WEBVTT

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Everyone , the subcommittee will come

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to order . Uh , Secretary Hex .

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General Kaine , welcome . Look forward

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to discussing the president's budget .

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And we appreciate the opportunity to do

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that today . Obviously we have . Very

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good attendance . Today the need for

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significant defense investments . is as

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urgent and obvious as it is

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overdue . Quantity has a

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quality of its own . And the sheer

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scale of our defense commitments sends

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a powerful signal . But what goes under

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the top line also matters . The way

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this budget request is structured

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matters . This is not a

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$1.5 trillion defense appropriation

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request . It's a request for $1.1

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trillion in base appropriations . And

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regretfully another $350 billion in

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reconciliation . The good news is the

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base request reflects . Real

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growth . Unlike the net cut . In

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fiscal year 26 requests .

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And very much unlike the Biden level

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CR in 25 .

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But some of the most pressing items on

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the fiscal 27 to do list . Or regularly

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downstream . of missed

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opportunities in fiscal 26 .

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For example , like the failure to fully

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fund $28 billion in multi-year

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contracts for critical munitions . The

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subcommittee did what we could to

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increase munition purchases above the

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fiscal 26 request levels . But we

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couldn't do it all without . A

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sufficient top line .

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This year , the fiscal 27 request .

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Such a higher top line . High enough ,

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one would think . To build the

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department's highest priorities into

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the base budget request . Instead of

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shunning them off into a one-time

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reconciliation request . Which brings

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me to the bad news . The 27 requests

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failed to make room in the base budget .

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For some of the military's top

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priorities . The distinction between

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base and reconciliation really matters .

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Based funding is what creates budget

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stability for the services . And sends

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consistent demand signals to industry .

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And base funding is what gets extended .

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By short term continuing resolutions .

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When work on a full year appropriations

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is unfinished . As I said last year ,

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reconciliation should be a supplement

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to , not a substitute for .

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Political realities . will

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not always allow for party line budget

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reconciliation . And if the

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department's top priorities aren't

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built into annual appropriations ,

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we're actually taking a big risk . The

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department is right to make Golden Dome ,

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munitions and the F-35 program

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and drone dominance . Top priorities .

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But these key lines of effort only work

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if we put them on solid fiscal footing .

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So , why is the department requesting

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funding for multi-year munitions

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contracts , which by definition ,

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require steady year on year funding ?

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Via a one-time reconciliation . And

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why were some of the president's top

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priorities like Golden Dome by not

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firmly building them into the

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department's baseline . National

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missile defense will require sustained

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funding over many years . Not a one

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year expenditure . Other key

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platforms like the 2nd destroyer and

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the E7 me management aircraft .

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Aren't requested in base or

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reconciliation . So Mr . Secretary ,

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you've been outspoken about the pace of

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America's armed forces . As the most

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powerful , most lethal , and most

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prepared military on the planet . I'm

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as committed as you are to sustaining

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that role . But that's precisely why

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I'm confused by the administration's

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failure to prioritize key systems in

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the year on year based budget spending .

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So I hope you'll explain the

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department's current approach to allies

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and partners . The stunning success of

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Operation Midnight Hammer and Operation

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Epic Fury . Illustrates the importance

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of the access , basin , and

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overflight granted by our allies in

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Europe and in the Gulf . I'm as

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frustrated as anybody about Spain , but

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they are the exception to the rule when

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it comes to European allies carrying

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more of the burden . Likewise ,

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it's impossible to conceive of US power

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projection in IOA . Without the

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breach that comes from decades-old

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alliance relationships . So

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I want to hear the department's view on

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the role of longtime allies in support

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of US interests across the globe .

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Because it's quite clear now that our

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Expectation for European allies is no

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longer the focus of our , of our own

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continent message that they received

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from your subordinates for most of the

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year . Our adversaries are working

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together to undermine America and the

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West . strained relations with our

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partners who are making generational

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commitments to collective defense and

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driving investment into American-made

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weapons . And systems Only

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serves our adversaries's interests and

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limits our capacity . And deterrent

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power globally . So I want to hear

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about the future of capacity building

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with committed allies and partners .

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From the Baltic states to Taiwan and

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the Philippines , I expect the European

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capacity building investments intended

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specifically for Ukraine . Reached

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their destination without further delay .

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Wars in Ukraine and the Middle East

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clearly show that we have things to

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learn from our friends . If we want

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drone dominance , it makes perfect

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sense to deepen cooperation . With the

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world's most drone warfare experts .

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I want to underscore this is not

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charity . When our partners are capable .

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Deterrence is stronger . And the risk

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Your own service members is lower .

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This is true in the Middle East today

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as it was in Europe and the

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Indo-Pacific . And I think it's

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noteworthy . that our allies in the

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Pacific have an interest in Ukraine .

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I Representatives to NATO meetings .

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They're hoping for and expecting that

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NATO will play a worldwide . Role

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In defending democratic countries

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against these adversaries that we're

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all challenged by . Our allies and

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partners have many of the interests ,

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and if we fail to take full advantage

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of it , we're only hurting ourselves .

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I'll end with one observation on the

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prospect of supplemental appropriations .

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The deficiencies of our munitions ,

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critical munitions stocks , and

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industrial capacity . Actually existed .

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Long before the conflict with Iran .

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And Russia's escalation in Ukraine . If

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the administration sends Congress a

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supplemental appropriation request , it

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will be an important step towards

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fixing a long-standing problem . And

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investing in future deterrence . It

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shouldn't be a referendum on the war in

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Iran . I supported

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a national security supplemental in

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2004 . Even though I thought President

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Biden's approach to Russia and Iran was

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too weak . I did it not because

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supporting Ukraine is in our strategic

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interest , but because these funds

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helped replenish American stockpiles .

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And restore our own defense industrial

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base . And in fact , jobs were created

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in 38 different states in this country .

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In our country , American jobs . By a

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significant percentage of what that

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went for . Today the need to expand

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munitions production . Replace

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battlefield losses . It's actually even

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more urgent . So with that , um ,

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I'll ask each of our witnesses after we

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hear from Senator Coons . Make

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an opening statement and hopefully

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limited remarks to 5 minutes . Chris ,

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thank you , Mr . Chairman . Uh , thank

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you , Secretary Hegseth , General Kane ,

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Chairman Kane , uh , for appearing

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before us and for your testimony today .

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Uh , let me just begin by expressing my

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gratitude to the service and sacrifice

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of the 2.8 million members of the Joint

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Force and the civilians who support

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them , uh , and , uh , in this urgent

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moment to focus on a few simple and

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clear questions . It bears repeating

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that the regime in Iran is a terrible

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regime that has the blood of thousands

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of American soldiers on their hands

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over decades , and that they pose a

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sustained and real threat to the United

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States and the region . And it bears

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repeating that our allies are

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increasingly distanced from us as our

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adversaries are increasingly aligned .

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I agree with much of what the chairman

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said . Including that we are in a

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moment of real contest and danger in no

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small part because Russia , China ,

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DPRK , and Iran are partnering . Russia

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and China are helping resupply Iran and

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the drones that they're using to

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contest and close the Strait of Hormuz ,

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to target and kill Americans and

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degrade our facilities . And so if our

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adversaries are increasingly aligned ,

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I think a core question is , are we ?

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We have so many questions , Mr .

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Secretary , about this budget proposal ,

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this $1.5 trillion budget request ,

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and at the core is going to be what's

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the cost of the war we're in in Iran ?

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How long will it go ? What damage has

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been done to our security and our

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strategic position ? When will we get a

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supplemental request and of what scale ?

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When will we be requested to authorize

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this war , and when will the American

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people get a clear answer about our

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strategic goals and how we will achieve

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them ? I share the chairman's concern

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that we have created real distance with

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our allies , most principally our NATO

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allies who have stepped up and

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contributed tens of billions of dollars

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more to purchase the munitions for the

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defense of Ukraine and to dramatically

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increase their long overdue investments

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in our joint defense in Europe . But

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unfortunately , the way that the move

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towards war was launched 74 days ago

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without consent , without consultation ,

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has caused a real rift with our vital

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European allies . And again , as the

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chairman said , and I agree , there is

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also a critical and urgent need for us

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to recognize and embrace that in the

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most important test field , the

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battlefield in Ukraine , where the

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Ukrainians are fighting bravely and

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successfully against Russian aggression .

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They have innovated . They have

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delivered the most lethal and capable

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drone and counter drone technologies in

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the world . What is bedeviling us in

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Iran right now ? Their ability to use

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thousands of cheap , effective Shahed

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drones to hit our allies , their

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military facilities , and their oil and

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gas production facilities , and to

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target and hit civilian shipping .

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Who's the world's best at intercepting

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Shahed drones ? Ukraine . Last year ,

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the administration requested 0 for

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Ukraine and 0 for our key NATO allies

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in the Baltic states , and on a

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bipartisan basis , this committee put

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in $400 million . When we met just

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about a month ago for the first time

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over at the Pentagon , and thank you

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for that conversation , we all

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emphasized the importance of coming to

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us with a spend plan for these $400

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million . This is a $1.5 trillion

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dollar request in front of us . Why am

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I taking your time on $400 million ?

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Because I think it shows a key piece ,

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a missing piece in strategic vision .

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We should not be standing aside from

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the war in Ukraine and saying

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eventually we want to be a part of some

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peace between Russia and Ukraine . We

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should be learning the lessons of

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Ukraine . Our allies in the Persian

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Gulf are , they're buying their

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interceptor systems at scale . Some of

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our current and former leaders in our

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military were working very hard to

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learn the lessons of Ukraine . I must

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say in a recent briefing for this

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subcommittee , I was very encouraged by

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two very senior members of the United

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States Army who are in Ukraine and have

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been helping our armed forces learn .

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But my heart fell when I left and was

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told that those two senior officers

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were being forced out . I am concerned

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that we have a distracted

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administration and a distracted

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department . From your written

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testimony , Mr . Secretary , it seems

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at times you're more passionate about

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fighting culture wars than winning the

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real war that we're in . At banning

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books , at cleaning alleged DEI off of

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websites , at taking on an anti-vaccine

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position rather than continuing the

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long-standing public health policies ,

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at interfering with promotions . I'm

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stunned that you fired the 44 year

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Chief of Staff of the Army in the

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middle of a hot war and dismissed the

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Secretary of the Navy in the middle of

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a naval blockade . As dozens of senior

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flag rank officers have been dismissed ,

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I am worried about what that does to

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focus and morale . We have a president

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who seems more focused on a billion

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dollar ballroom and a victory arch

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rather than achieving actual victory .

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And a piece , a small piece of the $1.5

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trillion dollar request in front of us

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is for a new Trump class of battleships ,

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a so-called Golden Fleet , which I

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think goes in the wrong direction . Let

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me come back to the basic point I was

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trying to make . The world of warfare

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is changing . Every major service can

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and should embrace smaller , lighter ,

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faster , more distributed , lethal

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capabilities that will mostly be

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autonomous . This move towards a Golden

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Fleet , towards a new battleship ,

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strikes me as moving in exactly the

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wrong direction , giving our

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adversaries a bigger target rather than

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a more capable platform . How do I

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explain to my constituents the cost ,

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the cost of this war , and the cost

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that we are looking together to invest

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in our national defense ? I share the

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chairman's concerns about

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reconciliation . Last year , $150

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billion was provided to the department .

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But the mismatch between base year and

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one year , between long term and short

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term , caused tens of billions of

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dollars in errors , errors in how

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shipbuilding was handled , errors in

16:36.415 --> 16:38.581
how new munitions are being acquired ,

16:38.880 --> 16:40.936
and working together on a bipartisan

16:40.936 --> 16:43.269
basis , we fixed many of those problems .

16:43.719 --> 16:46.039
This year's budget proposal triples

16:46.039 --> 16:49.140
that request to $350 billion .

16:49.900 --> 16:52.669
I agree with you about the urgency of

16:52.669 --> 16:54.836
our national defense . In your written

16:54.836 --> 16:57.200
testimony , you lay out four key goals ,

16:57.320 --> 16:59.320
defend the homeland , deter China ,

16:59.659 --> 17:01.881
increase burden sharing with our allies

17:01.881 --> 17:03.826
and partners , and supercharge the

17:03.826 --> 17:05.826
defense industrial base . As you've

17:05.826 --> 17:08.339
seen in the last Congress , I've worked

17:08.339 --> 17:10.300
with you and with Deputy Secretary

17:10.300 --> 17:13.569
Feinberg on multi-year munitions . I

17:13.569 --> 17:15.770
cheer the goal of finally passing an

17:15.770 --> 17:18.650
audit in 2028 . I think we have

17:18.650 --> 17:20.650
critical investments to make in our

17:20.650 --> 17:22.706
defense industrial base . I think we

17:22.706 --> 17:25.530
are absolutely in the fight of our

17:25.530 --> 17:29.010
lives as a republic to win AI and

17:29.010 --> 17:32.119
quantum , space and surveillance , and

17:32.119 --> 17:34.609
the capacity to fight drones and launch

17:34.609 --> 17:37.670
drones . But I'm concerned . That you ,

17:37.829 --> 17:40.589
sir , and this department is distracted

17:40.589 --> 17:43.150
by issues that are not focused on the

17:43.150 --> 17:46.079
core thing we need to achieve . I could

17:46.079 --> 17:48.199
not agree more with what you said in

17:48.199 --> 17:50.709
your written testimony . For a

17:50.709 --> 17:52.653
generation , the United States was

17:52.653 --> 17:54.765
largely distracted by open-ended wars

17:54.765 --> 17:56.931
of regime change and nation building .

17:57.390 --> 17:59.189
And as you summarize this

17:59.189 --> 18:01.411
administration's approach , we will not

18:01.411 --> 18:03.133
send America's best to advance

18:03.133 --> 18:05.150
foolhardy or reckless adventures

18:05.150 --> 18:07.640
halfway around the world . Mr .

18:07.719 --> 18:10.160
Secretary , I agree that the Iranian

18:10.160 --> 18:12.104
regime is a terrible regime . I am

18:12.104 --> 18:13.938
grateful for the service and the

18:13.938 --> 18:16.104
sacrifice of the Americans who've been

18:16.104 --> 18:18.216
wounded or who've lost their lives in

18:18.216 --> 18:20.439
this current conflict , but I do not

18:20.439 --> 18:22.495
understand the strategy . And as the

18:22.495 --> 18:24.717
average American is seeing the costs at

18:24.717 --> 18:26.939
the pump and at the grocery store , and

18:26.939 --> 18:28.939
as this committee is being asked to

18:28.939 --> 18:30.949
approve the largest single year

18:30.949 --> 18:33.282
increase in defense spending in decades .

18:33.739 --> 18:36.550
I need to better understand the answers

18:36.550 --> 18:38.772
to the urgent questions I've put before

18:38.772 --> 18:40.661
you . Thank you , Mr . Chairman .

18:46.579 --> 18:50.489
Yes , sir . Chairman McConnell ,

18:50.510 --> 18:50.930
uh ,

18:56.819 --> 18:59.041
I have plenty of questions . OK , sir .

18:59.180 --> 19:01.236
I'll , I'll try to keep it , keep it

19:01.236 --> 19:03.458
short . Uh , Ranked Member Koons , uh ,

19:03.458 --> 19:05.680
other members of this committee , thank

19:05.680 --> 19:07.847
you for being here . I'm honored to be

19:07.847 --> 19:09.736
here alongside the Honorable Pete

19:09.736 --> 19:11.902
Hegseth and the Honorable Jay Hurst to

19:11.902 --> 19:11.420
talk about this year's , uh ,

19:11.699 --> 19:14.050
president's budget . I'm grateful for

19:14.050 --> 19:16.530
the opportunity today to speak with you

19:16.530 --> 19:18.930
about the foundation of America's

19:18.930 --> 19:21.041
strength , our 2.8 million members of

19:21.041 --> 19:23.329
our joint force , and I'm continually

19:23.329 --> 19:25.385
inspired by the soldiers , sailors ,

19:25.385 --> 19:27.489
airmen , marines , Coast Guardsmen ,

19:27.609 --> 19:29.969
guardians , and civilians standing to

19:29.969 --> 19:31.969
watch . They all could choose to do

19:31.969 --> 19:34.080
something different , but they choose

19:34.080 --> 19:35.858
to come serve our nation and do

19:35.858 --> 19:37.525
something more important than

19:37.525 --> 19:39.413
themselves . I would also like to

19:39.413 --> 19:41.824
highlight the 40 members of the Joint

19:41.824 --> 19:44.935
Force who've passed on , uh , from

19:44.935 --> 19:47.157
operations , combat and training during

19:47.157 --> 19:49.854
my time as chairman , to include the 14

19:49.854 --> 19:52.015
members who passed and were killed in

19:52.015 --> 19:54.375
action in Operation Epic Fury , and

19:54.375 --> 19:56.944
also highlight our most recent loss ,

19:57.064 --> 19:59.839
First Lieutenant Key from . Uh , Africa ,

19:59.930 --> 20:03.010
who is out there , uh , TDY as chairman ,

20:03.089 --> 20:05.010
my duty is to ensure civilian

20:05.010 --> 20:08.099
leadership has a comprehensive range of

20:08.099 --> 20:10.560
military options and the associated

20:10.560 --> 20:12.930
risks required to make our nation's

20:12.930 --> 20:15.599
most difficult and complex decisions .

20:15.890 --> 20:18.001
I owe the president , the secretary ,

20:18.010 --> 20:20.121
and you , the Congress , the truth at

20:20.121 --> 20:22.290
every turn , and my blueprint for this

20:22.290 --> 20:25.130
role has always been General George C .

20:25.209 --> 20:27.130
Marshall . His firm commitment to

20:27.130 --> 20:29.535
civilian control . To a nonpartisan

20:29.535 --> 20:32.275
military remains my constant standard .

20:32.614 --> 20:35.494
I strive to follow his example by

20:35.494 --> 20:38.114
working with you and providing clear

20:38.114 --> 20:40.344
and candid , strictly nonpartisan

20:40.344 --> 20:42.974
military advice and to present this

20:42.974 --> 20:45.030
committee and my civilian leadership

20:45.175 --> 20:47.175
the clearest possible assessment of

20:47.175 --> 20:49.594
risk , readiness , and executability

20:49.734 --> 20:52.135
and mindful today of the unclassified

20:52.135 --> 20:54.599
environment that we're in here . We are ,

20:54.760 --> 20:56.704
as you said , chairman and ranking

20:56.704 --> 20:58.649
member operating in a delicate and

20:58.649 --> 21:00.482
dangerous times . Global risk is

21:00.482 --> 21:02.482
scaling , and the complexity of the

21:02.482 --> 21:04.599
modern battlefield demands constant

21:04.599 --> 21:07.599
adaptation and innovation . Your joint

21:07.599 --> 21:10.109
force is operational at its core ,

21:10.680 --> 21:12.760
purpose built for the realities of a

21:12.760 --> 21:14.649
complex world . We're organized ,

21:14.670 --> 21:16.781
trained , and equipped to execute the

21:16.781 --> 21:18.920
most demanding missions across the

21:18.920 --> 21:21.959
globe with unrivaled precision , as

21:21.959 --> 21:23.737
demonstrated by the actions and

21:23.737 --> 21:26.699
activities over this past year . We are

21:26.699 --> 21:29.040
the most professional military on Earth

21:29.040 --> 21:31.839
and we're able to do these things , uh ,

21:31.859 --> 21:34.026
because of the deep enduring reservoir

21:34.026 --> 21:36.099
of training , professionalism , and

21:36.099 --> 21:38.569
commitment . Our operational tempo is

21:38.569 --> 21:40.900
high , but we're designed to sustain it

21:40.900 --> 21:43.790
and rebuild quickly . Um , but we need

21:43.790 --> 21:46.030
to rebuild faster . We build readiness

21:46.030 --> 21:47.974
every day . We train professionals

21:47.974 --> 21:50.197
every day , and we learn to sharpen our

21:50.197 --> 21:51.863
edge every day , and we build

21:51.863 --> 21:54.050
continually on emerging technologies ,

21:54.270 --> 21:56.839
as the ranking member said . Uh , like

21:56.839 --> 21:59.160
AI , Quantum , and others and advance

21:59.160 --> 22:02.199
every day , led by great people in our

22:02.199 --> 22:04.760
joint force like Commander Gary Wald or

22:04.760 --> 22:06.927
Wald Kama G as we call him , who's out

22:06.927 --> 22:09.319
there working every day on our joint

22:09.319 --> 22:12.000
staff . Driving this pace of change

22:12.000 --> 22:14.319
requires timely , predictable capital

22:14.319 --> 22:16.680
and sustained investment , and I look

22:16.680 --> 22:18.989
forward to discussing it today . The

22:18.989 --> 22:20.767
president's budget supports the

22:20.767 --> 22:22.767
department's goal of recharging the

22:22.767 --> 22:25.109
defense industrial base and the

22:25.109 --> 22:27.390
national industrial base , those small

22:27.390 --> 22:30.030
mom and pop manufacturing companies

22:30.030 --> 22:32.086
that are out there in your districts

22:32.086 --> 22:34.650
that help us generate combat capability

22:34.829 --> 22:37.069
and combat capacity to ensure that

22:37.069 --> 22:39.140
we're globally integrated , uh ,

22:39.189 --> 22:41.380
properly armed and ready when and if

22:41.380 --> 22:44.109
our nation calls on us , while always

22:44.109 --> 22:45.998
taking care of our most important

22:45.998 --> 22:49.349
treasure , and that's our people . I'm

22:49.349 --> 22:51.405
deeply humbled today to be joined by

22:51.405 --> 22:53.349
the senior enlisted advisor to the

22:53.349 --> 22:55.682
chairman , Fleet Master Chief Dave Isom ,

22:55.750 --> 22:58.829
who represents the 1.8 million members

22:58.829 --> 23:01.869
of our enlisted Joint Force . They are

23:01.869 --> 23:04.609
the special sauce of America's military .

23:05.150 --> 23:08.060
We face dynamic and dangerous times ,

23:08.189 --> 23:09.967
but I have incredible trust and

23:09.967 --> 23:12.449
confidence in the joint force today .

23:12.859 --> 23:15.026
I'm deeply grateful for those deployed

23:15.026 --> 23:17.248
members of the joint force that are out

23:17.248 --> 23:19.581
there right now doing our nation's work ,

23:19.581 --> 23:22.219
and I remain humbled by the gift of the

23:22.219 --> 23:24.420
ultimate sacrifice that those fallen

23:24.420 --> 23:26.780
have given us , not just for the 40

23:26.780 --> 23:29.260
during my time in this job , but across

23:29.260 --> 23:31.619
the history of our great nation and

23:31.619 --> 23:33.939
their families who continue to soldier

23:33.939 --> 23:36.106
on . Thank you , and I look forward to

23:36.106 --> 23:36.060
your questions .

23:41.010 --> 23:42.843
Thank you , Mr . Chairman , uh ,

23:42.843 --> 23:44.621
ranking member , members of the

23:44.621 --> 23:46.288
committee . Thank you for the

23:46.288 --> 23:48.343
opportunity to testify in support of

23:48.343 --> 23:50.121
President Trump's historic $1.5

23:50.121 --> 23:52.343
trillion 2027 budget for the Department

23:52.343 --> 23:55.420
of War . The president's budget request

23:55.420 --> 23:57.476
reflects the urgency of the moment ,

23:57.476 --> 23:59.087
addressing both the deferred

23:59.087 --> 24:01.198
maintenance of long-standing problems

24:01.198 --> 24:03.359
as well as positioning our forces for

24:03.359 --> 24:05.640
current and future fights . I'm honored

24:05.640 --> 24:07.807
to be joined alongside the Chairman of

24:07.807 --> 24:09.640
the Joint Chiefs and Jay Hurst .

24:13.189 --> 24:15.849
Against this illegal war and if you

24:15.849 --> 24:19.209
accept . Roger , you will , sir ,

24:20.650 --> 24:22.959
you will complicit in the war crime of

24:22.959 --> 24:24.181
this administration .

24:29.170 --> 24:31.479
If I may interject , I ask that we have

24:31.479 --> 24:33.646
an order in the hearing room so we can

24:33.646 --> 24:37.380
proceed . I asked the witnesses suspend

24:37.380 --> 24:39.547
until the room is cleared . It appears

24:39.547 --> 24:41.709
it's cleared . Go ahead , Mr .

24:41.719 --> 24:44.469
Secretary . Thank you . I'd like to

24:44.469 --> 24:46.525
start by thanking this committee and

24:46.525 --> 24:48.358
Congress for your partnership in

24:48.358 --> 24:50.302
securing the investments needed to

24:50.302 --> 24:52.469
maintain the most powerful military in

24:52.469 --> 24:54.469
the world . Our nation's ability to

24:54.469 --> 24:56.469
build , to innovate and support the

24:56.469 --> 24:58.636
critical needs of warfighters at speed

24:58.636 --> 25:00.636
and at scale is the foundation upon

25:00.636 --> 25:02.413
which our survival rests . When

25:02.413 --> 25:04.247
President Trump took office , he

25:04.247 --> 25:06.247
inherited a defense industrial base

25:06.247 --> 25:08.358
that had been hollowed out . By years

25:08.358 --> 25:10.580
of America last policies , resulting in

25:10.580 --> 25:12.413
a diminished capacity to project

25:12.413 --> 25:14.525
strength , offshoring , outsourcing ,

25:14.525 --> 25:16.858
cost overruns and degraded capabilities .

