WEBVTT

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I would note both the Secretary of

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Defense and the Chairman , the Joint

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Chiefs , that we usually saying

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over closer together , they were slowly ,

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at least we're not doing it by remote

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or by Mhm .

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And wearing mass . I note that the

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secretary has been having some

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extraordinary long days flights .

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Everything out . In fact , we just had

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a discussion on one of those flights at

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some point in the Secretary need a

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break . Just correct . You have a

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signal and we'll take a break . The

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they have the President's budget

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request before I said I wanted the

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whole committee , all the republicans ,

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democrats uh to hear it and Senator

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Shelby and I of course , work closely

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together on this . The budget request

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total 715 billion For the Department of

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Defense . It's a 1.6% increase over Fy

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2021 has important investments to deter

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adversaries , support for military and

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civilian personnel and their families

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fund to combat the ongoing pandemic and

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prepare for future public health

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challenges , important investments to

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mitigate the national security impacts

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of climate change . It reflects the

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approach that we all understand me true .

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The United States defense budget ,

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while an important component , it is

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just one component of the overall

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strength of our nation .

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We may divide domestic and defense

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spending on paper , but the reality is

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the investments we make in our defense

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posture and our strategy payments ,

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dividends domestically . It's also true

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that without domestic investments in

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education and health care , research ,

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economic development in science , we

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cannot train and equip

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a successful defense . So I look

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forward to here in greater detail how

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the administration's request in the

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Strategies Support three stores .

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United States commitment to our allies

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to enhancing our need , our partnership

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and for all the discussion

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about deterring china and Russia . And

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these are important discussions . It's

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also important to remember the United

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States has always been most successful

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and best protected when it works with

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many other nations because that makes

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us a global leader . Yeah . Some

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and said President biden proposed

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increase for the department Defense .

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There's too little others say is too

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much . Uh It's simply not true .

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President biden doesn't propose to cut

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defense spending . He proposes a 1.6%

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increase On top of that increase . The

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property defense will have access to 12

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billion an additional dollars to

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dedicate to other priorities as a

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result of leaving Afghanistan . So I

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think it's fair . But in

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order to be able to begin our work

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drafting bills including for the

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Defense Department , the committee has

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to have agreed upon top lines . I've

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urged that Congress should begin

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bipartisan and bicameral discussions

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with the White House to establish

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agreed upon top line soon so we can

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begin our work in short heart for too

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long . Congress is divine spending in

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terms of defense and non defense . It's

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time we start to look at the totality

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of our investments in the american

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people . That's what the appropriations

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committee is charged to do , allocate

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pressures federal dollars to the

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greatest needs of today . Time's wasted .

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We've got to get to work . I want to

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turn first Vice chairman shall be for

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his opening statement . But then to

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Senator Tester , who is the new

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chairman of the Defense on Committee

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and it's probably as well equipped as

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anybody be there . Senator Shelby ,

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thank you . Mr . Chairman . I too want

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to welcome Secretary Austin and general

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really back to this uh committee . The

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world is complex , is a complex and

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dangerous place and we all know that uh

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you understand the magnitude of the

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challenges that we face from our year

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peer adversaries who seek to undermine

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the U . S . S . Position as a world

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leader and dominant military power .

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China and Russia are formidable

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adversaries and china Mr . Secretary is

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proven to be a true pacing threat .

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China seeks hegemony militarily

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technologically economically and

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geopolitically and is making

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unprecedented investments to see see

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that to fruition . Meanwhile ,

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Russia is nearing the end of a massive

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military modernization program . The

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Saudi's defense spending increased 30%

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in real dollars over the last 10 years .

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The national Defense strategy provides

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a roadmap for what the Department of

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Defense needs at a minimum . To meet

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the challenges posed by reemergence of

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long term strategic competition with

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china and Russia anything less

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jeopardizes redness the

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recapitalization of capital assets and

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necessary investments in new and

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emerging technologies . Yet the budget

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that we're discussing today does just

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that proposing what is effectively a

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cut in defense spending for

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20-2022 . I

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believe that's the plan that I cannot

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get behind and it's not a plan that

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sends the right message , I believe ,

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to our adversaries or to our men and

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women in uniform who are asked to make

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the ultimate sacrifice . In years past ,

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we made the investments necessary to

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ensure that we have the best trained ,

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best prepared , best equipped fighting

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force in the world . But this year ,

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the budget proposal by this

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administration signals to the world

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that the administration is not

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committed to investing in redness

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training , say , the art equipment and

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technological overmatch with military

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investments in china and Russia

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continuing to outpace U . S .

