 46:06.747
lost the capability , but we did not

46:06.747 --> 46:08.858
move forward with the investment that

46:08.858 --> 46:11.080
we needed . So , uh , again , thank you

46:11.080 --> 46:13.136
for uh rethinking that . We've got a

46:13.136 --> 46:15.191
lot more questions , but so does the

46:15.191 --> 46:17.302
entire committee , Mr . Chairman . So

46:17.302 --> 46:19.358
with that , I'll yield back . I just

46:19.358 --> 46:21.358
want to make one quick comment when

46:21.358 --> 46:23.413
you're talking about fixing barracks

46:23.413 --> 46:23.330
and facilities . I hope we also fix the

46:23.330 --> 46:25.497
property management systems throughout

46:25.497 --> 46:28.070
the department , which is woefully

46:28.320 --> 46:30.820
needs attention . Would that , uh ,

46:30.830 --> 46:33.429
recognize the ranking member . Thank

46:33.429 --> 46:35.762
you very much , Mr . Chairman . Uh , uh ,

46:35.762 --> 46:37.929
Mr . Secretary , the national security

46:37.929 --> 46:40.040
strategy says American national power

46:40.040 --> 46:42.151
depends on a strong industrial sector

46:42.310 --> 46:44.421
capable of meeting both peacetime and

46:44.421 --> 46:46.477
wartime production demands , and the

46:46.477 --> 46:48.588
national defense strategy directs DOD

46:48.588 --> 46:51.030
to supercharge the defense industrial

46:51.030 --> 46:54.270
base . Uh , DOD's , uh , uh , 2027

46:54.270 --> 46:56.389
budget overview appears to use that

46:56.389 --> 46:59.070
same framing yet . Uh , your

46:59.070 --> 47:01.370
department's budget request cuts over

47:01.550 --> 47:04.949
$5 billion from the industrial base in

47:04.949 --> 47:08.629
the aviation sector alone , effectively

47:08.629 --> 47:12.310
shutting down all current army aviation

47:12.310 --> 47:15.429
platforms . Uh , these are current

47:15.429 --> 47:17.540
production platforms the force relies

47:17.540 --> 47:19.485
on for lift , for sustainability ,

47:19.590 --> 47:21.812
disaster response , homeland missions ,

47:21.812 --> 47:24.169
etc . Uh , how did the department

47:24.169 --> 47:26.336
arrive at the conclusion that reducing

47:26.669 --> 47:29.280
procurement for these Army aviation

47:29.280 --> 47:31.169
platforms strengthens rather than

47:31.169 --> 47:33.350
weakens the aviation industrial base ?

47:34.500 --> 47:36.444
Well , I very much appreciate that

47:36.444 --> 47:38.500
question , and I actually think it's

47:38.500 --> 47:40.778
something we're taking another look at .

47:40.778 --> 47:43.000
Uh , I think it's not that every aspect

47:43.000 --> 47:45.111
of there are some very good things in

47:45.111 --> 47:45.040
the army transformation initiative ,

47:45.060 --> 47:47.116
and there are some things that we've

47:47.116 --> 47:49.282
needed to get another look at . And so

47:49.282 --> 47:51.393
I think you'll see a review of , of ,

47:51.393 --> 47:53.616
of some of those things , and we'll get

47:53.616 --> 47:55.727
back to you on that . Of the aviation

47:55.727 --> 47:57.838
sector , OK . And with that , but was

47:57.838 --> 48:00.564
there an analysis about the impact of ,

48:00.614 --> 48:02.503
of , of the requested procurement

48:02.503 --> 48:04.670
reduction ? Did you all do an analysis

48:04.814 --> 48:06.647
of production line , suppliers ,

48:06.647 --> 48:09.645
workforce , restart risk prior to the

48:09.645 --> 48:12.969
decision to cut the funds ? We'll ,

48:13.050 --> 48:15.106
we'll get that from the army and get

48:15.106 --> 48:17.161
that to you . I , I don't have it in

48:17.161 --> 48:16.840
front of me , but I , I would imagine

48:18.070 --> 48:20.237
was very , very much would love to see

48:20.237 --> 48:22.348
that before the subcommittee marks up

48:22.348 --> 48:24.669
the appropriations bill , um , uh ,

48:24.770 --> 48:26.937
coming up . Let me just quickly , um ,

48:27.169 --> 48:29.209
can you provide the committee in

48:29.209 --> 48:31.320
writing the department's assessment .

48:31.685 --> 48:34.534
of the minimum sustaining production

48:34.534 --> 48:37.155
rate for the Black Hawk and Chinook

48:37.155 --> 48:39.774
Industrial Base , the supplier base

48:39.774 --> 48:42.165
risks associated with this budget

48:42.165 --> 48:44.655
request , and the funded mitigation

48:44.655 --> 48:48.475
plan if production falls below those

48:48.695 --> 48:51.780
levels . Can you provide us with that

48:51.780 --> 48:54.002
information ? I think that's critically

48:54.002 --> 48:53.949
important . I think , I think we should

48:53.949 --> 48:55.949
get that to you , and I think those

48:55.949 --> 48:57.949
platforms are critical to the force

48:57.949 --> 48:57.389
right now , and we need to make sure

48:57.389 --> 48:59.445
we're able to sustain that . I think

48:59.445 --> 49:01.333
you made the point . You all that

49:01.333 --> 49:03.389
industrial-based readiness is , is a

49:03.389 --> 49:05.167
strategic issue . It's what the

49:05.167 --> 49:07.445
national , uh , uh , security strategy ,

49:07.445 --> 49:09.667
what , uh , you know , recognizes , and

49:09.667 --> 49:11.833
I look forward to hearing , you know ,

49:11.833 --> 49:11.689
more about how cutting the . billion

49:11.689 --> 49:13.800
dollars in the in the base investment

49:13.800 --> 49:16.022
aligns with that shared goal . Um , let

49:16.022 --> 49:17.967
me just , uh , a question to you ,

49:17.967 --> 49:20.189
General Kaine . Despite the precipitous

49:20.189 --> 49:22.300
drop in procurement for Army aviation

49:22.300 --> 49:24.489
platforms , your budget it it uh uh

49:24.489 --> 49:25.989
request invests heavily in

49:25.989 --> 49:27.878
modernization . I'm a believer in

49:27.878 --> 49:30.156
modernization . I think it's necessary .

49:30.290 --> 49:31.957
I support investing in future

49:31.957 --> 49:34.889
capability . But Congress also has to

49:34.889 --> 49:37.949
understand the transition risk . The

49:37.949 --> 49:40.439
department is asking us to accept

49:40.840 --> 49:43.739
reduced procurement of aircraft the

49:43.739 --> 49:47.100
force uses today while relying on

49:47.100 --> 49:49.939
future systems that are not yet fielded .

49:50.459 --> 49:52.626
And , and , and general , from a joint

49:52.626 --> 49:55.060
force readiness perspective , uh , what

49:55.060 --> 49:57.939
is the department's plan to avoid a

49:57.939 --> 50:01.520
mobility , lift sustainment gap if

50:02.100 --> 50:04.719
current aviation capacity declines

50:05.129 --> 50:07.659
faster than replacement capability

50:07.659 --> 50:09.860
arrives ? What are the decision points

50:09.860 --> 50:12.027
where the department would revisit the

50:12.027 --> 50:14.250
reductions if future vertical lifts

50:14.260 --> 50:17.229
schedules slip , if costs rise or

50:17.229 --> 50:19.229
operational , demand remains higher

50:19.229 --> 50:21.590
than expected . Well , ranking member ,

50:21.639 --> 50:24.340
I appreciate the question , and anytime

50:24.340 --> 50:26.719
we're looking at military options to

50:26.719 --> 50:28.941
our political leaders , we , we do bake

50:28.941 --> 50:31.479
in and can carefully consider that

50:31.479 --> 50:33.560
transitional risk , uh , because it

50:33.560 --> 50:36.600
links back to risk to force , our

50:36.600 --> 50:38.510
military forces and , and risk to

50:38.510 --> 50:41.120
missions . And as we look forward over

50:41.120 --> 50:43.009
the life cycle of this budget and

50:43.009 --> 50:45.469
beyond into the FIDA . You know , we're

50:45.469 --> 50:47.469
always looking at the evolution of

50:47.469 --> 50:50.750
those operational plans , and then the

50:50.750 --> 50:53.189
decision points along the way to make

50:53.189 --> 50:55.229
sure that we can match the combat

50:55.229 --> 50:59.090
capability and capacity required

50:59.090 --> 51:01.669
to achieve the desired effects that are

51:01.669 --> 51:04.330
baked within those operational plans

51:04.709 --> 51:06.820
across the COCOMs . And I commend the

51:06.820 --> 51:09.149
army , uh , who's looking closely at

51:09.149 --> 51:11.482
the two platforms that you're most , uh ,

51:11.482 --> 51:13.260
interested through your line of

51:13.260 --> 51:15.038
questioning . And the work that

51:15.038 --> 51:17.260
Undersecretary Obidal has been doing to

51:17.260 --> 51:19.909
look at rotary wing , rotary wing lift

51:19.909 --> 51:22.131
requirements as we move to the future .

51:22.131 --> 51:24.353
But in the end we have to have mobility

51:24.353 --> 51:26.520
on the battlefield . Um , it has to be

51:26.520 --> 51:29.669
survivable in the , in the conflicts

51:29.669 --> 51:32.110
and engagements that we'll have . And

51:32.110 --> 51:34.500
so we , we remain very closely focused

51:34.500 --> 51:36.667
on those requirements . Well , I , I ,

51:36.667 --> 51:38.889
I , I , I appreciate that , and my only

51:38.889 --> 51:40.611
concern is that is not whether

51:40.611 --> 51:42.649
modernization is important , but I

51:42.649 --> 51:44.871
understand . With some of those efforts

51:44.871 --> 51:47.038
that we're not , we are looking uh for

51:47.038 --> 51:49.370
a future date is next year , the year

51:49.370 --> 51:51.679
after , and so forth because it's , it ,

51:51.760 --> 51:53.982
it's not been , it's not been fielded ,

51:54.090 --> 51:56.312
uh , but what we need to take a look at

51:56.312 --> 51:58.257
and I think you understand this is

51:58.257 --> 52:00.479
whether the department is managing this

52:00.479 --> 52:03.159
transition uh in a responsible way . In ,

52:03.209 --> 52:05.320
in my view , what we cannot afford to

52:05.320 --> 52:08.810
do is to create a near term aviation

52:08.810 --> 52:12.570
gap . We weaken the supplier base and

52:12.570 --> 52:14.810
then ask the Congress to come back and

52:14.810 --> 52:17.250
rebuild that capability and that

52:17.250 --> 52:19.810
capacity at a greater cost because when

52:19.810 --> 52:22.169
you destroy the infrastructure it's

52:22.169 --> 52:24.169
very , very difficult to bring that

52:24.169 --> 52:26.336
back and the skilled workforce that it

52:26.336 --> 52:28.447
takes , uh , uh , to deal with that .

52:28.447 --> 52:30.760
So , uh , uh , very clearly this

52:30.760 --> 52:32.927
information and if you can supply this

52:32.927 --> 52:35.038
to our committee would be very , very

52:35.038 --> 52:37.260
helpful in our moving forward . I yield

52:37.260 --> 52:37.090
back , Mr . Chair . Thank you , gentle ,

52:37.320 --> 52:41.290
Mr . Womack . Thank you , Mr . Chairman .

52:41.790 --> 52:45.750
You know . You thread a very

52:45.750 --> 52:49.209
difficult needle . In that ,

52:49.649 --> 52:51.982
and there's been a lot of comments made ,

52:51.982 --> 52:54.038
and I associate myself with a lot of

52:54.038 --> 52:56.260
these comments on the fact that here we

52:56.260 --> 52:58.538
are trying to figure out a base budget .

52:58.538 --> 53:00.705
At the same time of a supplemental and

53:00.705 --> 53:02.427
at the same time talking about

53:02.427 --> 53:04.538
reconciliation in order to be able to

53:04.538 --> 53:06.760
meet the needs of the joint force going

53:06.760 --> 53:10.040
forward , and my friend , the ranking

53:10.040 --> 53:12.096
member of the full committee , talks

53:12.096 --> 53:14.629
about capability gaps . When you have

53:14.629 --> 53:17.389
to do it this way because of the lack

53:17.389 --> 53:20.050
of certainty and the political dynamics

53:20.439 --> 53:22.350
around this dias and of course

53:22.350 --> 53:24.750
throughout Congress , there are going

53:24.750 --> 53:27.949
to be gaps . In capability , is that

53:27.949 --> 53:30.810
correct , Mr . Secretary ? I mean , we

53:30.810 --> 53:33.032
do everything we can to try to minimize

53:33.032 --> 53:35.088
that by planning what could play off

53:35.088 --> 53:37.310
against something else , but inevitably

53:37.310 --> 53:37.100
there are places where we have to make

53:37.100 --> 53:39.156
adjustments . You're right , sir . I

53:39.156 --> 53:41.267
want to get , uh , somewhat parochial

53:41.267 --> 53:43.378
here for just a minute on the subject

53:43.378 --> 53:45.979
of our reserve component , and this

53:45.979 --> 53:48.035
question would be for General Kane .

53:48.035 --> 53:50.257
Last month , 22 adjutants general , all

53:50.257 --> 53:52.368
of those who command fighter units in

53:52.368 --> 53:54.201
their state , signed a letter to

53:54.201 --> 53:55.979
Congress calling for multi-year

53:55.979 --> 53:58.146
procurement authority to buy . Between

53:58.146 --> 54:00.257
72 and 100 new fighters annually , 13

54:00.257 --> 54:01.760
of 24 fighter units lack

54:02.149 --> 54:04.510
recapitalization plans . On the army

54:04.510 --> 54:06.677
side , all of our states suffer from a

54:06.677 --> 54:08.899
lack of reimbursement for responding to

54:08.899 --> 54:11.121
the call of their communities . Between

54:11.121 --> 54:13.370
fiscal 20 and fiscal 24/71 million

54:13.370 --> 54:15.703
dollars was paid by states to the guard ,

54:15.703 --> 54:17.350
but the Guard never saw that

54:17.350 --> 54:20.280
reimbursement . As you may know , any

54:20.280 --> 54:22.229
non-federal entity reimbursing a

54:22.229 --> 54:24.451
federal entity causes the funding to go

54:24.451 --> 54:26.540
to the Treasury . And NGB never sees

54:26.540 --> 54:28.979
that reimbursement . Our guard is

54:28.979 --> 54:31.169
paying to respond to a disaster out of

54:31.169 --> 54:33.739
O&M funds , then having to pay more to

54:33.739 --> 54:36.449
maintain it . As the primary combat

54:36.449 --> 54:38.393
reserve for our active force , the

54:38.393 --> 54:40.393
Guard continues to play an outsized

54:40.393 --> 54:42.671
role in the nation's defense . In fact ,

54:42.671 --> 54:44.893
General Nordhaus recently said that our

54:44.893 --> 54:47.116
National Guardsmen are fully integrated

54:47.116 --> 54:49.338
as part of the joint force in Operation

54:49.338 --> 54:51.679
Epic Fury . So here's my point . The

54:51.679 --> 54:53.901
Guard and reserve are being asked to do

54:53.901 --> 54:56.560
more . Epic Fury , midnight Hammer ,

54:56.649 --> 54:58.649
border security missions , domestic

54:58.649 --> 55:00.760
deployments . And the many all hazard

55:00.760 --> 55:04.100
responses across the 54 , they are as

55:04.100 --> 55:06.790
much in the fight . As a regular

55:06.790 --> 55:10.570
component . So , what is the

55:10.570 --> 55:12.626
department's plan to ensure that the

55:12.626 --> 55:14.737
guard and reserve are recapitalized ,

55:14.737 --> 55:16.848
maintained , and reimbursed at a pace

55:16.848 --> 55:19.149
consistent with their operational role

55:19.409 --> 55:21.449
in the national defense strategy ?

55:23.320 --> 55:25.264
Sir , I'm assuming that question's

55:25.264 --> 55:27.598
coming to me since you're looking at me .

55:27.598 --> 55:29.876
Um , you would be correct . Yeah , yes ,

55:29.876 --> 55:32.098
sir . Thank you , sir . Um , you know ,

55:32.098 --> 55:34.376
as a , as a member , uh , of the guard ,

55:34.376 --> 55:36.598
a proud member of the guard , I'm , I'm

55:36.598 --> 55:36.449
mindful that every day when you

55:36.449 --> 55:38.560
mobilize the guard , you mobilize the

55:38.560 --> 55:40.989
United States people . Um , and they

55:40.989 --> 55:43.350
are now much more than a tactical

55:43.350 --> 55:45.572
reserve , they're a strategic reserve .

55:45.909 --> 55:48.590
The decisions on recap and the fighter

55:48.590 --> 55:50.590
community live obviously within our

55:50.590 --> 55:52.429
civilian leadership , but the

55:52.429 --> 55:54.429
requirements that they're out there

55:54.429 --> 55:56.262
getting after every day , as you

55:56.262 --> 55:58.389
alluded to , sir , are , are

55:58.389 --> 56:00.850
substantive and long-lasting beyond

56:00.850 --> 56:03.590
just the Title 32 force . What I'm

56:03.590 --> 56:06.114
always inspired . B is the

56:06.114 --> 56:08.170
professionalism of the guard and the

56:08.170 --> 56:12.114
reserves who get more out of , uh , an

56:12.114 --> 56:14.392
airplane than one might think . I mean ,

56:14.392 --> 56:16.435
I go out there to Andrews often and

56:16.435 --> 56:18.915
still , uh , get to fly , and my crew

56:18.915 --> 56:21.274
chiefs are master sergeants and senior

56:21.274 --> 56:23.163
master sergeants who've been on a

56:23.163 --> 56:25.314
particular airplane for a long , long

56:25.314 --> 56:27.314
time . So they'll continue to force

56:27.314 --> 56:29.580
extend that capability . Uh , due to

56:29.580 --> 56:31.802
the professionalism that they have , it

56:31.802 --> 56:33.858
doesn't mean we don't have to take a

56:33.858 --> 56:35.969
hard look at recap and make sure that

56:35.969 --> 56:38.080
the 4th generation airplanes are on a

56:38.080 --> 56:40.260
pathway to 5th and 6th gen as the

56:40.260 --> 56:42.316
department continues to look at what

56:42.316 --> 56:43.427
we're solving for .