25:17.150 --> 25:19.483
Under the leadership of President Trump ,

25:19.550 --> 25:22.150
a builder in chief , we are reversing

25:22.150 --> 25:24.094
the systemic decay and putting our

25:24.094 --> 25:25.983
defense industrial base back on a

25:25.983 --> 25:28.910
wartime footing . Urgency informs

25:28.910 --> 25:30.577
everything that we do . We're

25:30.577 --> 25:32.410
rebuilding the military that the

25:32.410 --> 25:34.521
American people can be proud of . One

25:34.521 --> 25:36.299
that instills nothing less than

25:36.299 --> 25:38.521
unrelenting fear in our adversaries and

25:38.521 --> 25:40.688
confidence in our allies . We fight to

25:40.688 --> 25:42.989
win in every scenario to include

25:42.989 --> 25:45.670
ensuring Iran never has a nuclear

25:45.670 --> 25:49.349
weapon . The $1.5 trillion FY

25:49.349 --> 25:51.750
27 budget put forward by the president

25:52.069 --> 25:53.989
will build upon the historic $1

25:53.989 --> 25:56.790
trillion FY 26 top line and will

25:56.790 --> 25:58.939
continue to reverse four years of

25:58.939 --> 26:01.189
underinvestment and mismanagement of

26:01.189 --> 26:04.209
the Biden administration . The $1.5

26:04.209 --> 26:06.265
trillion budget will ensure that the

26:06.265 --> 26:08.487
United States continues to maintain the

26:08.487 --> 26:10.729
most capable military in the most

26:10.729 --> 26:12.859
complex of environments . Not to

26:12.859 --> 26:14.915
mention , however , that this budget

26:14.915 --> 26:16.859
also includes a historic troop pay

26:16.859 --> 26:19.390
increase , 7% , that builds on the pay

26:19.390 --> 26:21.446
increases that Congress has given in

26:21.446 --> 26:23.223
previous years , and the budget

26:23.223 --> 26:25.557
eliminates all poor or failing barracks .

26:25.557 --> 26:27.779
Quality of life for our troops is front

26:27.779 --> 26:30.449
and center in this budget . By

26:30.449 --> 26:32.569
supercharging our industrial capacity

26:32.569 --> 26:34.569
and transforming how the department

26:34.569 --> 26:36.402
does business , we are restoring

26:36.402 --> 26:38.969
American commercial dominance at a pace

26:38.969 --> 26:41.810
unseen in generations . Transforming

26:41.810 --> 26:43.866
the defense industrial base from the

26:43.866 --> 26:45.890
broken , slow moving systems of the

26:45.890 --> 26:48.349
past . We have flipped Pentagon

26:48.349 --> 26:50.130
acquisition processes from a

26:50.130 --> 26:52.408
bureaucratic model to a business model .

26:52.949 --> 26:55.229
Decisively moving from an acquisitions

26:55.229 --> 26:57.340
environment paralyzed by bureaucratic

26:57.340 --> 26:59.949
red tape to an outcome-driven

26:59.949 --> 27:02.116
organization focused on delivering the

27:02.116 --> 27:05.099
most for taxpayers . Over the past year

27:05.099 --> 27:07.380
through historic multi-year procurement

27:07.380 --> 27:11.050
agreements , smart business deals . We

27:11.050 --> 27:13.300
have sent an unambiguous demand signal

27:13.300 --> 27:15.380
to our industry partners , large and

27:15.380 --> 27:17.660
small , to build more and build faster .

27:19.300 --> 27:21.290
The result has been a surge , a

27:21.290 --> 27:23.939
revitalization of our great American

27:23.939 --> 27:26.459
factories and a massive reinvestment in

27:26.459 --> 27:28.626
the skilled American workers who serve

27:28.626 --> 27:30.626
as the industrial muscle behind our

27:30.626 --> 27:33.290
warriors . I'll provide a brief

27:33.290 --> 27:35.512
overview of what's been accomplished on

27:35.512 --> 27:37.734
that front in just a few months . These

27:37.734 --> 27:39.568
are announced new facilities and

27:39.568 --> 27:41.512
investments in support of American

27:41.512 --> 27:43.734
warfighters . The department has helped

27:43.734 --> 27:45.512
stimulate more than 250 private

27:45.512 --> 27:47.770
investment deals in 39 states and 180

27:47.770 --> 27:50.500
cities and 150 companies , not just the

27:50.500 --> 27:53.709
big primes , worth more than $50

27:53.709 --> 27:57.369
billion . This has resulted in 280 new

27:57.369 --> 28:00.329
or expanded facilities and more than 18

28:00.329 --> 28:02.849
million new square feet of American

28:02.849 --> 28:06.660
manufacturing , 70,000 new jobs . These

28:06.660 --> 28:09.380
$50 billion in investments in new

28:09.380 --> 28:11.660
plants , new assembly lines , and new

28:11.660 --> 28:14.219
factories are private investments , not

28:14.219 --> 28:16.880
taxpayer dollars . By completely

28:16.880 --> 28:19.047
transforming our department's business

28:19.047 --> 28:21.640
model . American companies , private

28:21.640 --> 28:23.839
companies are investing in their own

28:23.839 --> 28:26.589
factories with their own money . A

28:26.589 --> 28:28.533
historic demonstration of American

28:28.533 --> 28:29.978
manufacturing and defense

28:29.978 --> 28:32.640
revitalization , all with their capital ,

28:32.959 --> 28:35.520
not Uncle Sam's . This has not been

28:35.520 --> 28:38.030
done before and is long overdue . It's

28:38.030 --> 28:40.252
from a bureaucratic model to a business

28:40.252 --> 28:42.719
model . These investments equal great

28:42.719 --> 28:44.552
things for American families and

28:44.552 --> 28:46.663
American workers and help ensure that

28:46.663 --> 28:48.880
we can defend the American dream , all

28:48.880 --> 28:51.810
American made . Together with the help

28:51.810 --> 28:53.866
of this Congress , we're turning the

28:53.866 --> 28:55.699
lights back on on the arsenal of

28:55.699 --> 28:58.569
freedom . We're firing up the American

28:58.569 --> 29:00.680
economic engine at every level of our

29:00.680 --> 29:02.847
defense industrial base . Every policy

29:02.847 --> 29:04.847
we pursue , every budgetary item we

29:04.847 --> 29:07.170
request serves to ensure that this

29:07.170 --> 29:09.770
department remains laser focused on

29:09.770 --> 29:11.381
increasing the lethality and

29:11.381 --> 29:13.930
survivability of our fighting forces

29:13.930 --> 29:15.930
from the front lines to the factory

29:15.930 --> 29:18.890
floor . We truly believe this is a

29:18.890 --> 29:22.280
historic budget . And at every level we

29:22.280 --> 29:24.280
have made it a fiscally responsible

29:24.280 --> 29:26.790
budget . This is also a war fighting

29:26.790 --> 29:29.339
budget . Under President Trump , we are

29:29.339 --> 29:31.300
restoring the unbreakable might of

29:31.300 --> 29:33.411
American manufacturing , which has to

29:33.411 --> 29:35.633
underwrite everything . We're providing

29:35.633 --> 29:37.800
for our warfighters and we are putting

29:37.800 --> 29:39.633
the people and interests of this

29:39.633 --> 29:41.467
country first . May Almighty God

29:41.467 --> 29:43.689
continue to watch over our troops , and

29:43.689 --> 29:45.856
may He honor , may we honor the legacy

29:45.856 --> 29:47.856
of those brave Americans that we've

29:47.856 --> 29:50.078
lost . That is our sacred mission . And

29:50.078 --> 29:52.189
that's what we'll continue to execute

29:52.189 --> 29:54.300
on . Thank you for this opportunity ,

29:54.300 --> 29:56.522
and we look forward to your questions .

29:58.900 --> 30:01.660
Thank you , Mr . Secretary . I know we

30:01.660 --> 30:03.716
all understand you're going with the

30:03.716 --> 30:07.339
President . Uh , to China , and we all

30:07.339 --> 30:10.000
agree they're the greatest long-term

30:10.819 --> 30:14.219
military and economic challenge . The

30:14.219 --> 30:17.819
US and our Western allies as well .

30:18.959 --> 30:21.500
Of course , Taiwan , Japan , and

30:21.959 --> 30:25.939
Philippines . Um Look to

30:25.939 --> 30:29.369
us So can you

30:29.369 --> 30:32.020
reassure the countries out there in the

30:32.020 --> 30:34.369
Pacific that their security will not be

30:34.369 --> 30:38.189
on the table ? During the talks in

30:38.189 --> 30:41.650
Beijing . Is our strategy to preserve

30:41.650 --> 30:44.640
American primacy . Or simply to

30:44.640 --> 30:48.560
accommodate China's rise . And can

30:48.560 --> 30:50.282
you speak to our commitment to

30:50.282 --> 30:52.839
preserving freedom of navigation in

30:52.839 --> 30:55.439
places like the South China Sea ?

30:57.739 --> 31:00.017
Well , thank you for the question , uh ,

31:00.017 --> 31:02.183
Senator . I , I would never purport to

31:02.183 --> 31:04.406
speak on behalf of the president , uh ,

31:04.406 --> 31:06.239
or what he will say or how he'll

31:06.239 --> 31:08.295
approach these talks , but having an

31:08.295 --> 31:10.350
opportunity to watch him work , uh ,

31:10.350 --> 31:12.517
every aspect of what he pursues inside

31:12.517 --> 31:14.517
this relationship is to ensure that

31:14.517 --> 31:16.683
American interests are advanced , uh ,

31:16.683 --> 31:18.683
and our , our department underneath

31:18.683 --> 31:20.683
that we've worked very hard in that

31:20.683 --> 31:22.683
region . Uh , in the Indo-Pacific ,

31:22.683 --> 31:24.295
with , with Japan , with the

31:24.295 --> 31:26.406
Philippines and others to make that a

31:26.406 --> 31:28.295
priority to ensure that America's

31:28.295 --> 31:30.461
security is , uh , amplified by burden

31:30.461 --> 31:32.572
sharing of partners who recognize the

31:32.572 --> 31:34.572
shared threats that we face and are

31:34.572 --> 31:36.628
willing to invest alongside us , and

31:36.628 --> 31:38.739
some of those things are known to the

31:38.739 --> 31:40.906
public . Uh , some of those things are

31:40.906 --> 31:42.961
not known to the public , but , uh ,

31:42.961 --> 31:42.660
since the beginning of my time in this

31:42.660 --> 31:44.930
job , we've focused in that area of

31:44.930 --> 31:46.819
operations to ensure that Admiral

31:46.819 --> 31:49.099
Paparo has every option available to

31:49.099 --> 31:51.210
include with partners , to create all

31:51.210 --> 31:53.377
the dilemmas necessary to give America

31:53.377 --> 31:55.599
every advantage possible . Whether it's

31:55.599 --> 31:57.599
freedom of navigation , uh , access

31:57.599 --> 31:59.377
basic and overflight , uh , and

31:59.377 --> 32:01.266
ultimately put the president in a

32:01.266 --> 32:03.432
position where he's going into Beijing

32:03.432 --> 32:05.488
in a position of strength , which he

32:05.488 --> 32:08.989
will be . So would you be a little

32:08.989 --> 32:12.869
more specific about Navigation ,

32:13.530 --> 32:17.209
particularly in the South China Sea . I

32:17.209 --> 32:19.042
think what you've seen from this

32:19.042 --> 32:20.931
administration is a commitment to

32:20.931 --> 32:22.765
freedom of navigation . Take for

32:22.765 --> 32:24.765
example , the BAM and the Houthis ,

32:24.765 --> 32:26.931
which under the Biden administration ,

32:26.931 --> 32:29.153
uh , they allowed American ships to get

32:29.153 --> 32:31.209
shot at without consequence . And

32:31.209 --> 32:33.376
President Trump , Trump undertook that

32:33.376 --> 32:36.569
mission , Operation , uh , Rough Rider ,

32:36.849 --> 32:38.960
for 50 days , and the Houthis stopped

32:38.960 --> 32:40.960
shooting at our ships . It wasn't a

32:40.960 --> 32:40.650
nation building exercise . It was an

32:40.650 --> 32:42.817
advancing of freedom of navigation and

32:42.817 --> 32:44.928
our interests . Uh , the same would ,

32:44.928 --> 32:46.817
would , uh , would pertain to any

32:46.817 --> 32:48.706
waterway in the South China Sea .

32:48.706 --> 32:50.706
American ships should , uh , should

32:50.706 --> 32:52.817
sail freely , so , so should others ,

32:52.817 --> 32:54.650
uh , in the , uh , international

32:54.650 --> 32:55.650
maritime sphere .

32:59.699 --> 33:02.180
Army Secretary Driscoll has described

33:02.180 --> 33:05.380
Ukraine . As the Silicon Valley of

33:05.380 --> 33:08.500
warfare , as I suggested earlier , I

33:08.500 --> 33:10.849
think we'll all agree on that . And the

33:10.849 --> 33:13.910
outcome of the war really matters to

33:13.910 --> 33:17.050
American interests . Is there a policy

33:17.050 --> 33:19.290
preventing senior department officials

33:19.290 --> 33:22.410
from traveling to Ukraine ? Do you

33:22.410 --> 33:24.750
support or oppose senior officials

33:25.130 --> 33:28.890
traveling there ? We've had ,

33:29.060 --> 33:31.116
uh , Senator , we've had many senior

33:31.116 --> 33:33.227
officials travel there and we learn a

33:33.227 --> 33:35.393
great deal . In fact , I've personally

33:35.393 --> 33:37.709
approved additional personnel there to

33:37.709 --> 33:40.140
learn from that drone battlefield ,

33:40.229 --> 33:42.340
both on offense and defense to ensure

33:42.340 --> 33:44.285
that we're learning every possible

33:44.285 --> 33:46.062
lesson from that conflict . And

33:46.062 --> 33:48.229
incorporating it in real time into how

33:48.229 --> 33:50.285
we defend and we go on offense in an

33:50.285 --> 33:52.396
era where drone dominance is required

33:52.396 --> 33:54.451
and that's why this budget spends so

33:54.451 --> 33:56.396
much on drone dominance . Take the

33:56.396 --> 33:58.562
lessons learned from Ukraine and other

33:58.562 --> 34:00.729
battlefields and ensure we're applying

34:00.729 --> 34:02.840
them throughout the fighting force as

34:02.840 --> 34:05.062
quickly as possible . Well , you know ,

34:05.062 --> 34:07.173
I think what's not in dispute is that

34:07.339 --> 34:09.379
NATO is the most important military

34:09.379 --> 34:11.429
alliance in world history .

34:12.899 --> 34:15.580
Nobody's ever pulled something together

34:15.580 --> 34:19.459
like this . And held it together

34:19.800 --> 34:22.520
to prevent the worst for a longer

34:22.520 --> 34:26.179
period of time . Basically

34:26.399 --> 34:29.000
it seems to me that a lot of the

34:29.000 --> 34:31.000
European countries think that we're

34:32.260 --> 34:34.780
Reducing our influence there , they're

34:34.780 --> 34:38.320
sort of on their own . And somehow

34:38.320 --> 34:40.487
American leadership is not essential .

34:41.129 --> 34:44.770
And NATO going forward . I would argue

34:44.770 --> 34:47.090
that it certainly is essential for us

34:47.090 --> 34:50.229
to continue to be the leader and It's

34:50.229 --> 34:52.340
important to note the other countries

34:52.629 --> 34:55.959
that are looking to NATO . Our allies

34:55.959 --> 34:59.169
in the Pacific . Helping Ukraine

35:01.040 --> 35:03.500
Interested in coming to NATO meetings .

35:04.909 --> 35:07.870
Anxious for America to continue to

35:07.870 --> 35:10.449
defend the free world , not just in

35:10.449 --> 35:13.590
NATO , but worldwide . It's a big job

35:13.590 --> 35:15.590
and they're looking to us . There's

35:15.590 --> 35:18.500
nobody else who can do that . So what

35:18.500 --> 35:21.100
is the department's concise vision for

35:21.100 --> 35:23.449
the role of our allies and partners ?

35:24.209 --> 35:27.629
In defending America's global interests .

35:29.419 --> 35:32.560
Senator , our vision is to have real

35:32.860 --> 35:36.139
capable allies and partners . I think ,

35:36.219 --> 35:38.441
uh , I think that's what we saw , we've

35:38.441 --> 35:40.552
seen an epic fury . Um , Israel's air

35:40.552 --> 35:42.497
force and their ability , will and

35:42.497 --> 35:44.663
their capability is a demonstration to

35:44.663 --> 35:46.886
the world . Uh , there are other allies

35:46.886 --> 35:48.941
like that , and we , we need more of

35:48.941 --> 35:51.108
them . So flags are not the goal . The

35:51.108 --> 35:52.830
number of flags involved in an

35:52.830 --> 35:54.941
operation are not the goal . The goal

35:54.941 --> 35:54.830
is the number of capable formations ,

35:55.169 --> 35:57.250
who can actually fight alongside the

35:57.250 --> 35:59.306
American fighting man and woman , so

35:59.306 --> 36:01.417
it's not just us all the time . I saw

36:01.417 --> 36:03.028
that in Iraq . I saw that in

36:03.028 --> 36:04.861
Afghanistan . Our generation has

36:04.861 --> 36:06.472
experienced that . This , no

36:06.472 --> 36:08.361
administration has done more . To

36:08.361 --> 36:10.361
ensure that our allies and partners

36:10.361 --> 36:12.528
realize that they need to step up , so

36:12.528 --> 36:14.694
that we can amplify our capabilities .

36:14.694 --> 36:17.028
That's what burden sharing is all about .

36:17.028 --> 36:19.139
It's not just we carry the burden for

36:19.139 --> 36:21.306
other countries , it's other countries

36:21.306 --> 36:20.850
are capable , capable of coming

36:20.850 --> 36:24.830
alongside us as well . But I also think

36:25.550 --> 36:28.350
Putin's invasion of Ukraine helped get

36:28.350 --> 36:30.350
their attention , that they need to

36:30.350 --> 36:32.461
step up as well , and the president's

36:32.461 --> 36:34.517
been very clear about that . So they

36:34.517 --> 36:36.517
are headed in the right direction .

36:36.517 --> 36:38.294
What I'm worried about is which

36:38.294 --> 36:41.810
direction we headed in . I think it's

36:41.810 --> 36:43.532
very encouraging that European

36:43.532 --> 36:45.532
countries have stepped up to ensure

36:45.532 --> 36:47.477
that Ukraine can defend itself . I

36:47.477 --> 36:49.643
think that's a very good development .

36:51.209 --> 36:53.376
Sheroons . Thank you , Mr . Chairman .

36:53.540 --> 36:56.820
Um , so , Mr . Secretary , uh , in

36:56.820 --> 36:58.931
January , uh , President Trump signed

36:58.931 --> 37:00.629
the fiscal year 26 defense

37:00.899 --> 37:04.100
appropriations bill . It provided $400

37:04.100 --> 37:06.860
million specifically to aid Ukraine in

37:06.860 --> 37:09.159
their fight against Russia . Um , this

37:09.169 --> 37:11.370
is at a time when our European allies

37:11.370 --> 37:13.592
and partners have stepped up to take on

37:13.592 --> 37:15.703
the overwhelming majority of the cost

37:15.703 --> 37:18.037
of any munitions or support for Ukraine .

37:18.310 --> 37:20.477
So far , your department has not spent

37:20.477 --> 37:23.320
a dime of that $400 million despite

37:23.320 --> 37:25.820
repeated follow-up requests from the

37:25.820 --> 37:28.739
chairman and myself . In a call just

37:28.739 --> 37:31.169
last week , your staff indicated we

37:31.169 --> 37:33.659
will see a spend plan for those funds

37:33.659 --> 37:36.340
this week . Will you commit to spending

37:36.340 --> 37:39.340
those $400 million for weapons for

37:39.340 --> 37:41.860
Ukraine , and when will we receive your

37:41.860 --> 37:44.570
department's spend plan ? I appreciate

37:44.570 --> 37:47.330
that question . Uh , the $400 million

37:47.330 --> 37:49.552
for European capacity building has been

37:49.552 --> 37:51.729
released from the Secretary of War's

37:51.729 --> 37:54.090
office , and we'll work with UCO to

37:54.090 --> 37:56.312
make sure they spend it accordingly and

37:56.312 --> 37:58.534
properly , which we have all faith that

37:58.534 --> 38:00.701
they will . Mr . Secretary , when will

38:00.701 --> 38:02.757
this subcommittee get the associated

38:02.757 --> 38:06.610
spend plan for the $400 million ? Yeah ,

38:06.689 --> 38:08.467
I mean , we will work with your

38:08.467 --> 38:10.578
committee to make sure that the spend

38:10.578 --> 38:12.800
plan as allocated . I want to make sure

38:12.800 --> 38:15.022
UCom is fully informed on how they want

38:15.022 --> 38:14.889
to spend this . They're the closest to

38:14.889 --> 38:17.000
the problem set . And so working with

38:17.000 --> 38:19.167
them to ensure that you have the spend

38:19.167 --> 38:21.333
plan , uh , we'll work with you . Mr .

38:21.333 --> 38:23.389
Secretary , thank you , but it's May

38:23.389 --> 38:25.611
and this has been the law since January

38:25.611 --> 38:27.667
and you or your representatives have

38:27.667 --> 38:29.445
been asked this repeatedly on a

38:29.445 --> 38:31.445
bipartisan basis by members of this

38:31.445 --> 38:33.500
committee , and I , I think dragging

38:33.500 --> 38:35.556
our feet on this small investment in

38:35.556 --> 38:37.556
Ukraine's defense sends exactly the

38:37.556 --> 38:40.449
wrong signal to Putin at a time when

38:40.629 --> 38:43.350
the contest for freedom has its front

38:43.350 --> 38:46.780
lines in Ukraine . As you said , Europe

38:46.780 --> 38:48.979
has stepped up , donating billions to

38:48.979 --> 38:51.979
buy US weapons to send to Ukraine to

38:51.979 --> 38:54.020
help them as they continue to take

38:54.020 --> 38:56.169
ground on the battlefield . But it

38:56.169 --> 38:58.336
seems not all the money donated by our

38:58.336 --> 39:00.336
European allies is going to buy new

39:00.336 --> 39:02.113
weapons for Ukraine as they had

39:02.113 --> 39:04.336
understood . The memo you released just

39:04.336 --> 39:06.391
last week prior to your testimony at

39:06.391 --> 39:09.020
Senate Armed Services indicated DOD has

39:09.020 --> 39:11.020
and will continue to divert some of

39:11.020 --> 39:13.699
these funds back into DOD accounts for

39:13.699 --> 39:16.320
our own use . Will you commit , Mr .

39:16.479 --> 39:18.479
Secretary , to spend every dollar

39:18.479 --> 39:20.719
donated by our European allies for

39:20.719 --> 39:23.459
Ukraine on new weapons and capabilities

39:23.459 --> 39:26.790
for Ukraine ? Um , the , the Pearl

39:26.790 --> 39:28.957
initiative which you're referring to ,

39:28.957 --> 39:30.957
which is instituted underneath this

39:30.957 --> 39:33.123
administration so that , uh , European

39:33.123 --> 39:35.012
countries are paying for American

39:35.012 --> 39:37.179
equipment to provide as they see fit .

39:37.179 --> 39:39.290
NATO allocates where it would like to

39:39.290 --> 39:38.669
allocate that . It can choose Ukraine

39:38.669 --> 39:40.725
if you'd like , uh , that money when

39:40.725 --> 39:42.891
it's paid for , that's where it goes .

39:42.891 --> 39:45.169
It goes to those efforts . Well , look ,

39:45.489 --> 39:47.545
as the chairman raised and as I will

39:47.545 --> 39:49.656
repeat , um , I view NATO as the most

39:49.656 --> 39:51.822
successful mutual defense relationship

39:51.822 --> 39:53.989
we've ever had , uh , and your comment

39:53.989 --> 39:56.209
about we need not flags but real and

39:56.209 --> 39:59.169
capable allies , um , and the foot

39:59.169 --> 40:01.250
dragging on both Pearl and the

40:01.250 --> 40:03.306
investments in our Baltic allies and

40:03.306 --> 40:05.739
Ukraine , uh , causes me real concern .

40:06.090 --> 40:08.330
Uh , as you know , um , a bipartisan

40:08.330 --> 40:10.330
group of us from the Senate and the

40:10.330 --> 40:13.080
House went to Denmark . To lay a wreath

40:13.080 --> 40:15.729
at the memorial to the 52 Danes who

40:15.729 --> 40:17.810
served , fought , and died alongside

40:17.810 --> 40:20.050
our troops in Afghanistan , those were

40:20.050 --> 40:22.050
not just flags . Those were real

40:22.050 --> 40:25.409
warfighters who fought and died at our

40:25.409 --> 40:28.169
request in a war that began by NATO's

40:28.169 --> 40:30.679
initiation , a service and sacrifice in

40:30.679 --> 40:34.169
Afghanistan . I just think . We're

40:34.169 --> 40:35.947
sending the wrong signal by the

40:35.947 --> 40:37.725
president's announcement of the

40:37.725 --> 40:39.891
intention to withdraw 5000 troops from

40:39.891 --> 40:42.058
Germany . Could you help me understand

40:42.058 --> 40:44.002
what is the strategic reason for a

40:44.002 --> 40:45.947
drawdown of US troops from Western

40:45.947 --> 40:48.260
Europe ? I , I would just like to

40:48.260 --> 40:50.316
clarify , Senator , it's never about

40:50.316 --> 40:52.204
the heroism of foreign troops . I

40:52.204 --> 40:54.149
fought alongside great British and

40:54.149 --> 40:56.204
European and uh Australian allies in

40:56.204 --> 40:58.038
Afghanistan . It's the political

40:58.038 --> 41:00.179
caveats and the limitations that they

41:00.179 --> 41:02.346
come with . It's not the troops . It's

41:02.346 --> 41:04.568
the capitals of those , of those , uh ,

41:04.568 --> 41:06.568
of those militaries that limit what

41:06.568 --> 41:08.790
they're able to do , where they're able

41:08.790 --> 41:08.399
to go , who they're able to fight .