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Investments . I find it hard to believe

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that the requirements outlined by

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General Dunford just four years ago are

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no longer instructive . If anything , I

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believe it's likely increased

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competition with china requires a whole

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of government investments . We saw last

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week that the Senate made some

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investments on the non defense side and

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we must ensure investments in our

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military justice robust . I look

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forward to today's hearing from each of

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you about the budget proposal and in

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particular how you plan to keep pace .

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Are we how we keep pace and kind of the

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threats from Russia and china while

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simultaneously cutting investments in

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defense . Thank you . Mr Chairman . Uh

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huh . Mhm . Close , thank you .

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Chairman Leahy and Senator Shelby for

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calling this hearing . Uh I want to

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welcome our guests . Thanks for being

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here . I know Secretary Austin , This

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is your first appearance before the

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full Senate appropriations committee .

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Welcome General Milley . You've

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appeared before defense subcommittee

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several times . Welcome back uh as our

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adversaries continue to invest in new

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capabilities , the United States is

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decisive . Military advantages is not

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assured today . I'm interested in

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hearing more about how the department's

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emphasis on innovation and media . The

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challenge from our top adversaries ,

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including china and Russia , has

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directly impacted this defense spending

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proposal . Well , we're likely to hear

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a lot of debate debate today on what

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the total defense budget ought to be .

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It is not up to our witnesses to figure

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that out . Where Secretary Austin and

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General Mill , you can be helpful for

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this committee is with the question of

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whether we're getting the best bang for

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the taxpayer buck and my brief time is

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the chairman of the defense

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appropriations . I've seen troubling

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signs that this is not the case . This

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matter . This matters because the

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issues we deal with on the

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appropriations committee are not about

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pinching pennies or reviewing

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accounting procedures , it's about

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getting our troops what they need to do

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their jobs at the right time , at the

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right cost so that they can be

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successful to that end . It will also

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be important for us to understand the

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financial impacts of the

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administration's decision to retrograde

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from Afghanistan , both with respect to

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reductions in spending for in country

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activities in Afghanistan , as well as

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cost increases for over the horizon

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support . And finally , we hope to dig

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in on your team's implementation of the

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department wide priorities such as

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increasing the duties , climate

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resiliency , modernizing the nuclear

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triad and what it means to divest from

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legacy capabilities , particularly when

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these divestments can have real impacts

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on our warfighting . Once again , I

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want to thank the witnesses for their

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testimony today and I look forward to

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hearing from each of them . Thank you .

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And we tried to follow the office of

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attending physicians guidelines on the

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distance here . If anybody is not fully

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vaccinated , they are required to wear

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a mask . five minute rounds with

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uh , after Senator Shelby and

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I hours senators will go back and forth

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will be recognize the order of

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seniority . Somebody misses the turn

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and we joined up putting back in line .

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Um , This is

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Secretary Austin's first time for

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appearing here before this committee

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and I have already told him earlier

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this week . I appreciate that the

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remark Millie has appeared before this

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committee in the past , but I believe

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General this is your first time as

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chairman of the Joint Chiefs and

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like the rest of us who uh , support

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you in that position . So um

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Secretary Austin , please feel free to

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go ahead sir . Thank you sir , Jeremy ,

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Lady Vice Chairman Shelby . Chairman

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tester . Distinguished members of this

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committee . Thank you For the

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opportunity to testify today about the

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president's budget request for fiscal

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year 2022 . I'm pleased to appear

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alongside General Milley , whose

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counsel has been crucial to us as we

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developed our budget and as we continue

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to defend this nation which of course

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is our top priority . Let me say at the

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outset that I believe our budget

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requests will help us to match

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resources to strategy and strategy ,

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strategy to policy and policy to the

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will of the american people . This

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budget is informed by the president's

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interim national security guidance and

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my own message to the force . We

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believe that it funds the right mix of

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capabilities that we need most to

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defend this nation now and in the

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future it invests in hypersonic weapons

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and artificial intelligence , micro

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electronics , five G . Technology ,

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space based systems , shipbuilding and

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nuclear modernization . To name a few .

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In fact , This budget asked you to

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approve nearly $28 billion dollars to

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modernize our nuclear triad And $112

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billion dollars for research ,

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development , testing and evaluation .