56:47.489 --> 56:49.545
Uh , Mr . Chairman , uh , if we have

56:49.545 --> 56:51.545
another round of questions , I'll ,

56:51.545 --> 56:53.711
I'll come back with another because my

56:53.711 --> 56:53.020
next question is probably not going to

56:53.020 --> 56:55.020
yield me enough time and I'll yield

56:55.020 --> 56:58.110
back the balance . Mr . Square . Thank

56:58.110 --> 57:00.221
you Mr . Chairman , uh , uh , ranking

57:00.221 --> 57:02.499
member , Mr . Secretary , all of y'all ,

57:02.499 --> 57:04.832
thank you for and all the men and women ,

57:04.832 --> 57:06.888
thank you for your service . I wanna

57:06.888 --> 57:09.054
ask you about the Western Hemisphere .

57:09.054 --> 57:11.110
I wanna talk to you about Mexico and

57:11.110 --> 57:13.221
then the border . Uh , first of all ,

57:13.221 --> 57:15.277
thank you for , um , the work , uh ,

57:15.277 --> 57:17.277
that y'all are doing in the Western

57:17.277 --> 57:17.149
Hemisphere . I've always said that

57:17.149 --> 57:19.149
we're looking at other parts of the

57:19.149 --> 57:21.093
world . We have to look at our own

57:21.093 --> 57:23.149
backyard and we gotta make sure that

57:23.149 --> 57:25.260
the Western Hemisphere is , is , um ,

57:25.310 --> 57:27.643
working with us . So thank you for that .

57:27.649 --> 57:29.871
Uh , anything y'all wanna add , uh , to

57:29.871 --> 57:31.927
the work that you're doing there , I

57:31.927 --> 57:33.982
would ask you to talk to us a little

57:33.982 --> 57:36.260
bit about it . Mexico is the other one ,

57:36.260 --> 57:38.427
very important , very important , uh ,

57:38.427 --> 57:40.649
part of us . Uh , Michael , Congressman

57:40.649 --> 57:42.649
Michael McCall and myself were down

57:42.649 --> 57:44.482
there . We pushed for the , uh ,

57:44.482 --> 57:46.705
special operation forces , uh , SEAO to

57:46.705 --> 57:48.705
do training exercises , and for the

57:48.705 --> 57:51.169
first time we actually have military

57:51.169 --> 57:53.610
forces in Mexico which is very unique

57:53.610 --> 57:56.260
and . And again congratulations on that .

57:56.600 --> 57:58.656
Uh , if you can tell us what they're

57:58.656 --> 58:00.878
doing and we need to see more of that ,

58:00.878 --> 58:02.933
we also have talking about the , the

58:02.933 --> 58:04.822
guard also , uh , we have the , I

58:04.822 --> 58:07.044
believe the California Guard is now for

58:07.044 --> 58:09.000
the first time a partnership with

58:09.000 --> 58:11.449
Mexico . We've been pushing . Uh , I've

58:11.449 --> 58:13.671
been pushing Texas , but California got

58:13.671 --> 58:15.893
there before we did , but , uh , that's

58:15.893 --> 58:17.893
good , and , uh , talk a little bit

58:17.893 --> 58:19.893
about that . Also on the border , I

58:19.893 --> 58:22.005
wanna , uh , thank you and the , uh ,

58:22.005 --> 58:23.893
men and women of Joint Task Force

58:23.893 --> 58:25.782
Southern Border for the work that

58:25.782 --> 58:28.005
they're doing on the homeland . They're

58:28.005 --> 58:30.171
in my area , Laredo and other places ,

58:30.171 --> 58:32.393
uh , but I wanna draw your attention to

58:32.393 --> 58:34.489
one particular , uh , threat that is

58:34.489 --> 58:36.649
the accelerating demands . Uh , the

58:36.649 --> 58:38.705
cartels are not only watching what's

58:38.705 --> 58:40.939
happening in Ukraine . But they're

58:40.939 --> 58:42.949
learning from it and they're we're

58:42.949 --> 58:45.989
hearing from credible reports about

58:45.989 --> 58:48.310
cartels , uh , looking at fiber optic

58:48.310 --> 58:51.629
drone systems , um , and , and we all

58:51.629 --> 58:54.310
know what that is and uh my question is

58:54.310 --> 58:56.310
what is the department doing to get

58:56.310 --> 58:58.366
ahead ahead of this threat ? How are

58:58.366 --> 59:00.588
you investing in the counter UAS , uh ,

59:00.588 --> 59:03.429
capabilities to defeat fiber optics

59:03.429 --> 59:05.909
drone systems and , uh , what lessons

59:05.909 --> 59:08.060
are we learning . Uh , from what's

59:08.060 --> 59:10.338
happening , you know , the recruitment ,

59:10.338 --> 59:12.616
the bureaucrats , with all due respect ,

59:12.616 --> 59:14.671
um , it takes a long time to get our

59:14.671 --> 59:16.939
systems over there . The cartels , they

59:16.939 --> 59:19.050
got the money , they don't have to go

59:19.050 --> 59:21.217
through a procurement system . They'll

59:21.217 --> 59:23.050
just buy the drones , and , uh ,

59:23.050 --> 59:25.050
they're outmanning us , uh , on the

59:25.050 --> 59:26.995
Mexican side along the border . So

59:26.995 --> 59:29.328
thank you . And if you can address that ,

59:29.328 --> 59:31.272
or , or the chairman also , well .

59:31.610 --> 59:33.721
Thank you , Congressman . I very much

59:33.721 --> 59:35.832
appreciate your efforts in this realm

59:35.832 --> 59:37.999
for a very long time , and I think you

59:37.999 --> 59:37.729
see in the national security strategy ,

59:37.800 --> 59:40.022
the national defense strategy , Western

59:40.022 --> 59:42.356
Ham and Homeland is priority number one .

59:42.356 --> 59:44.578
We may pace to , uh , to the ability on

59:44.578 --> 59:46.689
the first island chain , but priority

59:46.689 --> 59:48.911
number one . Is here and you've seen it

59:48.911 --> 59:50.689
through America's countercartel

59:50.689 --> 59:52.467
coalition and getting after the

59:52.467 --> 59:54.689
designated terrorist organizations that

59:54.689 --> 59:54.629
are trafficking drugs and humans in the

59:54.629 --> 59:56.740
United States , something you've been

59:56.740 --> 59:58.685
talking a lot about and that's the

59:58.685 --> 59:58.550
beginning of our defense in depth . It

59:58.550 --> 01:00:00.606
starts down there where they produce

01:00:00.606 --> 01:00:02.830
and where they move then into Mexico

01:00:02.830 --> 01:00:04.941
where there we have had an impressive

01:00:04.941 --> 01:00:07.163
unprecedented amount of partnership and

01:00:07.163 --> 01:00:09.386
we appreciate that we would encourage .

01:00:09.386 --> 01:00:11.497
Uh , Defense and marina to continue ,

01:00:11.497 --> 01:00:13.608
uh , where they can , uh , to partner

01:00:13.608 --> 01:00:15.830
and do more . That's the expectation of

01:00:15.830 --> 01:00:17.941
the United States government , of the

01:00:17.941 --> 01:00:20.052
Mexican government is step up so that

01:00:20.052 --> 01:00:22.219
we don't have to and then sealing that

01:00:22.219 --> 01:00:24.386
southwest border , uh , is the defense

01:00:24.386 --> 01:00:24.090
of the American people . It's the

01:00:24.090 --> 01:00:26.257
defense of the homeland , and you talk

01:00:26.257 --> 01:00:28.479
to the troops that are down there doing

01:00:28.479 --> 01:00:30.534
that , they're proud of it . It , we

01:00:30.534 --> 01:00:30.100
also have multiple national defense

01:00:30.100 --> 01:00:32.322
areas there , uh , which are controlled

01:00:32.322 --> 01:00:35.479
by DOW where we can do rapid testing on ,

01:00:35.489 --> 01:00:39.375
on . Counter counter UAS I had a 401

01:00:39.375 --> 01:00:41.375
capabilities . So we're using those

01:00:41.375 --> 01:00:43.375
places to streamline the process by

01:00:43.375 --> 01:00:45.264
which we see what the cartels are

01:00:45.264 --> 01:00:47.431
trying to do and get after it with new

01:00:47.431 --> 01:00:49.431
capabilities that we can then field

01:00:49.431 --> 01:00:51.597
elsewhere , also learning from Ukraine

01:00:51.597 --> 01:00:51.294
in the process . I would defer to the

01:00:51.294 --> 01:00:53.695
chairman , Sir . I'll just add a few

01:00:53.695 --> 01:00:55.774
things onto this . It's the

01:00:55.774 --> 01:00:58.804
Russia-Ukraine lessons learned and the

01:00:58.804 --> 01:01:01.080
application of those lessons by . Uh ,

01:01:01.090 --> 01:01:03.600
other actors like cartels is one we're

01:01:03.600 --> 01:01:05.649
focused a lot on . It's going to

01:01:05.649 --> 01:01:07.816
require a whole of government effort .

01:01:08.090 --> 01:01:10.312
As the Secretary mentioned , we do have

01:01:10.312 --> 01:01:13.729
Joint Interagency Task Force 401 led by

01:01:13.729 --> 01:01:16.000
an incredible Army one-star , uh ,

01:01:16.010 --> 01:01:18.010
Brigadier General Matt Ross , who's

01:01:18.010 --> 01:01:20.370
focused solely in a chairman's

01:01:20.370 --> 01:01:22.889
controlled activity . So 401 reports up

01:01:22.889 --> 01:01:24.800
to me and in turn . Then to the

01:01:24.800 --> 01:01:26.689
secretary to make sure that we're

01:01:26.689 --> 01:01:29.239
entrepreneurially looking at how to

01:01:29.239 --> 01:01:32.239
sense , see , detect , and defeat the

01:01:32.239 --> 01:01:35.949
range of small UAS threats , uh , and ,

01:01:36.320 --> 01:01:38.639
you know , uh , General Ross is , uh ,

01:01:38.719 --> 01:01:40.941
out , was just out in CENTCO looking at

01:01:40.941 --> 01:01:42.941
some of the challenges that they're

01:01:42.941 --> 01:01:45.163
having over there . Uh , it'll continue

01:01:45.163 --> 01:01:47.330
to be an area of significant focus for

01:01:47.330 --> 01:01:49.497
the joint force , sir . Well , my time

01:01:49.497 --> 01:01:52.070
is up , but I , um , wanna ask you to

01:01:52.070 --> 01:01:54.126
continue working with Mexico . You ,

01:01:54.126 --> 01:01:56.469
you do have unprecedented , uh ,

01:01:56.550 --> 01:01:58.772
partnerships , but the more we can push

01:01:58.772 --> 01:02:00.661
them , they're allies , there's a

01:02:00.661 --> 01:02:04.370
historical sensitivity that we know why ,

01:02:04.590 --> 01:02:06.701
uh , but the more you can push them ,

01:02:06.701 --> 01:02:08.923
uh , to get them to work with us , that

01:02:08.923 --> 01:02:10.979
would be , uh , great . Thank you so

01:02:10.979 --> 01:02:12.812
much for all of y'all . Thanks ,

01:02:12.812 --> 01:02:15.179
gentlemen . Chairman Rogers . Thank you ,

01:02:15.229 --> 01:02:18.040
Mr . Chairman . Secretary Hegseth ,

01:02:18.199 --> 01:02:20.399
General Kane , Mr . Hurst , thank you

01:02:20.399 --> 01:02:23.260
for being here . And thank you more

01:02:23.260 --> 01:02:25.340
importantly for your service to the

01:02:25.340 --> 01:02:29.280
country . The 2026 national

01:02:29.280 --> 01:02:32.939
defense strategy . Makes

01:02:32.939 --> 01:02:36.909
clear that China Is the pacing

01:02:36.909 --> 01:02:40.129
challenge . And this budget request

01:02:40.129 --> 01:02:42.669
puts real resources behind that .

01:02:43.649 --> 01:02:47.250
Nomenclature , including 11.7

01:02:47.250 --> 01:02:49.949
billion for the Pacific Deterrence

01:02:50.449 --> 01:02:54.139
Initiative . My concern is that

01:02:54.739 --> 01:02:56.939
we're , we are not just competing

01:02:56.939 --> 01:03:00.850
against China's military . Capability .

01:03:01.909 --> 01:03:04.610
We're competing against the speed .

01:03:05.810 --> 01:03:09.629
At which China can build , replace ,

01:03:10.090 --> 01:03:13.790
and influence . Where are

01:03:13.790 --> 01:03:16.949
some uh capability gaps ?

01:03:17.780 --> 01:03:19.979
When it comes to a potential conflict

01:03:19.979 --> 01:03:23.639
with the PRC , And General Kaine ,

01:03:23.800 --> 01:03:26.820
how , how will your priorities posture ?

01:03:27.649 --> 01:03:31.310
The joint force to close those gaps .

01:03:32.050 --> 01:03:34.383
Chairman , thanks for the question . Um ,

01:03:34.530 --> 01:03:36.729
and you know , the speed at their

01:03:36.729 --> 01:03:38.729
production capability is one of the

01:03:38.729 --> 01:03:42.050
reasons why I'm grateful for , uh , the

01:03:42.050 --> 01:03:45.489
full team's partnership on speeding up

01:03:45.489 --> 01:03:48.750
the US defense industrial base efforts

01:03:48.949 --> 01:03:52.010
as well as the national industrial base

01:03:52.010 --> 01:03:54.288
efforts , and I'd really like to thank .

01:03:54.310 --> 01:03:57.510
those mom and pop machine shops and 2nd ,

01:03:57.590 --> 01:04:00.260
3rd , 4th tier suppliers that live in

01:04:00.260 --> 01:04:02.739
all of your districts who are also

01:04:02.739 --> 01:04:05.850
increasing speed and capability without

01:04:06.310 --> 01:04:09.350
losing quality across the entirety of

01:04:09.350 --> 01:04:11.429
our manufacturing system , and it's

01:04:11.429 --> 01:04:13.596
going to require all of that . When we

01:04:13.596 --> 01:04:15.596
look at the range of capabilities .

01:04:15.840 --> 01:04:18.500
That we must have to be properly armed

01:04:18.500 --> 01:04:21.479
and globally integrated that extends to

01:04:21.479 --> 01:04:23.479
things like , you know , long range

01:04:23.479 --> 01:04:26.760
fires and really an ability to arm our

01:04:26.760 --> 01:04:30.159
joint force to win from the seabed to

01:04:30.159 --> 01:04:33.620
cislunar space in every single domain

01:04:33.620 --> 01:04:35.564
in there , and I'll defer . To the

01:04:35.854 --> 01:04:37.854
comptroller and to the secretary to

01:04:37.854 --> 01:04:39.910
talk about the particular elements ,

01:04:40.215 --> 01:04:42.655
but the goal is the range and mix of

01:04:42.655 --> 01:04:46.024
capabilities that creates outsized

01:04:46.024 --> 01:04:48.895
dilemmas for Xi Jinping and others that

01:04:48.895 --> 01:04:51.415
are out there to ensure that we

01:04:51.415 --> 01:04:53.655
maintain and sustain deterrence . Thank

01:04:53.655 --> 01:04:57.600
you . Amen . Thank you . Second ,

01:04:58.699 --> 01:05:01.360
the war between the US and Iran .

01:05:02.610 --> 01:05:06.209
Uh , reinforces an old lesson . Which

01:05:06.209 --> 01:05:09.629
is that modern conflict comes down to

01:05:10.080 --> 01:05:13.949
attrition . China has

01:05:13.949 --> 01:05:17.790
been able to produce naval ships . At a

01:05:17.790 --> 01:05:20.090
pace our industrial base can't match .

01:05:22.250 --> 01:05:24.306
The ships are not as large as ours ,

01:05:24.370 --> 01:05:27.879
but Quantity has a quality of its own .

01:05:29.909 --> 01:05:33.389
How are we postured for an economy of

01:05:33.389 --> 01:05:37.330
force . In the Pacific , particularly

01:05:37.330 --> 01:05:40.260
if Taiwan . It's invaded .

01:05:43.000 --> 01:05:45.199
Well , sir , channeling my , my inner

01:05:45.199 --> 01:05:48.040
Clauseowitz , um , which is always

01:05:48.040 --> 01:05:50.151
something I try to remember the , the

01:05:50.151 --> 01:05:52.439
big moving parts of war fighting , you

01:05:52.439 --> 01:05:54.840
know , we're not really doing economy

01:05:54.840 --> 01:05:57.239
of force work in the Pacific , as you

01:05:57.239 --> 01:05:59.295
alluded to , sir , and others have .

01:05:59.295 --> 01:06:02.989
It's our primary . Focus and so on a

01:06:02.989 --> 01:06:05.409
daily , you know , on a daily basis ,

01:06:05.989 --> 01:06:08.909
we come to the secretary with a range

01:06:08.909 --> 01:06:12.389
of military options across the world so

01:06:12.389 --> 01:06:15.080
that he and the President can carefully

01:06:15.080 --> 01:06:17.750
consider those military actions and

01:06:17.750 --> 01:06:20.659
associated risks . It all comes back to

01:06:20.659 --> 01:06:22.689
the budgetary tools that you'll

01:06:23.149 --> 01:06:25.260
hopefully give us and the authorities

01:06:25.260 --> 01:06:27.427
to achieve those capabilities . And as

01:06:27.427 --> 01:06:29.760
we look , for example , at shipbuilding .