41:08.810 --> 41:10.699
That create limits on our own and

41:10.699 --> 41:12.921
anybody that's been in these formations

41:12.921 --> 41:15.143
knows that . So it's easy to talk about

41:15.143 --> 41:14.739
here , it's another thing to apply and

41:14.739 --> 41:17.020
we need allies that are burden sharing ,

41:17.060 --> 41:19.116
not becoming a burden with political

41:19.116 --> 41:21.338
limitations . I'm not talking about the

41:21.338 --> 41:23.560
troops . Thank you . Um , our president

41:23.560 --> 41:25.979
said in Europe that we never asked for

41:25.979 --> 41:28.035
and never received anything from our

41:28.035 --> 41:30.201
NATO allies . Was that your experience

41:30.201 --> 41:32.201
in Afghanistan serving and fighting

41:32.201 --> 41:35.080
alongside our NATO allies ? Um , I've

41:35.080 --> 41:37.191
have written extensively about that ,

41:37.191 --> 41:39.358
and the vast majority of my experience

41:39.358 --> 41:41.580
was frustration with the limits of what

41:41.580 --> 41:43.802
those troops were able to do because of

41:43.802 --> 41:45.636
the political caveats , rules of

41:45.636 --> 41:47.802
engagement , and limits that came from

41:47.802 --> 41:47.389
their but you don't doubt our question

41:47.389 --> 41:49.570
that about a third of all the combat

41:49.570 --> 41:51.770
casualties in our war in Afghanistan

41:51.770 --> 41:53.881
were our NATO partners and allies . I

41:53.881 --> 41:55.937
would have to go back and check that

41:55.937 --> 41:55.530
number , but I take your word for it .

41:55.669 --> 41:57.725
Let me just assert that hundreds and

41:57.725 --> 41:59.836
hundreds of service members from , as

41:59.836 --> 42:01.947
you put it , Australia and the United

42:01.947 --> 42:04.113
Kingdom . As well as many other of our

42:04.113 --> 42:05.891
allies served , fought and died

42:05.891 --> 42:08.002
alongside us . So , I'm just going to

42:08.002 --> 42:10.113
simply say , in terms of our reliance

42:10.113 --> 42:12.225
on our partnerships , I'll agree with

42:12.225 --> 42:14.530
the chairman that at a moment when

42:14.530 --> 42:17.350
Russia and China , North Korea and Iran

42:17.350 --> 42:19.530
are coming closer together and

42:19.530 --> 42:22.169
delivering a bedeviling lethality in

42:22.169 --> 42:24.689
this ongoing war in Iran , for which we

42:24.689 --> 42:26.745
don't have a clear strategy or clear

42:26.745 --> 42:29.330
answers . Our better strategy would be

42:29.330 --> 42:31.639
to partner more closely with Ukraine ,

42:31.929 --> 42:33.850
dig in deeper with our real

42:33.850 --> 42:36.550
values-based allies , our treaty allies

42:36.689 --> 42:38.856
in the Western Pacific and in Europe ,

42:38.889 --> 42:40.945
and together find a path out of this

42:41.129 --> 42:43.439
rather than berating them and bullying

42:43.439 --> 42:45.661
them for not coming along in a war they

42:45.661 --> 42:47.850
were not consulted about or briefed on

42:47.850 --> 42:49.961
before it began . I look forward to a

42:49.961 --> 42:51.739
second round . Thank you , Mr .

42:51.739 --> 42:55.300
Chairman . Senator Collins , thank you ,

42:55.379 --> 42:59.280
Mr . Chairman . General Kane . When

42:59.280 --> 43:02.620
the Department of War was planning

43:02.719 --> 43:06.239
its operations in Iran , did

43:06.239 --> 43:09.979
you anticipate the closure

43:10.040 --> 43:13.120
of the Strait of Hormuz and the

43:13.120 --> 43:17.040
resulting impact on oil supplies

43:17.040 --> 43:20.320
for many countries , including here in

43:20.320 --> 43:22.560
the United States where we've seen .

43:23.110 --> 43:26.590
Gas , diesel , and home heating oil

43:26.590 --> 43:29.909
prices go up . I ask this question

43:29.909 --> 43:32.610
because there's historic precedent .

43:32.629 --> 43:36.010
Obviously during the Iraq-Iran war ,

43:36.760 --> 43:39.510
uh , tankers were fired upon in the

43:39.510 --> 43:43.189
strait . Senator , thanks , uh , for

43:43.189 --> 43:45.949
the question . Um , as always , we have

43:45.949 --> 43:48.070
an incredible staff over at the

43:48.070 --> 43:50.909
Pentagon and down at US CENTCOM , and

43:50.909 --> 43:54.570
we always look at the range of military ,

43:54.830 --> 43:56.830
uh , branches and sequels . I won't

43:56.830 --> 43:58.989
comment on any particular one because

43:58.989 --> 44:01.709
that gets to whatever advice I may or

44:01.709 --> 44:03.820
may not have given to the president ,

44:04.030 --> 44:05.974
and I do that in private , but you

44:05.974 --> 44:08.149
should rest assured . As should the

44:08.149 --> 44:10.989
American people , that we cover and

44:10.989 --> 44:13.709
consider the full range of things all

44:13.709 --> 44:16.310
the time in our careful consideration

44:16.510 --> 44:19.350
of military actions and the advice and

44:19.350 --> 44:21.590
or options that we present to our

44:21.590 --> 44:24.550
civilian leaders . It seems to me that

44:24.550 --> 44:27.649
there's been a different plan almost

44:27.659 --> 44:30.909
daily with dealing with this problem ,

44:30.989 --> 44:34.760
which is why I ask . Mr .

44:34.800 --> 44:38.520
Secretary , let me start by thanking

44:38.520 --> 44:41.600
you for visiting Bath Iron Works in the

44:41.600 --> 44:43.929
state of Maine . Uh , the workers were

44:43.929 --> 44:47.669
very pleased to greet you and hear your

44:47.929 --> 44:50.649
encouragement and praise .

44:51.370 --> 44:54.840
The Aegis destroyers play such a

44:54.840 --> 44:57.669
critical role in our national security ,

44:57.770 --> 45:01.610
from intercepting Iranian missiles to

45:01.610 --> 45:05.090
supporting combat operations around the

45:05.090 --> 45:08.489
globe . While visiting Bath Iron Works ,

45:08.780 --> 45:12.379
you correctly described the DDG

45:12.379 --> 45:14.820
destroyers as the workhorse of the

45:14.820 --> 45:18.540
fleet and emphasized maxing out

45:18.540 --> 45:21.959
on DDGs sends a message to the world .

45:22.260 --> 45:24.360
I was also delighted that you noted

45:24.360 --> 45:27.620
that Bath Belt is best built , a slogan

45:27.620 --> 45:31.479
for which of which we're very proud . I

45:31.479 --> 45:34.080
fully agree with all those sentiments .

45:34.560 --> 45:37.520
That's why I was alarmed to see that

45:37.520 --> 45:40.840
this year's budget request only

45:40.840 --> 45:44.000
includes funding for just one DDG

45:44.000 --> 45:47.959
51 . That's down from 2 in

45:47.959 --> 45:51.879
FY 26 and 3 in FY

45:51.879 --> 45:55.625
25 that . Reduction to

45:55.625 --> 45:58.864
a single DDG 51 creates

45:58.864 --> 46:02.354
uncertainty for US surface combatant

46:02.574 --> 46:05.975
industrial base at a time when

46:05.975 --> 46:09.304
BIW is demonstrating

46:09.304 --> 46:13.205
huge progress in workforce retention ,

46:13.824 --> 46:17.705
production stability , and faster

46:17.705 --> 46:21.120
throughput . So , there needs to

46:21.120 --> 46:24.719
be a steady demand signal for

46:24.719 --> 46:28.300
DDGs in order to keep the yard

46:28.300 --> 46:31.520
operating at all phases , from cutting

46:31.520 --> 46:35.080
the initial steel to completing the

46:35.080 --> 46:39.050
ship . So I'm puzzled by

46:39.050 --> 46:42.969
why only one DDG is

46:42.969 --> 46:46.050
requested and concerned about what that

46:46.050 --> 46:49.570
will mean as far as maintaining that

46:49.570 --> 46:53.010
work flow . I'm particularly puzzled by

46:53.010 --> 46:56.689
the decision in reconciliation

46:57.129 --> 47:00.429
to request 1.8

47:00.429 --> 47:03.810
billion for foreign born surface

47:03.810 --> 47:07.120
combatants at the . Same time that

47:07.120 --> 47:10.600
there's the proposed cut for American

47:10.600 --> 47:14.360
built destroyers when providing

47:14.360 --> 47:17.250
a demand signal for US built

47:17.840 --> 47:21.600
DDGs from the department help the

47:21.600 --> 47:25.040
industry further increase the speed at

47:25.040 --> 47:27.780
which these ships are being produced ,

47:28.000 --> 47:30.479
and I'm sure when you were at Bath they

47:30.479 --> 47:33.080
probably showed you the chart of the

47:33.080 --> 47:35.649
enormous progress that they are making .

47:37.570 --> 47:39.403
I appreciate the question , uh ,

47:39.530 --> 47:41.697
Senator , and it was a great visit and

47:41.697 --> 47:43.697
it's incredible what they do . Um ,

47:43.969 --> 47:45.969
both , to both your questions , the

47:45.969 --> 47:48.080
answer is shipbuilding capacity . And

47:48.080 --> 47:50.136
that's why we invest , you know , 65

47:50.136 --> 47:51.858
billion in shipbuilding in our

47:51.858 --> 47:54.080
shipyards is because the reason for our

47:54.080 --> 47:56.191
request of that number is the ability

47:56.191 --> 47:58.358
to build them and how quickly . And so

47:58.358 --> 48:00.580
as soon as that capacity is increased ,

48:00.580 --> 48:02.580
which we anticipate this investment

48:02.580 --> 48:02.189
will do , then we look forward to

48:02.189 --> 48:04.850
ordering , uh , DDGs into the future

48:04.850 --> 48:07.072
because they are the backbone , uh , of

48:07.072 --> 48:09.780
our , of our naval fleet . Thank you ,

48:09.840 --> 48:13.120
Mr . Chairman . Senator Irvin ,

48:13.840 --> 48:16.800
thanks , uh , Mr . Chairman . Uh , I

48:16.800 --> 48:18.856
associate myself with the remarks of

48:18.856 --> 48:20.856
Senator Coons earlier about the 400

48:20.856 --> 48:22.967
million for Ukraine , and I hope that

48:22.967 --> 48:25.360
it is , uh , allocated quickly . I'd

48:25.360 --> 48:27.416
like to ask a similar question about

48:27.416 --> 48:29.600
the 200 million in that same

48:29.600 --> 48:32.639
appropriation bill that was designated

48:32.639 --> 48:34.820
for the Baltic Security Initiative .

48:35.580 --> 48:37.302
Has that money been released ?

48:39.260 --> 48:41.538
Um , if it has not been , it should be .

48:41.538 --> 48:43.649
I don't know . Has it been released ?

48:43.649 --> 48:45.871
Senator , uh , so I believe there was a

48:45.871 --> 48:47.871
mistake with how the appropriations

48:47.871 --> 48:49.816
bill was written . We're trying to

48:49.816 --> 48:49.500
rectify that through a reprogramming

48:49.500 --> 48:51.667
action to make sure we have sufficient

48:51.667 --> 48:53.722
funds in the DSCA account to execute

48:53.722 --> 48:57.110
BSI . It's 5 months after that bill was

48:57.110 --> 48:59.419
signed into law . How long will this

48:59.419 --> 49:01.879
take ? I think it's contingent on the

49:01.879 --> 49:04.101
reprogramming action be approved by the

49:04.101 --> 49:05.990
committees of jurisdiction of the

49:05.990 --> 49:07.657
Department of War . So you're

49:07.657 --> 49:09.712
suggesting he has to go back through

49:09.712 --> 49:11.990
Congress for the current appropriation .

49:11.990 --> 49:13.879
I need to move money between DSCA

49:13.879 --> 49:16.046
accounts to execute BSI . Well , I can

49:16.046 --> 49:18.212
tell you I , I would like to work with

49:18.212 --> 49:20.157
you to dispatch that money . It is

49:20.157 --> 49:22.268
needed for the Baltics and Poland and

49:22.268 --> 49:24.490
needed on a timely basis . Absolutely .

49:24.719 --> 49:27.179
I'd like to take a moment to reflect on

49:27.179 --> 49:31.000
the war in Iran . Uh , which you ,

49:31.159 --> 49:33.449
Mr . Hurst , testified before Congress

49:33.689 --> 49:37.639
has cost us $25 billion.14 US

49:37.639 --> 49:39.879
military personnel tragically killed ,

49:40.439 --> 49:44.439
and a tenuous ceasefire in place . As I

49:44.439 --> 49:48.040
look at the achievements Iran to date .

49:49.120 --> 49:51.520
Led now by an even more extreme Supreme

49:51.520 --> 49:54.389
Leader . The global economy is held

49:54.389 --> 49:56.556
hostage to the standoff in the Straits

49:56.556 --> 49:59.169
of Hormuz . Our munitions stockpiles

49:59.169 --> 50:01.649
are dangerously depleted , and Iran is

50:01.649 --> 50:03.760
no further from a nuclear weapon than

50:03.760 --> 50:06.399
before our invasion . General Kaine ,

50:06.479 --> 50:08.535
the president has claimed on several

50:08.535 --> 50:10.423
occasions over the past couple of

50:10.423 --> 50:12.590
months that the war is over . That the

50:12.590 --> 50:15.179
conflict has been concluded . What were

50:15.179 --> 50:17.235
the goals of the US conflict in Iran

50:17.235 --> 50:20.070
and have we achieved them ? Well , sir ,

50:20.120 --> 50:23.350
I'm gonna be mindful of my need to

50:23.350 --> 50:25.183
maintain trust with a variety of

50:25.183 --> 50:27.294
stakeholders in the job that I'm in ,

50:27.294 --> 50:29.183
which includes you , the American

50:29.183 --> 50:31.128
people , the Joint Force , and the

50:31.128 --> 50:33.183
president . And to that point , only

50:33.183 --> 50:35.350
our political and civilian leaders set

50:35.350 --> 50:37.517
the national military objectives . Our

50:37.517 --> 50:39.572
military objectives have been , have

50:39.572 --> 50:41.406
been clear the whole time around

50:41.406 --> 50:43.350
targeting Iran's ballistic missile

50:43.350 --> 50:45.072
systems , preventing them from

50:45.072 --> 50:47.183
threatening US forces in the region .

50:47.183 --> 50:49.406
Destroying the Iranian navy , degrading

50:49.406 --> 50:51.840
its capacity and capability , and

50:51.840 --> 50:54.159
ensuring that they can't rebuild by

50:54.159 --> 50:56.215
focusing on their defense industrial

50:56.215 --> 50:58.639
base . I'll defer to the Secretary and

50:58.639 --> 51:01.800
the President on other strategic

51:01.800 --> 51:04.022
objectives , but that's what we've been

51:04.022 --> 51:06.709
focused on , sir . Do you feel that the

51:06.750 --> 51:08.694
situation in the Straits of Hormuz

51:08.694 --> 51:11.449
indicate a victory on our side ? Sir ,

51:12.080 --> 51:15.219
only political leaders decide victory

51:15.219 --> 51:17.969
or defeat , and I'll leave it to them

51:17.969 --> 51:20.750
to opine on that . They are the ones

51:20.750 --> 51:23.439
who invoke or stop the use of military

51:23.439 --> 51:25.310
force . Well , let me put it in

51:25.310 --> 51:27.239
strictly military terms . Can you

51:27.239 --> 51:29.406
explain to the American people who are

51:29.406 --> 51:31.461
facing these gasoline and diesel oil

51:31.461 --> 51:33.389
prices ? What is going on in the

51:33.389 --> 51:35.590
Straits of Hormuz where Iran , which

51:35.590 --> 51:39.550
was attacked by us seemingly as the

51:39.550 --> 51:41.717
Straits of Hormuz at a standstill with

51:41.717 --> 51:44.510
1500 tankers waiting for either

51:44.510 --> 51:47.189
permission or peaceful circumstances to

51:47.189 --> 51:49.870
navigate . So , I think it's militarily ,

51:49.879 --> 51:53.350
it's a case where Iran is choosing to

51:53.350 --> 51:55.590
hold the world's economy hostage

51:56.229 --> 51:58.550
through their use of military power

51:58.550 --> 52:00.770
across their southern flank . And so I

52:00.770 --> 52:04.169
would encourage Iran to reconsider that ,

52:04.780 --> 52:08.260
and I would encourage those allies and

52:08.260 --> 52:10.370
partners who have an opportunity to

52:10.370 --> 52:12.919
come assist with that tactical problem

52:12.919 --> 52:14.919
to do so . Could you explain to the

52:14.919 --> 52:17.350
American people why with the vast

52:17.659 --> 52:19.570
investment we've made in national

52:19.570 --> 52:23.179
defense and military , How Iran , after

52:23.179 --> 52:25.419
they've been attacked by us , is still

52:25.419 --> 52:28.060
capable of stopping the traffic in the

52:28.060 --> 52:30.393
Straits of Hormuz . Well , sir , it's a ,

52:30.393 --> 52:32.616
it's a complex situation out there with

52:32.616 --> 52:34.929
a lot of different small boats that are

52:34.929 --> 52:37.300
out there and other capabilities .

52:38.840 --> 52:41.959
You know , I , uh , some of this is on

52:41.959 --> 52:44.159
the commercial traffickers , um , some

52:44.159 --> 52:46.159
of this is on , again , back to the

52:46.159 --> 52:48.439
main problem , and that's Iran holding

52:48.439 --> 52:50.840
the global economy hostage to the

52:50.840 --> 52:53.629
Straits . I would encourage them to

52:53.629 --> 52:56.590
think wisely about their next moves and

52:56.590 --> 52:58.590
to take the opportunity to open the

52:58.590 --> 53:00.923
straits . They have that choice to make .

53:00.923 --> 53:02.870
They certainly do . I guess the

53:02.870 --> 53:04.870
question in my mind is , as we talk

53:04.870 --> 53:07.037
about $1 trillion plus budgets for our

53:07.037 --> 53:09.270
military , it appears that a very small

53:09.270 --> 53:11.270
budget is holding us hostage in the

53:11.270 --> 53:15.010
Straits of Hormuz . Yield , Mr .

53:15.020 --> 53:16.020
Chairman .

53:20.120 --> 53:22.231
Uh , thank you . I just want to start

53:22.231 --> 53:24.120
off with saying that , uh , these

53:24.120 --> 53:26.231
military operations against Iran have

53:26.231 --> 53:28.959
been spectacular . In a matter of

53:28.959 --> 53:31.439
months , we have degraded the largest

53:31.439 --> 53:34.760
state sponsor of terrorism beyond what

53:34.760 --> 53:36.927
I thought was possible , probably more

53:36.927 --> 53:39.540
to come . Um , Mr . Secretary ,

53:40.199 --> 53:44.020
900 pounds of 60% enriched uranium .

53:45.350 --> 53:48.389
Do we all agree that's what Iran has

53:48.389 --> 53:51.959
buried somewhere ? In this

53:51.959 --> 53:54.040
format , some of that should be

53:54.040 --> 53:56.262
classified and so I wouldn't comment on

53:56.262 --> 53:58.262
the exact amount of anything . OK ,

53:58.262 --> 54:00.318
well , it's just pretty well known .

54:00.318 --> 54:02.318
They brag about it . Is it possible

54:02.318 --> 54:04.318
they could have 60% highly enriched

54:04.318 --> 54:06.373
uranium without them cheating in the

54:06.373 --> 54:10.330
past ? We know in every context

54:10.330 --> 54:12.330
of what Iran has undertaken they've

54:12.330 --> 54:14.441
lied and cheated . The answer is no .

54:14.729 --> 54:17.209
Everything that Obama and Biden did was

54:17.209 --> 54:19.098
designed to keep it to a civilian

54:19.098 --> 54:21.153
nuclear program . There is no way in

54:21.153 --> 54:23.370
hell they can have 60% highly enriched

54:23.370 --> 54:25.449
uranium unless they cheat . So

54:25.449 --> 54:28.060
everything y'all did failed . And you

54:28.060 --> 54:30.780
want to criticize ? You failed . You

54:30.780 --> 54:33.239
allowed Iran to be a threshold nuclear

54:33.239 --> 54:36.810
nation . Everything you did failed . Uh ,

54:36.939 --> 54:40.010
missiles , the Diego Garcia , did they

54:40.010 --> 54:41.843
shoot missiles at Diego Garcia ,

54:41.969 --> 54:45.739
General Kane , the Iranians ? Yes sir ,

54:45.850 --> 54:48.260
they shot a few under the protocols we

54:48.260 --> 54:50.427
had in place where they're supposed to

54:50.427 --> 54:54.379
be able to do that . Without reviewing

54:54.379 --> 54:56.490
the fine print , I believe the answer

54:56.490 --> 54:58.657
is no . No , they weren't . You failed

54:58.657 --> 55:02.459
there . You failed to stop Iran from

55:02.459 --> 55:05.060
being a nuclear threshold nation . You

55:05.060 --> 55:06.838
failed to stop Iran from having

55:06.838 --> 55:08.899
missiles that could go thousands of

55:08.899 --> 55:11.080
miles . Why should we listen to you ?

55:12.639 --> 55:15.280
Uh , bottom line here , China .

55:16.810 --> 55:20.489
Does China buy 90% of Iranian oil , Mr .

55:20.610 --> 55:24.600
Secretary ? China buys a

55:24.610 --> 55:26.777
very large percentage of . OK , 90% is

55:26.777 --> 55:30.379
pretty large , uh . So does China

55:30.379 --> 55:32.820
buy , are they the largest purchaser of

55:32.820 --> 55:36.699
Russian oil and gas ? I would imagine

55:36.699 --> 55:38.810
they're up there . They are . They're

55:38.810 --> 55:41.032
the largest . So President Trump , when

55:41.032 --> 55:43.000
you go to China , realize that the

55:43.000 --> 55:46.219
person you're talking to is propping up

55:47.010 --> 55:50.159
Russia and Iran . I appreciate what

55:50.159 --> 55:52.381
you've done in Iran . I appreciate what

55:52.381 --> 55:54.103
you're trying to do to end the

55:54.103 --> 55:56.326
Russian-Ukraine conflict . Do you agree

55:56.326 --> 55:58.492
with me , Mr . Secretary , that of all

55:58.492 --> 56:00.492
the countries on the planet , China

56:00.492 --> 56:02.715
could have the most influence of ending

56:02.715 --> 56:05.989
this war if they chose to ? I think the

56:05.989 --> 56:08.156
most influence is in President Trump's

56:08.156 --> 56:10.267
hands and what he decides to do , and

56:10.267 --> 56:12.489
he'll , what if , what if China stopped

56:12.489 --> 56:12.389
but ultimately China has a lot of

56:12.389 --> 56:14.500
leverage . You're right , yeah , they

56:14.500 --> 56:16.556
do . What if they stop buying 90% of

56:16.556 --> 56:18.611
oil from Iran . That's not President

56:18.611 --> 56:21.199
Trump . That's up to China . Do you

56:21.199 --> 56:23.199
support putting tariffs on China if

56:23.199 --> 56:25.255
they continue to buy Russian oil and

56:25.255 --> 56:28.340
gas ? Uh , tariffs is not my lane , but

56:28.340 --> 56:30.507
anything you can do to put pressure on

56:30.507 --> 56:32.729
people , I usually , well , uh , do you

56:32.729 --> 56:34.784
believe that when we put pressure on

56:34.784 --> 56:36.951
India by 25% tariff for buying Russian

56:36.951 --> 56:39.173
oil , they kind of backed off . I would

56:39.173 --> 56:41.229
say I've had a front row seat to the

56:41.229 --> 56:43.562
efficacy of tariff policy . Yeah , yeah ,

56:43.562 --> 56:45.729
I think it works , guys , and we're on

56:45.729 --> 56:47.840
the break , breakout here in a minute

56:47.840 --> 56:49.896
of having a bill that would give the

56:49.896 --> 56:49.689
president the ability to tariff the

56:49.689 --> 56:51.800
largest purchasers of Russian oil and

56:51.800 --> 56:53.967
gas , and I hope he will use it . So I

56:53.967 --> 56:57.060
just wanna , Pakistan , uh , are you

56:57.060 --> 56:59.580
aware of reports that Pakistan are ,

56:59.679 --> 57:02.679
are allowing their bases to be used to

57:02.870 --> 57:05.860
park Iranian aircraft , uh .

57:06.770 --> 57:10.139
General Kane . Sir , I've , I've , uh ,

57:10.310 --> 57:12.510
I've seen one report on that . Well ,

57:12.629 --> 57:15.110
is it accurate ? Um , sir , I think ,

57:15.189 --> 57:17.979
uh , based on the variety of class

57:18.350 --> 57:20.461
classification matters , let , let me

57:20.461 --> 57:22.294
just say , do you agree if it is

57:22.294 --> 57:24.517
accurate , that is sort of inconsistent

57:24.517 --> 57:26.683
with it being a peace mediator . Sir ,

57:26.683 --> 57:28.628
I wouldn't want to comment on that

57:28.628 --> 57:30.683
based on the ongoing negotiations in

57:30.683 --> 57:33.939
Pakistan Secretary Hexas . If , if the

57:33.949 --> 57:36.810
mediator is allowing reconnaissance

57:36.810 --> 57:39.139
aircraft in Iran to be parked in

57:39.139 --> 57:41.219
Pakistani air bases , do you think

57:41.219 --> 57:43.219
that's consistent with being a fair

57:43.219 --> 57:46.600
mediator ? Um , I , again , I wouldn't

57:46.600 --> 57:48.544
want to get in the middle of these

57:48.544 --> 57:50.767
negotiations . I want , well , I do . I

57:50.767 --> 57:52.711
want to get in the middle of these

57:52.711 --> 57:54.822
negotiations . I don't trust Pakistan

57:54.822 --> 57:56.878
as far as I can throw them . If they

57:56.878 --> 57:58.899
actually do have Iranian aircraft

57:59.439 --> 58:02.639
parked in Pakistan bases to protect

58:02.639 --> 58:05.679
Iranian military assets , that tells me

58:05.679 --> 58:07.901
we should be looking maybe for somebody

58:07.901 --> 58:10.500
else to mediate . No wonder this thing

58:10.500 --> 58:14.459
is going nowhere . So , you know , I

58:14.459 --> 58:16.570
appreciate all you've done . I'm very

58:16.570 --> 58:18.792
supportive of it . But when it comes to

58:18.792 --> 58:20.903
Pakistan and China , enough already .