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The largest R . And D . Request ever

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put forth by this department . Our

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request also gives us the flexibility

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to divest ourselves of systems and

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platforms that no longer meet our needs

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including older ships , aircraft and is

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our platforms the demand more

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maintenance upkeep and risk than we can

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afford . The department must be ready

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to keep pace with our competitors and

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if necessary to fight and win the next

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war And not the last one . That's

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why we've commissioned a global posture

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review in the new National Defense

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strategy which will further inform and

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guide our resource decision . And this

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budget reflects our focus on the pacing

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challenge that we clearly see from the

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People's Republic of china To include

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more than $5 billion Pacific Deterrence

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Initiative and diode investments more

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broadly . Last week our china task

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force completed its work and I issued

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an internal directive kicking off

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department wide efforts that will ,

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among other things , help bolster our

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deterrence against the PRC and

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revitalize our network of regional

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allies and partners and accelerate the

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development of cutting edge

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capabilities in new operational

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concepts . However , China is not our

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only challenge . Our budget also invest

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$617 million dollars to counter the

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damaging effects of climate change . An

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additional funds to prepare for future

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challenges like another pandemic . It

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helps us counter belligerence from

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Russia , especially in the cyber realm

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And you'll see more than $10 billion

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dollars devoted to cybersecurity ,

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cyber cyberspace operations and cyber

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research and development . And with its

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emphasis on space and missile defense

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and more sophisticated sensors . Our

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budget will also help us counter the

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increasing ballistic missile

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capabilities of nations like Iran and

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North Korea . It funds the troop

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presence and counterterrorism

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capabilities in the Middle East and

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South Asia and to meet the threats

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posed by not not only by Iran but also

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by terrorist networks like IsIS and Al

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Qaeda and in Africa like those polls by

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Al Shabaab . And it helps us maintain

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the integrated deterrent capability and

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global posture necessary to back up the

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hard work of our diplomats , our allies

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and partners . Now I know that

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Afghanistan remains at the top of all

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our minds and I can report that the

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retrograde remains on pace . We had a

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chance this week to update our NATO

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allies in brussels and I was encouraged

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by their continued support for the new

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direction that we're taking . We've

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accomplished the mission for which our

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troops were sent to Afghanistan 20

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years ago and I'm very proud of the

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brave men and women who made it

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possible and those who gave their lives

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for that mission . I'm also deeply

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grateful to the families of our service

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members who have endured so much as

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they sent their sons and daughters and

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husbands and wives into battle . We

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will now transition to a new bilateral

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relationship with our Afghan partners ,

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one that helps them meet their

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responsibilities to their citizens ,

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but one that will not require a U . S .

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Footprint larger than what's necessary

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to protect our diplomats . And that's

15:45.190 --> 15:47.190
one reason why we're asking to move

15:47.190 --> 15:49.079
overseas , contingency operations

15:49.079 --> 15:52.440
funding inside the budget . This will

15:52.440 --> 15:54.270
add greater transparency ,

15:54.350 --> 15:56.510
accountability and predictability to

15:56.510 --> 15:59.380
the budgeting process and frankly it's

15:59.380 --> 16:02.310
overdue . Now this budget also takes

16:02.310 --> 16:04.450
care of our people . It increases

16:04.450 --> 16:06.540
funding to support in home care and

16:06.540 --> 16:09.090
support , which has become increasingly

16:09.090 --> 16:11.840
important during the pandemic . We also

16:11.840 --> 16:14.500
seek to improve military base pain and

16:14.500 --> 16:16.920
retention bonuses and other incentives

16:16.920 --> 16:19.470
that will help help us attract and

16:19.470 --> 16:22.260
retain the best talent and we will be

16:22.260 --> 16:24.427
working hard to combat challenges that

16:24.427 --> 16:26.550
make service in the ranks more

16:26.550 --> 16:28.717
difficult for all the men and women of

16:28.717 --> 16:30.772
the department from getting a better

16:30.772 --> 16:32.606
handle on the extent to which we

16:32.606 --> 16:34.680
experienced extremist behavior to

16:34.680 --> 16:37.260
combating sexual assault and harassment .

16:38.640 --> 16:40.807
We know we have a lot of work to do in

16:40.807 --> 16:42.973
this regard and we're ready to do it .

16:43.440 --> 16:45.960
Chairman Leahy members of the committee .