01:06:29.760 --> 01:06:31.871
Which you talked about , I'm grateful

01:06:31.871 --> 01:06:34.409
for the work that the Navy is doing to

01:06:34.409 --> 01:06:37.889
scale that effort , uh , to ensure that

01:06:37.889 --> 01:06:40.770
we offer and continue to offer those

01:06:40.770 --> 01:06:43.290
range of options to our civilian

01:06:43.290 --> 01:06:45.370
leaders here in the United States .

01:06:46.469 --> 01:06:49.850
Quickly to Epic

01:06:49.850 --> 01:06:53.479
fury . Our fight with

01:06:53.479 --> 01:06:56.280
Iran has confirmed what defense

01:06:56.280 --> 01:06:59.610
planners . Had a long warned about .

01:07:00.770 --> 01:07:04.020
Iran doesn't need a peer military to

01:07:04.020 --> 01:07:07.459
cause serious problems . His playbook ,

01:07:07.860 --> 01:07:10.739
the cheap drones built from commercial

01:07:10.739 --> 01:07:14.699
parts . Sea mines in contested straits .

01:07:15.649 --> 01:07:18.969
Fast attack craft and anti-ship

01:07:18.969 --> 01:07:22.280
missiles . The war also

01:07:22.280 --> 01:07:25.790
confirmed a harder lesson even with

01:07:25.790 --> 01:07:29.120
overwhelming firepower . The side that

01:07:29.120 --> 01:07:32.840
runs out of munitions or air defenses

01:07:33.199 --> 01:07:36.879
first loses . Are

01:07:36.879 --> 01:07:40.239
we , Mr . Secretary , are we secure in

01:07:40.239 --> 01:07:41.639
that point ?

01:07:44.280 --> 01:07:48.179
Absolutely , um , and we , we

01:07:48.290 --> 01:07:50.610
are winning , have won every component

01:07:50.610 --> 01:07:52.666
of what we fought in this conflict .

01:07:52.666 --> 01:07:54.499
Iran knows that based on the the

01:07:54.499 --> 01:07:56.277
incredible degradation of their

01:07:56.277 --> 01:07:58.499
capabilities , uh , and which is why we

01:07:58.499 --> 01:08:00.721
saw them wanting to come to the table .

01:08:00.721 --> 01:08:02.832
How this gets resolved will be on our

01:08:02.832 --> 01:08:04.888
terms , on President Trump's terms ,

01:08:04.888 --> 01:08:04.689
and we have all the munitions and

01:08:04.689 --> 01:08:06.911
capabilities necessary to , uh , enable

01:08:06.911 --> 01:08:10.020
that . Thank you . You're back .

01:08:10.870 --> 01:08:13.037
Thank you , gentlemen . Mr . Aguilar .

01:08:13.037 --> 01:08:15.259
Thank you Mr . Chairman . Thank you all

01:08:15.259 --> 01:08:18.499
for being here , um . Mr . Hurst , on ,

01:08:18.639 --> 01:08:20.861
on April 29th , as you indicated to the

01:08:20.861 --> 01:08:23.083
ranking member , you said that the Iran

01:08:23.083 --> 01:08:25.929
war had cost $25 billion in total . You

01:08:25.929 --> 01:08:28.262
reaffirmed that today . Do you have any ,

01:08:28.488 --> 01:08:31.458
do you have any other updated costs or

01:08:31.458 --> 01:08:34.679
projections , um , since that , uh ,

01:08:34.688 --> 01:08:36.799
testimony that you've given ? Outside

01:08:36.799 --> 01:08:39.021
reporting estimates have indicated that

01:08:39.021 --> 01:08:40.855
the war costs could be a billion

01:08:40.855 --> 01:08:42.744
dollars a day . Do you have any ,

01:08:42.744 --> 01:08:44.919
anything to share ? Yeah , thanks for

01:08:44.919 --> 01:08:46.919
the question , sir . Uh , so at the

01:08:46.919 --> 01:08:49.141
time of testimony from the ask , it was

01:08:49.141 --> 01:08:51.197
$25 billion but the joint staff team

01:08:51.197 --> 01:08:53.419
and the comptroller team are constantly

01:08:53.419 --> 01:08:55.530
looking at that estimate . And so now

01:08:55.530 --> 01:08:57.475
we think it's closer to $29 . Uh ,

01:08:57.475 --> 01:08:59.530
that's because of updated repair and

01:08:59.530 --> 01:09:01.863
replacement of equipment costs and also ,

01:09:01.863 --> 01:09:04.030
uh , just general operational costs to

01:09:04.030 --> 01:09:06.197
keep people in theater . Thank you , I

01:09:06.197 --> 01:09:08.419
appreciate that . Mr . Secretary , when

01:09:08.419 --> 01:09:10.641
can you share more formal accounting on

01:09:10.641 --> 01:09:12.808
the cost of the war with with Congress

01:09:12.808 --> 01:09:16.279
and with this committee ? Um , we'll

01:09:16.279 --> 01:09:18.168
share what we can . I think we've

01:09:18.168 --> 01:09:20.112
updated , uh , on that number this

01:09:20.112 --> 01:09:22.223
morning , but , uh , when it's , when

01:09:22.223 --> 01:09:24.279
it's relevant and required , we will

01:09:24.279 --> 01:09:26.790
share it . I . I think this would be

01:09:26.790 --> 01:09:29.310
the format , um , that it's uh that it

01:09:29.310 --> 01:09:31.643
would be required . Uh , Mr . Secretary ,

01:09:31.643 --> 01:09:33.830
on that same day , uh , April

01:09:33.830 --> 01:09:35.941
twenty-ninth , you testified that the

01:09:35.941 --> 01:09:38.163
current ceasefire meant that the 60 day

01:09:38.163 --> 01:09:40.386
calendar with the war powers resolution

01:09:40.509 --> 01:09:43.330
was paused . Um , who are the parties

01:09:43.330 --> 01:09:46.979
to the ceasefire ? Well ,

01:09:47.609 --> 01:09:50.359
right now we are in that same ceasefire

01:09:50.359 --> 01:09:52.137
as of right now . It wasn't the

01:09:52.137 --> 01:09:54.303
question who are the parties to be the

01:09:54.303 --> 01:09:56.415
United States and , and the regime in

01:09:56.415 --> 01:10:00.370
Iran . Who How

01:10:00.370 --> 01:10:02.939
many pages is the ceasefire ? What deal

01:10:02.939 --> 01:10:04.995
points ? I'm not asking you to share

01:10:04.995 --> 01:10:07.161
the contents . I guess what I'm , what

01:10:07.161 --> 01:10:09.272
I'm trying to ask is , how do we know

01:10:09.272 --> 01:10:12.350
that the ceasefire is , is active or

01:10:12.350 --> 01:10:15.819
not active without any documentation ?

01:10:18.140 --> 01:10:20.819
We know it's evident and the ceasefire

01:10:20.819 --> 01:10:24.709
is in effect . But you , is it , is

01:10:24.709 --> 01:10:26.990
it pages ? Is it , is it 15 points ?

01:10:27.069 --> 01:10:29.750
There's been different points that have

01:10:29.750 --> 01:10:32.939
moved around , um , you know , is there

01:10:32.939 --> 01:10:35.029
any other , how do we know you just

01:10:35.029 --> 01:10:37.251
trust that the president knows that the

01:10:37.251 --> 01:10:39.589
ceasefire is active or not active ? As

01:10:39.589 --> 01:10:41.311
you know , for the most part a

01:10:41.311 --> 01:10:43.422
ceasefire means the fire is ceasing ,

01:10:43.422 --> 01:10:45.422
and we know that has occurred while

01:10:45.422 --> 01:10:47.645
negotiations occur , and there are lots

01:10:47.645 --> 01:10:49.700
of different , uh , discussions with

01:10:49.700 --> 01:10:52.033
our negotiating team that are happening .

01:10:52.033 --> 01:10:51.950
I'm there when those discussions are

01:10:51.950 --> 01:10:53.950
occurring . Uh , Different drafts ,

01:10:53.950 --> 01:10:56.172
different perspectives , so it's a very

01:10:56.172 --> 01:10:58.228
dynamic situation where a negotiated

01:10:58.228 --> 01:11:00.394
settlement , uh , could be the outcome

01:11:00.394 --> 01:11:02.506
here where Iran does not have nuclear

01:11:02.506 --> 01:11:04.672
capabilities , and from the Department

01:11:04.672 --> 01:11:06.728
of War perspective , we , uh , we're

01:11:06.728 --> 01:11:08.894
here to support , uh , those options .

01:11:08.894 --> 01:11:11.006
On May 5th , you announced the launch

01:11:11.006 --> 01:11:13.006
of Project Freedom , which is a new

01:11:13.006 --> 01:11:14.839
exercise where Centcom will help

01:11:14.839 --> 01:11:16.728
coordinate ship traffic and guide

01:11:16.728 --> 01:11:16.700
commercial ships through the strait .

01:11:17.020 --> 01:11:18.964
President Trump then announced the

01:11:18.964 --> 01:11:21.131
operation concluded that evening . Now

01:11:21.131 --> 01:11:23.649
it seems that the . Uh , we may be

01:11:23.649 --> 01:11:25.760
revisiting that . Can you give us the

01:11:25.760 --> 01:11:28.830
latest on Project Freedom ? Well , as

01:11:28.830 --> 01:11:31.390
it pertains to battlefield options ,

01:11:31.470 --> 01:11:33.526
we're not , we don't disclose , uh ,

01:11:33.526 --> 01:11:35.803
those types of things , but ultimately ,

01:11:35.803 --> 01:11:37.637
at the , as the president stated

01:11:37.637 --> 01:11:39.859
publicly in his truth at the request of

01:11:39.859 --> 01:11:42.081
the Pakistanis and given the options in

01:11:42.081 --> 01:11:44.192
the negotiation , it was paused , and

01:11:44.192 --> 01:11:43.589
it's an option we could always

01:11:43.589 --> 01:11:45.756
recommence , uh , should the commander

01:11:45.756 --> 01:11:48.129
in chief want us to . Is the , is the

01:11:48.140 --> 01:11:50.209
theory to create more ceasefires or

01:11:50.209 --> 01:11:52.649
more projects just to evade the War

01:11:52.649 --> 01:11:56.180
Powers Act ? Um , the

01:11:56.270 --> 01:11:58.790
theory of the entire case is to prevent

01:11:58.790 --> 01:12:01.012
Iran from having a nuclear weapon , and

01:12:01.012 --> 01:12:03.179
if that has to be done kinetically and

01:12:03.179 --> 01:12:05.290
militarily , the Department of War is

01:12:05.290 --> 01:12:07.568
locked and loaded and ready to do that .

01:12:07.568 --> 01:12:09.790
If it happens through Project Freedom ,

01:12:09.790 --> 01:12:12.012
where you move commerce through , if it

01:12:12.012 --> 01:12:10.910
has to , if it happens through a

01:12:10.910 --> 01:12:12.910
negotiated deal , the president was

01:12:12.910 --> 01:12:14.910
very clear even yesterday , this is

01:12:14.910 --> 01:12:17.132
actually quite simple . Iran will never

01:12:17.132 --> 01:12:19.077
have a nuclear weapon , one way or

01:12:19.077 --> 01:12:21.243
another , and we're here to support as

01:12:21.243 --> 01:12:23.410
one tool of the whole of government to

01:12:23.410 --> 01:12:26.459
make that happen . General Kane , uh ,

01:12:27.020 --> 01:12:29.187
the depleted munitions have been a , a

01:12:29.187 --> 01:12:31.409
subject of some of the discussions that

01:12:31.409 --> 01:12:33.529
you've even heard here today , um ,

01:12:33.740 --> 01:12:36.140
with respect to stockpiles , uh , that

01:12:36.140 --> 01:12:38.580
we have around the world , key regions

01:12:38.580 --> 01:12:40.636
like the Indo-Pacific , uh , and the

01:12:40.636 --> 01:12:43.359
Middle East , um . You know , can you

01:12:43.359 --> 01:12:45.470
give us an update ? Uh , what other ,

01:12:45.470 --> 01:12:47.692
what are you hearing from the combatant

01:12:47.692 --> 01:12:50.000
commands , um , about , uh , their

01:12:50.000 --> 01:12:52.600
munitions status , uh , around the

01:12:52.600 --> 01:12:56.470
world ? Uh , well , sir , we ,

01:12:56.589 --> 01:12:58.756
we , uh , we have sufficient munitions

01:12:58.756 --> 01:13:00.978
for what we're tasked to do right now .

01:13:01.069 --> 01:13:03.402
Um , that's what I hear from the COCOMs .

01:13:03.402 --> 01:13:05.458
What I will say is I , I will always

01:13:05.458 --> 01:13:07.625
want more , so I appreciate the effort

01:13:07.625 --> 01:13:09.680
of this committee and the Congress .

01:13:09.740 --> 01:13:11.518
We're always going to want more

01:13:11.518 --> 01:13:15.109
munitions . Secretary Hagteth , what

01:13:15.109 --> 01:13:17.220
are you doing to support the involved

01:13:17.220 --> 01:13:19.331
services to , to recap their losses ?

01:13:21.290 --> 01:13:23.549
We're submitting a $1.5 trillion budget

01:13:23.549 --> 01:13:25.438
that'll remake the department and

01:13:25.438 --> 01:13:27.438
ensure that every warfighter in the

01:13:27.438 --> 01:13:29.549
future has exactly what they need and

01:13:29.549 --> 01:13:29.379
we're never in a fair fight . And I , I

01:13:29.379 --> 01:13:30.823
take issue with the , the

01:13:30.823 --> 01:13:32.823
characterization that munitions are

01:13:32.823 --> 01:13:35.046
depleted in a public forum . That's not

01:13:35.046 --> 01:13:37.157
true . And ultimately we have all the

01:13:37.157 --> 01:13:39.157
munitions needed to execute what we

01:13:39.157 --> 01:13:38.540
need to execute , and we're going to

01:13:38.540 --> 01:13:40.651
ensure that we supercharge that going

01:13:40.651 --> 01:13:42.818
into the future . I think you've heard

01:13:42.818 --> 01:13:42.450
differences from both sides of the

01:13:42.450 --> 01:13:44.672
aisle on that point . Yield back , Mr .

01:13:44.672 --> 01:13:46.894
Chairman . Ladies and gentlemen , Judge

01:13:46.894 --> 01:13:50.830
Carter . Thank you , Mr . Chairman ,

01:13:50.859 --> 01:13:53.310
and welcome to each of you . I'm glad

01:13:53.310 --> 01:13:55.850
you're here . Um .

01:13:58.479 --> 01:14:00.646
Start off with something I'm concerned

01:14:00.646 --> 01:14:04.560
about . Uh , Mr . Secretary , my MLCO

01:14:04.560 --> 01:14:07.700
VA subcommittee is aware of

01:14:08.000 --> 01:14:11.339
living conditions of the 68 W

01:14:12.160 --> 01:14:15.649
combat medic students at the Joint Base

01:14:15.649 --> 01:14:18.700
San Antonio . Frankly , they're very

01:14:18.700 --> 01:14:22.339
unacceptable , quite unlivable . Uh ,

01:14:22.770 --> 01:14:25.279
as chairman of the MLCO Committee , I'm

01:14:25.279 --> 01:14:27.520
deeply concerned that there appears to

01:14:27.520 --> 01:14:31.370
be no imminent path forward to fix

01:14:31.370 --> 01:14:34.149
these issues . What actions is the

01:14:34.149 --> 01:14:37.149
department taking to improve these

01:14:37.149 --> 01:14:40.009
living conditions , ensure our soldiers

01:14:40.430 --> 01:14:43.490
receive safe and dignified housing

01:14:44.669 --> 01:14:48.109
now and not in the years to come ? Our

01:14:48.109 --> 01:14:52.089
budget cannot fix that . It's not ,

01:14:52.169 --> 01:14:54.225
we don't have enough money . You got

01:14:54.225 --> 01:14:56.447
all the money . What do you think about

01:14:56.447 --> 01:14:59.520
that ? First of all , let's fix that .

01:14:59.899 --> 01:15:02.010
Whatever , whatever unit that is , we

01:15:02.010 --> 01:15:04.121
wanna know about it , and we're gonna

01:15:04.121 --> 01:15:03.500
get a team out there right away to

01:15:03.500 --> 01:15:05.556
address it , and we've used discrete

01:15:05.556 --> 01:15:07.722
examples like that to find the gaps in

01:15:07.722 --> 01:15:09.833
why we're not getting at it on a more

01:15:09.833 --> 01:15:12.056
at a more holistic fashion because we ,

01:15:12.056 --> 01:15:14.000
we've came in on a huge deficit of

01:15:14.000 --> 01:15:16.111
maintenance on barracks and housing .

01:15:16.111 --> 01:15:18.278
This , this budget , this budget funds

01:15:18.278 --> 01:15:20.167
that . It also , we're also gonna

01:15:20.167 --> 01:15:22.500
pursue Milon reform because in too many .

01:15:22.500 --> 01:15:24.444
Places where we're trying to build

01:15:24.444 --> 01:15:26.667
things around Milon as opposed to using

01:15:26.667 --> 01:15:28.222
MilCon because MilCon is so

01:15:28.222 --> 01:15:30.389
bureaucratic and slow in its process .

01:15:30.389 --> 01:15:32.556
So we look forward to working with you

01:15:32.556 --> 01:15:34.722
to , to fix that , not just these this

01:15:34.722 --> 01:15:36.667
this discreet barracks issue , but

01:15:36.667 --> 01:15:38.778
where we found them , we fixed it and

01:15:38.778 --> 01:15:38.705
then we've , uh , energized the system

01:15:38.705 --> 01:15:40.816
through a barracks task force to , to

01:15:40.816 --> 01:15:43.149
flow money exactly where it needs to go .