58:20.903 --> 58:20.739
Thank you .

58:26.969 --> 58:29.080
Thank you very much , Mr . Chairman .

58:29.080 --> 58:31.136
Thank you , gentlemen for being here

58:31.136 --> 58:33.247
today . Uh , Mr . Secretary , uh , we

58:33.247 --> 58:37.000
have been trying to Tracked down the

58:37.000 --> 58:40.149
expenditures in the Operation Epic Fury

58:40.149 --> 58:43.919
and uh Operation Freedom now , and

58:43.919 --> 58:46.030
we've sent letters and we've got very

58:46.360 --> 58:48.304
few responses . We've been sending

58:48.304 --> 58:51.389
letters since March 10th . Uh , we did

58:52.370 --> 58:54.592
understand that it was released that in

58:54.592 --> 58:57.639
the first six days , $11.3 billion was

58:57.639 --> 59:00.770
spent . Uh , and then recently we were

59:00.770 --> 59:04.209
told $25 billion was spent . Today , I

59:04.209 --> 59:07.489
think the number is $29 billion . Um .

59:09.419 --> 59:12.199
Can you provide some details as to what

59:12.340 --> 59:14.507
consists of that $29 billion ? Have we

59:14.507 --> 59:15.673
counted everything ?

59:18.620 --> 59:20.676
Yeah , Senator Reed , so I testified

59:20.676 --> 59:22.564
this morning to HackD that , uh ,

59:22.580 --> 59:24.358
between the joint staff and the

59:24.358 --> 59:26.524
Comptroller staff our operational cost

59:26.524 --> 59:28.691
estimate is now $29 billion . A lot of

59:28.691 --> 59:30.580
that increase comes from having a

59:30.580 --> 59:32.302
refined estimate on repair and

59:32.302 --> 59:34.469
replacement costs for equipment . Uh ,

59:34.469 --> 59:36.524
our munitions costs are , are fairly

59:36.524 --> 59:36.290
fixed . We think they're very accurate ,

59:36.300 --> 59:38.300
and there's some O&M costs there as

59:38.300 --> 59:40.522
well . We're not making an estimate for

59:40.522 --> 59:42.744
Milon at this time . We don't know what

59:42.744 --> 59:44.911
our future posture is going to be . We

59:44.911 --> 59:46.911
don't know how those bases would be

59:46.911 --> 59:46.719
reconstructed , and we don't know what

59:46.719 --> 59:48.830
percentage of our allies and partners

59:48.830 --> 59:51.419
will pay for that reconstruction . So

59:51.419 --> 59:53.699
you , you do not consider installations

59:53.699 --> 59:55.977
that have been damaged in the conflict ,

59:55.977 --> 59:57.977
correct ? We just don't have a good

59:57.977 --> 01:00:00.143
estimate at this time , so it's not in

01:00:00.143 --> 01:00:02.366
the $29 billion . That's correct . Uh ,

01:00:02.580 --> 01:00:04.580
expended weapons , are they totally

01:00:04.580 --> 01:00:07.909
included within the estimate ? Yes , to

01:00:07.909 --> 01:00:09.965
the best of my knowledge , we have a

01:00:09.965 --> 01:00:12.020
full account of the expended weapons

01:00:12.020 --> 01:00:14.242
and weapons , uh , transferred to other

01:00:14.242 --> 01:00:16.187
countries in the region . Are they

01:00:16.187 --> 01:00:18.409
counted in ? I would wanna double check

01:00:18.409 --> 01:00:18.149
to make sure we have that accurately ,

01:00:18.310 --> 01:00:21.959
please . I mean , uh . You're coming up

01:00:21.959 --> 01:00:23.903
and asking for another significant

01:00:23.903 --> 01:00:26.181
supplemental , etc . and before we can ,

01:00:26.239 --> 01:00:28.639
I think , reasonably appropriate

01:00:28.639 --> 01:00:30.861
additional money , we , we have to find

01:00:30.861 --> 01:00:33.080
out how the existing appropriated

01:00:33.080 --> 01:00:35.080
dollars have been spent , so that's

01:00:35.080 --> 01:00:37.080
critically important and um .

01:00:40.340 --> 01:00:42.451
I know also that the budget asked for

01:00:42.451 --> 01:00:45.399
another $350 billion in reconciliation .

01:00:45.860 --> 01:00:49.010
Um , how essential is that to your

01:00:49.010 --> 01:00:52.750
budget ? I would say it's

01:00:52.750 --> 01:00:54.694
extremely essential to achieve the

01:00:54.694 --> 01:00:56.528
generational investment that the

01:00:56.528 --> 01:00:58.694
president is trying to make , but that

01:00:58.694 --> 01:01:00.979
would be on top of the $150 billion we

01:01:00.979 --> 01:01:03.035
received in the big beautiful bill ,

01:01:03.035 --> 01:01:05.479
which would be $500 billion half a

01:01:05.479 --> 01:01:08.120
trillion dollars in two years , and

01:01:08.120 --> 01:01:10.350
again we're not . We're not getting , I

01:01:10.350 --> 01:01:13.260
think , the detailed spend plan , the

01:01:13.260 --> 01:01:16.699
detailed obligation plan for this , and

01:01:16.699 --> 01:01:18.921
without it , it's very difficult to say

01:01:18.921 --> 01:01:21.199
just take the money and run , you know ,

01:01:21.199 --> 01:01:23.477
we have a job to do too . Any comments ,

01:01:23.500 --> 01:01:27.419
Mr . Secretary ? We

01:01:27.419 --> 01:01:29.697
recognize that in our , our , you know ,

01:01:29.697 --> 01:01:31.530
in a , in a perfect world , um ,

01:01:31.699 --> 01:01:33.699
everything's , everything's part of

01:01:33.699 --> 01:01:35.810
your , your regular order , uh , this

01:01:35.810 --> 01:01:37.643
is a dynamic place with a lot of

01:01:37.643 --> 01:01:39.820
dynamic factors and so in order to get

01:01:39.820 --> 01:01:41.764
where we need to with the historic

01:01:41.764 --> 01:01:43.764
investment for this department , we

01:01:43.764 --> 01:01:45.820
think this is the best allocation in

01:01:45.820 --> 01:01:48.153
order to get there , Senator . Well , I ,

01:01:48.153 --> 01:01:50.209
I think detailed analysis , detailed

01:01:50.209 --> 01:01:52.376
data that we receive will help us make

01:01:52.376 --> 01:01:54.653
more sensible judgments and . You know ,

01:01:54.689 --> 01:01:57.260
we're just sort of vague generalities

01:01:57.260 --> 01:01:59.260
are not helping this committee make

01:01:59.260 --> 01:02:01.482
critical judgments , and the trade-offs

01:02:01.482 --> 01:02:04.260
are significant . Uh , deficit is

01:02:04.260 --> 01:02:07.179
increasing dramatically . We have to be

01:02:07.179 --> 01:02:09.346
conscious of that . We also have to be

01:02:09.346 --> 01:02:12.899
conscious to helping American families

01:02:12.899 --> 01:02:15.939
just get by , and inflation just hit

01:02:15.939 --> 01:02:19.550
3.8% today , which is the , I think the

01:02:19.550 --> 01:02:21.717
biggest numbers is 2023 or something ,

01:02:21.820 --> 01:02:24.739
so . We're fighting all these forces

01:02:24.739 --> 01:02:26.906
that they're not directly connected to

01:02:26.906 --> 01:02:28.961
your mission as secretary , but they

01:02:28.961 --> 01:02:30.961
are connected to our mission . Uh ,

01:02:30.961 --> 01:02:33.183
General Kane , your observations on the

01:02:33.183 --> 01:02:35.360
future course of action in the Persian

01:02:35.360 --> 01:02:38.100
Gulf . We're in this tenuous ceasefire ,

01:02:38.399 --> 01:02:41.860
uh . What's your sense of the direction

01:02:41.860 --> 01:02:45.010
forward ? Well , sir , I won't , uh ,

01:02:45.020 --> 01:02:47.419
opine on a hypothetical . What I will

01:02:47.419 --> 01:02:51.090
assure you is that we , uh , retain

01:02:51.090 --> 01:02:54.070
and continue to hold a range of options

01:02:54.070 --> 01:02:56.350
for our civilian leaders . Um , it

01:02:56.350 --> 01:02:58.517
would be inappropriate for me to opine

01:02:58.517 --> 01:03:01.590
on how it may go , um , uh , but rest

01:03:01.590 --> 01:03:03.600
assured we , we are , we still hold

01:03:03.600 --> 01:03:06.149
many , many options . Have you been

01:03:06.149 --> 01:03:07.570
surprised by the , uh .

01:03:10.800 --> 01:03:14.689
Resistance of the Iranians . So , as a

01:03:14.689 --> 01:03:16.856
war fighter , I always assume an enemy

01:03:16.856 --> 01:03:19.169
is going to resist , um , and the job

01:03:19.169 --> 01:03:21.770
of the joint forces to , to win at the

01:03:21.770 --> 01:03:24.103
time and place of our nation's choosing .

01:03:24.103 --> 01:03:26.048
So I , I always assume an enemy is

01:03:26.048 --> 01:03:28.214
going to fight , and I find that's the

01:03:28.214 --> 01:03:30.437
best pathway . I think so too , and you

01:03:30.437 --> 01:03:32.770
communicated that to the president , uh ,

01:03:32.780 --> 01:03:34.947
as you advised him before the decision

01:03:34.947 --> 01:03:37.570
was made , sir , as I've , as I've said

01:03:37.570 --> 01:03:39.681
respectfully before , I won't comment

01:03:39.681 --> 01:03:41.810
on my private conversations with the

01:03:41.810 --> 01:03:44.360
president in order to . Make sure that

01:03:44.360 --> 01:03:46.527
I maintain trust with him and with you

01:03:46.527 --> 01:03:48.638
and the American people and the joint

01:03:48.638 --> 01:03:50.760
force . That's a principal response .

01:03:50.879 --> 01:03:53.101
Thank you very much . Thank you , sir .

01:03:53.101 --> 01:03:55.323
Chairman Moran . Chairman , thank you .

01:03:55.323 --> 01:03:57.546
Um , Secretary Hegseth , welcome . Uh ,

01:03:57.546 --> 01:03:59.601
I just returned , uh , Friday from a

01:03:59.601 --> 01:04:02.879
visit to China . Uh , and one of the

01:04:02.879 --> 01:04:05.840
things that seemingly clear to me is

01:04:05.840 --> 01:04:08.439
that Taiwan remains at the forefront of

01:04:08.439 --> 01:04:12.239
the Chinese efforts , uh , next

01:04:12.239 --> 01:04:14.461
steps in what they want to accomplish .

01:04:14.860 --> 01:04:18.659
And we have commitments , I guess ,

01:04:19.060 --> 01:04:21.340
to defend Taiwan . You can explain that

01:04:21.340 --> 01:04:25.070
to me as you choose . What I would like

01:04:25.070 --> 01:04:28.889
to highlight is while Taiwan is still

01:04:28.889 --> 01:04:30.833
at the forefront , at least in the

01:04:30.833 --> 01:04:33.040
minds of the Chinese . The United

01:04:33.040 --> 01:04:35.760
States is seeing the Russian invasion

01:04:35.760 --> 01:04:38.120
of Ukraine in which we're yet to some

01:04:38.120 --> 01:04:41.189
degree still involved . We're having

01:04:41.189 --> 01:04:43.149
deterrence in the Indo-Pacific in

01:04:43.149 --> 01:04:45.300
regard to China . We're conducting

01:04:45.300 --> 01:04:47.800
operations in the Middle East . Um ,

01:04:48.600 --> 01:04:50.378
All of that has drawn strategic

01:04:50.378 --> 01:04:53.810
capabilities from the joint force . One

01:04:53.810 --> 01:04:55.754
of the things I think we can do to

01:04:55.754 --> 01:04:57.643
augment our joint force is strong

01:04:57.643 --> 01:04:59.643
allied relationships , partnerships

01:04:59.643 --> 01:05:02.360
with others . Given the current threat

01:05:02.360 --> 01:05:05.199
environment that we are in and the

01:05:05.199 --> 01:05:07.840
scale of the global demands upon the

01:05:07.840 --> 01:05:10.000
United States , can you speak to how

01:05:10.000 --> 01:05:12.222
the department views the role of allies

01:05:12.222 --> 01:05:14.540
and partners in sustaining our global

01:05:15.000 --> 01:05:18.120
posture , and does the defense budget

01:05:18.120 --> 01:05:20.399
recognize , reflect the needs to

01:05:20.399 --> 01:05:22.810
strengthen allied integration ? And

01:05:22.810 --> 01:05:24.977
maintain credible unified deterrence .

01:05:26.750 --> 01:05:28.861
Senator , I appreciate the question ,

01:05:28.861 --> 01:05:30.861
and I think foundational to it is a

01:05:30.861 --> 01:05:32.972
recognition that countries closest to

01:05:32.972 --> 01:05:35.083
the problem set , uh , should be most

01:05:35.083 --> 01:05:37.028
invested in ensuring that they can

01:05:37.028 --> 01:05:39.194
deter that adversary , which is why we

01:05:39.194 --> 01:05:41.361
want European capabilities to increase

01:05:41.361 --> 01:05:43.583
to deter Russian aggression . Uh , when

01:05:43.583 --> 01:05:45.583
you look at the Indo-Pacific . Uh ,

01:05:45.583 --> 01:05:47.583
it's been a focus of our department

01:05:47.583 --> 01:05:49.583
since the day I showed up . Whether

01:05:49.583 --> 01:05:51.694
it's ASEAN or Shangri-La or traveling

01:05:51.694 --> 01:05:51.510
to the region , going to South Korea ,

01:05:51.610 --> 01:05:53.277
going to Japan , going to the

01:05:53.277 --> 01:05:55.388
Philippines , uh , having them to our

01:05:55.388 --> 01:05:57.500
building to build out our those

01:05:57.500 --> 01:06:00.179
relationships in a , in a very real

01:06:00.179 --> 01:06:02.290
operational way . It's not about what

01:06:02.290 --> 01:06:03.957
we can sign . It's about what

01:06:03.957 --> 01:06:05.870
contingencies and dilemmas can we

01:06:05.870 --> 01:06:08.459
create for adversaries who may seek to

01:06:08.459 --> 01:06:10.181
expand their , their sphere of

01:06:10.181 --> 01:06:12.348
influence , whether it's militarily or

01:06:12.348 --> 01:06:14.515
economically or through pressure . And

01:06:14.515 --> 01:06:16.737
so I think while we've been involved in

01:06:16.737 --> 01:06:18.737
a lot of efforts around the world ,

01:06:18.737 --> 01:06:20.792
through the president's leadership ,

01:06:20.792 --> 01:06:22.848
we've reestablished deterrence . The

01:06:22.848 --> 01:06:24.959
world knows that America's word means

01:06:24.959 --> 01:06:26.959
something , uh , from Maduro to the

01:06:26.959 --> 01:06:29.292
Houthis to Midnight Hammer to Epic Fury ,

01:06:29.292 --> 01:06:31.459
when the president says you can't have

01:06:31.459 --> 01:06:33.570
a nuclear weapon , he means it . When

01:06:33.570 --> 01:06:35.681
the president says you're an indicted

01:06:35.681 --> 01:06:37.737
individual , he means it . Everybody

01:06:37.737 --> 01:06:39.959
sees that including in the Indo-Pacific

01:06:39.959 --> 01:06:42.070
and when you do that , plus build out

01:06:42.070 --> 01:06:44.237
your alliances , not based on talk but

01:06:44.237 --> 01:06:46.348
based on capabilities , access facing

01:06:46.348 --> 01:06:47.681
and overflight training

01:06:47.681 --> 01:06:49.903
interoperability in indiscreet ways . I

01:06:49.903 --> 01:06:52.060
think uh all the right people pay

01:06:52.060 --> 01:06:54.282
attention to that and see it and that's

01:06:54.282 --> 01:06:56.449
been the focus in the Indo-Pacific for

01:06:56.449 --> 01:06:58.671
us for a while and the budget request .

01:06:58.671 --> 01:07:00.393
Reflects those uh that that uh

01:07:00.393 --> 01:07:02.449
circumstance that you just described

01:07:02.449 --> 01:07:04.782
very much so I would say Admiral Poparo ,

01:07:04.782 --> 01:07:07.004
uh , his request , his line items , his

01:07:07.004 --> 01:07:09.227
input was front and center in the build

01:07:09.227 --> 01:07:11.393
of FY 27 to ensure allies and partners

01:07:11.393 --> 01:07:13.449
are considered . Yes sir . Secretary

01:07:13.449 --> 01:07:15.616
Hagseth , let me change the change the

01:07:15.616 --> 01:07:17.560
topic . Um , I worked closely with

01:07:17.560 --> 01:07:20.600
Senator Cruz . To introduce and secure

01:07:20.600 --> 01:07:22.919
the unanimous Senate passage of the

01:07:22.919 --> 01:07:25.840
Rotter Act . Uh , that was an airplane

01:07:25.840 --> 01:07:28.979
that originated from Kansas that saw

01:07:28.979 --> 01:07:32.459
the death of 367 people , uh , near ,

01:07:32.540 --> 01:07:36.399
uh , Reagan Airport . The department in

01:07:36.399 --> 01:07:38.719
December , December 17th , released a

01:07:38.719 --> 01:07:40.997
statement in support of the Rotter Act ,

01:07:41.159 --> 01:07:43.399
and yet when the House considered the

01:07:43.399 --> 01:07:45.679
Rotter Act , the department released an

01:07:45.679 --> 01:07:48.070
additional statement . And claimed that

01:07:48.070 --> 01:07:50.014
enactment would create significant

01:07:50.014 --> 01:07:52.070
unresolved budgetary burdens and

01:07:52.070 --> 01:07:54.126
operational security risks affecting

01:07:54.126 --> 01:07:56.909
national defense activities . Can you

01:07:56.909 --> 01:07:59.169
explain what happened between the first

01:07:59.169 --> 01:08:01.391
statement and the second statement that

01:08:01.391 --> 01:08:03.725
caused there to be a different reaction ?

01:08:03.725 --> 01:08:05.891
And I ask this because it's still very

01:08:05.891 --> 01:08:08.058
important to me that the Rotter Act or

01:08:08.058 --> 01:08:10.113
something very similar to the Rotter

01:08:10.113 --> 01:08:11.780
Act is enacted into law , and

01:08:11.780 --> 01:08:14.449
apparently for it to be passed , it

01:08:14.449 --> 01:08:16.171
needs to be something that the

01:08:16.171 --> 01:08:18.449
Department of Defense is supportive of .

01:08:18.680 --> 01:08:21.140
So what is it that changed between the

01:08:21.290 --> 01:08:23.012
initial statement , the second

01:08:23.012 --> 01:08:25.899
statement , so that we can . Bring this ,

01:08:25.910 --> 01:08:28.169
uh , legislative endeavor to fruition .

01:08:28.709 --> 01:08:30.709
Well , I , I appreciate your , uh ,

01:08:30.709 --> 01:08:32.653
attention to what occurred there .

01:08:32.653 --> 01:08:34.542
We've taken it seriously from the

01:08:34.542 --> 01:08:36.820
beginning . We recognize the need , uh ,

01:08:36.820 --> 01:08:38.931
for the requisite oversight . Uh , it

01:08:38.931 --> 01:08:41.153
was an earnest change . Uh , we don't ,

01:08:41.153 --> 01:08:43.209
the department didn't think that the

01:08:43.209 --> 01:08:45.153
changes that we had asked for were

01:08:45.153 --> 01:08:47.265
incorporated properly into the bill ,

01:08:47.265 --> 01:08:49.431
and as a result , uh , we came out and

01:08:49.431 --> 01:08:51.653
and opposed it , but we look forward to

01:08:51.653 --> 01:08:53.876
an iteration of that bill to get passed

01:08:53.876 --> 01:08:56.098
because we think it's important that it

01:08:56.098 --> 01:08:55.879
happen . If I can paraphrase in my

01:08:55.879 --> 01:08:57.768
words so I understand what you're

01:08:57.768 --> 01:08:59.823
telling me , it isn't that something

01:08:59.823 --> 01:09:01.879
changed . It was that what you asked

01:09:01.879 --> 01:09:03.935
for didn't get enacted in the Rotter

01:09:03.935 --> 01:09:05.823
Act before it passed the Senate .

01:09:05.823 --> 01:09:07.879
Correct , we think some changes that

01:09:07.879 --> 01:09:09.935
need to be made were not made to the

01:09:09.935 --> 01:09:09.750
bill , and as a result , we changed our

01:09:09.750 --> 01:09:12.089
position , but we look forward to , uh ,

01:09:12.270 --> 01:09:14.326
supporting something in the future .

01:09:14.326 --> 01:09:16.548
Yes . Um , in my 15 seconds left , uh ,

01:09:16.669 --> 01:09:19.870
General Kane , could I ask you to visit

01:09:19.870 --> 01:09:22.209
with me momentarily after the hearing

01:09:22.209 --> 01:09:24.265
so that I can raise a topic with you

01:09:24.265 --> 01:09:26.431
and have you point me in the direction

01:09:26.431 --> 01:09:28.376
of where I can find an answer ? Of

01:09:28.376 --> 01:09:30.653
course , sir . Thank you . Don't worry .

01:09:32.029 --> 01:09:34.085
Thank you very much , Mr . uh , Mr .

01:09:34.085 --> 01:09:37.100
Chairman . Mr . Secretary , the war in

01:09:37.100 --> 01:09:39.779
Iran has not only cost 13 American

01:09:39.779 --> 01:09:41.939
service members' lives , it is also

01:09:41.939 --> 01:09:45.459
costing American taxpayers dearly tens

01:09:45.459 --> 01:09:47.570
of billions of dollars and counting ,

01:09:47.570 --> 01:09:49.737
and that's money that could be helping

01:09:49.737 --> 01:09:51.737
people perhaps get healthcare , but

01:09:51.737 --> 01:09:53.903
instead we're paying for bombs dropped

01:09:53.903 --> 01:09:55.570
in a war that American people

01:09:55.570 --> 01:09:57.681
overwhelmingly oppose . Now , earlier

01:09:57.681 --> 01:09:59.737
this morning , I know that your team

01:09:59.737 --> 01:10:01.792
testified Trump's war with Iran cost

01:10:01.792 --> 01:10:04.890
$29 billion so far . That is $29

01:10:04.890 --> 01:10:07.057
billion blown on a war of choice , and

01:10:07.057 --> 01:10:09.279
that's what it would have cost actually

01:10:09.279 --> 01:10:11.979
to save the ACA tax credits . But as my

01:10:11.979 --> 01:10:14.090
colleagues have already stated , what

01:10:14.090 --> 01:10:16.312
is concerning as well as it seems quite

01:10:16.312 --> 01:10:18.540
clear that that is , that cost estimate

01:10:18.540 --> 01:10:21.580
is suspiciously low . Now , your acting

01:10:21.580 --> 01:10:23.819
comptroller suggested that damage to US

01:10:23.819 --> 01:10:26.020
facilities was not factored into that

01:10:26.020 --> 01:10:28.430
figure . It is clear that there has

01:10:28.430 --> 01:10:30.830
been extensive damage to American

01:10:30.830 --> 01:10:33.069
military assets . New reporting from

01:10:33.069 --> 01:10:34.791
The Washington Post and others

01:10:34.791 --> 01:10:36.847
indicates that Iran has hit at least

01:10:36.910 --> 01:10:40.509
228 structures or pieces of equipment

01:10:40.669 --> 01:10:43.549
at US military sites . Can you tell us

01:10:43.549 --> 01:10:46.270
what the cost of damage done to US

01:10:46.270 --> 01:10:48.270
facilities is because of this war ?

01:10:50.049 --> 01:10:51.938
Well , I think Jay covered pretty

01:10:51.938 --> 01:10:54.049
clearly what we can or cannot share ,

01:10:54.049 --> 01:10:56.105
but I would , I would simply respond

01:10:56.105 --> 01:10:58.216
that , um , and , and I think it's an

01:10:58.216 --> 01:11:00.271
important point considering what the

01:11:00.271 --> 01:11:00.049
president is undertaking is what is the

01:11:00.049 --> 01:11:02.271
cost of Iran obtaining a nuclear weapon

01:11:02.330 --> 01:11:04.552
and the fact that this president's been

01:11:04.552 --> 01:11:06.274
willing to make a historic and

01:11:06.274 --> 01:11:08.497
courageous choice to confront that , it

01:11:08.497 --> 01:11:08.240
comes with cost , and we recognize that .

01:11:08.279 --> 01:11:10.501
I understand what your judgment is . We

01:11:10.501 --> 01:11:12.390
have a judgment as well , and I'm

01:11:12.390 --> 01:11:14.612
asking if you can tell us , and at what

01:11:14.612 --> 01:11:16.779
point you can tell us what the cost of

01:11:16.779 --> 01:11:18.946
damage done to US facilities is , uh ,

01:11:18.946 --> 01:11:18.805
because of this . Yeah ma'am , thanks

01:11:18.805 --> 01:11:21.084
for the question . So for , uh , future

01:11:21.084 --> 01:11:23.195
posture in the Middle East , we don't

01:11:23.195 --> 01:11:25.306
know what that's gonna look like . We

01:11:25.306 --> 01:11:24.805
don't know how we're going to design

01:11:24.805 --> 01:11:26.972
these bases . The damage to date , you

01:11:26.972 --> 01:11:29.138
do not have any cost estimate on it at

01:11:29.138 --> 01:11:31.249
all for the military construction . I

01:11:31.249 --> 01:11:31.125
don't have a cost estimate to provide

01:11:31.125 --> 01:11:33.292
you at this time . Well , when will we

01:11:33.292 --> 01:11:35.403
get that ? Again , it depends on what

01:11:35.403 --> 01:11:37.514
the future posture is , how we decide

01:11:37.514 --> 01:11:39.681
to construct those bases to date , you

01:11:39.681 --> 01:11:41.681
know what has happened to date . We

01:11:41.681 --> 01:11:41.240
can't get that number , and that is a

01:11:41.240 --> 01:11:43.184
real concern to us . Our job is to

01:11:43.184 --> 01:11:45.240
appropriate dollars , and we're just

01:11:45.240 --> 01:11:47.462
told it's coming , it's coming , and we

01:11:47.462 --> 01:11:49.629
don't get it . So it's very hard to do

01:11:49.629 --> 01:11:51.573
our budgets . And right now , Mr .