01:15:43.149 --> 01:15:45.372
And I'm , I'm a champion of speeding up

01:15:45.372 --> 01:15:48.904
Milon everywhere we can , and we

01:15:48.904 --> 01:15:52.549
are , I've been out to the . To ,

01:15:52.560 --> 01:15:55.709
uh Guam and some of those places , and

01:15:55.709 --> 01:15:58.540
we got a lot of needs out that way . I

01:15:58.540 --> 01:16:01.339
mean we're way beyond what our budget

01:16:01.339 --> 01:16:04.379
will sustain . But I have another

01:16:04.379 --> 01:16:07.169
question for you . I represent Fort

01:16:07.169 --> 01:16:10.720
Hood . The home of the , uh ,

01:16:11.100 --> 01:16:14.310
First Air Cavalry Division . Brigade

01:16:14.689 --> 01:16:18.279
operating Apaches . Black Hawks and

01:16:18.279 --> 01:16:21.379
Chinook helicopters . I'm concerned

01:16:21.379 --> 01:16:25.020
that the FY-27 budget request

01:16:25.259 --> 01:16:27.410
does not support these programs ,

01:16:27.819 --> 01:16:31.089
essentially zeroing out funding across

01:16:31.089 --> 01:16:33.740
the three platforms , despite the Army

01:16:33.740 --> 01:16:36.020
stating that we're going to use these

01:16:36.020 --> 01:16:38.370
aircraft and they will operate for

01:16:38.370 --> 01:16:42.290
decades to come . With that ,

01:16:42.509 --> 01:16:45.830
the Chinook has no replacement for

01:16:45.830 --> 01:16:49.640
heavy lift mission . Now , will the

01:16:49.640 --> 01:16:51.359
department manage aviation

01:16:51.359 --> 01:16:53.799
modernization , and how will they do

01:16:53.799 --> 01:16:57.160
that ? Without creating readiness

01:16:57.160 --> 01:17:00.319
problems and capability gaps in the

01:17:00.319 --> 01:17:03.120
future , because the planned future

01:17:03.120 --> 01:17:06.759
lift is not . Like the

01:17:06.759 --> 01:17:10.299
Chinook . Sir , I think it's a very

01:17:10.299 --> 01:17:12.299
fair point . I think it goes to the

01:17:12.299 --> 01:17:14.479
previous mindset of divest to invest

01:17:14.479 --> 01:17:16.479
that was an austerity point of view

01:17:16.560 --> 01:17:18.671
that we inherited at our department .

01:17:18.671 --> 01:17:20.671
Uh , we've made some changes at the

01:17:20.671 --> 01:17:22.449
Army . We might have a slightly

01:17:22.449 --> 01:17:22.000
different view of the Army

01:17:22.000 --> 01:17:24.167
transformation initiative . Some of it

01:17:24.167 --> 01:17:25.944
is very good . There's a lot of

01:17:25.944 --> 01:17:28.056
goodness in there , but I think there

01:17:28.056 --> 01:17:30.056
are some things that assumed . Uh ,

01:17:30.056 --> 01:17:32.222
future platforms that may not be there

01:17:32.222 --> 01:17:34.333
yet . Take the Apache , for example ,

01:17:34.333 --> 01:17:36.556
which , uh , our , our warfighters rely

01:17:36.556 --> 01:17:36.430
on and love . Take the Chinook , which

01:17:36.430 --> 01:17:38.660
is used all , all the time . We need to

01:17:38.660 --> 01:17:40.882
make sure we've got something there for

01:17:40.882 --> 01:17:43.160
it , uh , before you divest or it , it ,

01:17:43.160 --> 01:17:45.438
we're not investing in that capability .

01:17:45.438 --> 01:17:47.493
So we look forward to reviewing that

01:17:47.493 --> 01:17:47.270
with you and ensuring that we don't

01:17:47.270 --> 01:17:49.437
have a gap . Yeah , because the budget

01:17:49.437 --> 01:17:51.649
doesn't have anything , it zeroes out

01:17:51.950 --> 01:17:54.620
all three of those . As far as whether

01:17:54.620 --> 01:17:56.731
we read it , well then , I , I'd like

01:17:56.731 --> 01:17:58.731
to take , I'll take another look at

01:17:58.731 --> 01:18:00.842
that with our team . OK , thank you ,

01:18:00.842 --> 01:18:01.842
Mr . Chairman .

01:18:05.649 --> 01:18:07.927
Thank you , gentlemen , uh , Mr . Case .

01:18:08.990 --> 01:18:11.101
Thank you , Chair . Mr . Hurst , what

01:18:11.101 --> 01:18:13.799
is the total replacement cost of the

01:18:13.799 --> 01:18:16.060
material that we have expended in Iran

01:18:16.060 --> 01:18:17.060
to date ?

01:18:20.419 --> 01:18:22.530
By the way , uh , by material I refer

01:18:22.530 --> 01:18:25.339
to munitions . I refer to , um , you

01:18:25.339 --> 01:18:28.009
know , planes , to drones to stuff that

01:18:28.009 --> 01:18:30.490
we keep in our stockpile . Yeah , I ,

01:18:30.640 --> 01:18:32.862
I'll exclude military construction from

01:18:32.862 --> 01:18:35.029
this because we don't know what that's

01:18:35.029 --> 01:18:34.759
gonna look like in the future , but I

01:18:34.759 --> 01:18:37.540
would say it's around $24 billion

01:18:38.419 --> 01:18:40.919
replacement and repair . And that's um

01:18:40.919 --> 01:18:43.399
through what date ? That's our current

01:18:43.399 --> 01:18:46.879
estimate . OK . I'm looking at a um

01:18:46.879 --> 01:18:49.759
report in the public sphere from CSIS

01:18:49.759 --> 01:18:53.259
dated April 21st uh which calculates um

01:18:53.959 --> 01:18:57.560
estimated um cost unit

01:18:57.560 --> 01:19:00.290
cost , aggregate unit cost of seven

01:19:00.290 --> 01:19:03.200
precision , uh , systems . So I'm

01:19:03.200 --> 01:19:05.422
talking , you know , Tomahawk , JazzM ,

01:19:05.422 --> 01:19:08.279
PRISM , SM3 , SM6 , TAA , Patriot ,

01:19:08.680 --> 01:19:12.399
those seven . At about $25 billion .

01:19:12.470 --> 01:19:14.526
Um , is that , does that sound about

01:19:14.526 --> 01:19:16.359
right ? I mean , you're , you're

01:19:16.359 --> 01:19:18.470
projecting everything at about $230 .

01:19:19.379 --> 01:19:21.435
Yeah , I , I'm most confident in our

01:19:21.435 --> 01:19:23.546
projections on munitions costs . Uh ,

01:19:23.546 --> 01:19:25.768
that's the easiest thing to calculate .

01:19:25.768 --> 01:19:25.740
Uh , so that number sounds a little

01:19:25.740 --> 01:19:27.907
high to me for that stage of the war .

01:19:27.939 --> 01:19:31.339
OK , um , we've lost about 39

01:19:31.339 --> 01:19:33.450
aircraft , uh , according to a report

01:19:33.450 --> 01:19:35.672
in the war zone , and that's an old one

01:19:35.672 --> 01:19:37.895
that's almost 1 month old . Um , do you

01:19:37.895 --> 01:19:39.950
have a replacement cost on all those

01:19:39.950 --> 01:19:42.172
aircraft now understanding that some of

01:19:42.172 --> 01:19:44.339
that aircraft is not replaceable , but

01:19:44.339 --> 01:19:46.561
presumably you would have to replace it

01:19:46.561 --> 01:19:48.783
with some kind of capacity . Uh , there

01:19:48.783 --> 01:19:50.895
are costs there , sir , but I want to

01:19:50.895 --> 01:19:50.439
get back to you in writing and what

01:19:50.439 --> 01:19:52.495
they specifically are because as you

01:19:52.495 --> 01:19:54.495
can imagine , repair of aircraft is

01:19:54.495 --> 01:19:56.828
something that's very hard to calculate .

01:19:56.828 --> 01:19:58.995
Uh , we want to do a full diagnosis of

01:19:58.995 --> 01:19:58.640
the aircraft before we estimate that

01:19:58.640 --> 01:20:00.584
cost , OK , but that's not in your

01:20:00.584 --> 01:20:03.439
estimate of somewhere around 29 , cost

01:20:03.439 --> 01:20:05.495
of war that you , that you gave us .

01:20:05.495 --> 01:20:07.606
That's included . That's what we have

01:20:07.606 --> 01:20:09.717
right now . Oh , I see . That is part

01:20:09.717 --> 01:20:09.240
of it , yeah , but it's an estimate ,

01:20:09.439 --> 01:20:11.495
especially for repair costs , and so

01:20:11.495 --> 01:20:13.661
that could change over time , OK . And

01:20:13.661 --> 01:20:15.828
um you did talk about MLCO , which was

01:20:15.828 --> 01:20:18.161
a question that I had . Do you have any ,

01:20:18.161 --> 01:20:20.050
because obviously we've obviously

01:20:20.050 --> 01:20:19.649
suffered major damage to our

01:20:19.649 --> 01:20:21.816
infrastructure uh in the Middle East .

01:20:21.816 --> 01:20:23.927
Um , do you have a , you don't have a

01:20:23.927 --> 01:20:25.982
MLCO estimate yet ? We have a lot of

01:20:25.982 --> 01:20:28.205
unknowns there . We don't know what our

01:20:28.205 --> 01:20:30.149
future posture is going to be . We

01:20:30.149 --> 01:20:29.890
don't know how we construct those bases ,

01:20:29.899 --> 01:20:32.066
and we don't know what part our allies

01:20:32.066 --> 01:20:34.121
or partners could pay into the Milon

01:20:34.121 --> 01:20:36.121
costs . And so we don't have a good

01:20:36.121 --> 01:20:38.177
estimate for that at the time . OK .

01:20:38.177 --> 01:20:40.455
What about fuel ? Is that a major , uh ,

01:20:40.455 --> 01:20:42.621
calculation in your cost of war , uh ,

01:20:42.621 --> 01:20:44.566
fuel used , uh , depletion of fuel

01:20:44.566 --> 01:20:46.455
reserves , um , replenishing that

01:20:46.455 --> 01:20:48.689
reserve ? We wrap that into our

01:20:48.689 --> 01:20:50.911
operations and maintenance costs . OK ,

01:20:50.911 --> 01:20:54.759
that's 29 . OK , um , going to your

01:20:54.759 --> 01:20:58.500
FY 26 budget request , you've got ,

01:20:58.640 --> 01:21:01.109
um , procurement . Let's just focus on

01:21:01.109 --> 01:21:03.220
procurement because that's what we're

01:21:03.220 --> 01:21:05.442
talking about largely . You've got $413

01:21:05.442 --> 01:21:07.498
billion which in and of itself is an

01:21:07.498 --> 01:21:11.279
84% increase over FY20 . Uh , I'm sorry ,

01:21:11.399 --> 01:21:15.180
I'm in 27 , uh , 2027 versus 26 ,

01:21:15.560 --> 01:21:18.799
um , and you have , uh ,

01:21:18.839 --> 01:21:22.319
38% of that , uh , total procurement

01:21:22.319 --> 01:21:25.020
request in reconciliation . Does that

01:21:25.020 --> 01:21:28.020
reconciliation request include anything

01:21:28.520 --> 01:21:30.240
from the war in Iran ?

01:21:32.569 --> 01:21:34.625
Obviously we're buying things in the

01:21:34.625 --> 01:21:36.791
reconciliation requests that are being

01:21:36.791 --> 01:21:38.902
used in the Iran conflict , including

01:21:38.902 --> 01:21:41.125
munitions . There's over $40 billion in

01:21:41.125 --> 01:21:43.347
munitions requests and reconciliation ,

01:21:43.347 --> 01:21:45.180
and so that would be part of the

01:21:45.180 --> 01:21:47.450
replacement . OK , so what I'm trying

01:21:47.450 --> 01:21:49.561
to get at is , is your reconciliation

01:21:49.561 --> 01:21:52.250
request in FY 27 related to Iran , or

01:21:52.250 --> 01:21:54.790
is it not related to Iran , or what ,

01:21:55.089 --> 01:21:57.529
what's , um , is it all , you know how

01:21:57.529 --> 01:21:59.640
long our budget generation process is

01:21:59.640 --> 01:22:01.973
and the appropriation cycle , and so we ,

01:22:01.973 --> 01:22:03.862
we completed this before the Iran

01:22:03.862 --> 01:22:05.807
conflicts . Exactly . OK , so what

01:22:05.807 --> 01:22:07.862
you're coming back to us with is not

01:22:07.862 --> 01:22:10.029
the recon I mean the reconciliation is

01:22:10.029 --> 01:22:12.196
not about Iran . The reconciliation is

01:22:12.196 --> 01:22:14.418
about assumptions that were made before

01:22:14.418 --> 01:22:16.640
Iran . It's about making a generational

01:22:16.640 --> 01:22:18.529
investment in the joint force and

01:22:18.529 --> 01:22:20.585
building military readiness . That's

01:22:20.585 --> 01:22:24.160
what the request is , OK , um . I'm

01:22:24.160 --> 01:22:26.382
gonna get back to some of the questions

01:22:26.382 --> 01:22:28.604
that were asked earlier , which is what

01:22:28.604 --> 01:22:30.716
is the assumption that you are making

01:22:30.716 --> 01:22:33.479
in terms of , of , of , um , future

01:22:33.479 --> 01:22:36.080
reconciliation bills in future fiscal

01:22:36.080 --> 01:22:38.479
years ? How much of this is loaded into

01:22:38.479 --> 01:22:40.701
this particular fiscal year ? You had a

01:22:40.701 --> 01:22:42.979
big reconciliation last year which was ,

01:22:42.979 --> 01:22:45.146
which was , uh , portrayed in the same

01:22:45.146 --> 01:22:47.312
light , and now you're coming back for

01:22:47.312 --> 01:22:49.423
a huge one this year . Is another one

01:22:49.423 --> 01:22:51.646
on the horizon next year then ? For our

01:22:51.646 --> 01:22:53.812
budget request for 28 , we , we expect

01:22:53.812 --> 01:22:56.035
to request that is discretionary only ,

01:22:56.035 --> 01:22:58.035
uh , and I believe the top line for

01:22:58.035 --> 01:23:00.201
that is 1.23 , which will be our , our

01:23:00.201 --> 01:23:02.479
request that year . OK , I yelled back .

01:23:04.379 --> 01:23:06.839
Thanks , gentlemen . Mr . Diaz Pollard .

01:23:08.500 --> 01:23:10.779
Thank you Mr . Chairman . Uh , thank

01:23:10.779 --> 01:23:12.835
you gentlemen , and more importantly

01:23:12.835 --> 01:23:15.001
the folks that you lead . uh , federal

01:23:15.001 --> 01:23:16.946
government does a lot of important

01:23:16.946 --> 01:23:19.112
things but nothing more important than

01:23:19.112 --> 01:23:21.168
what , uh , you all deal with . Uh ,

01:23:21.168 --> 01:23:20.540
let me , let me get back to this

01:23:20.540 --> 01:23:22.580
hemisphere . Uh , I'm very , very

01:23:22.580 --> 01:23:24.580
grateful that the administration is

01:23:24.580 --> 01:23:26.469
finally really focused on Western

01:23:26.469 --> 01:23:28.469
Hemisphere and it's actually , uh ,

01:23:28.469 --> 01:23:30.636
gonna show we're gonna be able to show

01:23:30.636 --> 01:23:32.858
that it's saving American lives . But ,

01:23:32.858 --> 01:23:34.913
but let me just . Uh , to you , Mr .

01:23:34.913 --> 01:23:36.969
Secretary , let me throw a couple of

01:23:36.969 --> 01:23:36.729
points and see if you disagree with any

01:23:36.729 --> 01:23:38.896
of these , and , and let me talk about

01:23:38.896 --> 01:23:41.118
the . The one state sponsored terrorism

01:23:41.118 --> 01:23:43.285
in the Western Hemisphere , which is a

01:23:43.285 --> 01:23:45.859
Cuban regime , uh , uh , are you aware

01:23:45.859 --> 01:23:48.569
that they harbor terrorists and US , uh ,

01:23:48.580 --> 01:23:51.569
fugitives from US law ? And we can just

01:23:51.569 --> 01:23:53.625
go through these really quick . Uh ,

01:23:53.625 --> 01:23:55.689
yes , yes , um , is it true that the

01:23:55.689 --> 01:23:57.770
Cuban regime actually shot down two

01:23:57.770 --> 01:23:59.770
American airplanes in international

01:23:59.770 --> 01:24:02.330
airspace , uh , murdering Americans ? I

01:24:02.330 --> 01:24:04.663
don't , I can't recall the precise year ,

01:24:04.663 --> 01:24:06.774
but I believe that is the case . Uh ,

01:24:06.774 --> 01:24:08.997
is it true that , uh , that Russian spy

01:24:08.997 --> 01:24:10.941
ships and warships , including the

01:24:10.941 --> 01:24:13.200
nuclear sub Kazan Kazan , have , uh ,

01:24:13.209 --> 01:24:16.479
repeatedly used Cuban ports ? Uh , that

01:24:16.479 --> 01:24:19.229
is true . Is it true that the site of

01:24:19.229 --> 01:24:22.430
the Russian , Signet complex in

01:24:22.430 --> 01:24:24.870
Lourdes has once again become a hub for

01:24:24.870 --> 01:24:27.229
Russian intelligence within Cuba ? Well ,

01:24:27.310 --> 01:24:29.588
we've , we've long been concerned that ,

01:24:29.588 --> 01:24:31.588
uh , a foreign adversary using that

01:24:31.588 --> 01:24:33.532
kind of location that close to our

01:24:33.532 --> 01:24:35.588
shores is highly problematic . Yes .