01:11:51.573 --> 01:11:53.573
Secretary , people are paying $4.05

01:11:53.573 --> 01:11:55.479
dollars , even 6 $7 for gas , and

01:11:55.479 --> 01:11:57.799
American taxpayers are now on the hook

01:11:57.799 --> 01:11:59.966
as well for paying for this disastrous

01:11:59.966 --> 01:12:02.129
war . You're spending families' hard

01:12:02.129 --> 01:12:05.049
earned tax dollars on a war that many

01:12:05.049 --> 01:12:07.209
strongly oppose , and you're forcing

01:12:07.209 --> 01:12:09.370
people to pay more at the pump , and

01:12:09.370 --> 01:12:11.426
yet you're not even providing a real

01:12:11.426 --> 01:12:13.537
breakdown for the cost of this war so

01:12:13.537 --> 01:12:15.890
far . We have no real details . You

01:12:15.890 --> 01:12:18.209
have indicated that , and yet now you

01:12:18.209 --> 01:12:21.589
want Congress to send you $1.5

01:12:21.859 --> 01:12:23.919
trillion more . To me that is

01:12:23.919 --> 01:12:25.850
unacceptable , and I hope our

01:12:25.850 --> 01:12:28.017
Republican colleagues will join us and

01:12:28.017 --> 01:12:31.049
not only . rejecting that absurd

01:12:31.049 --> 01:12:32.938
request but in insisting that the

01:12:32.938 --> 01:12:35.105
American people get the actual answers

01:12:35.105 --> 01:12:37.410
on how much money their money we're ,

01:12:37.490 --> 01:12:40.549
we are spending on this now , let me

01:12:40.689 --> 01:12:42.800
turn and say Secretary Heck says that

01:12:43.129 --> 01:12:45.209
the president has called Medicaid ,

01:12:45.370 --> 01:12:47.870
Medicare , and child care little scams

01:12:48.089 --> 01:12:50.256
and said , quote , we're fighting wars

01:12:50.256 --> 01:12:52.819
we cannot take . Uh , care of daycare .

01:12:53.149 --> 01:12:55.482
Uh , I'm just trying to understand that .

01:12:55.482 --> 01:12:57.427
Is it your position , since you're

01:12:57.427 --> 01:12:59.430
asking taxpayers for another $0.5

01:12:59.430 --> 01:13:01.486
trillion for the war , that American

01:13:01.486 --> 01:13:03.541
families should be forced to give up

01:13:03.541 --> 01:13:05.652
childcare and health coverage so that

01:13:05.652 --> 01:13:07.652
you can have $1.5 trillion for this

01:13:07.652 --> 01:13:10.979
budget ? Senator , that's , that's not

01:13:10.979 --> 01:13:12.979
my department . I certainly support

01:13:12.979 --> 01:13:14.646
this , and I also support the

01:13:14.646 --> 01:13:16.812
president's efforts to find and remove

01:13:16.812 --> 01:13:18.868
fraud wherever possible in a general

01:13:18.868 --> 01:13:20.535
sense , and we do that in our

01:13:20.535 --> 01:13:22.368
department as well . I , I'm not

01:13:22.368 --> 01:13:24.535
talking about fraud . I actually asked

01:13:24.535 --> 01:13:26.701
whether an American family should lose

01:13:26.701 --> 01:13:28.923
their health care or their childcare to

01:13:28.923 --> 01:13:31.146
pay for this budget . That is literally

01:13:31.146 --> 01:13:34.680
what the president suggested . The

01:13:34.680 --> 01:13:37.649
president has proposed a historic $1.5

01:13:37.649 --> 01:13:39.705
trillion budget that will defend the

01:13:39.705 --> 01:13:41.927
nation and confront threats like Iran ,

01:13:41.927 --> 01:13:43.982
which previous presidents allowed to

01:13:43.982 --> 01:13:46.260
happen , as Senator Graham pointed out .

01:13:46.260 --> 01:13:48.205
Previous administrations said they

01:13:48.205 --> 01:13:47.620
wanted to take care of this problem ,

01:13:48.120 --> 01:13:50.176
and they did not , and he's doing it

01:13:50.176 --> 01:13:52.342
this committee . The question in front

01:13:52.342 --> 01:13:54.564
of the American people is what are they

01:13:54.564 --> 01:13:56.620
being asked to give up for this $1.5

01:13:56.620 --> 01:13:58.731
trillion ? That's where I was talking

01:13:58.731 --> 01:14:00.453
about and . Uh , lastly , Mr .

01:14:00.453 --> 01:14:02.509
Secretary , your budget request cuts

01:14:02.509 --> 01:14:04.930
through Trump's ramblings and really to

01:14:04.930 --> 01:14:07.041
me makes the truth clear that you and

01:14:07.041 --> 01:14:09.152
the president don't value families as

01:14:09.152 --> 01:14:11.374
much as you value defense contractors .

01:14:11.374 --> 01:14:13.486
You want to increase the war budget .

01:14:13.486 --> 01:14:15.486
Let me every family at Dover , OK ,

01:14:15.486 --> 01:14:17.374
don't tell me we don't care about

01:14:17.374 --> 01:14:19.374
families . We sure do , and we take

01:14:19.374 --> 01:14:21.486
care of them in every way we possibly

01:14:21.486 --> 01:14:23.486
can . I'm asking you about taxpayer

01:14:23.486 --> 01:14:25.541
dollars that everybody has . So when

01:14:25.541 --> 01:14:27.486
we've been to war before , we've .

01:14:27.486 --> 01:14:29.541
Asked people to do victory gardens .

01:14:29.541 --> 01:14:29.384
We've asked them to pay more . You're

01:14:29.384 --> 01:14:31.440
not doing that . You're taking one ,

01:14:31.440 --> 01:14:33.944
asking for $1.5 trillion which means

01:14:33.944 --> 01:14:35.944
something else has to be given up .

01:14:35.944 --> 01:14:38.111
That is what this committee is looking

01:14:38.111 --> 01:14:40.000
at . You want to increase the war

01:14:40.000 --> 01:14:41.833
budget for the next year by $0.5

01:14:41.833 --> 01:14:44.584
trillion . That is taxpayer money that

01:14:44.584 --> 01:14:46.806
could be used to feed families or build

01:14:46.806 --> 01:14:49.225
new affordable homes or wipe out some

01:14:49.225 --> 01:14:51.734
diseases completely or increase child

01:14:51.734 --> 01:14:54.549
investments 20 times over . But you are

01:14:54.549 --> 01:14:56.660
asking us to blow it all on war , and

01:14:56.660 --> 01:14:58.882
that's not even counting the money that

01:14:58.882 --> 01:15:01.105
you have spent bombing Iran or that you

01:15:01.105 --> 01:15:02.882
may still request in a separate

01:15:02.882 --> 01:15:05.049
supplemental . And to me , this budget

01:15:05.049 --> 01:15:07.049
wasn't even strategically crafted .

01:15:07.049 --> 01:15:09.105
$1.5 trillion . It's , it's like the

01:15:09.105 --> 01:15:11.216
president decided that was the number

01:15:11.216 --> 01:15:13.327
and you all filled in the blanks . So

01:15:13.327 --> 01:15:15.549
what I'm here today to say is you asked

01:15:15.549 --> 01:15:17.216
for a massive laundry list of

01:15:17.216 --> 01:15:19.160
unnecessary spending . It's a huge

01:15:19.160 --> 01:15:21.259
payday for defense contractors , and

01:15:21.259 --> 01:15:23.580
you still don't even ask to give DOD

01:15:23.580 --> 01:15:25.691
civilian workers a pay raise . And to

01:15:25.691 --> 01:15:27.802
me this is absurd . I know you do not

01:15:27.802 --> 01:15:30.129
care what I have to say . So let me

01:15:30.129 --> 01:15:32.185
quote you someone you might actually

01:15:32.185 --> 01:15:34.359
listen to , President Eisenhower . He

01:15:34.359 --> 01:15:37.520
said , every gun that is made , every

01:15:37.520 --> 01:15:40.069
warship launched , every rocket fired

01:15:40.069 --> 01:15:43.459
signifies in the final sense a theft

01:15:43.640 --> 01:15:45.862
from those who hunger and are not fed ,

01:15:45.862 --> 01:15:47.918
those who are cold and not clothed .

01:15:48.000 --> 01:15:50.359
This world in arms is not spending

01:15:50.359 --> 01:15:52.526
money alone . is spending the sweat of

01:15:52.526 --> 01:15:54.720
its laborers , the genius of its

01:15:54.720 --> 01:15:57.580
scientists , the hopes of its children .

01:15:57.919 --> 01:15:59.975
That is what this budget proposal is

01:15:59.975 --> 01:16:01.975
asking . It's gonna leave Americans

01:16:01.975 --> 01:16:04.470
cold and hungry to fund Trump's war and

01:16:04.470 --> 01:16:07.080
make defense contractors a fortune . So

01:16:07.080 --> 01:16:09.140
that is why I hope this committee

01:16:09.359 --> 01:16:11.303
throws that in the trash and comes

01:16:11.303 --> 01:16:13.415
together with a budget that works for

01:16:13.415 --> 01:16:15.526
all American families . Thank , thank

01:16:15.526 --> 01:16:17.748
you , Mr . Secretary . Thank you , Mr .

01:16:17.748 --> 01:16:19.970
Chairman . Senator Hoban . Uh , first ,

01:16:19.970 --> 01:16:22.137
I wanna thank you gentlemen and all of

01:16:22.137 --> 01:16:24.359
our men and women in uniform , uh , for

01:16:24.359 --> 01:16:26.526
the incredible defense of our nation ,

01:16:26.526 --> 01:16:28.526
what we're seeing really around the

01:16:28.526 --> 01:16:30.637
globe and certainly in the Gulf right

01:16:30.637 --> 01:16:32.700
now , the professionalism , the

01:16:32.700 --> 01:16:34.850
capability of our men and women in

01:16:34.850 --> 01:16:38.220
uniform is frankly beyond belief . It's

01:16:38.220 --> 01:16:41.680
just . Amazing . And we need to say

01:16:41.680 --> 01:16:44.040
thank you to those men and women and

01:16:44.040 --> 01:16:46.839
their families every single day . It's

01:16:46.839 --> 01:16:50.240
really something . Um , my first

01:16:50.240 --> 01:16:52.549
question is , uh , Mr . Secretary and

01:16:52.549 --> 01:16:55.799
General , is there a way to secure the

01:16:55.799 --> 01:16:58.839
Strait of Hormuz before we fully

01:16:58.839 --> 01:17:02.149
resolve the conflict with Iran ?

01:17:04.819 --> 01:17:06.986
Well , thank you for your statement up

01:17:06.986 --> 01:17:09.097
front about the , the troops , and we

01:17:09.097 --> 01:17:08.859
certainly feel the same way . They're

01:17:08.859 --> 01:17:10.859
the best of America and deserve the

01:17:10.859 --> 01:17:12.692
best from all of us . Uh , as it

01:17:12.692 --> 01:17:14.803
pertains to , I actually didn't get a

01:17:14.803 --> 01:17:16.915
chance to reply to Senator Durbin who

01:17:16.915 --> 01:17:19.026
said that Iran was attacked by us . I

01:17:19.026 --> 01:17:21.026
would take issue with that . For 47

01:17:21.026 --> 01:17:23.137
years we've been attacked by Iran and

01:17:23.137 --> 01:17:22.859
they've been lying to pursue a nuclear

01:17:22.859 --> 01:17:24.803
weapon and President Trump had the

01:17:24.803 --> 01:17:27.026
courage to do something about it . Um ,

01:17:27.026 --> 01:17:29.137
I , I , I don't think enough has been

01:17:29.137 --> 01:17:31.359
stated about the blockade and the power

01:17:31.359 --> 01:17:33.415
of the blockade and the dilemma that

01:17:33.415 --> 01:17:35.470
our blockade creates for them . Uh ,

01:17:35.470 --> 01:17:37.692
they can't move anything out of Iranian

01:17:37.692 --> 01:17:39.637
ports , and over , I think it's 65

01:17:39.637 --> 01:17:41.692
ships at this point have been turned

01:17:41.692 --> 01:17:41.439
around or disabled . The economic

01:17:41.439 --> 01:17:43.839
pressure that creates on them greatly

01:17:43.839 --> 01:17:46.100
outstrips the , the pressure on us ,

01:17:46.439 --> 01:17:48.550
and we don't use the Strait of Hormuz

01:17:48.550 --> 01:17:50.606
anywhere near as much as the rest of

01:17:50.606 --> 01:17:52.828
the world does , or certainly they do ,

01:17:52.828 --> 01:17:52.430
and I think it creates a lot of

01:17:52.430 --> 01:17:54.486
dynamics for future energy dominance

01:17:54.486 --> 01:17:56.374
for the United States . States of

01:17:56.374 --> 01:17:58.263
America considering the increased

01:17:58.263 --> 01:18:00.319
capability uh that our country has ,

01:18:00.319 --> 01:18:02.097
not to mention opportunities in

01:18:02.097 --> 01:18:03.986
Venezuela , so we have a range of

01:18:03.986 --> 01:18:06.041
options , uh , as the chairman and I

01:18:06.041 --> 01:18:08.041
have discussed extensively , mostly

01:18:08.041 --> 01:18:10.208
privately but some in public to ensure

01:18:10.208 --> 01:18:12.374
that , uh , transit were to continue ,

01:18:12.374 --> 01:18:12.149
uh , should the president or others ,

01:18:12.169 --> 01:18:14.336
uh , want us to go in that direction ,

01:18:14.336 --> 01:18:16.502
but ultimately we control the strait .

01:18:16.502 --> 01:18:18.669
Uh , because nothing's going in that ,

01:18:18.669 --> 01:18:21.002
that we don't allow to go in , and , uh ,

01:18:21.002 --> 01:18:23.169
trust me , when we look at what Iran's

01:18:23.169 --> 01:18:25.225
thinking about that , uh , they know

01:18:25.225 --> 01:18:25.040
they can't break it , and it's , it's

01:18:25.040 --> 01:18:28.229
very concerning for them . Iran Iran

01:18:28.229 --> 01:18:30.629
only responds to strength and force ,

01:18:30.870 --> 01:18:33.092
and that's specifically why I asked the

01:18:33.092 --> 01:18:36.549
question in that their evil regime ,

01:18:37.160 --> 01:18:39.271
uh , you know , can make their people

01:18:39.271 --> 01:18:41.327
suffer and hang in there , but if we

01:18:41.327 --> 01:18:43.870
can keep the pressure on with the naval

01:18:43.870 --> 01:18:45.870
blockade and navigate the Strait of

01:18:45.870 --> 01:18:48.490
Hormuz , we can keep . The stranglehold

01:18:48.490 --> 01:18:51.229
on this evil regime and force the type

01:18:51.229 --> 01:18:54.810
of solution that we need and the kind

01:18:54.810 --> 01:18:57.240
of verification we need to enforce it

01:18:57.240 --> 01:18:59.018
and that's again why I ask this

01:18:59.018 --> 01:19:00.851
question . And maybe both of you

01:19:00.851 --> 01:19:03.184
gentlemen could respond to that . I get ,

01:19:03.184 --> 01:19:05.407
I'm not saying that is what the outcome

01:19:05.407 --> 01:19:07.462
will be , or , you know , ultimately

01:19:07.462 --> 01:19:09.573
it's up to President Trump , but what

01:19:09.573 --> 01:19:11.573
I'm saying , is it possible to keep

01:19:11.573 --> 01:19:13.851
that stranglehold on with the blockade ,

01:19:13.851 --> 01:19:16.018
even though , you know , the tyrants ,

01:19:16.018 --> 01:19:19.299
uh , the IRGC won't give up right away .

01:19:19.709 --> 01:19:21.870
And secure the Strait of Hormuz while

01:19:21.870 --> 01:19:24.120
we continue to put that pressure on

01:19:24.120 --> 01:19:27.080
them for a result that can work for

01:19:27.080 --> 01:19:29.191
this country and the world and that's

01:19:29.191 --> 01:19:31.358
enforceable , and I'd like you to give

01:19:31.358 --> 01:19:33.413
me some more color on that , both of

01:19:33.413 --> 01:19:35.636
you gentlemen . So , I'll , I'll , uh ,

01:19:35.636 --> 01:19:37.858
I'll , uh , take a , uh , take a moment

01:19:37.858 --> 01:19:39.691
here and , and talk about , uh ,

01:19:39.691 --> 01:19:41.469
pressure and what you're really

01:19:41.469 --> 01:19:44.160
alluding to is , is what the entirety

01:19:44.160 --> 01:19:47.080
of the interagency is working on with a

01:19:47.080 --> 01:19:49.250
hat tip towards Secretary Besant .

01:19:49.839 --> 01:19:51.879
Secretary Rubio and the rest of the

01:19:51.879 --> 01:19:54.520
interagency , the totality of total

01:19:54.520 --> 01:19:57.520
pressure which the military element is

01:19:57.520 --> 01:20:01.319
just one component on , uh , is what

01:20:01.319 --> 01:20:04.229
the regime in Iran is feeling right now ,

01:20:04.319 --> 01:20:06.486
and I , I think there's no shortage of

01:20:06.486 --> 01:20:09.799
ability to hold that pressure . The

01:20:09.799 --> 01:20:11.910
decision on for how long to hold that

01:20:11.910 --> 01:20:14.021
pressure is of course a political one

01:20:14.040 --> 01:20:16.096
and within our civilian leadership ,

01:20:16.096 --> 01:20:18.740
but . But I , I would , uh , um ,

01:20:19.209 --> 01:20:21.153
highlight that they are absolutely

01:20:21.153 --> 01:20:23.265
feeling that pressure , not just from

01:20:23.265 --> 01:20:25.320
the blockade as the secretary talked

01:20:25.320 --> 01:20:27.098
about , but the continuation of

01:20:27.098 --> 01:20:29.320
sanctions that Treasury and others have

01:20:29.320 --> 01:20:31.542
put on there . And we retain a range of

01:20:31.542 --> 01:20:33.810
military options . Well , I 100% agree

01:20:33.810 --> 01:20:35.977
with you , but their , their ability ,

01:20:35.977 --> 01:20:37.977
that the regime's ability to endure

01:20:37.977 --> 01:20:40.088
pain is significant because they just

01:20:40.088 --> 01:20:42.143
put it on their people . My point is

01:20:42.143 --> 01:20:44.310
keeping that pressure on them , but at

01:20:44.310 --> 01:20:46.532
the same time securing passage in a way

01:20:46.532 --> 01:20:48.532
where commercial traffic will start

01:20:48.532 --> 01:20:50.754
moving that relieves pressure on us and

01:20:50.754 --> 01:20:52.699
our allies , and that's what I'm .

01:20:52.699 --> 01:20:54.532
Asking for more color on how you

01:20:54.532 --> 01:20:56.532
effectuate that Senator , there are

01:20:56.532 --> 01:20:56.155
options for that should we go in that

01:20:56.155 --> 01:20:58.099
direction . There's a multitude of

01:20:58.099 --> 01:21:00.211
different , uh , directions if should

01:21:00.211 --> 01:21:02.377
the president seek to go that way that

01:21:02.377 --> 01:21:04.377
we're prepared to operate on , uh ,

01:21:04.476 --> 01:21:06.587
evidenced by the destroyers that went

01:21:06.587 --> 01:21:08.715
in and came back out , uh , to the

01:21:08.715 --> 01:21:10.882
great detriment of the limited ability

01:21:10.882 --> 01:21:12.993
of Iran to defend . I mean , remember

01:21:12.993 --> 01:21:15.104
the entirety of Iran's conventional .

01:21:15.104 --> 01:21:16.993
Navyes at the bottom of , as with

01:21:16.993 --> 01:21:19.159
everything you do , you start out at a

01:21:19.159 --> 01:21:21.382
really high level and then you just get

01:21:21.382 --> 01:21:20.861
better , and I'm seeing that with this

01:21:20.861 --> 01:21:22.861
blockade right now with the way you

01:21:22.861 --> 01:21:24.861
disabled those last two tankers . I

01:21:24.861 --> 01:21:26.639
mean , you're getting better at

01:21:26.639 --> 01:21:28.861
blockading , and again , that's why I'm

01:21:28.861 --> 01:21:31.461
looking for continued options to secure

01:21:31.461 --> 01:21:33.683
traffic in the strait while we continue

01:21:33.683 --> 01:21:37.180
to put pressure on Iran . OK , thank

01:21:37.180 --> 01:21:40.879
you , gentlemen . There . Thank you

01:21:40.879 --> 01:21:43.046
Chairman Secretary uh general uh thank

01:21:43.046 --> 01:21:45.268
you for being here . um , secretary , I

01:21:45.268 --> 01:21:47.323
want you to provide some reassurance

01:21:47.323 --> 01:21:50.890
for , uh , my constituents , um . In

01:21:50.890 --> 01:21:54.509
2019 , the DIA published that Iran

01:21:55.049 --> 01:21:58.209
quote . Had swarms of small boats ,

01:21:58.310 --> 01:22:00.366
large inventory of naval mines , and

01:22:00.366 --> 01:22:02.532
arsenal of anti-ship missiles that can

01:22:02.532 --> 01:22:04.588
severely disrupt maritime traffic in

01:22:04.588 --> 01:22:06.950
the Strait of Hormuz . In 2025 , after

01:22:06.950 --> 01:22:09.229
Operation Midnight Hammer , a Brookings

01:22:09.229 --> 01:22:11.509
expert said , quote , It is wrong to

01:22:11.509 --> 01:22:13.750
conclude Iran is now a defeated nation

01:22:13.750 --> 01:22:15.639
and will act accordingly . Iran's

01:22:15.639 --> 01:22:17.472
demonstrated destructive missile

01:22:17.472 --> 01:22:19.472
capabilities have penetrated nearly

01:22:19.472 --> 01:22:22.109
every part of Israel . Iran's arsenal

01:22:22.109 --> 01:22:24.709
could endanger American forces in the

01:22:24.709 --> 01:22:27.140
Gulf , and . Senator Collins asked

01:22:27.520 --> 01:22:30.180
General Kaine . About the extent to

01:22:30.180 --> 01:22:32.020
which you were briefed and the

01:22:32.020 --> 01:22:34.359
president was briefed about the very

01:22:34.359 --> 01:22:37.220
likely outcome of this kinetic

01:22:37.220 --> 01:22:40.669
engagement . And there are some data

01:22:40.669 --> 01:22:42.725
points that seem to indicate that we

01:22:42.725 --> 01:22:44.891
did not see all of this coming or that

01:22:44.891 --> 01:22:47.058
we didn't account for it . We may have

01:22:47.058 --> 01:22:49.002
been briefed on it , but we didn't

01:22:49.002 --> 01:22:51.225
account for it . Parts of the THAAD and

01:22:51.225 --> 01:22:53.225
Patriot systems in South Korea were

01:22:53.225 --> 01:22:55.169
moved to the Middle East . This is

01:22:55.169 --> 01:22:56.947
after the war . After the war ,

01:22:56.947 --> 01:22:59.113
munitions were removed from around the

01:22:59.113 --> 01:23:01.391
world to defend US sites in the region .

01:23:01.391 --> 01:23:03.558
There was a rush . There was a rush to

01:23:03.558 --> 01:23:06.569
evacuate United States personnel . And

01:23:06.569 --> 01:23:08.680
Iran struck more than 200 structures

01:23:09.240 --> 01:23:12.959
and equipment at 16 US sites . So

01:23:12.959 --> 01:23:15.540
Secretary , can you just reassure us

01:23:15.540 --> 01:23:19.120
that this was all foreseen and part of

01:23:19.120 --> 01:23:21.600
the plan , or can you tell us whether

01:23:21.600 --> 01:23:24.970
there were any surprises here ? Well ,

01:23:25.020 --> 01:23:27.187
thank you for the question , Senator .

01:23:27.187 --> 01:23:29.131
I can reassure you that it was all

01:23:29.131 --> 01:23:31.187
accounted for . Every aspect of this

01:23:31.187 --> 01:23:33.409
was poured over by the joint staff , by

01:23:33.409 --> 01:23:33.379
civilian leadership , and represented .

01:23:33.750 --> 01:23:36.029
Uh , in pursuit of a very clear goal ,

01:23:36.069 --> 01:23:38.189
and the chairman laid out correctly

01:23:38.189 --> 01:23:40.300
what the metrics militarily were from

01:23:40.300 --> 01:23:42.467
the beginning , whether it's ballistic

01:23:42.467 --> 01:23:44.689
missiles , Iran's navy , you know , you

01:23:44.689 --> 01:23:46.800
can't contest a blockade if you don't

01:23:46.800 --> 01:23:49.022
have a conventional navy destroying the

01:23:49.022 --> 01:23:48.620
defense industrial base , but it was

01:23:48.620 --> 01:23:51.009
all in service of ensuring Iran never

01:23:51.009 --> 01:23:53.176
has a nuclear weapon . So as a just as

01:23:53.176 --> 01:23:55.342
you have , I mean that was , so I want

01:23:55.342 --> 01:23:57.565
you to know it was all seen through the

01:23:57.565 --> 01:23:59.509
lens of . Preventing Iran from , I

01:23:59.509 --> 01:24:01.342
understand that's the underlying

01:24:01.342 --> 01:24:01.064
objective , and I , and I do not

01:24:01.064 --> 01:24:03.231
dispute the military success . I don't

01:24:03.231 --> 01:24:05.342
think there's any doubt that when the

01:24:05.342 --> 01:24:07.675
most powerful , most , most well funded ,

01:24:07.675 --> 01:24:09.731
most technologically advanced , most

01:24:09.731 --> 01:24:11.897
disciplined , most trained military in

01:24:11.897 --> 01:24:14.175
human history sets out to do something ,

01:24:14.175 --> 01:24:16.342
they almost always accomplish it . And

01:24:16.342 --> 01:24:18.508
so that's not what I'm talking about .

01:24:18.508 --> 01:24:20.508
I'm just wondering why we're moving

01:24:20.508 --> 01:24:23.700
THAAD . Assets from South Korea after

01:24:23.700 --> 01:24:25.756
the war started . I'm just wondering

01:24:25.756 --> 01:24:27.811
why there was a scramble to evacuate

01:24:27.811 --> 01:24:29.922
personnel , and I'm wondering why the

01:24:29.922 --> 01:24:31.978
president of the United States , our

01:24:31.978 --> 01:24:34.089
commander in chief , said that he was

01:24:34.089 --> 01:24:36.720
shocked that Iran would retaliate by

01:24:37.140 --> 01:24:40.160
striking . Other countries in the

01:24:40.160 --> 01:24:42.720
region , this was not just foreseeable ,

01:24:42.759 --> 01:24:44.870
it was foreseen . It was , you know ,

01:24:44.870 --> 01:24:47.037
this is , you don't need to get into a

01:24:47.037 --> 01:24:49.148
skiff to understand that their likely

01:24:49.148 --> 01:24:51.315
play was to asymmetrically retaliate .

01:24:51.819 --> 01:24:54.041
And then to close the strait , and then

01:24:54.041 --> 01:24:56.097
it happened , and then the president

01:24:56.097 --> 01:24:58.263
said , gosh , who could have seen this

01:24:58.263 --> 01:25:00.541
coming ? I'm just trying to figure out ,

01:25:00.541 --> 01:25:00.540
for those of us on the left and the

01:25:00.540 --> 01:25:04.399
right . Who are wary of regime change

01:25:04.399 --> 01:25:07.240
wars , who are wary of happy talk , who

01:25:07.240 --> 01:25:09.680
have learned through terrible

01:25:09.680 --> 01:25:12.109
experience , the cost of this kind of

01:25:12.109 --> 01:25:14.879
adventurism . Why is this any different

01:25:14.879 --> 01:25:16.879
and why didn't we see this coming ?

01:25:18.740 --> 01:25:20.796
I , I appreciate your lauding of the

01:25:20.796 --> 01:25:22.962
force up front and earnestly that it's

01:25:22.962 --> 01:25:25.073
the greatest fighting force on planet

01:25:25.073 --> 01:25:27.240
Earth . But that was the same fighting

01:25:27.240 --> 01:25:29.407
force that surrendered to Iranian fast

01:25:29.407 --> 01:25:28.799
boats under the Biden administration .

01:25:28.970 --> 01:25:31.192
We all remember the pictures . Remember

01:25:31.192 --> 01:25:33.248
the Americans with their hands above

01:25:33.248 --> 01:25:35.526
their head at gunpoint to the Iranians ?

01:25:35.526 --> 01:25:34.459
It's because they didn't have

01:25:34.459 --> 01:25:36.459
leadership like President Trump who

01:25:36.459 --> 01:25:38.792
empowered them to do what was necessary .

01:25:38.792 --> 01:25:40.903
The Biden administration allowed them

01:25:40.903 --> 01:25:43.126
to pursue nuclear ambitions , didn't do

01:25:43.126 --> 01:25:45.126
anything about it . President Trump

01:25:45.126 --> 01:25:47.292
stepped in . We factored all the risks

01:25:47.292 --> 01:25:49.292
and ranges of , of options , put in

01:25:49.292 --> 01:25:51.348
maximum defensive capability for our

01:25:51.348 --> 01:25:53.403
troops as , as , as we could in real

01:25:53.403 --> 01:25:55.410
time . Uh , empowering the Centcom

01:25:55.410 --> 01:25:57.689
commander with everything he needed to

01:25:57.689 --> 01:25:59.467
ensure this mission could be as

01:25:59.467 --> 01:26:01.633
successful as possible , knowing there

01:26:01.633 --> 01:26:03.522
are branches and sequels of every

01:26:03.522 --> 01:26:05.856
operation that have to be accounted for .

01:26:05.856 --> 01:26:05.770
I'm gonna factor the navy . You might ,

01:26:06.290 --> 01:26:08.457
you might , you might wonder why would

01:26:08.457 --> 01:26:10.568
you sink the navy if you're trying to

01:26:10.568 --> 01:26:12.401
prevent a nuclear Iran . There's

01:26:12.401 --> 01:26:11.649
reasons for that because you're

01:26:11.649 --> 01:26:13.705
planning for contingencies and other

01:26:13.705 --> 01:26:15.705
ways that this could go . I don't ,

01:26:15.705 --> 01:26:17.871
Secretary , I'm trying to stay on time

01:26:17.871 --> 01:26:20.038
here . I . I hear what you're saying .

01:26:20.038 --> 01:26:21.982
I just don't hear an answer to the

01:26:21.982 --> 01:26:24.910
question of why we had to take certain

01:26:24.910 --> 01:26:26.854
actions that could have been taken

01:26:26.854 --> 01:26:29.077
before the kinetic engagement and would

01:26:29.077 --> 01:26:31.243
have kept our assets and our personnel

01:26:31.243 --> 01:26:33.629
more safe and would have looked .

01:26:34.939 --> 01:26:38.120
And actually been more planful , more

01:26:38.120 --> 01:26:40.231
thoughtful , more well executed . Why

01:26:40.231 --> 01:26:42.287
are we doing all of this stuff as if

01:26:42.287 --> 01:26:44.342
it's a scramble if all of this stuff

01:26:44.342 --> 01:26:46.342
was foreseen ? I , I think we , I'm

01:26:46.342 --> 01:26:48.509
quite confident along with the CENTCOM

01:26:48.509 --> 01:26:50.564
commanders that we took every action

01:26:50.564 --> 01:26:52.342
possible to ensure that we were

01:26:52.342 --> 01:26:54.620
prepared for this conflict . Thank you .

01:26:55.109 --> 01:26:57.540
Jim Murkowski . Thank you , Mr .

01:26:57.549 --> 01:26:59.771
Chairman . Mr . Secretary , gentlemen ,

01:26:59.771 --> 01:27:01.938
thank you . Um , I wanted to start off

01:27:01.938 --> 01:27:04.160
my questions , um , with a focus on the

01:27:04.160 --> 01:27:06.560
the reconciliation package . I know

01:27:06.560 --> 01:27:08.879
that it has not yet been introduced ,

01:27:09.299 --> 01:27:12.879
um , uh , but we're told $350 billion .

01:27:14.140 --> 01:27:16.410
Uh , here's my concern , and I'm just

01:27:16.410 --> 01:27:18.740
gonna be really direct . We've , we've

01:27:18.740 --> 01:27:21.259
got a second reconciliation that we're

01:27:21.259 --> 01:27:23.979
gonna be dealing with in these next few

01:27:23.979 --> 01:27:27.180
weeks regarding , um , uh , immigration

01:27:27.180 --> 01:27:30.549
enforcement , um , and ,

01:27:30.819 --> 01:27:33.100
uh , we're halfway through a calendar

01:27:33.100 --> 01:27:35.689
year . A third reconciliation may or

01:27:35.689 --> 01:27:38.040
may not happen . I'm just being direct

01:27:38.040 --> 01:27:40.410
and upfront . I , I think certainly the

01:27:40.419 --> 01:27:42.752
focus will be to try to move us to that .

01:27:43.069 --> 01:27:45.680
But here's my concern . If we have a

01:27:45.680 --> 01:27:49.180
$350 billion . Um , sitting in the

01:27:49.180 --> 01:27:51.859
reconciliation package . You , you look

01:27:51.859 --> 01:27:54.959
at what is contained in that 53

01:27:55.459 --> 01:27:59.419
of your 85 requested F-35s . So , I

01:27:59.419 --> 01:28:01.419
look at that and say , wow , if the

01:28:01.419 --> 01:28:03.930
reconciliation bill fails or doesn't

01:28:03.930 --> 01:28:07.580
advance , you drop below your own FY 26

01:28:07.580 --> 01:28:10.270
fighter procurement baseline . Uh ,

01:28:10.279 --> 01:28:12.750
over $53 billion for drone dominance .

01:28:12.799 --> 01:28:14.632
I think this is all something we

01:28:14.632 --> 01:28:16.688
support , uh , over $113 billion for

01:28:16.688 --> 01:28:18.799
munitions production and industrial

01:28:18.799 --> 01:28:21.069
base investment . There's other areas ,

01:28:21.520 --> 01:28:24.890
so . Here's , here's my , my , my

01:28:24.890 --> 01:28:28.089
question . Um , I worry about us

01:28:28.089 --> 01:28:31.770
banking on a third reconciliation

01:28:31.770 --> 01:28:35.620
package , um , I

01:28:35.620 --> 01:28:38.100
know we don't want to engage in the

01:28:38.100 --> 01:28:40.322
speculative here , particularly if it's

01:28:40.322 --> 01:28:42.779
a negative , but I'm , I'm worried

01:28:42.779 --> 01:28:45.089
about the committee accepting a defense

01:28:45.089 --> 01:28:48.419
budget where effectively a quarter of

01:28:48.419 --> 01:28:50.859
it , including some of the , the bread

01:28:50.859 --> 01:28:53.259
and butter procurement requirements ,

01:28:53.740 --> 01:28:56.620
depends on a third reconciliation

01:28:56.620 --> 01:28:59.299
package that that may be an uphill

01:28:59.299 --> 01:29:02.669
climb , and so I . I ,

01:29:03.250 --> 01:29:05.417
I don't know , Mr . Secretary , if you

01:29:05.417 --> 01:29:07.306
can kind of walk me through why I

01:29:07.306 --> 01:29:09.528
shouldn't be worried about this , why ,

01:29:09.528 --> 01:29:11.806
uh , what is included in the base , um ,

01:29:11.806 --> 01:29:15.089
budget bill will , will be the good

01:29:15.089 --> 01:29:17.609
coverage that we need and it is not

01:29:17.609 --> 01:29:20.729
necessarily , uh , dependent on an

01:29:20.729 --> 01:29:22.890
additive of the reconciliation .

01:29:24.839 --> 01:29:27.120
Senator , I , I appreciate that , that

01:29:27.120 --> 01:29:29.176
perspective and share your concern .

01:29:29.520 --> 01:29:31.959
That's why one of the main efforts , uh ,

01:29:32.000 --> 01:29:34.399
uh , setting aside operations and what

01:29:34.399 --> 01:29:36.510
everything we do in real time for the

01:29:36.510 --> 01:29:38.621
troops is ensuring that both the base

01:29:38.621 --> 01:29:40.843
discretionary budget and reconciliation

01:29:40.843 --> 01:29:42.899
are passed so that President Trump's

01:29:42.899 --> 01:29:45.066
historic budget is realized because of

01:29:45.066 --> 01:29:45.040
the underinvestment of the past ,

01:29:45.120 --> 01:29:47.231
whether it's continued resolutions or

01:29:47.231 --> 01:29:48.842
Biden budgets , we . Need to

01:29:48.842 --> 01:29:51.176
supercharge our defense industrial base ,

01:29:51.176 --> 01:29:53.287
our , our munitions into the future ,

01:29:53.287 --> 01:29:55.398
uh , and so we , we're , our entirety

01:29:55.398 --> 01:29:57.287
of our team and our department is

01:29:57.287 --> 01:29:59.509
running in the same direction to ensure

01:29:59.509 --> 01:30:01.620
that reconciliation as swiftly , uh ,

01:30:01.620 --> 01:30:03.620
and as clearly and cooperatively as

01:30:03.620 --> 01:30:05.731
possible is passed alongside the base

01:30:05.731 --> 01:30:07.509
discretionary budget . Well , I

01:30:07.509 --> 01:30:09.620
understand that , but I just need you

01:30:09.620 --> 01:30:11.620
to understand our concern here that

01:30:11.620 --> 01:30:13.676
you've got your base budget and then

01:30:13.810 --> 01:30:16.089
you have , you have the , uh , the

01:30:16.089 --> 01:30:18.709
reconciliation . I , I wanna ask about

01:30:18.709 --> 01:30:21.589
the Iran authorization , um , no great

01:30:21.589 --> 01:30:23.990
secret around here . I have been , I

01:30:23.990 --> 01:30:26.970
have been talking about . Um , an

01:30:26.970 --> 01:30:30.299
authorization of use of military force .

01:30:30.689 --> 01:30:32.850
Uh , I understand that the

01:30:32.850 --> 01:30:36.290
administration has made clear that you

01:30:36.290 --> 01:30:39.410
believe that the actions , um , taken

01:30:39.410 --> 01:30:41.759
thus far fall under the president's

01:30:41.759 --> 01:30:44.430
Article 2 authority . Um , I think

01:30:44.649 --> 01:30:46.816
reasonable people have disagreed about

01:30:46.816 --> 01:30:48.760
the boundaries of presidential war

01:30:48.760 --> 01:30:51.660
powers for a long time . Um , but the

01:30:51.660 --> 01:30:53.771
war powers resolution is pretty clear

01:30:53.771 --> 01:30:55.771
here . It requires the president to

01:30:55.771 --> 01:30:57.827
terminate hostilities within 60 days

01:30:57.827 --> 01:31:00.450
absent congressional authorization . I

01:31:00.450 --> 01:31:02.228
think it's important that we in

01:31:02.228 --> 01:31:05.279
Congress actually , actually , uh ,

01:31:05.299 --> 01:31:08.439
assert our own role and responsibility

01:31:08.439 --> 01:31:12.339
to this . That 60 day clock expired

01:31:12.430 --> 01:31:15.919
April 28th , um , and then on the 1st ,

01:31:16.000 --> 01:31:17.944
the administration sent letters to

01:31:17.944 --> 01:31:20.000
congressional leaders asserting that

01:31:20.000 --> 01:31:22.560
the hostilities has ended , um , but I

01:31:22.560 --> 01:31:24.879
think where there is confusion is when

01:31:24.879 --> 01:31:26.879
the president says hostilities have

01:31:26.879 --> 01:31:29.200
ended , we still have 15,000 troops

01:31:29.200 --> 01:31:31.311
that are forward deployed , more than

01:31:31.311 --> 01:31:33.759
20 warships in an active naval blockade .

01:31:34.220 --> 01:31:36.779
Um , Centcom has redirected 61

01:31:36.779 --> 01:31:39.001
commercial vessels , disabled tankers .

01:31:39.069 --> 01:31:41.810
In other words , it doesn't appear that

01:31:41.819 --> 01:31:44.870
that hostilities have ended . And so

01:31:44.870 --> 01:31:47.910
the question to you is , is whether or

01:31:47.910 --> 01:31:51.709
not the administration , um , has , has

01:31:51.709 --> 01:31:55.689
considered uh or had intended to seek

01:31:55.830 --> 01:31:58.040
an authorization of use of military

01:31:58.040 --> 01:32:01.330
force from the Congress . Senator , our

01:32:01.330 --> 01:32:03.608
view is that should the president , uh ,

01:32:03.608 --> 01:32:05.830
make the decision to recommence that we

01:32:05.830 --> 01:32:07.552
would have all the authorities

01:32:07.552 --> 01:32:09.719
necessary to do so . Do you think that

01:32:09.719 --> 01:32:11.941
it would be helpful to the president if

01:32:11.941 --> 01:32:13.950
it was made clear that in fact the

01:32:13.950 --> 01:32:16.930
Congress did , did allow , did

01:32:17.470 --> 01:32:21.470
provide an AUMF ? I think

01:32:21.470 --> 01:32:23.692
the president , our view is that he has

01:32:23.692 --> 01:32:25.637
all the authorities he needs under

01:32:25.637 --> 01:32:27.859
Article 2 to execute . Thank you , Mr .

01:32:27.859 --> 01:32:29.970
Chairman . OK , here's where we are .

01:32:30.049 --> 01:32:33.859
Um , the vote is about over .

01:32:34.259 --> 01:32:36.148
The Secretary has to get with the

01:32:36.148 --> 01:32:38.959
president . On the China trip , I'm

01:32:38.959 --> 01:32:41.919
going to ask Senator Murkowski to wrap

01:32:41.919 --> 01:32:45.870
up . And uh Thank

01:32:45.870 --> 01:32:48.490
you all for being here . Baldwin ,

01:32:48.589 --> 01:32:50.779
Shaheen , and Kennedy . Baldwin ,

01:32:50.870 --> 01:32:52.703
Shaheen , and Kennedy still have

01:32:52.703 --> 01:32:55.430
questions . Wrap up after

01:32:59.229 --> 01:33:00.000
Hold here .

01:33:06.830 --> 01:33:09.100
Yeah . Obviously , there's not a whole

01:33:09.100 --> 01:33:11.459
lot of time for a 2nd round , so we'll

01:33:11.459 --> 01:33:14.189
get through everybody . And , uh ,

01:33:14.200 --> 01:33:16.256
Senator Murkowski , I appreciate you

01:33:16.339 --> 01:33:19.430
taking over . Senator

01:33:20.270 --> 01:33:23.069
Thank you , um , Secretary Hegseth , uh ,

01:33:23.080 --> 01:33:25.080
Chairman Kain , thank you for being

01:33:25.080 --> 01:33:28.209
here today . Um , today is the first

01:33:28.209 --> 01:33:30.729
time either of you are appearing before

01:33:30.729 --> 01:33:32.689
this subcommittee since the abrupt

01:33:32.689 --> 01:33:34.870
choice was made to cancel the

01:33:34.870 --> 01:33:37.609
acquisition of the Constellation class

01:33:37.609 --> 01:33:39.729
frigate , which was being built in

01:33:39.729 --> 01:33:42.250
Wisconsin . Um , these ships were meant

01:33:42.250 --> 01:33:45.209
to provide vital capability to the Navy

01:33:45.209 --> 01:33:48.069
in the event of a future war against

01:33:48.370 --> 01:33:51.020
China . Um , and they were certainly

01:33:51.020 --> 01:33:54.259
part of our calculus of deterrence

01:33:54.259 --> 01:33:56.899
through strength . Canceling this

01:33:56.899 --> 01:33:58.899
program placed thousands of jobs in

01:33:58.899 --> 01:34:00.955
Wisconsin at risk and left our fleet

01:34:00.955 --> 01:34:03.620
less prepared . You know , President

01:34:03.620 --> 01:34:06.060
Trump has talked a lot about making

01:34:06.060 --> 01:34:09.540
ships in America again , but I have to

01:34:09.540 --> 01:34:12.729
tell you , uh , dramatic and misguided

01:34:12.729 --> 01:34:14.785
decisions like this pull the rug out

01:34:14.785 --> 01:34:17.149
from under our shipyards . The US

01:34:17.149 --> 01:34:19.260
shipbuilding industry needs stability

01:34:19.260 --> 01:34:21.750
if we are ever going to compete with

01:34:21.750 --> 01:34:24.350
Chinese shipyards . Wisconsin workers

01:34:24.350 --> 01:34:26.572
who have decades of experience building

01:34:26.572 --> 01:34:28.950
world class vessels that defend our

01:34:28.950 --> 01:34:31.069
nation , that serve commerce and

01:34:31.069 --> 01:34:33.013
provide transportation , they need

01:34:33.013 --> 01:34:35.310
stability as well . So I'd like to

01:34:35.310 --> 01:34:38.060
start with a question to you , Chairman

01:34:38.060 --> 01:34:41.129
Kane , on the medium landing ships .

01:34:41.629 --> 01:34:44.149
The Navy's new amphibious ships , which

01:34:44.149 --> 01:34:47.229
will now be built at the same Wisconsin

01:34:47.229 --> 01:34:50.229
shipyards working on the that we're

01:34:50.229 --> 01:34:52.709
working on the Constellation class less

01:34:52.709 --> 01:34:55.709
than a year ago , how important are

01:34:55.709 --> 01:34:58.990
medium landing ships to future US

01:34:59.060 --> 01:35:01.990
operations in the event of a war with

01:35:01.990 --> 01:35:04.323
China ? Well , Senator , thanks for the ,

01:35:04.323 --> 01:35:06.709
uh , the question , and , uh , I , I do

01:35:06.709 --> 01:35:08.765
want to highlight no matter what the

01:35:08.765 --> 01:35:10.598
policy decisions are , the great

01:35:10.598 --> 01:35:12.653
workers up there and . In your state

01:35:12.653 --> 01:35:16.060
and as the joint force considers uh the

01:35:16.060 --> 01:35:18.116
options that the medium landing ship

01:35:18.116 --> 01:35:20.171
would bring to the table in terms of

01:35:20.171 --> 01:35:22.740
assuring a mobility gap and filling

01:35:22.740 --> 01:35:25.060
that gap and allowing us to project

01:35:25.060 --> 01:35:27.060
power at the secretary and the

01:35:27.060 --> 01:35:30.490
president's choice in choosing . Uh , I ,

01:35:30.609 --> 01:35:32.776
you know , we're not stepping into the

01:35:32.776 --> 01:35:34.850
Navy's boundaries , uh , and mindful

01:35:34.850 --> 01:35:37.490
that the CNO and SECNA and acting SECNA

01:35:37.490 --> 01:35:39.770
in this case will have views . Uh , I

01:35:39.770 --> 01:35:41.714
hope we'll carefully consider this

01:35:41.714 --> 01:35:43.770
capability and then if appropriate ,

01:35:43.770 --> 01:35:45.881
bring it forward to the joint force .

01:35:45.881 --> 01:35:47.992
Well , unfortunately , the department

01:35:47.992 --> 01:35:50.049
included the request for funding the

01:35:50.049 --> 01:35:52.589
construction of 6 medium landing ships

01:35:52.770 --> 01:35:55.290
in that partisan part of the budget

01:35:55.290 --> 01:35:57.512
request , the reconciliation , which is

01:35:57.512 --> 01:35:59.401
in danger of potentially not even

01:35:59.401 --> 01:36:02.240
passing this year . Um , to be frank ,

01:36:02.319 --> 01:36:04.680
it does not give me confidence that we

01:36:04.680 --> 01:36:06.919
are taking this program seriously .

01:36:07.200 --> 01:36:09.600
What would the impact be if Congress

01:36:09.600 --> 01:36:12.439
did not appropriate funding for the

01:36:12.439 --> 01:36:15.120
medium landing ships in fiscal year 27 ?

01:36:15.160 --> 01:36:17.271
And are you comfortable with the pace

01:36:17.271 --> 01:36:19.382
that the Navy is planning on building

01:36:19.382 --> 01:36:21.382
them ? Chairman , well , they , I ,

01:36:21.430 --> 01:36:23.486
I'll acknowledge that I think it was

01:36:23.486 --> 01:36:25.597
yesterday or the day before that they

01:36:25.597 --> 01:36:27.763
released their shipbuilding plan , and

01:36:27.763 --> 01:36:29.930
given all the things that I'm juggling

01:36:29.930 --> 01:36:32.152
in this job that I'm so lucky to have ,

01:36:32.152 --> 01:36:34.374
I've not gone and done a deep dive . So

01:36:34.374 --> 01:36:36.541
I'd like to come back to you , um , if

01:36:36.541 --> 01:36:38.652
you're OK with it on , on that matter

01:36:38.652 --> 01:36:41.000
so that I don't , uh , uh , don't wing

01:36:41.000 --> 01:36:43.111
it . Yeah , thank you . I , I want to

01:36:43.111 --> 01:36:45.120
now turn to the war with Iran .

01:36:46.189 --> 01:36:48.390
Yesterday I had a chance to meet with

01:36:48.390 --> 01:36:51.509
service members who were injured in the

01:36:51.509 --> 01:36:54.240
opening days of the war . They

01:36:54.240 --> 01:36:57.040
struggled to receive adequate and

01:36:57.040 --> 01:36:59.151
timely care for their injuries in the

01:36:59.151 --> 01:37:01.319
Middle East , and the fighting kept

01:37:01.319 --> 01:37:03.799
them from being quickly evacuated to

01:37:03.799 --> 01:37:06.439
Landstuhl , um , after being injured .

01:37:06.919 --> 01:37:09.080
These service members have since been

01:37:09.080 --> 01:37:11.560
diagnosed with traumatic brain injury .

01:37:11.950 --> 01:37:14.629
Um , but initially struggled to get

01:37:14.629 --> 01:37:17.970
properly evaluated or treated in part

01:37:17.970 --> 01:37:20.549
because , uh , some of our military

01:37:20.549 --> 01:37:22.629
hospitals overseas and in the US did

01:37:22.629 --> 01:37:25.819
not have the capacity for them . They

01:37:25.819 --> 01:37:28.041
needed , uh , they had to wait for more

01:37:28.041 --> 01:37:30.459
than 3 weeks to retreat , receive the

01:37:30.459 --> 01:37:32.403
treatment they need , and it seems

01:37:32.403 --> 01:37:35.220
clear to me . That our military medical

01:37:35.220 --> 01:37:37.600
system was not prepared to treat those

01:37:37.819 --> 01:37:41.029
injured in this war . Secretary Hegseth ,

01:37:41.450 --> 01:37:45.379
did DOD review our military health

01:37:45.379 --> 01:37:48.180
system's readiness to treat those

01:37:48.180 --> 01:37:51.540
injured in a war with Iran , and did

01:37:51.540 --> 01:37:54.259
that impact your recommendation to

01:37:54.259 --> 01:37:56.419
begin Operation Epic Fury ?