01:24:35.588 --> 01:24:37.421
And is it also true that now the

01:24:37.421 --> 01:24:39.421
Chinese also are there ? I wouldn't

01:24:39.421 --> 01:24:41.588
want to reveal anything that should be

01:24:41.588 --> 01:24:43.699
classified , but we , we don't want ,

01:24:43.699 --> 01:24:45.866
uh , foreign adversaries attempting to

01:24:45.866 --> 01:24:47.921
use that island . Well stated . Um ,

01:24:47.921 --> 01:24:50.143
are you aware that , uh , well , you're

01:24:50.143 --> 01:24:52.366
obviously aware that that Cubans , uh ,

01:24:52.366 --> 01:24:54.477
intel people and , and military folks

01:24:54.477 --> 01:24:56.588
have been , have been sent around the

01:24:56.588 --> 01:24:58.366
world because your folks , uh ,

01:24:58.366 --> 01:25:00.477
confronted them , uh , in Venezuela ,

01:25:00.477 --> 01:25:02.310
um , but are you also aware that

01:25:02.310 --> 01:25:03.977
according to , uh , Ukrainian

01:25:03.977 --> 01:25:05.977
intelligence there are thousands of

01:25:05.977 --> 01:25:08.254
Cubans fighting for Russia and Ukraine ?

01:25:09.430 --> 01:25:11.652
Uh , I was not aware of that particular

01:25:11.652 --> 01:25:13.819
fact , but I am well aware that Cubans

01:25:13.819 --> 01:25:15.930
have been around the globe to include

01:25:15.930 --> 01:25:17.652
attempting to defend Maduro in

01:25:17.652 --> 01:25:19.486
Venezuela . So that is something

01:25:19.486 --> 01:25:21.819
they've done for a long time . Yes , uh ,

01:25:21.819 --> 01:25:21.580
you're also aware , Mr . Secretary ,

01:25:21.629 --> 01:25:24.629
that , uh , well , even stated by US

01:25:24.629 --> 01:25:26.685
intelligence , even during the Biden

01:25:26.685 --> 01:25:28.185
administration , the Trump

01:25:28.185 --> 01:25:29.851
administration , the previous

01:25:29.851 --> 01:25:31.351
administration , the Obama

01:25:31.351 --> 01:25:33.462
administration , that Cuba . Has been

01:25:33.462 --> 01:25:35.240
designated as one of the 4 most

01:25:35.240 --> 01:25:37.351
advanced espionage operations against

01:25:37.351 --> 01:25:39.462
the United States and that they share

01:25:39.462 --> 01:25:41.462
intel with other adversaries of the

01:25:41.462 --> 01:25:43.685
United States . Um , that all very much

01:25:43.685 --> 01:25:45.740
sounds right , sir , and , and again

01:25:45.740 --> 01:25:47.907
we're not in a classified setting , so

01:25:47.907 --> 01:25:50.018
I'm just considering all those issues

01:25:50.018 --> 01:25:52.185
and others that we could talk about in

01:25:52.185 --> 01:25:54.240
a classified , uh , setting . Do you

01:25:54.240 --> 01:25:56.462
believe that the Cuban regime possesses

01:25:56.462 --> 01:25:58.351
a national security threat to the

01:25:58.351 --> 01:26:02.120
United States ? Uh , I do Let , let me

01:26:02.120 --> 01:26:04.479
now focus , uh , on Iran as I have a

01:26:04.479 --> 01:26:06.535
little bit of time left over . You ,

01:26:06.535 --> 01:26:08.757
you , Mr . Secretary , you've been very

01:26:08.757 --> 01:26:10.868
clear what the goal is , but the goal

01:26:10.868 --> 01:26:13.430
that you're saying is not the goal that

01:26:13.439 --> 01:26:15.495
just this administration's had vis a

01:26:15.495 --> 01:26:17.328
vis Iran . It's been the goal of

01:26:17.328 --> 01:26:19.217
multiple presidents of the United

01:26:19.217 --> 01:26:21.217
States , right ? Iran cannot have a

01:26:21.217 --> 01:26:23.328
nuclear weapon . But I'd like to also

01:26:23.328 --> 01:26:25.050
ask you about Iran's offensive

01:26:25.050 --> 01:26:27.240
ballistic missiles , uh , and their

01:26:27.240 --> 01:26:29.351
offensive drones , uh , and their use

01:26:29.351 --> 01:26:32.140
of terrorism . Are those also issues

01:26:32.319 --> 01:26:36.120
that , um , would be , uh , factors

01:26:36.120 --> 01:26:38.459
in a negotiated settlement with Iran ,

01:26:38.839 --> 01:26:41.319
um , because I , I don't have to tell

01:26:41.319 --> 01:26:43.430
you that there've been negotiations ,

01:26:43.439 --> 01:26:45.217
uh , ad nauseam with Iran . The

01:26:45.217 --> 01:26:47.560
Iranians continue to cut deals , and

01:26:47.560 --> 01:26:50.379
yet they violate those deals . But it's

01:26:50.379 --> 01:26:52.212
interesting in , in the , in the

01:26:52.212 --> 01:26:54.435
nuclear deal , uh , that was , uh , cut

01:26:54.435 --> 01:26:56.069
with Iran during the Obama

01:26:56.069 --> 01:26:58.729
administration , uh , missiles weren't

01:26:58.729 --> 01:27:00.840
even in part of that deal , uh , as ,

01:27:00.840 --> 01:27:02.673
as , as horrible as the deal was

01:27:02.673 --> 01:27:04.785
dealing with the nuclear issue , uh ,

01:27:04.785 --> 01:27:06.951
nor was terrorism , and , and I'm just

01:27:06.951 --> 01:27:09.173
hoping that those two issues , not only

01:27:09.173 --> 01:27:11.396
the nuclear deal , which is paramount ,

01:27:11.396 --> 01:27:13.618
but , but offensive ballistic weapons .

01:27:13.618 --> 01:27:15.729
Missiles and we saw , we saw one that

01:27:15.729 --> 01:27:17.785
now has a capability of of traveling

01:27:17.785 --> 01:27:20.270
rather , rather far and also their

01:27:20.270 --> 01:27:22.589
spread of terrorism . I hope that those

01:27:22.589 --> 01:27:25.709
also would be factors in any resolution

01:27:25.709 --> 01:27:28.169
to this , uh , to this issue in Iran

01:27:28.169 --> 01:27:30.225
with Iran . Well , sir , we're not ,

01:27:30.225 --> 01:27:32.391
we're not the negotiating team , but I

01:27:32.391 --> 01:27:34.225
can tell you we have world class

01:27:34.225 --> 01:27:36.280
negotiators . The core of it is , is

01:27:36.280 --> 01:27:38.447
the nuclear weapons issue . Um , those

01:27:38.447 --> 01:27:40.447
other factors are always a factor ,

01:27:40.447 --> 01:27:42.113
understanding that . Iran has

01:27:42.113 --> 01:27:44.058
effectively tried to use the North

01:27:44.058 --> 01:27:46.169
Korea strategy with such overwhelming

01:27:46.169 --> 01:27:48.729
capabilities conventionally that no one

01:27:48.729 --> 01:27:50.951
would dare prevent them from pursuing a

01:27:50.951 --> 01:27:53.118
nuclear weapon , and it took President

01:27:53.118 --> 01:27:55.285
Trump to have the courage to make that

01:27:55.285 --> 01:27:57.451
historic decision and hopefully we can

01:27:57.451 --> 01:27:59.507
get that across the finish line with

01:27:59.507 --> 01:27:59.439
negotiations which are ongoing right

01:27:59.439 --> 01:28:01.661
now . Mr . Chairman , my time is up . I

01:28:01.661 --> 01:28:03.717
yield back . Thank you , sir . Thank

01:28:03.717 --> 01:28:05.919
you gentlemen , Ms . Lee . Uh , thank

01:28:05.919 --> 01:28:08.410
you , Mr . Chairman , uh , Secretary ,

01:28:08.520 --> 01:28:10.576
Undersecretary , and General , thank

01:28:10.576 --> 01:28:12.919
you for being here . Uh , Secretary

01:28:12.919 --> 01:28:15.799
Hegseth , about 11 years ago , US , uh ,

01:28:15.879 --> 01:28:18.200
Air Force veteran Sergeant David Cree

01:28:18.959 --> 01:28:21.240
served at , who served at the Nevada

01:28:21.240 --> 01:28:23.439
Test and Training range , realized for

01:28:23.439 --> 01:28:25.661
the first time that the health problems

01:28:25.661 --> 01:28:27.770
he'd been experiencing . Were not an

01:28:27.770 --> 01:28:30.540
isolated incident but matched the

01:28:30.540 --> 01:28:33.000
health problems of many other veterans

01:28:33.299 --> 01:28:35.660
who had served alongside him at Knitter .

01:28:36.140 --> 01:28:37.862
He was sitting in his backyard

01:28:37.862 --> 01:28:40.580
reconnecting with 8 of them and asked

01:28:40.580 --> 01:28:43.160
them , Does anyone here have tumors ?

01:28:43.459 --> 01:28:46.180
And 6 of 8 of them rose their hands and

01:28:46.180 --> 01:28:48.450
then proclaimed that even some of them

01:28:48.450 --> 01:28:51.979
had children with tumors . Dave , as it

01:28:51.979 --> 01:28:53.590
happens , had recently had a

01:28:53.590 --> 01:28:56.520
grape-sized tumor removed . Uh , from

01:28:56.520 --> 01:28:59.839
his neck . 3 years ago , he came to

01:28:59.839 --> 01:29:02.759
Washington when the VA had refused to

01:29:02.759 --> 01:29:04.815
provide him the kind of benefits and

01:29:04.815 --> 01:29:07.319
coverage he had earned and which he

01:29:07.319 --> 01:29:09.680
needs from the VA because of his

01:29:09.680 --> 01:29:12.439
Department of Defense would not provide

01:29:12.439 --> 01:29:14.600
the agency with his records of his

01:29:14.600 --> 01:29:17.839
knitter service . I helped introduce a

01:29:17.839 --> 01:29:21.750
bill 2 years ago . Uh , that

01:29:21.750 --> 01:29:23.910
and have been fighting on his behalf

01:29:23.910 --> 01:29:27.189
ever since . What is most frustrating

01:29:27.189 --> 01:29:29.149
about this fight is not that the

01:29:29.149 --> 01:29:31.430
federal government doesn't recognize

01:29:31.430 --> 01:29:33.689
these health impacts of their service .

01:29:33.910 --> 01:29:36.620
In fact , Congress 26 years ago

01:29:36.620 --> 01:29:39.029
provided a law providing medical

01:29:39.029 --> 01:29:41.350
coverage and compensation for the

01:29:41.350 --> 01:29:43.430
Department of Energy employees who

01:29:43.430 --> 01:29:46.669
served in the very same location that

01:29:46.669 --> 01:29:48.558
Dave Crete and his colleagues had

01:29:48.558 --> 01:29:51.149
served in . Instead their fight is

01:29:51.149 --> 01:29:53.419
against the Department of Defense red

01:29:53.419 --> 01:29:56.060
tape , uh , which you have been

01:29:56.060 --> 01:29:58.520
committed to fighting . Thank you . You

01:29:58.520 --> 01:30:00.631
see , one of the only things standing

01:30:00.631 --> 01:30:02.859
between the toxic exposed , uh ,

01:30:02.870 --> 01:30:05.229
exposed veterans at Nitter and

01:30:05.229 --> 01:30:07.870
comprehensive health coverage and

01:30:07.870 --> 01:30:11.589
benefits from the VA is documentation

01:30:11.830 --> 01:30:14.470
that the Department of Defense has that

01:30:14.470 --> 01:30:16.637
will prove that they served where they

01:30:16.637 --> 01:30:19.770
actually did . This documentation

01:30:19.770 --> 01:30:22.569
exists and we're just waiting for the

01:30:22.569 --> 01:30:25.890
department to act . Every day that you

01:30:25.890 --> 01:30:28.169
delay in providing this information ,

01:30:28.609 --> 01:30:30.640
another veteran and their family

01:30:30.640 --> 01:30:34.450
suffers unnecessarily . Last week I had

01:30:34.450 --> 01:30:36.569
the opportunity to meet many of these

01:30:36.569 --> 01:30:39.930
veterans . 2 hours before I met them ,

01:30:40.089 --> 01:30:42.700
one of them . Received a call from his

01:30:42.700 --> 01:30:45.580
oncologist informing him that he had

01:30:45.580 --> 01:30:48.939
multiple myeloma , an incurable blood

01:30:48.939 --> 01:30:51.580
cancer . Over the weekend , Dave was

01:30:51.580 --> 01:30:55.319
notified that 2 more of his cohort , uh ,

01:30:55.430 --> 01:30:58.330
had recent deaths . The Invisible Enemy ,

01:30:58.379 --> 01:31:00.601
which is an organization Dave founded ,

01:31:00.601 --> 01:31:02.779
maintains a memorial list of those who

01:31:02.779 --> 01:31:05.479
worked at Nitter and have passed away .

01:31:05.859 --> 01:31:08.140
When Dave testified before the House

01:31:08.140 --> 01:31:10.279
Veterans Affairs Committee . Uh ,

01:31:10.399 --> 01:31:12.790
roundtable 13 months ago ,

01:31:13.080 --> 01:31:16.359
462 veterans were on this list .

01:31:16.919 --> 01:31:19.120
Today that list includes

01:31:19.120 --> 01:31:22.799
565 names . Just one

01:31:22.799 --> 01:31:25.229
year of inaction has led to

01:31:25.229 --> 01:31:28.540
1103 veterans passing

01:31:29.040 --> 01:31:31.200
without the care that they received

01:31:31.200 --> 01:31:34.200
that they earned and their families

01:31:34.200 --> 01:31:36.839
without the benefits . This list grows

01:31:36.839 --> 01:31:40.270
by an average of 1 every 2 days . Mr .

01:31:40.350 --> 01:31:44.149
Secretary , you have the authority to

01:31:44.149 --> 01:31:46.316
provide the VA with the documents they

01:31:46.316 --> 01:31:49.589
need today , uh , to get these veterans

01:31:49.589 --> 01:31:51.830
the help they need . These veterans

01:31:51.830 --> 01:31:54.430
have been waiting far too long . Can

01:31:54.430 --> 01:31:57.669
you please commit to me that you will

01:31:57.669 --> 01:32:00.569
be able to provide that list or that

01:32:00.569 --> 01:32:03.229
information as soon as possible so that

01:32:03.229 --> 01:32:05.950
these veterans can get the care and the

01:32:05.950 --> 01:32:08.100
benefits that they have rightfully

01:32:08.100 --> 01:32:11.649
earned . Well , thank you for what

01:32:11.709 --> 01:32:13.765
you're doing for those folks , and I

01:32:13.765 --> 01:32:16.042
can certainly commit to you today that ,

01:32:16.042 --> 01:32:18.209
you know , my chief's right here we'll

01:32:18.209 --> 01:32:20.431
make , we , we will get a review for me

01:32:20.431 --> 01:32:22.598
as soon as early as next week and I'll

01:32:22.598 --> 01:32:22.470
get back to you on , on what our

01:32:22.470 --> 01:32:24.803
department's position should be on that .

01:32:24.803 --> 01:32:26.914
OK , well , I , I , first of all , we

01:32:26.914 --> 01:32:28.750
have the information .

01:32:30.810 --> 01:32:32.930
The Department of Energy has provided

01:32:32.930 --> 01:32:36.169
these benefits to the same cohort of

01:32:36.169 --> 01:32:39.399
people worked alongside them . I can't ,

01:32:39.490 --> 01:32:41.712
we cannot wait for another review . I'm

01:32:41.712 --> 01:32:43.768
asking for your commitment . I'm not

01:32:43.768 --> 01:32:45.934
talking about a full review . I'm just

01:32:45.934 --> 01:32:47.990
talking about a familiarization so I

01:32:47.990 --> 01:32:47.810
understand exactly what you're talking

01:32:47.810 --> 01:32:49.866
about , wrap my arms around it , and

01:32:49.866 --> 01:32:52.032
then get you a response . It's not a ,

01:32:52.032 --> 01:32:54.032
it's not a situation I have all the

01:32:54.032 --> 01:32:53.810
facts on . I just wanna get all the

01:32:53.810 --> 01:32:56.032
facts and understand it before I commit

01:32:56.032 --> 01:32:58.199
to something like that . All right , I

01:32:58.199 --> 01:33:00.254
just , uh . Like I said , one person

01:33:00.254 --> 01:33:03.120
every 2 days , 1 veteran who has served

01:33:03.120 --> 01:33:05.520
this country is dying and their

01:33:05.520 --> 01:33:07.879
families are going without the benefits

01:33:07.879 --> 01:33:10.959
they've earned . I can't express how

01:33:10.959 --> 01:33:13.120
urgent this need is . I thank you for

01:33:13.120 --> 01:33:16.479
your immediate attention to this issue .

01:33:17.970 --> 01:33:19.970
Thank you , gentle lady , uh , Mr .

01:33:19.970 --> 01:33:22.520
Elsie . Thank you , Mr . Chairman . Mr .

01:33:22.529 --> 01:33:24.751
Secretary , General Kaine , Jay , thank

01:33:24.751 --> 01:33:26.751
you all for being here . To all the

01:33:26.751 --> 01:33:28.751
staff sitting uncomfortably in very

01:33:28.751 --> 01:33:30.751
tight seats behind him , thanks for

01:33:30.751 --> 01:33:32.973
your dedication to our country . Master

01:33:32.973 --> 01:33:34.973
Chief Isom , you joined the Navy in

01:33:34.973 --> 01:33:36.696
1987 . Ronald Reagan was still

01:33:36.696 --> 01:33:38.862
president . You've been in uniform for

01:33:38.862 --> 01:33:40.918
39 years . I'd like to thank you and

01:33:40.918 --> 01:33:43.140
your family for all the sacrifices that

01:33:43.140 --> 01:33:44.973
you've made . You're clearly the

01:33:44.973 --> 01:33:47.085
essential man . And I , uh , I always

01:33:47.085 --> 01:33:49.029
want to point that out that , uh ,

01:33:49.029 --> 01:33:51.196
you've been serving , uh , in the Navy

01:33:51.196 --> 01:33:53.307
since I was a junior in high school .