01:37:58.200 --> 01:38:00.311
Well , the view of the department was

01:38:00.311 --> 01:38:02.367
always to , uh , as expeditiously as

01:38:02.367 --> 01:38:04.319
possible move anyone injured that

01:38:04.319 --> 01:38:07.160
needed further care to Europe for that

01:38:07.160 --> 01:38:08.993
care , with the recognition that

01:38:08.993 --> 01:38:11.700
thankfully , You know , 90% of those

01:38:11.700 --> 01:38:13.700
that have been injured in epic fury

01:38:13.700 --> 01:38:15.644
have returned to duty . So most of

01:38:15.644 --> 01:38:17.756
those injuries have been minor enough

01:38:17.756 --> 01:38:19.589
that they return , but we always

01:38:19.589 --> 01:38:21.422
catalog if there could be future

01:38:21.422 --> 01:38:21.339
complications to ensure that they get

01:38:21.339 --> 01:38:23.740
care in the future . It , it seemed to

01:38:23.740 --> 01:38:26.779
me from what I heard , that we weren't

01:38:26.779 --> 01:38:28.612
prepared in theater , we weren't

01:38:28.612 --> 01:38:30.668
prepared in Germany , and we weren't

01:38:30.668 --> 01:38:32.446
prepared immediately upon these

01:38:32.446 --> 01:38:36.390
soldiers' return to the US . Uh ,

01:38:36.899 --> 01:38:39.029
can you commit to ensuring that every

01:38:39.029 --> 01:38:40.696
service member , including my

01:38:40.696 --> 01:38:43.109
constituents , will receive necessary

01:38:43.109 --> 01:38:45.470
medical care after being injured in

01:38:45.470 --> 01:38:47.669
this war and that the military health

01:38:47.669 --> 01:38:50.830
system is now prepared for any future

01:38:50.830 --> 01:38:54.080
casualties in this war . We have been

01:38:54.080 --> 01:38:55.691
and we will continue to be .

01:39:00.290 --> 01:39:04.200
Uh , Senator Shaheen . Thank

01:39:04.200 --> 01:39:06.310
you Madam Chair , um , and thank you

01:39:06.310 --> 01:39:09.040
both for being here , all three of you

01:39:09.040 --> 01:39:11.560
for being here . Um , since your

01:39:11.560 --> 01:39:13.560
testimony two weeks ago , Secretary

01:39:13.560 --> 01:39:15.470
Hegseth , um , before the Armed

01:39:15.470 --> 01:39:19.000
Services Committee , the department has

01:39:19.000 --> 01:39:21.520
sent over your legal review , which I

01:39:21.520 --> 01:39:23.631
appreciate , thank you , um , for use

01:39:23.631 --> 01:39:25.576
of security assistance funding for

01:39:25.576 --> 01:39:27.830
Ukraine . However , as was determined

01:39:27.830 --> 01:39:30.680
earlier in the testimony , funding

01:39:30.680 --> 01:39:33.250
still has not gone out the door , and .

01:39:34.419 --> 01:39:38.180
I didn't hear you give a date when this

01:39:38.180 --> 01:39:40.259
committee or the Armed Services

01:39:40.259 --> 01:39:43.259
Committee can expect to hear or receive

01:39:43.259 --> 01:39:46.060
a spend plan for those dollars , um ,

01:39:46.419 --> 01:39:48.729
General Kaine . The day of the

01:39:48.729 --> 01:39:51.810
testimony , got back to us as he said

01:39:51.810 --> 01:39:54.450
he would and explained that he had

01:39:54.450 --> 01:39:56.561
coordinated on the spin plan on April

01:39:56.561 --> 01:40:00.029
13th , so that's been almost a month ,

01:40:00.370 --> 01:40:02.537
and we still haven't gotten anything .

01:40:02.537 --> 01:40:04.592
So when are we going to see the spin

01:40:04.592 --> 01:40:07.339
plan for Ukraine ? Um The spend plan

01:40:07.339 --> 01:40:09.970
for the European capacity building is

01:40:09.970 --> 01:40:11.970
in conjunction with , no , no , I'm

01:40:11.970 --> 01:40:15.290
asking for . The spend plan that we are

01:40:15.290 --> 01:40:17.830
providing , are you suggesting the

01:40:17.919 --> 01:40:19.975
parole funding is part of that spend

01:40:19.975 --> 01:40:22.100
plan ? Did I understand the specific

01:40:22.100 --> 01:40:24.267
line was European capacity building in

01:40:24.267 --> 01:40:26.267
the budget . I understand , but the

01:40:26.267 --> 01:40:28.211
intent of working with Congress to

01:40:28.211 --> 01:40:31.490
allocate was to spend that 400 million .

01:40:32.339 --> 01:40:34.117
I think you heard from Chairman

01:40:34.117 --> 01:40:36.140
McConnell , you heard from , um ,

01:40:36.359 --> 01:40:39.069
Senator Coons , um , there was

01:40:39.069 --> 01:40:41.759
discussion at the time with the

01:40:41.759 --> 01:40:43.750
Congress that those dollars were

01:40:43.750 --> 01:40:47.049
intended to be used for Ukraine , and

01:40:47.149 --> 01:40:49.839
the reason it was designated as it was

01:40:49.850 --> 01:40:52.069
was because what we heard from Speaker

01:40:52.069 --> 01:40:55.350
Johnson was that . The president was

01:40:55.350 --> 01:40:58.350
going to veto the bill if Ukraine was

01:40:58.350 --> 01:41:00.790
mentioned in it anywhere in the bill ,

01:41:01.109 --> 01:41:04.609
and so that's why the determination was

01:41:04.720 --> 01:41:08.250
to use the term . European , but the

01:41:08.250 --> 01:41:10.839
clear intent was for that money to be

01:41:10.839 --> 01:41:13.930
spent for Ukraine . So again , when is

01:41:13.930 --> 01:41:15.986
the money going to go out the door ?

01:41:15.986 --> 01:41:18.208
When is this committee going to get the

01:41:18.208 --> 01:41:19.986
spend plan ? Ma'am , uh , we're

01:41:19.986 --> 01:41:22.208
expecting to see a final spend plan for

01:41:22.208 --> 01:41:24.374
that this week , and once we have it ,

01:41:24.374 --> 01:41:26.486
we can provide to Congress , um , and

01:41:26.486 --> 01:41:28.763
who still has to review the spend plan .

01:41:28.763 --> 01:41:30.986
So General Kane's review isn't enough .

01:41:31.140 --> 01:41:33.307
Well , ultimately , um , and he passed

01:41:33.307 --> 01:41:35.362
me a note on this earlier , European

01:41:35.362 --> 01:41:37.418
Command is going to take the lead on

01:41:37.418 --> 01:41:39.473
ensuring this . I know , but General

01:41:39.473 --> 01:41:39.299
effectively , so Brankovich , as I

01:41:39.299 --> 01:41:41.580
pointed out two weeks ago , had already

01:41:41.580 --> 01:41:44.140
reviewed the spend plan . So we're not

01:41:44.140 --> 01:41:46.029
waiting for him to do that , as I

01:41:46.029 --> 01:41:48.600
understand . No , ma'am , I believe we

01:41:48.600 --> 01:41:50.711
are . I think UCO has tried to make a

01:41:50.711 --> 01:41:52.878
few tweaks to the spend plan . OK , so

01:41:52.878 --> 01:41:54.878
when do we think we will get it ? I

01:41:54.878 --> 01:41:57.156
believe we'll have it to you this week .

01:41:57.156 --> 01:41:59.322
OK . And when do we expect money to go

01:41:59.322 --> 01:42:01.378
out the door once that spend plan is

01:42:01.378 --> 01:42:03.489
available ? I don't know what they're

01:42:03.489 --> 01:42:05.656
putting in the spend plan , so I can't

01:42:05.656 --> 01:42:07.822
tell you what the schedule will be for

01:42:07.822 --> 01:42:07.810
contracting that will matter what they

01:42:07.810 --> 01:42:09.866
choose to buy with that money will ,

01:42:09.866 --> 01:42:12.088
will determine how fast it goes out the

01:42:12.088 --> 01:42:15.020
door . Um , OK , this

01:42:15.569 --> 01:42:18.040
If this committee doesn't come back to

01:42:18.040 --> 01:42:20.040
you , I can guarantee you the Armed

01:42:20.040 --> 01:42:22.151
Services Committee is gonna come back

01:42:22.151 --> 01:42:23.984
to you and get an answer to that

01:42:23.984 --> 01:42:26.729
question . Um , Secretary Hegseth .

01:42:28.229 --> 01:42:30.819
A number of members of Congress have

01:42:30.819 --> 01:42:32.763
expressed our concern that Iran is

01:42:32.763 --> 01:42:34.763
receiving intelligence support from

01:42:34.763 --> 01:42:37.310
Russia . To target our service members

01:42:37.310 --> 01:42:39.830
even as we loosen sanctions on the

01:42:39.830 --> 01:42:43.149
Kremlin , Russia's making $4 billion

01:42:43.149 --> 01:42:45.371
from oil sanctions relief because we've

01:42:45.371 --> 01:42:49.240
loosened those sanctions . Um , as has

01:42:49.240 --> 01:42:51.810
been testified to , an Iranian Shihad

01:42:52.359 --> 01:42:54.600
drone costs about $35,000 . That's

01:42:54.600 --> 01:42:56.767
enough money for hundreds of thousands

01:42:56.767 --> 01:42:59.160
of drones supporting Russia's war in

01:42:59.160 --> 01:43:01.600
Ukraine and billions for Iran to

01:43:01.600 --> 01:43:04.479
reconstitute its industrial base . So

01:43:04.479 --> 01:43:06.257
if one of the goals that's been

01:43:06.257 --> 01:43:09.500
outlined by the president as part of .

01:43:10.089 --> 01:43:12.890
This war is to destroy Iran's defense

01:43:12.890 --> 01:43:14.959
industrial base . Don't you think we

01:43:14.959 --> 01:43:17.015
ought to be putting more pressure on

01:43:17.015 --> 01:43:20.899
Russia and Putting those sanctions back

01:43:20.899 --> 01:43:23.299
on those Russian oil ships so that they

01:43:23.299 --> 01:43:27.100
are not um continuing to fund Iran in

01:43:27.100 --> 01:43:31.040
this war . Senator , we , we know

01:43:31.040 --> 01:43:33.262
Russia , uh , is a nefarious actor on a

01:43:33.262 --> 01:43:35.318
lot of levels and account for that ,

01:43:35.318 --> 01:43:37.262
but I would say the destruction of

01:43:37.262 --> 01:43:39.484
Iran's defense industrial base has been

01:43:39.484 --> 01:43:39.080
highly all evidence to the contrary .

01:43:39.120 --> 01:43:41.287
We're not accounting for that if we're

01:43:41.287 --> 01:43:43.720
giving Russia the opportunity to . Earn

01:43:43.720 --> 01:43:46.709
$4 billion a month , $20 billion by the

01:43:46.709 --> 01:43:48.598
end of the year if we leave those

01:43:48.598 --> 01:43:51.279
sanctions lifted for that time , during

01:43:51.279 --> 01:43:53.759
which they can continue to fund Iran ,

01:43:53.959 --> 01:43:56.379
the destruction of Iran to provide oil

01:43:56.379 --> 01:43:58.546
to China been clear and overwhelming .

01:43:58.609 --> 01:44:00.498
The destruction of Iran's defense

01:44:00.498 --> 01:44:02.442
industrial base has been clear and

01:44:02.442 --> 01:44:04.498
overwhelming . Well , it's certainly

01:44:04.498 --> 01:44:06.442
not clear to me as a member of the

01:44:06.442 --> 01:44:08.553
committee because what we see is Iran

01:44:08.553 --> 01:44:10.720
still producing drones . They're still

01:44:10.720 --> 01:44:12.887
engaged in this conflict . We have not

01:44:12.887 --> 01:44:14.887
won this war . There's a difference

01:44:14.887 --> 01:44:14.399
between the rhetoric pulling a drone

01:44:14.399 --> 01:44:16.510
out of a cave that's been . Collapsed

01:44:16.510 --> 01:44:18.566
and producing more drones , that's a

01:44:18.566 --> 01:44:20.788
different thing . Well , maybe so , but

01:44:20.788 --> 01:44:23.709
if Iran still has almost 50% of their

01:44:23.709 --> 01:44:25.709
missile capacity and the ability to

01:44:25.709 --> 01:44:27.830
pull drones out of caves and still

01:44:27.830 --> 01:44:30.310
injure our allies and US service

01:44:30.310 --> 01:44:32.588
members , then we have not won the war .

01:44:34.810 --> 01:44:37.032
We are told that Senator Kennedy should

01:44:37.032 --> 01:44:40.129
be here in a mere minutes and so , uh ,

01:44:40.259 --> 01:44:42.970
Senator Coons , if you want to ask a

01:44:42.970 --> 01:44:45.137
couple of questions until he arrives .

01:44:45.137 --> 01:44:47.414
Thank you , Senator Murkowski . I'm Mr .

01:44:47.414 --> 01:44:49.637
Secretary , I'm just gonna follow up on

01:44:49.637 --> 01:44:51.859
the questions I asked in my first round

01:44:51.859 --> 01:44:51.580
and the questions that have been asked

01:44:51.580 --> 01:44:54.339
by , uh , members of both parties . Um ,

01:44:54.500 --> 01:44:56.278
in my assessment , there was no

01:44:56.278 --> 01:44:58.379
imminent threat to the United States

01:44:58.379 --> 01:45:00.546
that justified the president using his

01:45:00.546 --> 01:45:02.490
Article Two powers , and there was

01:45:02.490 --> 01:45:04.712
insufficient preparation to make sure .

01:45:04.712 --> 01:45:06.712
That we have the right troops , the

01:45:06.712 --> 01:45:09.720
right capability deployed . There used

01:45:09.720 --> 01:45:11.899
to be a consensus in national security

01:45:12.200 --> 01:45:14.422
that America should only go to war when

01:45:14.422 --> 01:45:16.311
there's an imminent threat to our

01:45:16.311 --> 01:45:18.256
national security , when all other

01:45:18.256 --> 01:45:20.422
options have been exhausted , and when

01:45:20.422 --> 01:45:22.644
we have clear objectives and a plan for

01:45:22.644 --> 01:45:24.978
how it ends . As General Kane testified ,

01:45:24.978 --> 01:45:26.922
the military was given three clear

01:45:26.922 --> 01:45:29.680
goals sink the navy , um , attack and

01:45:29.680 --> 01:45:32.013
destroy the ballistic missile launchers ,

01:45:32.013 --> 01:45:34.069
and degrade their defense industrial

01:45:34.069 --> 01:45:36.236
base , and you've accomplished those .

01:45:36.236 --> 01:45:38.347
But President Trump celebrated regime

01:45:38.347 --> 01:45:40.513
change after saying that regime change

01:45:40.513 --> 01:45:42.736
was the real goal , and our NATO allies

01:45:42.736 --> 01:45:44.680
have delivered . They have allowed

01:45:44.680 --> 01:45:46.402
overflight . They have allowed

01:45:46.402 --> 01:45:48.513
projection of force despite not being

01:45:48.513 --> 01:45:50.736
consulted . You said just a few moments

01:45:50.736 --> 01:45:52.847
ago , Mr . Secretary , we control the

01:45:52.847 --> 01:45:56.109
strait . But it's clear that reopening

01:45:56.109 --> 01:45:58.109
the Strait of Hormuz for commercial

01:45:58.109 --> 01:46:00.790
traffic eludes us in no small part

01:46:00.790 --> 01:46:03.669
because Iran retains a robust

01:46:04.229 --> 01:46:07.229
stockpile of cheap lethal Shahad drones ,

01:46:07.549 --> 01:46:09.493
and they are getting help from our

01:46:09.493 --> 01:46:11.890
adversaries in rebuilding them . What

01:46:11.890 --> 01:46:14.589
is your plan for reopening the Strait

01:46:14.589 --> 01:46:17.950
of Hormuz , Mr . Secretary ? I would

01:46:17.950 --> 01:46:19.950
just note that the majority of your

01:46:19.950 --> 01:46:22.006
question was highly disingenuous and

01:46:22.006 --> 01:46:24.006
loaded with suggestions that I very

01:46:24.006 --> 01:46:26.117
much don't agree with . Uh , from the

01:46:26.117 --> 01:46:28.339
beginning , please feel free , sir , to

01:46:28.339 --> 01:46:27.720
pick any one of those . From the

01:46:27.720 --> 01:46:29.831
beginning we've been very clear about

01:46:29.831 --> 01:46:31.609
the military objectives and the

01:46:31.609 --> 01:46:33.776
underlying strategic objective , which

01:46:33.776 --> 01:46:33.359
is preventing Iran from getting a

01:46:33.359 --> 01:46:35.680
nuclear weapon . Take for example the

01:46:35.680 --> 01:46:37.847
fact that Iranians conventional navy ,

01:46:37.859 --> 01:46:40.026
they had aircraft carriers with Shahid

01:46:40.026 --> 01:46:42.081
drones on them before this started .

01:46:42.081 --> 01:46:43.859
They had full-on destroyers and

01:46:43.859 --> 01:46:45.859
battleship capabilities , none of .

01:46:45.859 --> 01:46:48.026
They , they have anymore . And did the

01:46:48.026 --> 01:46:50.137
Iranian navy have aircraft carriers ?

01:46:50.137 --> 01:46:52.495
Iranian navy had 3 drone aircraft

01:46:52.495 --> 01:46:54.439
carriers . The Iranian navy had 11

01:46:54.439 --> 01:46:56.551
launch submarines for drones . It had

01:46:56.551 --> 01:46:58.606
11 submarines . They had sunk all of

01:46:58.606 --> 01:47:00.884
the regular navy . Great , good . They ,

01:47:00.884 --> 01:47:02.828
they retain fast boat capabilities

01:47:02.828 --> 01:47:04.495
which they've always had . We

01:47:04.495 --> 01:47:06.662
understand that , which we can control

01:47:06.662 --> 01:47:08.717
for and will . We've degraded almost

01:47:08.717 --> 01:47:10.717
completely their defense industrial

01:47:10.717 --> 01:47:12.884
base capabilities . The idea that they

01:47:12.884 --> 01:47:14.939
control anything . You can terrorize

01:47:14.939 --> 01:47:14.740
something . You can hold it at issue

01:47:14.740 --> 01:47:16.851
with piracy , as I've talked about at

01:47:16.851 --> 01:47:19.184
the Pentagon podium time and time again .

01:47:19.184 --> 01:47:21.296
That doesn't mean you control it . We

01:47:21.296 --> 01:47:23.407
control what goes in and out , and we

01:47:23.407 --> 01:47:22.879
control whether or not we have to

01:47:22.879 --> 01:47:24.990
restart conflict . The president does

01:47:24.990 --> 01:47:27.101
as well . So we're the ones that will

01:47:27.101 --> 01:47:29.157
manage where this goes in the future

01:47:29.157 --> 01:47:31.379
and they have . Very limited ability to

01:47:31.379 --> 01:47:33.435
set the tempo or respond to it , and

01:47:33.435 --> 01:47:35.323
that gives the president a lot of

01:47:35.323 --> 01:47:37.490
options to ensure that Iran never gets

01:47:37.490 --> 01:47:39.379
a nuclear weapon . The connection

01:47:39.379 --> 01:47:41.323
between their ability to close the

01:47:41.323 --> 01:47:43.268
Strait of Hormuz Hormuz using fast

01:47:43.268 --> 01:47:46.200
boats and Shahed drones and Our

01:47:46.200 --> 01:47:48.359
strategic goal shared broadly to

01:47:48.359 --> 01:47:50.526
prevent them from ever having a usable

01:47:50.526 --> 01:47:52.859
nuclear weapon is utterly unclear to me ,

01:47:52.859 --> 01:47:54.970
and my question was , what's the plan

01:47:55.040 --> 01:47:57.151
for reopening the Strait of Hormuz to

01:47:57.151 --> 01:48:00.439
commercial traffic given broadly but

01:48:00.439 --> 01:48:02.439
never executed , shared broadly but

01:48:02.439 --> 01:48:04.217
never executed because previous

01:48:04.217 --> 01:48:05.939
administration didn't have the

01:48:05.939 --> 01:48:07.883
willingness to actually do what it

01:48:07.883 --> 01:48:09.995
would take and when Iran . was at its

01:48:09.995 --> 01:48:12.050
weakest moments following the 12 Day

01:48:12.050 --> 01:48:14.272
War , but still wanted the pursuit of a

01:48:14.272 --> 01:48:16.328
nuclear capability . President Trump

01:48:16.328 --> 01:48:18.439
made the courageous decision to go at

01:48:18.439 --> 01:48:20.717
their conventional umbrella and shield ,

01:48:20.717 --> 01:48:20.495
which they were using to protect their

01:48:20.495 --> 01:48:22.551
nuclear program , which we knew came

01:48:22.551 --> 01:48:24.814
with threats and branches and sequels .

01:48:25.564 --> 01:48:27.675
My concern , Mr . Secretary , is that

01:48:27.675 --> 01:48:29.731
you've achieved a series of tactical

01:48:29.731 --> 01:48:31.842
successes . But are on the verge of a

01:48:31.842 --> 01:48:33.731
strategic loss because we are now

01:48:33.731 --> 01:48:35.675
negotiating . I just think it's so

01:48:35.675 --> 01:48:37.897
foolish . Here we are in a committee in

01:48:37.897 --> 01:48:40.120
the United States Senate 74 days in and

01:48:40.120 --> 01:48:42.231
you're talking about strategic loss .

01:48:42.231 --> 01:48:44.453
We have the ability to defeat a 47 year

01:48:44.453 --> 01:48:46.786
threat of a pursuit of a nuclear weapon .

01:48:46.786 --> 01:48:48.897
We have more leverage than we've ever

01:48:48.897 --> 01:48:51.064
had . We've had incredible battlefield

01:48:51.064 --> 01:48:50.919
successes , and you're talking about a

01:48:50.919 --> 01:48:54.359
strategic loss , Mr . disingenuous

01:48:54.359 --> 01:48:56.415
questions , Mr . Secretary . This is

01:48:56.415 --> 01:48:58.581
how you undercuts that could otherwise

01:48:58.581 --> 01:49:00.915
and are otherwise . I be not your enemy ,

01:49:00.915 --> 01:49:03.137
sir . I am not your adversary . I share

01:49:03.137 --> 01:49:05.303
your goal of preventing Iran from ever

01:49:05.303 --> 01:49:07.303
having a usable nuclear weapon . To

01:49:07.303 --> 01:49:09.303
finish my sentence , control of the

01:49:09.303 --> 01:49:11.192
Strait of Hormuz , the ability to

01:49:11.192 --> 01:49:13.990
degrade our partners and allies' gas

01:49:13.990 --> 01:49:16.212
and oil production capabilities through

01:49:16.212 --> 01:49:18.268
cheap drones , the ability to harass

01:49:18.268 --> 01:49:20.640
and harry commercial shipping remains

01:49:20.640 --> 01:49:24.160
in Iran's hands , and their demands are

01:49:24.160 --> 01:49:26.600
that we recognize sovereignty for them .

01:49:27.020 --> 01:49:29.140
Over the Strait of Hormuz , which I

01:49:29.140 --> 01:49:31.084
believe our president's rejected ,

01:49:31.084 --> 01:49:33.084
you've rejected , I reject , but my

01:49:33.084 --> 01:49:35.339
question remains , how do we reopen the

01:49:35.339 --> 01:49:37.561
Strait of Hormuz to commercial shipping

01:49:37.580 --> 01:49:39.890
if we control it , how do we reopen it ?

01:49:40.180 --> 01:49:42.180
And your average American is seeing

01:49:42.180 --> 01:49:44.291
this at the gas pump every single day

01:49:44.950 --> 01:49:47.117
as the cost of gas continues to rise .

01:49:47.720 --> 01:49:50.350
Senator Coons , I know that your , your

01:49:51.000 --> 01:49:53.278
question has not yet been responded to ,

01:49:53.278 --> 01:49:55.444
and it deserves an answer , but I also

01:49:55.444 --> 01:49:57.667
understand I'm delaying my colleagues .

01:49:57.667 --> 01:49:59.778
But that's the question that deserves

01:49:59.778 --> 01:50:02.000
an answer , Mr . Secretary . We , we do

01:50:02.000 --> 01:50:04.222
have , uh , Senator Kennedy followed by

01:50:04.222 --> 01:50:03.720
Senator Murphy , and I know that

01:50:03.720 --> 01:50:07.240
Secretary , uh , has a time departure .

01:50:07.439 --> 01:50:09.495
Thank you for your indulgence , Mr .

01:50:09.495 --> 01:50:13.169
Madam Chair . Thank you . Mr .

01:50:13.180 --> 01:50:15.959
Secretary , welcome . Can we agree ?

01:50:17.439 --> 01:50:20.080
That if you took President Xi Jinping

01:50:20.080 --> 01:50:22.560
and turned him upside down and shook

01:50:22.560 --> 01:50:25.439
him . That the African country of

01:50:25.439 --> 01:50:27.717
Mauritius would fall out of his pocket .

01:50:31.189 --> 01:50:33.411
I don't know if we can , uh , but I'd ,

01:50:33.411 --> 01:50:35.689
I'd like to indulge you on that . Well ,

01:50:35.689 --> 01:50:37.800
let me try , let me , let me , let me

01:50:37.800 --> 01:50:39.967
try it another way . Um , Mauritius is

01:50:39.967 --> 01:50:43.020
good friends with . Uh , China , is it

01:50:43.020 --> 01:50:46.479
not ? I understand there's some level

01:50:46.479 --> 01:50:49.000
of a relationship there , yeah . You

01:50:49.000 --> 01:50:51.111
know , like they're , they're BFFs or

01:50:51.111 --> 01:50:53.189
whatever the young people call .

01:50:54.339 --> 01:50:57.950
Um Prime

01:50:57.950 --> 01:51:00.399
Minister Starmer wants to give .