01:33:53.307 --> 01:33:55.669
And so I'm very , very grateful . As we

01:33:55.669 --> 01:33:57.836
address $1.5 trillion dollar request ,

01:33:57.979 --> 01:33:59.810
I , I wanna say I appreciate

01:33:59.810 --> 01:34:01.977
participating in the tabletop exercise

01:34:01.977 --> 01:34:04.088
at the Pentagon , and I encourage all

01:34:04.088 --> 01:34:06.199
my colleagues to attend and do that .

01:34:06.199 --> 01:34:08.540
It gives a very clear message on why

01:34:08.540 --> 01:34:11.259
we're asking , uh , or you are asking

01:34:11.259 --> 01:34:13.140
for $1.5 trillion and how it's

01:34:13.140 --> 01:34:16.450
justified , uh . As we move forward

01:34:16.450 --> 01:34:18.680
with contested logistics and as , uh ,

01:34:18.689 --> 01:34:20.856
eventually this war in Iran will end ,

01:34:21.729 --> 01:34:23.896
uh , and the IndoPaycom becomes , uh ,

01:34:23.896 --> 01:34:25.785
the focus again , I'd like to see

01:34:25.785 --> 01:34:28.007
Congress fully fund the request for the

01:34:28.007 --> 01:34:30.173
Marine Corps McClung class LSM and the

01:34:30.173 --> 01:34:32.062
KC-130J for both the Navy and the

01:34:32.062 --> 01:34:34.173
Marine Corps , but the budget request

01:34:34.173 --> 01:34:36.285
breaks them up , and I'm not sure how

01:34:36.285 --> 01:34:38.229
you skin that cat . Uh , moving to

01:34:38.229 --> 01:34:40.340
force protection and counter UAS , as

01:34:40.340 --> 01:34:42.459
we've seen in Iran at , uh , nations

01:34:42.459 --> 01:34:44.689
that are somewhat far away from , uh ,

01:34:44.700 --> 01:34:46.922
Iran , we've had a force protection and

01:34:46.922 --> 01:34:49.410
counter UAS issue as we've lost a , uh ,

01:34:50.040 --> 01:34:53.540
a , an E3AWAC , which is worth 500 ,

01:34:53.770 --> 01:34:55.770
500 million when we bought it , but

01:34:55.770 --> 01:34:57.937
it's irreplaceable and there are fewer

01:34:57.937 --> 01:34:59.937
of those than B-21s . I think we're

01:34:59.937 --> 01:35:02.159
seeing , uh , the , uh , the reach of ,

01:35:02.159 --> 01:35:05.089
uh , of UAS's affect us in a way that

01:35:05.089 --> 01:35:07.299
we probably didn't anticipate . And we

01:35:07.299 --> 01:35:08.855
need to continue to use new

01:35:11.060 --> 01:35:12.949
companies that are developing new

01:35:12.949 --> 01:35:16.750
technologies to go after UASs . Uh ,

01:35:16.910 --> 01:35:19.132
General , you addressed , uh , Carl von

01:35:19.132 --> 01:35:21.299
Clausewitz , so I'll use Soon Suo as a

01:35:21.299 --> 01:35:23.521
counter . Even the finest sword plunged

01:35:23.521 --> 01:35:25.632
into saltwater will eventually rust ,

01:35:25.680 --> 01:35:28.180
and we deployed the USS Ford in June ,

01:35:28.950 --> 01:35:32.339
24th of 2025 . It's going on 11 months

01:35:32.680 --> 01:35:34.990
at sea , and as one of only two people

01:35:34.990 --> 01:35:37.101
in the room who have been on extended

01:35:37.101 --> 01:35:38.990
deployments on ships , myself and

01:35:38.990 --> 01:35:40.934
Master Chief Isom , I just want to

01:35:40.934 --> 01:35:42.990
point out thanks to the families who

01:35:42.990 --> 01:35:45.323
are sacrificing , this is going to . Um ,

01:35:45.323 --> 01:35:47.490
harm a lot of families and , and as we

01:35:47.490 --> 01:35:49.657
realize that every conflict we've been

01:35:49.657 --> 01:35:51.712
in in the last year has included the

01:35:51.712 --> 01:35:54.370
Ford and it's been essential to our

01:35:54.370 --> 01:35:56.370
operations . It also points out the

01:35:56.370 --> 01:35:58.481
need for carriers , and I don't think

01:35:58.481 --> 01:36:00.648
11 is enough , but also recognize that

01:36:00.648 --> 01:36:02.703
downrange that's going to affect the

01:36:02.703 --> 01:36:05.180
availability . And the readiness of our

01:36:05.180 --> 01:36:08.620
force going forward . Uh , so along

01:36:08.620 --> 01:36:10.750
with that , the capabilities that 1/6

01:36:10.750 --> 01:36:12.861
generation fighter on the carrier are

01:36:12.861 --> 01:36:15.028
so important , as we've already seen ,

01:36:15.028 --> 01:36:17.139
we've got the F-47 , we're going down

01:36:17.139 --> 01:36:19.417
select the FAXX later this summer . Uh ,

01:36:19.417 --> 01:36:21.361
General Kane , can you address why

01:36:21.361 --> 01:36:23.528
having both of those is so important ?

01:36:23.830 --> 01:36:25.830
Well , first , uh , sir , I want to

01:36:25.830 --> 01:36:28.910
echo your gratitude for the Ford . Uh ,

01:36:29.379 --> 01:36:31.657
yesterday , uh , the air wing flew off ,

01:36:31.870 --> 01:36:34.669
so we know that Oceania was a very

01:36:34.669 --> 01:36:37.649
happy place , uh , as , uh , those

01:36:37.649 --> 01:36:39.990
aviators fought through 800 ft broken

01:36:39.990 --> 01:36:42.212
to come up initial as they should after

01:36:42.212 --> 01:36:44.212
a record setting deployment . So we

01:36:44.212 --> 01:36:46.323
welcome the Ford back . You know , my

01:36:46.323 --> 01:36:48.434
job , I won't comment on a particular

01:36:48.434 --> 01:36:50.546
program , but the job that I'm in now

01:36:50.546 --> 01:36:52.459
is to offer a range of options to

01:36:52.459 --> 01:36:54.850
include our ability to project power

01:36:54.850 --> 01:36:57.129
off CVNs of the future . So as our

01:36:57.129 --> 01:36:59.351
civilian leadership carefully considers

01:36:59.351 --> 01:37:01.629
that , I know that'll be in the mix if ,

01:37:01.629 --> 01:37:03.962
uh , if they selected . And I know , uh ,

01:37:03.962 --> 01:37:06.129
your colleagues in Virginia and in San

01:37:06.129 --> 01:37:08.462
Diego are all focused on the same , sir .

01:37:11.669 --> 01:37:13.750
They're going to have similar

01:37:13.750 --> 01:37:15.972
capabilities , but I think as we switch

01:37:15.972 --> 01:37:18.270
to the Indo-Peycom region , that as we

01:37:18.270 --> 01:37:20.159
talk about 1st , 2nd , 3rd island

01:37:20.159 --> 01:37:22.381
chains , which for most of the American

01:37:22.381 --> 01:37:24.548
people doesn't really mean that much ,

01:37:24.548 --> 01:37:26.770
but the ability to have a moving , uh ,

01:37:26.770 --> 01:37:29.799
uh , airfield in the Indoecom , uh ,

01:37:29.990 --> 01:37:32.046
when we know that the Chinese , uh ,

01:37:32.069 --> 01:37:35.589
our peer adversary , have , uh , a

01:37:35.589 --> 01:37:37.790
number of hypersonic weapons that are

01:37:37.790 --> 01:37:40.430
going to be aimed at fixed . Points

01:37:40.430 --> 01:37:42.597
such as islands where our forces are ,

01:37:42.597 --> 01:37:44.708
it's just extremely important that we

01:37:44.708 --> 01:37:46.541
recognize that a moving aircraft

01:37:46.541 --> 01:37:48.589
carrier with unique capabilities ,

01:37:48.709 --> 01:37:50.931
which obviously can't be addressed in a

01:37:50.931 --> 01:37:53.310
place like this , um , that can shoot

01:37:53.310 --> 01:37:55.549
from outside the range of the

01:37:55.549 --> 01:37:57.549
capabilities of our adversaries is

01:37:57.549 --> 01:37:59.689
extremely . Important . I appreciate

01:37:59.689 --> 01:38:01.578
everything that y'all are doing .

01:38:01.578 --> 01:38:03.745
You're addressing an issue that hasn't

01:38:03.745 --> 01:38:06.020
been addressed in decades by asking for

01:38:06.020 --> 01:38:08.779
1.5 trillion . It's a hard ask . It's

01:38:08.779 --> 01:38:11.112
going to be difficult for us to sell it ,

01:38:11.112 --> 01:38:13.223
but I think it's absolutely essential

01:38:13.223 --> 01:38:15.390
for the defense of the United States ,

01:38:15.390 --> 01:38:17.501
including a supplemental . Which even

01:38:17.501 --> 01:38:19.446
people on my side of the aisle are

01:38:19.446 --> 01:38:21.446
saying they won't support . This is

01:38:21.446 --> 01:38:23.612
merely to refurbish and replenish that

01:38:23.612 --> 01:38:25.946
which we have expended in this conflict .

01:38:25.946 --> 01:38:25.709
It's absolutely essential for the

01:38:25.709 --> 01:38:27.765
defense of the United States and the

01:38:27.765 --> 01:38:29.987
Chinese are watching . So thank you for

01:38:29.987 --> 01:38:32.098
all three of you and everybody in the

01:38:32.098 --> 01:38:34.153
room that works in this department .

01:38:34.153 --> 01:38:33.740
Thank you for what you do . You're back .

01:38:34.479 --> 01:38:36.646
Thank you , gentlemen , Mr . Morelli .

01:38:37.970 --> 01:38:39.914
Thank you , uh , Mr . Chairman . I

01:38:39.914 --> 01:38:41.859
appreciate , uh , this hearing and

01:38:41.859 --> 01:38:44.026
thank you all for , for being here and

01:38:44.026 --> 01:38:46.192
for testifying . I just wanted to make

01:38:46.192 --> 01:38:48.359
a general observation first of all . I

01:38:48.359 --> 01:38:51.140
do get the sense that sometimes people

01:38:51.140 --> 01:38:53.029
think that critical questions are

01:38:53.029 --> 01:38:56.379
unpatriotic , weak , or defeatist . I

01:38:56.379 --> 01:38:58.601
just wanna say for the record , I don't

01:38:58.601 --> 01:39:00.657
think that's the true . I think it's

01:39:00.657 --> 01:39:02.879
the opposite , and I appreciate General

01:39:02.879 --> 01:39:02.299
Kane , you've mentioned civilian

01:39:02.299 --> 01:39:04.729
leadership . And civilian civilian

01:39:04.729 --> 01:39:06.618
control a number of times in your

01:39:06.618 --> 01:39:08.562
testimony this morning . We're the

01:39:08.562 --> 01:39:10.673
Congress , uh , civilian control that

01:39:10.673 --> 01:39:12.785
you have talked about begins and ends

01:39:12.785 --> 01:39:14.951
here , and that's why the founders put

01:39:14.951 --> 01:39:16.840
in Article One responsibility for

01:39:16.840 --> 01:39:18.840
funding and for declarations of war

01:39:19.069 --> 01:39:21.236
with the United States Congress . So I

01:39:21.236 --> 01:39:23.402
wanna just mention that because I hear

01:39:23.402 --> 01:39:25.513
it all the time and we are not in any

01:39:25.513 --> 01:39:27.458
way when we ask critical questions

01:39:27.458 --> 01:39:29.970
demeaning or in any way . Reducing our

01:39:29.970 --> 01:39:31.914
tremendous respect for the men and

01:39:31.914 --> 01:39:33.803
women of the military , the joint

01:39:33.803 --> 01:39:35.970
forces of the United States . So I , I

01:39:35.970 --> 01:39:38.303
feel like that needs to be said , and I ,

01:39:38.303 --> 01:39:40.081
I , I , I appreciate , um , the

01:39:40.081 --> 01:39:42.303
comments that you made , General Kane ,

01:39:42.303 --> 01:39:44.526
about civilian control . Second , as it

01:39:44.526 --> 01:39:46.581
relates to mandatory spending versus

01:39:46.581 --> 01:39:46.370
discretionary , I think this is really

01:39:46.370 --> 01:39:48.203
important . This committee , the

01:39:48.203 --> 01:39:50.148
Appropriations Committee , and the

01:39:50.148 --> 01:39:52.203
Defense Subcommittee , is , is given

01:39:52.203 --> 01:39:54.370
the responsibility by the Congress and

01:39:54.370 --> 01:39:56.370
by the American people to make sure

01:39:56.370 --> 01:39:58.426
that we have an appreciation for all

01:39:58.426 --> 01:40:00.592
the dollars , taxpayer dollars that go

01:40:00.592 --> 01:40:02.426
into defending this nation , and

01:40:02.426 --> 01:40:04.759
questions again , uh , ought to be here .

01:40:04.759 --> 01:40:06.537
Transparency begins here . Uh ,

01:40:06.537 --> 01:40:08.990
Oversight begins here and mandatory

01:40:08.990 --> 01:40:11.212
spending avoids the responsibility this

01:40:11.212 --> 01:40:13.434
committee has to report to the American

01:40:13.434 --> 01:40:15.712
people on how our money is being spent .

01:40:15.712 --> 01:40:18.390
So I , I just again want to stress how

01:40:18.390 --> 01:40:20.750
important it is . Uh , I appreciate my

01:40:20.750 --> 01:40:22.861
friend Mr . Elsi's comments about the

01:40:22.861 --> 01:40:25.040
$1.5 trillion request . If it is so

01:40:25.040 --> 01:40:27.262
obvious to everyone and to the American

01:40:27.262 --> 01:40:29.484
people that that's the dollar amount we

01:40:29.484 --> 01:40:31.540
need , we ought not be going through

01:40:31.540 --> 01:40:33.540
this mandatory discretionary , uh ,

01:40:33.540 --> 01:40:35.762
supplemental . Let's , let's put it all

01:40:35.762 --> 01:40:37.984
on the table and let's make the case to

01:40:37.984 --> 01:40:40.096
the American people . Um , you know ,

01:40:40.096 --> 01:40:42.319
we've now waited since February 28th is

01:40:42.319 --> 01:40:46.040
by my count , 11 weeks , 74 days since

01:40:46.040 --> 01:40:48.279
hostilities began in Iran and trying to

01:40:48.279 --> 01:40:51.299
get a , uh , uh , a , a , a reporting .

01:40:51.680 --> 01:40:53.847
Of the dollars that have been spent in

01:40:53.847 --> 01:40:55.847
this has been excruciating and it's

01:40:55.847 --> 01:40:58.124
been long . I think General Washington ,

01:40:58.124 --> 01:40:59.736
uh , reported quicker to the

01:40:59.736 --> 01:41:01.847
Continental Congress , uh , than this

01:41:01.847 --> 01:41:03.847
has been in terms of reports to the

01:41:03.847 --> 01:41:05.902
United States Congress , and I would

01:41:05.902 --> 01:41:08.013
just in the strongest terms urge that

01:41:08.013 --> 01:41:10.236
we move forward and give this committee

01:41:10.236 --> 01:41:12.291
a full reporting on what the cost of

01:41:12.291 --> 01:41:15.100
this endeavor has been . With that , um ,

01:41:15.370 --> 01:41:17.560
I didn't wanna make a , a quick , you

01:41:17.560 --> 01:41:19.671
men , you mentioned that , Mr. , uh ,

01:41:19.671 --> 01:41:21.504
Mr . Secretary , in your opening

01:41:21.504 --> 01:41:23.727
comments about private companies making

01:41:23.727 --> 01:41:25.893
private investments in our defense . I

01:41:25.893 --> 01:41:28.060
assume they're getting compensated for

01:41:28.060 --> 01:41:27.919
investment . When you say private

01:41:27.919 --> 01:41:29.697
investment , are you suggesting

01:41:29.697 --> 01:41:31.752
companies are making investments for

01:41:31.752 --> 01:41:34.086
which they will not be compensated ? Uh ,

01:41:34.086 --> 01:41:36.197
yes , I am . Why would they do that ?

01:41:36.197 --> 01:41:38.252
Because we're turning it , uh , uh ,

01:41:38.252 --> 01:41:40.086
it's a , it's the right question

01:41:40.086 --> 01:41:42.308
because we've done it one way for years

01:41:42.308 --> 01:41:44.530
and years and gotten the same results .

01:41:44.530 --> 01:41:46.475
So this is changing the paradigm .

01:41:46.475 --> 01:41:48.475
Companies now know we're gonna give

01:41:48.475 --> 01:41:50.252
them orders for 5 to 7 years on

01:41:50.252 --> 01:41:52.252
exquisite munitions in exchange for

01:41:52.252 --> 01:41:54.475
them paying for capitalization of their

01:41:54.475 --> 01:41:56.697
own plants . We used to pay for them to

01:41:56.697 --> 01:41:58.697
build their plants and then buy the

01:41:58.697 --> 01:42:00.752
munitions from them . So now because

01:42:00.752 --> 01:42:00.549
they know they got , they got

01:42:00.549 --> 01:42:02.962
consistent . They are , no , I

01:42:02.962 --> 01:42:05.073
appreciate , I appreciate what you're

01:42:05.073 --> 01:42:07.240
saying . They're upfronting the crimes

01:42:07.240 --> 01:42:09.462
are now paying for their own plants and

01:42:09.462 --> 01:42:11.629
equipment . That's a , that is a brand

01:42:11.629 --> 01:42:11.183
new paradigm . The taxpayer's not

01:42:11.183 --> 01:42:13.294
paying for it . That's $50 billion of

01:42:13.294 --> 01:42:14.905
value that you don't have to

01:42:14.905 --> 01:42:16.627
appropriate , uh , because the

01:42:16.627 --> 01:42:18.905
companies are paying for it themselves ,

01:42:18.905 --> 01:42:20.627
and the companies will not get

01:42:20.627 --> 01:42:20.342
compensated . They're gonna make that

01:42:20.342 --> 01:42:22.342
as a charitable contribution to the

01:42:22.342 --> 01:42:24.175
United States government . Their

01:42:24.175 --> 01:42:26.231
compensation is long lead times . Of

01:42:26.231 --> 01:42:28.453
munitions that they will produce and we

01:42:28.453 --> 01:42:30.453
will pay for in the future , but we

01:42:30.453 --> 01:42:29.886
don't have to build that just to be

01:42:29.886 --> 01:42:31.997
clear , this is how I'm reclaiming my

01:42:31.997 --> 01:42:34.330
time reclaiming . I just wanna be clear ,

01:42:34.330 --> 01:42:36.386
wait , build their own factories . I

01:42:36.386 --> 01:42:35.645
appreciate what you're saying , but

01:42:35.645 --> 01:42:37.925
let's not , I mean , let's , let's be

01:42:37.925 --> 01:42:40.203
honest , they're gonna get compensated .

01:42:40.203 --> 01:42:42.092
I , I look , I'm for that , and I

01:42:42.092 --> 01:42:44.258
appreciate what you're saying in terms

01:42:44.258 --> 01:42:46.203
of lead time and dependability and

01:42:46.203 --> 01:42:48.147
reliability of funding , but , but

01:42:48.147 --> 01:42:50.203
let's be clear , um , I wanna switch

01:42:50.203 --> 01:42:52.536
topics if I can for a second , um , the ,

01:42:52.536 --> 01:42:54.740
um . There's been much reported about

01:42:54.740 --> 01:42:57.580
the president's trip to China , and I

01:42:57.580 --> 01:42:59.802
appreciate again my colleagues who have

01:42:59.802 --> 01:43:01.858
raised Indo Paycom and its defense .

01:43:02.589 --> 01:43:04.811
There are weapons sales which have been

01:43:04.811 --> 01:43:06.756
on hold that the president has not

01:43:06.756 --> 01:43:08.922
authorized to Taiwan , and I wonder if

01:43:08.922 --> 01:43:11.145
you could give me an update either Mr .

01:43:11.145 --> 01:43:13.311
Secretary or General Kaine on what the

01:43:13.311 --> 01:43:15.367
status of those weapons sales are at

01:43:15.367 --> 01:43:17.367
this point . I , I just want to say

01:43:17.367 --> 01:43:19.311
that the primes will be paying for

01:43:19.311 --> 01:43:21.645
those factories out of their own pocket ,

01:43:21.645 --> 01:43:23.533
not the department's money or the

01:43:23.533 --> 01:43:23.279
taxpayers' money , which is a sea

01:43:23.279 --> 01:43:25.223
change , which is why I think this

01:43:25.223 --> 01:43:27.390
budget , they're gonna get a return on

01:43:27.390 --> 01:43:26.919
their investment , uh , which , by the

01:43:26.919 --> 01:43:28.808
way , this is America , well , we

01:43:28.808 --> 01:43:30.975
welcome a return on investment . Yes ,

01:43:30.975 --> 01:43:33.086
I understand , but they're not paying

01:43:33.086 --> 01:43:33.040
for it out of their pocket , not

01:43:33.040 --> 01:43:34.984
getting compensated . But anyway ,

01:43:34.984 --> 01:43:36.929
could you answer my question about

01:43:36.929 --> 01:43:39.096
Taiwan ? Buildings cost money , and if

01:43:39.096 --> 01:43:41.207
we're giving them $2 billion to build

01:43:41.207 --> 01:43:43.318
the factory , that's taxpayer money .

01:43:43.318 --> 01:43:42.846
If they're . Using it out of their own

01:43:42.846 --> 01:43:45.246
hide , that's $2 billion saved for the

01:43:45.246 --> 01:43:47.079
American people that then we can

01:43:47.079 --> 01:43:49.135
appropriate toward munitions that we

01:43:49.135 --> 01:43:51.135
pay for in the future . I know it's

01:43:51.135 --> 01:43:53.190
difficult to grasp . It's not , it's

01:43:53.190 --> 01:43:55.246
what happens , sir . It's , it's the

01:43:55.246 --> 01:43:57.302
department . It's a different way of

01:43:57.302 --> 01:43:56.565
getting to the same place . You're

01:43:56.565 --> 01:43:58.732
gonna pay for it , the United States ,

01:43:58.732 --> 01:44:00.565
and look , we ought to . They're

01:44:00.565 --> 01:44:02.787
building things for us , but to suggest

01:44:02.787 --> 01:44:02.675
that somehow they're making an

01:44:02.675 --> 01:44:04.786
investment that they're not gonna get

01:44:04.786 --> 01:44:06.786
compensated through sales is just ,

01:44:06.786 --> 01:44:08.897
it's honestly kind of ridiculous . We

01:44:08.897 --> 01:44:10.953
used to pay for the building too and

01:44:10.953 --> 01:44:13.119
then pay for the sales , and now we're

01:44:13.119 --> 01:44:12.932
paying for the sales but not the

01:44:12.932 --> 01:44:15.099
building , which I think is a good and

01:44:15.099 --> 01:44:17.321
they're not embedding that in the price

01:44:17.321 --> 01:44:17.211
of the things that they're selling to

01:44:17.211 --> 01:44:19.378
us , the capitalization , the cap acts

01:44:20.082 --> 01:44:22.249
that they're putting into it , they're

01:44:22.249 --> 01:44:24.415
gonna get back . I look , I don't know

01:44:24.415 --> 01:44:23.722
why we're even arguing about it .

01:44:23.892 --> 01:44:25.781
They're paying for it . Could you

01:44:25.781 --> 01:44:27.836
answer my question about Taiwan arms

01:44:27.836 --> 01:44:29.948
sales ? That's the president's on the

01:44:29.948 --> 01:44:29.452
cusp of a trip , and I'll be with him ,

01:44:29.492 --> 01:44:31.436
and he will make all the decisions

01:44:31.436 --> 01:44:33.103
related to that . I think the

01:44:33.103 --> 01:44:36.100
gentleman's time has expired . Make a

01:44:36.100 --> 01:44:38.211
quick point . There is a , there is a

01:44:38.211 --> 01:44:40.322
change . The , the industrial base is

01:44:40.322 --> 01:44:42.419
putting money at risk with the

01:44:42.419 --> 01:44:45.600
expectation of orders , but there is no

01:44:45.779 --> 01:44:48.660
guarantee if , in fact , that , that uh

01:44:49.419 --> 01:44:51.641
Particular product that they may make ,

01:44:51.641 --> 01:44:53.790
uh , is not met or meet the standards

01:44:53.790 --> 01:44:56.012
in which we , uh , want to acquire it ,

01:44:56.390 --> 01:44:58.501
uh , and that is a significant change

01:44:58.501 --> 01:45:00.612
in what we've done in the past . Mr .

01:45:00.612 --> 01:45:02.779
Fleischman , thank you , Mr . Chairman

01:45:02.779 --> 01:45:04.779
and thank you Secretary . I commend

01:45:04.779 --> 01:45:06.723
those changes in the innovation to

01:45:06.723 --> 01:45:08.890
everyone on this panel , thank you for

01:45:08.890 --> 01:45:10.946
a job well done . Thank you for what

01:45:10.946 --> 01:45:13.112
you're doing for our country . This is

01:45:13.112 --> 01:45:15.334
truly incredible . So let me start with

01:45:15.334 --> 01:45:17.569
that , um . As chairman of the Energy

01:45:17.569 --> 01:45:19.680
and Water Subcommittee , I'm going to

01:45:19.680 --> 01:45:21.847
take a little bit different approach .

01:45:21.847 --> 01:45:23.347
I'm deeply involved in the

01:45:23.347 --> 01:45:25.458
recapitalization and modernization of

01:45:25.458 --> 01:45:28.640
our nation's nuclear deterrent . As we

01:45:28.640 --> 01:45:30.862
are recapitalizing the entire strategic

01:45:30.862 --> 01:45:32.918
nuclear arsenal , I remain concerned

01:45:32.918 --> 01:45:35.084
about the lack of options lower on the

01:45:35.084 --> 01:45:37.029
escalation ladder available to the

01:45:37.029 --> 01:45:39.196
president . In theater , non-strategic

01:45:39.196 --> 01:45:41.418
nuclear weapons have remained essential

01:45:41.418 --> 01:45:43.362
to the credibility of our extended

01:45:43.362 --> 01:45:45.362
deterrent commitment to NATO . Um ,

01:45:45.689 --> 01:45:47.911
I've got a couple of questions to ask ,

01:45:47.911 --> 01:45:50.279
but I'm gonna ask General , uh , Kaine

01:45:50.279 --> 01:45:52.490
and Secretary Hegseth , what is your

01:45:52.490 --> 01:45:54.770
assessment of our non-strategic nuclear

01:45:54.770 --> 01:45:57.089
capability gaps in the Indo-Pacific and

01:45:57.089 --> 01:45:59.410
elsewhere ? What additional tactical

01:45:59.410 --> 01:46:01.632
nuclear capabilities beyond Slickam and

01:46:02.049 --> 01:46:04.160
should we consider that would be most

01:46:04.160 --> 01:46:05.919
useful for reassuring allies ,

01:46:06.209 --> 01:46:08.370
deterring our adversaries , and

01:46:08.370 --> 01:46:11.129
providing combatant commands and usual

01:46:11.129 --> 01:46:13.720
options in the worst case event of a

01:46:13.720 --> 01:46:17.620
conflict ? We , we're , as

01:46:17.620 --> 01:46:19.453
you know , we're making a , a $2

01:46:19.453 --> 01:46:21.509
billion investment and you mentioned

01:46:21.509 --> 01:46:23.731
Slick AM , uh , and in FY 26 . So we're

01:46:23.731 --> 01:46:25.953
investing in that . But I , I would say

01:46:25.953 --> 01:46:28.009
that , uh , a lot of that discussion

01:46:28.009 --> 01:46:30.176
would be classified given old plans in

01:46:30.176 --> 01:46:32.398
the Indo-Pacific . But Admiral Paparo ,

01:46:32.398 --> 01:46:34.509
uh , I , I would say there's no COCOM

01:46:34.509 --> 01:46:36.342
commander we have regular , uh ,

01:46:36.342 --> 01:46:38.564
feedback with on what dilemmas we might

01:46:38.564 --> 01:46:40.620
need to create for an adversary than

01:46:40.620 --> 01:46:42.731
Admiral Paparo and Indo Peycom , uh ,

01:46:42.731 --> 01:46:45.009
to include everything that would deter ,

01:46:45.009 --> 01:46:47.176
uh , any level of , of aggression . So

01:46:47.176 --> 01:46:48.787
I , I think there's a lot of

01:46:48.787 --> 01:46:50.953
sensitivity on this topic that doesn't

01:46:50.953 --> 01:46:53.120
lend itself to this environment , uh ,

01:46:53.120 --> 01:46:52.879
but very much so we're looking at all

01:46:52.879 --> 01:46:55.046
options . Thank you . And I would also

01:46:55.046 --> 01:46:57.046
commend the Admiral Pamaro . He , I

01:46:57.046 --> 01:46:59.212
mean , they're doing incredible work .

01:46:59.212 --> 01:47:01.620
Yes sir , General . Sir , I was just ,

01:47:01.629 --> 01:47:03.589
uh , acknowledging the secretary's

01:47:03.589 --> 01:47:05.910
comment about what forum we're in here

01:47:05.910 --> 01:47:08.080
today . You know , all 3 , and I

01:47:08.080 --> 01:47:10.247
appreciate the Congress's leadership ,

01:47:10.247 --> 01:47:12.136
all 3 legs of the triad are , are

01:47:12.136 --> 01:47:14.520
undergoing modernization and all

01:47:14.520 --> 01:47:17.200
require that , and we're grateful for

01:47:17.200 --> 01:47:19.422
the assistance from the Congress . It's

01:47:19.422 --> 01:47:21.680
a bedrock to deterrence around the

01:47:21.680 --> 01:47:24.225
world and one that we Want to maintain

01:47:24.225 --> 01:47:26.336
our focus on . I'll probably leave it

01:47:26.336 --> 01:47:28.392
at that and can come back if there's

01:47:28.392 --> 01:47:30.614
follow up questions . Thank you , and I

01:47:30.614 --> 01:47:30.564
would assure you gentlemen that in the

01:47:30.564 --> 01:47:32.564
Energy and water bill , which funds

01:47:32.564 --> 01:47:34.675
this , we will certainly address that

01:47:34.675 --> 01:47:36.964
in a very robust way , as I think the

01:47:37.015 --> 01:47:39.348
administration has . So I thank you all .

01:47:39.348 --> 01:47:41.515
Uh , as most of you know , I , in that

01:47:41.515 --> 01:47:43.348
bill , I'm probably the nation's

01:47:43.348 --> 01:47:45.182
strongest proponent supporter of

01:47:45.182 --> 01:47:48.459
nuclear power . In Congress , a nuclear

01:47:48.459 --> 01:47:50.515
propulsion has long provided a great

01:47:50.515 --> 01:47:52.515
United States Navy with significant

01:47:52.515 --> 01:47:54.839
operational advantages . Um , there's

01:47:54.839 --> 01:47:57.120
been tremendous tremendous progress

01:47:57.500 --> 01:47:59.722
within your department accelerating the

01:47:59.722 --> 01:48:02.339
adoption of nuclear energy as a means

01:48:02.339 --> 01:48:04.117
of providing resilient and long

01:48:04.117 --> 01:48:06.283
duration power generation for military

01:48:06.283 --> 01:48:08.640
installations and forward operations .

01:48:09.000 --> 01:48:11.000
I'm excited about the Army's JanusS

01:48:11.000 --> 01:48:12.722
program and the Air Force just

01:48:12.722 --> 01:48:15.560
announced the first two air bases to

01:48:15.560 --> 01:48:18.500
receive microreactors . My question ,

01:48:18.640 --> 01:48:20.759
uh , gentlemen , is , can you walk us

01:48:20.759 --> 01:48:22.926
through how the department is thinking

01:48:22.926 --> 01:48:25.092
about the role of nuclear power across

01:48:25.092 --> 01:48:26.981
the joint force , including naval

01:48:26.981 --> 01:48:28.926
propulsion and the use of advanced

01:48:28.926 --> 01:48:31.000
reactors for base and expeditionary

01:48:31.000 --> 01:48:33.167
power ? What operational advantage did

01:48:33.167 --> 01:48:35.333
you see these technologies providing ,

01:48:35.333 --> 01:48:37.830
particularly in the Indo-Pacific ? And

01:48:37.830 --> 01:48:39.997
what can we be doing to accelerate and

01:48:39.997 --> 01:48:43.750
expand these efforts ? In both

01:48:43.750 --> 01:48:45.750
incredibly important capabilities ,

01:48:45.770 --> 01:48:48.209
microreactors and propulsion , uh ,

01:48:48.720 --> 01:48:51.053
whether you're looking at survivability ,

01:48:51.053 --> 01:48:52.942
sustainability of , of basing and

01:48:52.942 --> 01:48:55.053
mobility within basing , uh , and the

01:48:55.053 --> 01:48:57.164
expectation in the homeland or abroad

01:48:57.164 --> 01:48:59.331
that the lights are on and , and , and

01:48:59.331 --> 01:49:01.553
we can operate even if it's a contested

01:49:01.553 --> 01:49:01.129
environment . And then there's just no

01:49:01.129 --> 01:49:03.351
doubt , uh , that you , you can't , you

01:49:03.351 --> 01:49:05.407
can't beat nuclear propulsion , uh ,

01:49:05.407 --> 01:49:07.407
especially as we've refined it over

01:49:07.407 --> 01:49:09.629
time . So I appreciate your efforts and

01:49:09.629 --> 01:49:09.209
I think in this department you'll find

01:49:09.209 --> 01:49:10.987
a , a , a friend in ensuring we

01:49:10.987 --> 01:49:12.820
maximize that . Thank you , Mr .

01:49:12.820 --> 01:49:15.319
Secretary General . Sir , I'll just say

01:49:15.319 --> 01:49:17.279
that the , the joint staff has

01:49:17.279 --> 01:49:20.080
collaborated and continues to do so

01:49:20.080 --> 01:49:22.080
with all the combatant commands and

01:49:22.080 --> 01:49:24.302
services , uh , the secretary's team in

01:49:24.302 --> 01:49:26.560
office on OSW and the Congress to make

01:49:26.560 --> 01:49:29.600
sure that we're looking at the range of

01:49:29.600 --> 01:49:31.822
energy requirements that we're going to

01:49:31.822 --> 01:49:35.169
have and that we move from , frankly ,

01:49:35.200 --> 01:49:37.620
in some cases a reactive posture , no ,

01:49:37.759 --> 01:49:39.870
no reaction into your nuclear point ,

01:49:39.870 --> 01:49:42.899
but To a more proactive stance around

01:49:42.899 --> 01:49:46.180
how we're going to ensure energy , uh ,

01:49:46.379 --> 01:49:49.819
sustainability in a range of situations

01:49:49.819 --> 01:49:51.930
that we could face . So we appreciate

01:49:51.930 --> 01:49:54.097
the , we appreciate the chance to come

01:49:54.097 --> 01:49:56.263
in . Thank you , General , and again ,

01:49:56.263 --> 01:49:58.597
once again I begin with profound thanks .

01:49:58.597 --> 01:50:00.708
I will end that way to all of y'all .