01:51:01.790 --> 01:51:04.930
Uh , Diego Garcia in the Chagos Islands

01:51:05.390 --> 01:51:09.279
to Mauritius . Which has virtually no

01:51:09.279 --> 01:51:12.919
connection with Chago Silence , who

01:51:12.919 --> 01:51:16.430
will promptly give a spare key to

01:51:16.430 --> 01:51:19.319
Diego Garcia to China . Is that

01:51:19.319 --> 01:51:22.620
accurate ? What I would underscore is

01:51:22.620 --> 01:51:24.950
that Diego Garcia is a very strategic

01:51:24.950 --> 01:51:27.006
location , and having the ability to

01:51:27.006 --> 01:51:29.006
operate there for the United States

01:51:29.006 --> 01:51:28.779
military is gonna be critically

01:51:28.779 --> 01:51:30.835
important in future Starmer wants to

01:51:30.835 --> 01:51:32.890
give it away , does he not ? Uh , as

01:51:32.890 --> 01:51:34.946
President Trump has stated , there's

01:51:34.946 --> 01:51:37.112
been some pretty bad deals made by the

01:51:37.112 --> 01:51:39.223
Brits as it pertains to , I'd like to

01:51:39.223 --> 01:51:41.223
hear you . I mean , the president's

01:51:41.223 --> 01:51:41.060
been back and forth on this , and I've

01:51:41.060 --> 01:51:44.279
talked to him a lot . Uh , uh ,

01:51:44.740 --> 01:51:47.100
he's , he , he , he , he is not gonna

01:51:47.100 --> 01:51:49.830
agree to that , is he ? No , as the

01:51:49.830 --> 01:51:51.830
president has stated , it was a bad

01:51:51.830 --> 01:51:53.886
deal that was cut , uh , by the , by

01:51:53.886 --> 01:51:55.719
the UK and , uh , Prime Minister

01:51:55.719 --> 01:51:57.997
Starmer as it pertains to Diego Garcia ,

01:51:57.997 --> 01:52:00.052
as evidenced by limitations that our

01:52:00.052 --> 01:52:02.108
troops could face in how we use that

01:52:02.108 --> 01:52:03.997
island . Yes , all right , um , I

01:52:03.997 --> 01:52:07.629
appreciate that . My understanding Is

01:52:07.629 --> 01:52:10.890
that The classified information and

01:52:10.890 --> 01:52:14.120
unclassified . Is public

01:52:14.779 --> 01:52:17.112
showed that our intelligence discovered .

01:52:18.000 --> 01:52:20.310
That not that long ago , Iran had

01:52:20.310 --> 01:52:23.149
developed a new supreme Leader , now

01:52:23.149 --> 01:52:25.371
dead as fried chicken , but they have a

01:52:25.371 --> 01:52:27.427
new supreme Leader , had developed a

01:52:27.427 --> 01:52:29.890
new game plan . For , for their nuclear

01:52:29.890 --> 01:52:32.209
weapons program and their game plan was

01:52:32.209 --> 01:52:35.689
to jack up missile , both ballistic and

01:52:35.689 --> 01:52:39.129
um , and , and , uh , um , cruise

01:52:39.129 --> 01:52:41.810
missile production and drone production

01:52:42.089 --> 01:52:44.689
and , and , and put together this huge

01:52:45.120 --> 01:52:47.850
stockpile of missiles and drones at

01:52:47.850 --> 01:52:49.794
which point they would turn to the

01:52:49.794 --> 01:52:51.906
United States and Israel and the rest

01:52:51.906 --> 01:52:53.739
of the world and say we're gonna

01:52:53.739 --> 01:52:55.850
restart our nuclear weapons program .

01:52:55.859 --> 01:52:58.620
Uh , if you bomb us again like you did

01:52:58.620 --> 01:53:01.419
in , in June , we will destroy the

01:53:01.419 --> 01:53:03.620
Middle East , and by the way , our

01:53:03.620 --> 01:53:06.100
missiles can now reach Berlin and

01:53:06.100 --> 01:53:09.259
London and Paris . Is that my

01:53:09.259 --> 01:53:11.370
understanding of one of the reasons ,

01:53:11.370 --> 01:53:14.520
the main reason we went into Iran ? I

01:53:14.520 --> 01:53:16.687
think that's pretty well articulated ,

01:53:16.687 --> 01:53:18.853
Senator , that they were trying to use

01:53:18.853 --> 01:53:20.798
the umbrella of their conventional

01:53:20.798 --> 01:53:22.964
established conventional stockpiles to

01:53:22.964 --> 01:53:22.600
blackmail the rest of the world in

01:53:22.600 --> 01:53:24.767
pursuit of their own nuclear weapons .

01:53:24.767 --> 01:53:26.878
Now let's talk about Iran today . Can

01:53:26.878 --> 01:53:28.933
we agree that Iran , both the public

01:53:28.933 --> 01:53:31.100
and the private sector , is being held

01:53:31.100 --> 01:53:33.211
together right now with spit and duct

01:53:33.211 --> 01:53:36.709
tape ? Spit and duct tape is not a

01:53:36.709 --> 01:53:38.820
doctrinal term , uh , Senator , but I

01:53:38.820 --> 01:53:40.931
would agree with something along this

01:53:40.931 --> 01:53:44.620
it's a Louisiana term . I mean 7 out of

01:53:44.620 --> 01:53:48.450
10 Iranians are out of work . We bombed

01:53:48.450 --> 01:53:50.617
their , their , their infrastructure .

01:53:50.750 --> 01:53:54.100
They've got 70% inflation . Their

01:53:54.100 --> 01:53:57.939
internet shut off . Um , you

01:53:57.939 --> 01:54:00.050
know better than I do what we've done

01:54:00.050 --> 01:54:02.859
on the military side . Their launchers

01:54:02.859 --> 01:54:05.790
gone . Their missiles for the most part

01:54:05.790 --> 01:54:08.339
gone . The drones gone . Do they have

01:54:08.339 --> 01:54:11.140
some left ? Yeah . The navy gone . The

01:54:11.140 --> 01:54:14.640
Air Force gone . You , you can get in

01:54:14.640 --> 01:54:17.040
an airplane , you personally , and fly

01:54:17.040 --> 01:54:19.600
anywhere you want to across Iran right

01:54:19.600 --> 01:54:21.656
now and feel safe because they don't

01:54:21.656 --> 01:54:23.939
have any air defenses . It will be , in

01:54:23.939 --> 01:54:27.819
my opinion . 20 years and

01:54:27.819 --> 01:54:30.069
cost $1 trillion before they're even

01:54:30.069 --> 01:54:33.799
back somewhat to normal . And I don't

01:54:33.799 --> 01:54:36.410
have the slightest idea where they're

01:54:36.410 --> 01:54:38.810
gonna get the money . If they think

01:54:38.810 --> 01:54:41.143
China's gonna give it to them or Russia ,

01:54:41.143 --> 01:54:43.366
they've got to learn a hard lesson . To

01:54:43.366 --> 01:54:45.310
that extent , have we achieved our

01:54:45.310 --> 01:54:48.979
objective in Iran ? The objective ,

01:54:48.990 --> 01:54:51.101
as this president has stated from the

01:54:51.101 --> 01:54:53.323
beginning is to ensure they don't get a

01:54:53.323 --> 01:54:55.379
nuclear weapon , and President Trump

01:54:55.379 --> 01:54:54.910
remains dedicated to ensuring that

01:54:54.910 --> 01:54:57.077
happens . And everything you described

01:54:57.077 --> 01:54:59.243
with the military degradation of their

01:54:59.243 --> 01:55:01.466
country was in service of ensuring they

01:55:01.466 --> 01:55:03.577
never get a nuclear weapons . This is

01:55:03.577 --> 01:55:06.770
what . I , I never understood . The

01:55:06.770 --> 01:55:10.500
president to say , I want a regime

01:55:10.500 --> 01:55:14.470
change . In Iran And I want

01:55:14.470 --> 01:55:17.310
to , to obtain all of their fissile

01:55:17.310 --> 01:55:19.477
material . I've , I've never heard him

01:55:19.477 --> 01:55:22.580
say that . What I heard him say was our ,

01:55:22.759 --> 01:55:25.092
what , I don't wanna go back through it ,

01:55:25.092 --> 01:55:27.315
but our goal is to cripple them so they

01:55:27.315 --> 01:55:29.537
can't blackmail the rest of the world .

01:55:29.537 --> 01:55:31.609
Now , many of my Democratic friends

01:55:31.609 --> 01:55:33.831
have now are trying , now trying to say

01:55:33.831 --> 01:55:37.200
we have lost . Here here's a footnote ,

01:55:37.700 --> 01:55:40.033
you're not gonna get Democratic support .

01:55:40.669 --> 01:55:42.891
They're not , they're not gonna support

01:55:42.891 --> 01:55:45.720
you , Mr . Secretary . Because they

01:55:45.720 --> 01:55:47.887
don't support President Trump . I know

01:55:47.887 --> 01:55:51.060
that's not a news flash . Um

01:55:52.970 --> 01:55:56.620
But they say we , we , we've lost . I ,

01:55:56.700 --> 01:55:58.922
I don't get it . I don't understand how

01:55:58.922 --> 01:56:01.256
we've lost . Is the strait closed ? Yes .

01:56:01.930 --> 01:56:04.819
But if we continue that blockade where

01:56:04.819 --> 01:56:06.986
nothing's going in and nothing's going

01:56:06.986 --> 01:56:09.152
out , eventually they're going to have

01:56:09.152 --> 01:56:11.152
to shut down their oil fields , and

01:56:11.152 --> 01:56:10.899
they're not . Half of their oil fields

01:56:10.899 --> 01:56:13.020
are low pressure . Once they put them

01:56:13.020 --> 01:56:15.076
down , they're not going to get them

01:56:15.076 --> 01:56:17.298
back up . Am I missing something here ?

01:56:17.298 --> 01:56:19.464
No , that's why the president is right

01:56:19.464 --> 01:56:21.520
when he says we hold all the cards ,

01:56:21.520 --> 01:56:23.742
and we do , and we've got the best deal

01:56:23.742 --> 01:56:25.909
maker in the world , uh , able to make

01:56:25.909 --> 01:56:25.540
the best deal for the United States of

01:56:25.540 --> 01:56:27.707
America . And if we have to go back at

01:56:27.707 --> 01:56:29.707
it as the Department of War , we're

01:56:29.707 --> 01:56:31.873
ready to do that as well . Well , keep

01:56:31.873 --> 01:56:33.984
two things in mind . You're not gonna

01:56:33.984 --> 01:56:36.096
win over my Democratic friends . It's

01:56:36.096 --> 01:56:38.207
not worth getting your blood pressure

01:56:38.207 --> 01:56:41.740
up . Focus on other things .

01:56:42.029 --> 01:56:44.251
And number 2 , just keep this in mind .

01:56:45.390 --> 01:56:49.350
America first . does not have to

01:56:49.350 --> 01:56:50.990
mean America alone .

01:56:52.970 --> 01:56:56.669
America first . does not have to mean

01:56:56.669 --> 01:56:59.529
America alone . We need all the friends

01:56:59.529 --> 01:57:01.640
we can get . They need to carry their

01:57:01.640 --> 01:57:03.640
own weight . They need to pay their

01:57:03.640 --> 01:57:05.810
bills . But the more the better . I'm

01:57:05.810 --> 01:57:07.921
sorry I went way over , but I sure do

01:57:07.921 --> 01:57:10.032
appreciate it . Senator Murphy , uh ,

01:57:10.032 --> 01:57:12.088
thank you , Madam Chair . Um , thank

01:57:12.088 --> 01:57:14.199
you all for being here . Let , let me

01:57:14.199 --> 01:57:16.421
give you a chance , Mr . Secretary , to

01:57:16.421 --> 01:57:18.588
answer Senator Coons' question , which

01:57:18.588 --> 01:57:20.588
is a really simple one . how are we

01:57:20.588 --> 01:57:22.754
going to get the straight open because

01:57:22.754 --> 01:57:22.689
nothing matters more to our

01:57:22.689 --> 01:57:24.911
constituents than doing something about

01:57:24.911 --> 01:57:27.370
these . Um , spiraling gas prices ,

01:57:27.379 --> 01:57:29.435
which are bankrupting families and ,

01:57:29.435 --> 01:57:31.490
and farmers all across the country .

01:57:31.490 --> 01:57:33.823
And maybe , let me ask it this way , um ,

01:57:33.823 --> 01:57:35.768
this is the first time you've come

01:57:35.768 --> 01:57:37.823
before this committee , but in other

01:57:37.823 --> 01:57:39.879
briefings , people that work for you

01:57:39.879 --> 01:57:42.046
have told us in plain terms that there

01:57:42.046 --> 01:57:44.212
is no military mechanism to reopen the

01:57:44.212 --> 01:57:46.323
strait , that ultimately it will be a

01:57:46.323 --> 01:57:49.500
political decision made by Iran , and I

01:57:49.500 --> 01:57:51.722
think you're confirming that here today

01:57:51.722 --> 01:57:53.889
by suggesting that it will be economic

01:57:53.889 --> 01:57:56.259
pressure . That will create a political

01:57:56.259 --> 01:57:58.399
imperative inside Tehran to open the

01:57:58.399 --> 01:58:01.000
strait . So can you just confirm for

01:58:01.000 --> 01:58:03.819
the committee that there is not a

01:58:04.399 --> 01:58:07.359
military mechanism or means to reopen

01:58:07.359 --> 01:58:09.740
the strait , that ultimately we have to

01:58:10.020 --> 01:58:11.853
essentially use diplomacy , uh ,

01:58:12.000 --> 01:58:14.167
economic diplomacy in this case , uh ,

01:58:14.240 --> 01:58:17.149
in order to convince Iran to make the

01:58:17.149 --> 01:58:19.459
decision to reopen the strait . I would

01:58:19.459 --> 01:58:21.681
say Senator , um , there most certainly

01:58:21.681 --> 01:58:23.737
are military means by which we could

01:58:23.737 --> 01:58:27.029
open the strait , um , both , uh , on

01:58:27.029 --> 01:58:29.140
targets on land and also with what we

01:58:29.140 --> 01:58:31.362
do with our naval capabilities , not to

01:58:31.362 --> 01:58:33.196
mention our naval blockade . Why

01:58:33.196 --> 01:58:35.362
haven't demonstrated by if , if that's

01:58:35.362 --> 01:58:37.362
true , and that's not what has been

01:58:37.362 --> 01:58:39.529
testified to us in private briefings ,

01:58:39.529 --> 01:58:41.807
why haven't you done that ? Ultimately ,

01:58:41.807 --> 01:58:41.629
a long term , the , the a preferred

01:58:41.629 --> 01:58:43.573
long term approach would be a deal

01:58:43.573 --> 01:58:45.796
where they open it up , where they stop

01:58:45.796 --> 01:58:47.907
being pirates of international waters

01:58:47.907 --> 01:58:50.073
and allow countries from all . Nations

01:58:50.073 --> 01:58:50.064
to flow , you know , these aren't US

01:58:50.064 --> 01:58:52.231
ships that are being blockaded there .

01:58:52.231 --> 01:58:54.231
These are ships from all around the

01:58:54.231 --> 01:58:56.453
world , creating much more pressure for

01:58:56.453 --> 01:58:58.620
other countries than ours . So the bad

01:58:58.620 --> 01:59:00.675
guy here is Iran , who's closing the

01:59:00.675 --> 01:59:02.564
strait through piracy effectively

01:59:02.564 --> 01:59:01.745
because they don't , they really only

01:59:01.745 --> 01:59:04.095
have fast boat capabilities , and we're

01:59:04.095 --> 01:59:06.317
blockading them . None of their stuff's

01:59:06.317 --> 01:59:08.428
getting out . They're feeling all the

01:59:08.428 --> 01:59:10.595
pressure . OK , so here's , so they're

01:59:10.595 --> 01:59:10.024
feeling all , here's , here's my

01:59:10.024 --> 01:59:12.325
follow-up question . You don't worry

01:59:13.104 --> 01:59:15.334
that through a study of history , you

01:59:15.334 --> 01:59:17.445
might come to the conclusion that you

01:59:17.445 --> 01:59:19.899
are . Overestimating um their

01:59:19.899 --> 01:59:22.830
willingness to cave based upon economic

01:59:22.830 --> 01:59:25.490
pressure . Um , the Russians believed

01:59:26.240 --> 01:59:28.629
years ago that Ukraine would cave

01:59:28.629 --> 01:59:30.740
because of the economic pressure they

01:59:30.740 --> 01:59:32.796
were putting on Ukraine . We thought

01:59:32.796 --> 01:59:35.018
the North Vietnamese would cave because

01:59:35.018 --> 01:59:34.350
of the economic pressure we were

01:59:34.350 --> 01:59:36.640
putting on them . Um , your own

01:59:36.640 --> 01:59:38.696
intelligence estimates , as has been

01:59:38.696 --> 01:59:40.879
reported , suggest that in fact , the

01:59:40.879 --> 01:59:43.046
Iranians are in a position to hold out

01:59:43.279 --> 01:59:46.200
for potentially years . Um , this is a

01:59:46.200 --> 01:59:49.640
high risk strategy to hope that this

01:59:49.640 --> 01:59:51.696
economic pressure . Eventually cause

01:59:51.696 --> 01:59:53.870
them to voluntarily reopen the strait

01:59:53.870 --> 01:59:55.926
when there's plenty of evidence from

01:59:55.926 --> 01:59:58.148
military history to show that countries

01:59:58.148 --> 02:00:00.259
that are being attacked or invaded or

02:00:00.259 --> 02:00:02.481
occupied are actually willing to put up

02:00:02.481 --> 02:00:04.648
with a whole lot of economic misery in

02:00:04.648 --> 02:00:07.109
order to preserve national pride . Uh ,

02:00:07.120 --> 02:00:09.120
well aware we've looked at all , we

02:00:09.120 --> 02:00:11.342
understand all of those historical case

02:00:11.342 --> 02:00:13.398
studies , and it's not just economic

02:00:13.398 --> 02:00:13.240
pressure . There's military pressure ,

02:00:13.350 --> 02:00:15.572
diplomatic pressure . We certainly have

02:00:15.572 --> 02:00:17.572
a lot more military pressure we can

02:00:17.572 --> 02:00:19.628
bring to bear if the president would

02:00:19.628 --> 02:00:21.739
choose to do so . I think there are a

02:00:21.739 --> 02:00:23.961
lot of different dynamics that we can ,

02:00:23.961 --> 02:00:26.128
that cards that the president can play

02:00:26.128 --> 02:00:25.759
holding all of them to ensure even

02:00:25.759 --> 02:00:27.648
greater economic pressure or even

02:00:27.648 --> 02:00:29.926
greater military pressure in , in Iran .

02:00:29.926 --> 02:00:32.037
And they know that and that's why the

02:00:32.037 --> 02:00:34.092
negotiations are serious and ongoing

02:00:34.092 --> 02:00:36.315
right now about giving up their nuclear

02:00:36.315 --> 02:00:38.370
capability because they understand .

02:00:38.370 --> 02:00:38.033
And , and , and the problem is time is

02:00:38.033 --> 02:00:40.272
not on our side here . I , I , I , I

02:00:40.272 --> 02:00:42.272
believe you are being way too

02:00:42.272 --> 02:00:44.893
optimistic , um , in your assessment of

02:00:45.192 --> 02:00:47.752
their potential to cave , but if this

02:00:47.752 --> 02:00:49.974
goes on for another 30 days , there are

02:00:49.974 --> 02:00:52.085
going to be thousands more farms that

02:00:52.085 --> 02:00:54.308
will go . Bankrupt . There are going to

02:00:54.308 --> 02:00:56.530
be families that are going to be ruined

02:00:56.530 --> 02:00:58.696
and so time is not on our side , and I

02:00:58.696 --> 02:01:00.808
just don't believe that Iran is ready

02:01:00.808 --> 02:01:02.585
to capitulate yet . And if they

02:01:02.585 --> 02:01:04.808
capitulate in a year , there's going to

02:01:04.808 --> 02:01:04.266
be a whole lot of families and

02:01:04.266 --> 02:01:06.155
businesses that are ruined in the

02:01:06.155 --> 02:01:08.210
United States . Um , General Kaine ,

02:01:08.210 --> 02:01:10.433
let me finally ask you a question about

02:01:10.433 --> 02:01:12.655
what seems to be , um , a difference of

02:01:12.655 --> 02:01:14.488
opinion between the intelligence

02:01:14.488 --> 02:01:16.544
services that you rely on , um , and

02:01:16.544 --> 02:01:18.710
the public statements of the president

02:01:18.710 --> 02:01:20.766
of the United States with respect to

02:01:20.766 --> 02:01:23.099
our war objectives . Um , the secretary ,

02:01:23.099 --> 02:01:25.210
and others in the president's cabinet

02:01:25.210 --> 02:01:27.560
have said very clearly that our war

02:01:27.560 --> 02:01:30.879
objective is to destroy Iran's missile

02:01:30.879 --> 02:01:33.399
and drone program . The president said

02:01:33.399 --> 02:01:36.640
just a week ago that Iran maybe had

02:01:36.640 --> 02:01:40.279
18 to 19% of their missile

02:01:40.279 --> 02:01:42.959
capacity left , but there is public

02:01:42.959 --> 02:01:44.799
reporting suggesting that our

02:01:44.799 --> 02:01:47.319
intelligence agencies say that Iran

02:01:47.319 --> 02:01:50.839
still has 70% . Of their missile and

02:01:50.839 --> 02:01:53.680
drone capability , which would be a

02:01:53.680 --> 02:01:56.879
failure of our objectives if that were

02:01:56.879 --> 02:02:00.640
to be true . Um , what can you tell us

02:02:00.640 --> 02:02:03.720
about the number of missiles and drones

02:02:03.720 --> 02:02:05.553
that they have left , and do you

02:02:05.553 --> 02:02:08.200
dispute your that intelligence estimate ?

02:02:09.009 --> 02:02:11.410
Sir , I'm not gonna comment with deep

02:02:11.410 --> 02:02:13.354
respect for the question . I'm not

02:02:13.354 --> 02:02:15.577
gonna comment in this forum on what may

02:02:15.577 --> 02:02:17.688
or may not have been opined on by the

02:02:17.688 --> 02:02:20.250
IC , which would suggest a leak or a

02:02:20.250 --> 02:02:22.417
confirmation of any intel . So while I

02:02:22.417 --> 02:02:24.639
appreciate the question , I hope you'll

02:02:24.639 --> 02:02:26.806
also appreciate my nodding . Answering

02:02:26.806 --> 02:02:28.750
it well then just give me what the

02:02:28.750 --> 02:02:31.859
president said that 80% of , yeah , I'm

02:02:31.859 --> 02:02:34.979
not gonna comment on BDA on either way ,

02:02:35.149 --> 02:02:37.371
sir . Uh , well then how do we , how do

02:02:37.371 --> 02:02:39.427
we or the American public assess the

02:02:39.427 --> 02:02:41.371
success of the mission when you've

02:02:41.371 --> 02:02:43.427
stated publicly . The purpose of the

02:02:43.427 --> 02:02:45.649
mission is to destroy their missile and

02:02:45.649 --> 02:02:48.180
drone capability . How do we assess

02:02:48.180 --> 02:02:50.402
whether we should continue funding this

02:02:50.402 --> 02:02:52.402
if you can't state ? Well , I'm not

02:02:52.402 --> 02:02:54.458
going to answer what you guys in the

02:02:54.458 --> 02:02:56.236
Congress considers the decision

02:02:56.236 --> 02:02:58.291
criteria around continued funding or

02:02:58.291 --> 02:03:00.939
not . What I , what I know is that I've

02:03:00.939 --> 02:03:03.161
not read the report that you're talking

02:03:03.161 --> 02:03:05.379
about . All of our battle damage

02:03:05.379 --> 02:03:08.149
assessment matters are classified . And

02:03:08.149 --> 02:03:10.149
it would be inappropriate for me to

02:03:10.149 --> 02:03:12.371
comment in this forum on that , and I ,

02:03:12.371 --> 02:03:14.593
I appreciate the question , but I , I'm

02:03:14.593 --> 02:03:16.649
not going to answer it . Let me just

02:03:16.649 --> 02:03:18.538
put it to Secretary Hegseth . The

02:03:18.538 --> 02:03:20.371
president said that 80% of their

02:03:20.371 --> 02:03:22.482
missile capacity had been destroyed .

02:03:22.482 --> 02:03:24.799
This public report says it's only 30% .

02:03:25.069 --> 02:03:27.291
Um , can , can you give us an answer as

02:03:27.291 --> 02:03:29.513
to what the real number is ? I mean , I

02:03:29.513 --> 02:03:31.347
would answer the same way as the

02:03:31.347 --> 02:03:33.069
chairman . Not talking to this

02:03:33.069 --> 02:03:35.291
committee about the damage assessment ,

02:03:35.291 --> 02:03:37.458
not validating leaked information that

02:03:37.458 --> 02:03:39.680
could be wrong or not wrong . Uh , in ,

02:03:39.680 --> 02:03:41.791
in , in , why would I validate what ,

02:03:41.791 --> 02:03:44.013
what people may leak or not leak ? This

02:03:44.013 --> 02:03:46.347
is a , this is not a classified setting .

02:03:46.347 --> 02:03:45.750
We don't talk about those things and we

02:03:45.750 --> 02:03:47.694
like to talk about them on TV . We

02:03:47.694 --> 02:03:49.750
don't talk about them here . I would

02:03:49.750 --> 02:03:51.861
perhaps suggest that , uh , that some

02:03:51.861 --> 02:03:54.419
of these questions and responses are

02:03:54.770 --> 02:03:56.937
perhaps best in a classified setting .

02:03:56.937 --> 02:04:00.020
Um , but I also acknowledge that we are

02:04:00.020 --> 02:04:02.259
not in a classified setting . We have ,

02:04:02.339 --> 02:04:05.419
um , uh , held the secretary and , uh ,

02:04:05.500 --> 02:04:07.722
the chairman , uh , longer than I think

02:04:07.722 --> 02:04:09.889
they had anticipated . Senators have 1

02:04:09.889 --> 02:04:12.111
week to submit additional questions for

02:04:12.111 --> 02:04:14.111
the subcommittee's official hearing

02:04:14.111 --> 02:04:16.333
record . We request for a response from

02:04:16.333 --> 02:04:15.819
our witnesses within 30 days of

02:04:15.819 --> 02:04:18.180
receiving these questions . Uh , the

02:04:18.180 --> 02:04:20.291
subcommittee stands in recess subject

02:04:20.291 --> 02:04:22.458
to the call of the chair , and I would

02:04:22.458 --> 02:04:24.624
ask those in the audience to remain in

02:04:24.624 --> 02:04:26.847
their seats until Secretary and General

02:04:26.847 --> 02:04:29.069
Kane depart . And uh uh safe travels to

02:04:29.069 --> 02:04:29.439
you , to China . Good luck .