01:50:00.708 --> 01:50:02.652
You're back . Thank you . Thanks ,

01:50:02.652 --> 01:50:04.986
gentlemen , Mr . Joyce . Thank you , uh ,

01:50:04.986 --> 01:50:07.208
Chairman . Thank you all for being here

01:50:07.208 --> 01:50:09.930
in , uh , Defense , uh , yes , Defense

01:50:09.930 --> 01:50:12.152
Secretary , War Secretary , excuse me ,

01:50:12.609 --> 01:50:14.776
uh , Heeth , God speed on that project

01:50:14.776 --> 01:50:16.887
of changing our procurement process .

01:50:16.959 --> 01:50:18.626
America is at its finest when

01:50:18.626 --> 01:50:20.570
capitalism and and capital markets

01:50:20.570 --> 01:50:22.681
allow free competition and you get to

01:50:22.681 --> 01:50:24.737
purchase the best of all those ideas

01:50:24.737 --> 01:50:26.959
out there . Speaking of which , in June

01:50:26.959 --> 01:50:29.181
2025 , Ukraine's Operation Spider Web ,

01:50:29.181 --> 01:50:31.348
if you're familiar with it , destroyed

01:50:31.348 --> 01:50:33.515
and damaged dozens of Russian aircraft

01:50:33.515 --> 01:50:35.626
on the ground using low-cost covertly

01:50:35.626 --> 01:50:37.515
infiltrated drones , demonstrated

01:50:37.515 --> 01:50:39.626
military installations are vulnerable

01:50:39.626 --> 01:50:41.459
to asymmetric drone attacks at a

01:50:41.459 --> 01:50:43.681
fraction of conventional strike costs .

01:50:43.681 --> 01:50:45.848
What steps is the department taking to

01:50:45.848 --> 01:50:48.015
protect our military bases from covert

01:50:48.015 --> 01:50:49.792
drone attacks , and do you need

01:50:49.792 --> 01:50:51.903
additional funding to safeguard those

01:50:51.903 --> 01:50:53.737
assets ? Well , I appreciate the

01:50:53.737 --> 01:50:55.348
question and it's , it's the

01:50:55.348 --> 01:50:57.348
battlefield trend , well , one of a

01:50:57.348 --> 01:50:59.330
handful that we're most closely

01:50:59.330 --> 01:51:02.069
tracking and investing in $54 billion

01:51:02.069 --> 01:51:03.847
in defense autonomous warfare ,

01:51:03.890 --> 01:51:06.129
recognition that every aspect of how we

01:51:06.129 --> 01:51:08.879
fight will be affected by . Uh ,

01:51:09.899 --> 01:51:12.010
technology and techniques and tactics

01:51:12.010 --> 01:51:14.410
like , like that one and , uh , and

01:51:14.620 --> 01:51:16.731
every environment more contested than

01:51:16.731 --> 01:51:18.898
it's ever been and the ability to both

01:51:18.898 --> 01:51:20.787
go on offense and defense in that

01:51:20.787 --> 01:51:20.779
environment has to be something we're

01:51:20.779 --> 01:51:23.399
not just at parity with but ahead of

01:51:23.560 --> 01:51:25.449
adversaries to ensure that we can

01:51:25.449 --> 01:51:27.504
create the kind of , uh , advantages

01:51:27.504 --> 01:51:29.560
we've , we're , we're used to having

01:51:29.560 --> 01:51:31.449
and that's , that's our job is to

01:51:31.449 --> 01:51:31.035
ensure that we're looking around . On

01:51:31.035 --> 01:51:33.202
the corner . And so this investment in

01:51:33.202 --> 01:51:35.479
this budget , I don't know what it was ,

01:51:35.479 --> 01:51:37.702
Jay , in FY 26 , but it was a , a , a ,

01:51:37.702 --> 01:51:39.915
a small fraction of 54 billion and

01:51:39.915 --> 01:51:42.015
we're even looking at the dog and

01:51:42.754 --> 01:51:44.810
metamorphosizing it , whether it's a

01:51:44.810 --> 01:51:46.754
joint task force into a subunified

01:51:46.754 --> 01:51:48.810
command . We're elevating this so we

01:51:48.810 --> 01:51:50.865
can push it through the services and

01:51:50.865 --> 01:51:53.032
ensure that it's not just something we

01:51:53.032 --> 01:51:52.955
do in an exquisite way , but it's how

01:51:52.955 --> 01:51:55.274
we fight at every echelon through the

01:51:55.274 --> 01:51:57.555
services , and that budget number is a ,

01:51:57.564 --> 01:51:59.919
is a reflection of that . Well , you're

01:51:59.919 --> 01:52:02.030
getting attacked on a lot of fronts ,

01:52:02.030 --> 01:52:04.141
Secretary Hecketh . Can I just , uh ,

01:52:04.141 --> 01:52:06.141
can I just follow up ? Would that ,

01:52:06.141 --> 01:52:08.310
would that be OK ? Um , 111 thing that

01:52:08.310 --> 01:52:10.421
I appreciate the partnership with the

01:52:10.421 --> 01:52:13.229
Congress on is , as we evolve from the

01:52:13.229 --> 01:52:15.589
warfighting mix that we have right now .

01:52:16.069 --> 01:52:18.990
The cost of precision and the cost of

01:52:18.990 --> 01:52:22.069
range is coming down . And so as we

01:52:22.069 --> 01:52:24.291
look at this , this budget , we look at

01:52:24.291 --> 01:52:26.236
the mix of capabilities that we're

01:52:26.236 --> 01:52:28.125
going to have . We talk about the

01:52:28.125 --> 01:52:30.410
agility in the defense industrial base

01:52:30.660 --> 01:52:33.069
and the national industrial base , the

01:52:33.069 --> 01:52:35.609
flexibility that we His teammates are

01:52:35.609 --> 01:52:37.665
going to have to have to ensure that

01:52:37.665 --> 01:52:40.490
we're not buying behind the technology

01:52:40.490 --> 01:52:42.712
development curve , but we're buying in

01:52:42.712 --> 01:52:44.823
front of it is something that we look

01:52:44.823 --> 01:52:46.810
in the joint force to partner with

01:52:46.810 --> 01:52:49.930
obviously OSW but also the Congress on

01:52:49.930 --> 01:52:52.290
this as technology moves really fast .

01:52:52.529 --> 01:52:54.709
Thank you . No problem , sir . I just

01:52:54.709 --> 01:52:56.876
want to touch another angle that we're

01:52:56.876 --> 01:52:59.098
getting attacked at unfortunately , and

01:52:59.098 --> 01:52:58.910
that's the cyber threats from

01:52:58.910 --> 01:53:01.189
adversaries like China , Russia , Iran ,

01:53:01.270 --> 01:53:03.103
and criminal organizations which

01:53:03.103 --> 01:53:05.103
continue to grow . The department's

01:53:05.103 --> 01:53:07.326
ability to defend critical networks and

01:53:07.326 --> 01:53:09.548
support the military operations depends

01:53:09.548 --> 01:53:11.659
on a strong and ready cyber workforce

01:53:11.659 --> 01:53:13.770
across all the services . At the same

01:53:13.770 --> 01:53:15.992
time , unfortunately , you're competing

01:53:15.992 --> 01:53:15.069
with the private sector which can make

01:53:15.069 --> 01:53:17.013
recruiting and retaining qualified

01:53:17.013 --> 01:53:19.125
cyber personnel challenging . Can you

01:53:19.125 --> 01:53:21.069
give us an assessment of where the

01:53:21.069 --> 01:53:23.069
department's cyber workforce stands

01:53:23.069 --> 01:53:25.291
today and what investments Congress can

01:53:25.291 --> 01:53:27.291
make to help you make that better .

01:53:27.291 --> 01:53:29.513
Appreciate that question . 2020 billion

01:53:29.513 --> 01:53:31.680
in cyber offense and defense . I think

01:53:31.680 --> 01:53:33.736
the biggest change we've made across

01:53:33.736 --> 01:53:35.791
the joint forces full integration of

01:53:35.791 --> 01:53:37.958
cyber as a war fighting domain , which

01:53:37.958 --> 01:53:40.180
it was always an appendage or something

01:53:40.180 --> 01:53:39.290
you might do . And I think when you

01:53:39.290 --> 01:53:42.125
look at operations , Epic Fury . Um ,

01:53:42.584 --> 01:53:44.528
absolute resolve with Maduro , the

01:53:44.528 --> 01:53:46.473
capabilities , so much of that was

01:53:46.473 --> 01:53:49.145
enabled by unique cyber capabilities

01:53:49.145 --> 01:53:51.312
that we need to stay ahead on . And so

01:53:51.312 --> 01:53:53.504
this recognizing future adversaries

01:53:53.504 --> 01:53:55.615
could have more capabilities and more

01:53:55.615 --> 01:53:57.560
sophistication both on offense and

01:53:57.560 --> 01:53:59.560
defense . Uh , this , this funds it

01:53:59.560 --> 01:54:01.671
properly . I think we put a commander

01:54:01.671 --> 01:54:03.782
in charge there who's , who's , who's

01:54:03.782 --> 01:54:05.782
in General Rudd , who is infusing a

01:54:05.782 --> 01:54:08.004
warfighting mindset into that place and

01:54:08.004 --> 01:54:10.060
ensuring we're , we're competing not

01:54:10.060 --> 01:54:12.171
just inside the military but also for

01:54:12.171 --> 01:54:14.393
the best civilian talent to come into ,

01:54:14.393 --> 01:54:16.726
into Cybercom as well . Quite important .

01:54:16.726 --> 01:54:18.948
And Secretary Hex , so like , I hate to

01:54:18.948 --> 01:54:18.430
keep picking on you , but the

01:54:18.430 --> 01:54:20.640
collaborative combat aircraft program

01:54:20.640 --> 01:54:22.418
is one of the department's most

01:54:22.418 --> 01:54:24.473
significant investments in this next

01:54:24.473 --> 01:54:26.584
generation autonomous power . Can you

01:54:26.584 --> 01:54:26.200
discuss how the department is

01:54:26.200 --> 01:54:28.256
approaching the integration of these

01:54:28.256 --> 01:54:30.256
autonomous aircraft alongside crude

01:54:30.256 --> 01:54:32.367
platforms and how the program fits in

01:54:32.367 --> 01:54:34.533
your broader effort to feel affordable

01:54:34.533 --> 01:54:36.644
mass and strengthen deterrence in the

01:54:36.644 --> 01:54:39.259
Indo-Pacific ? I can share some of it

01:54:39.259 --> 01:54:41.426
and but not all of it because a lot of

01:54:41.426 --> 01:54:43.426
that is , is classified , but it is

01:54:43.426 --> 01:54:45.648
part of the future of how we will fight

01:54:45.648 --> 01:54:47.648
and , and a way in which we plan to

01:54:47.648 --> 01:54:49.537
stay far ahead of adversaries and

01:54:49.537 --> 01:54:51.592
create more dilemmas for them than I

01:54:51.592 --> 01:54:53.759
think they even imagined today . Thank

01:54:53.759 --> 01:54:55.926
you very much . Uh , yield back , Mr .

01:54:55.926 --> 01:54:58.148
Chairman . Uh , thank the gentlemen . I

01:54:58.148 --> 01:55:00.370
recognize Ms . McCollum for any closing

01:55:00.370 --> 01:55:00.040
comments . Thank you , Mr . Chairman .

01:55:00.100 --> 01:55:02.211
I'll be submitting some questions for

01:55:02.211 --> 01:55:03.933
the record on behalf of , uh ,

01:55:03.933 --> 01:55:06.211
Representative Captor . Uh , last year ,

01:55:06.211 --> 01:55:08.156
the president requested the 1st $1

01:55:08.156 --> 01:55:10.100
trillion defense budget . Congress

01:55:10.100 --> 01:55:12.399
provided , uh , over $150 billion in

01:55:12.399 --> 01:55:16.319
reconciliation and $903 billion in

01:55:16.319 --> 01:55:18.640
discretionary spending . I continue ,

01:55:18.720 --> 01:55:20.831
and I think you heard from many of us

01:55:20.831 --> 01:55:22.942
up here that . Uh , mandatory funding

01:55:22.942 --> 01:55:24.998
for defense is not a great idea . We

01:55:24.998 --> 01:55:27.009
should avoid it at all costs . The

01:55:27.009 --> 01:55:29.231
budget request for this upcoming fiscal

01:55:29.231 --> 01:55:31.930
year has grown to $1.5 trillion . It's

01:55:31.930 --> 01:55:34.609
a 50% increase , but the department

01:55:34.609 --> 01:55:36.665
doesn't seem to have enough to cover

01:55:36.665 --> 01:55:38.998
its budget holes here in the department .

01:55:38.998 --> 01:55:41.276
I'm gonna give you , uh , two examples ,

01:55:41.276 --> 01:55:43.387
two examples . One is reprogramming .

01:55:43.387 --> 01:55:45.649
Um , just the National Guard alone has

01:55:45.649 --> 01:55:48.589
$600 million of reprogramming . None of

01:55:48.589 --> 01:55:50.756
their missions were budgeted for , and

01:55:50.756 --> 01:55:52.978
now we're being asked to , now you need

01:55:52.978 --> 01:55:55.200
to move money around . You're asking us

01:55:55.200 --> 01:55:57.533
to move money around to cover that . Um ,

01:55:57.533 --> 01:55:59.589
that was money that was approved for

01:55:59.589 --> 01:56:01.811
other purposes , so it creates a hole .

01:56:01.811 --> 01:56:03.867
The Army submitted a request to , to

01:56:03.867 --> 01:56:05.978
move nearly $1 billion around to fill

01:56:05.978 --> 01:56:07.978
personnel shortfalls . The Navy has

01:56:07.978 --> 01:56:10.669
$907 million hole and needs to cover

01:56:10.669 --> 01:56:13.009
for its personnel . So those are ,

01:56:13.149 --> 01:56:15.260
those are problems and this is why we

01:56:15.260 --> 01:56:17.427
want things baked into the base bill ,

01:56:17.427 --> 01:56:19.371
um , and then when it comes to the

01:56:19.371 --> 01:56:21.850
supplemental , the Iran war has cost

01:56:21.850 --> 01:56:24.149
Americans at least now if I'm , if I've

01:56:24.149 --> 01:56:26.629
got it right , Mr . Hurst , $29 billion

01:56:26.629 --> 01:56:28.851
to date without a lot of things haven't

01:56:28.851 --> 01:56:30.573
been accounted for yet and the

01:56:30.573 --> 01:56:32.740
department's requesting more money for

01:56:32.740 --> 01:56:34.907
munitions outside of the base budget .

01:56:34.907 --> 01:56:36.740
So bottom line , I , I want your

01:56:36.740 --> 01:56:38.700
takeaway message to be I'm deeply

01:56:38.700 --> 01:56:40.700
concerned that the department can't

01:56:40.700 --> 01:56:42.478
seem to manage $1 trillion that

01:56:42.478 --> 01:56:44.311
Congress provided last year . So

01:56:44.311 --> 01:56:47.129
gentlemen , we need information . We

01:56:47.129 --> 01:56:50.729
mark our bill up on June 11th . And we

01:56:50.729 --> 01:56:52.785
need to be able to justify to do our

01:56:52.785 --> 01:56:54.810
fiduciary responsibility to the

01:56:54.810 --> 01:56:57.089
taxpayers , any increased funding that

01:56:57.089 --> 01:56:59.410
you seek . So we expect the information

01:56:59.410 --> 01:57:01.466
that we've been asking for munitions

01:57:01.466 --> 01:57:03.521
and supplemental requests as soon as

01:57:03.521 --> 01:57:05.770
possible . I would say by the end of

01:57:05.770 --> 01:57:08.020
next week . So I thank you all for

01:57:08.020 --> 01:57:10.220
being here and Mr . Chairman , we

01:57:10.220 --> 01:57:12.276
watched some of the other hearings .

01:57:12.276 --> 01:57:14.220
This is the way especially hearing

01:57:14.220 --> 01:57:16.331
should be conducted , especially when

01:57:16.331 --> 01:57:18.553
it's dealing with international defense

01:57:18.553 --> 01:57:20.664
when we ask people to put their lives

01:57:20.664 --> 01:57:20.629
on the line . I thank everyone for a

01:57:20.629 --> 01:57:22.685
respectful hearing , but we need the

01:57:22.685 --> 01:57:24.851
information , Mr . Secretary . I yield

01:57:24.851 --> 01:57:26.796
back . Thank the gentle lady , and

01:57:26.796 --> 01:57:28.796
that's something we are gonna agree

01:57:28.796 --> 01:57:31.018
with , uh , with the other side is that

01:57:31.018 --> 01:57:33.240
we , sooner is better . It makes my job

01:57:33.240 --> 01:57:35.518
easier and , and at the end of the day ,

01:57:35.518 --> 01:57:34.580
it makes your job easier , Mr .

01:57:34.589 --> 01:57:37.080
Secretary . Uh , if we can get the

01:57:37.080 --> 01:57:39.302
information both on the base budget and

01:57:39.302 --> 01:57:42.589
on the supplemental . Uh , just a

01:57:42.589 --> 01:57:46.390
comment that Ed case was making about

01:57:46.390 --> 01:57:48.501
some of the cost on this , and I hope

01:57:48.501 --> 01:57:50.668
the Kuwaitis are going to come up with

01:57:50.668 --> 01:57:52.668
the money for those 3 F-15s that we

01:57:52.668 --> 01:57:54.950
lost , and , uh , that's a considerable

01:57:54.950 --> 01:57:57.061
amount of money . But I want to thank

01:57:57.061 --> 01:57:59.061
the Secretary and General Kaine for

01:57:59.061 --> 01:58:00.783
answering questions before the

01:58:00.783 --> 01:58:02.950
subcommittee today . I look forward to

01:58:02.950 --> 01:58:05.117
continuing to work with you as we move

01:58:05.117 --> 01:58:07.006
forward . With the fiscal year 27

01:58:07.006 --> 01:58:09.006
appropriations process , and we can

01:58:09.006 --> 01:58:11.006
fund the men and women who serve us

01:58:11.006 --> 01:58:13.228
well in the United States military that

01:58:13.228 --> 01:58:12.500
we're adjourned .