16:46.640 --> 16:48.807
We feel the greatest military in human

16:48.807 --> 16:51.100
history , made up of the finest men and

16:51.100 --> 16:53.211
women who have ever done the cloth of

16:53.211 --> 16:55.740
their nation . We also enjoy a civilian

16:55.740 --> 16:57.740
workforce force deeply committed to

16:57.740 --> 17:01.060
every mission that we take on and no

17:01.060 --> 17:03.227
adversary can match the quality of our

17:03.227 --> 17:05.610
people . I am immensely , immensely

17:05.610 --> 17:07.666
proud and humbled to serve with them

17:07.666 --> 17:09.666
again And I can assure you that the

17:09.666 --> 17:11.777
president's budget request for fiscal

17:11.777 --> 17:15.170
year 2020 2022 fulfills our

17:15.170 --> 17:17.660
obligations to them and their families .

17:18.140 --> 17:20.307
I thank you for your steadfast support

17:20.307 --> 17:22.473
of the department and for all that you

17:22.473 --> 17:24.620
do to ensure that we remain ready to

17:24.620 --> 17:26.842
defend this nation . And I look forward

17:26.842 --> 17:29.176
to answering your questions . Thank you .

17:29.640 --> 17:31.910
Thank you very much . And General

17:31.910 --> 17:32.910
Milley .

17:35.940 --> 17:39.670
No . Yeah .

17:42.740 --> 17:45.260
Mhm . Oh

17:46.740 --> 17:49.650
Marine Sergeant important

17:51.240 --> 17:54.460
you are our group . So that way

17:55.640 --> 17:58.450
right . More anywhere .

18:01.540 --> 18:02.540
Mhm .

18:09.540 --> 18:12.770
No . And why is that

18:13.540 --> 18:15.660
we're going for ? You are

18:17.540 --> 18:19.160
all right there

18:22.140 --> 18:25.740
ground load . We're

18:25.740 --> 18:28.500
also fully engaged at home . Both

18:28.500 --> 18:31.310
defendants towards simple story Go to

18:31.310 --> 18:34.900
19 medical vaccinations work while the

18:34.910 --> 18:37.770
Homeland . In fact the americans say

18:38.540 --> 18:40.707
we're trying to make their enterprises

18:40.707 --> 18:43.670
in europe monitoring the DND and career .

18:44.000 --> 18:45.889
There have not been drinking game

18:45.889 --> 18:49.790
cooperation . The Secret four Way

18:50.140 --> 18:53.510
Low Time . We're staying . Operations

18:53.510 --> 18:56.660
and faith I'm afraid . We are

18:56.670 --> 18:58.726
supporting our allies and partners .

18:59.040 --> 19:02.460
The after the America we're golden died .

19:03.040 --> 19:06.460
All right . More

19:07.240 --> 19:09.500
apparently back to being insane . It's

19:09.510 --> 19:13.170
probable . Remember comedian revelry .

19:13.540 --> 19:16.690
All right . Mhm . And good or all

19:16.700 --> 19:20.070
during the meeting . More . Yeah . Very

19:20.080 --> 19:23.130
well , firms in the United States are

19:23.130 --> 19:26.670
very man

19:27.040 --> 19:29.096
constitution of the United States of

19:29.096 --> 19:32.890
America . Bye morning with

19:32.890 --> 19:36.490
that . Do keep that that

19:36.500 --> 19:39.670
one very quietly in our before

19:40.240 --> 19:43.460
your car engine . He's after .

19:44.040 --> 19:46.650
Right . Yeah .

19:48.740 --> 19:51.660
In your americans are tired of war .

19:52.240 --> 19:55.750
Had a very five miles . The United

19:55.750 --> 19:58.270
States military is a critical component ,

19:58.640 --> 20:02.160
man . How constable and

20:02.160 --> 20:04.800
dramatic . You know , I mean the whole

20:04.800 --> 20:08.450
white hope . All right . That was a

20:08.450 --> 20:11.910
combination for a register nerve

20:11.910 --> 20:15.320
remark . You're an error . The

20:15.330 --> 20:17.550
increase in median property ,

20:18.740 --> 20:21.620
continuity , friendly witnessing

20:21.630 --> 20:25.600
graphic pain . Yeah , injuries .

20:25.610 --> 20:27.960
Practice these instability . Merit

20:27.960 --> 20:30.750
rations and engaged in the world is

20:30.760 --> 20:34.740
increasing , not decreasing state and

20:34.740 --> 20:38.230
non state actors . Around 3.7

20:38.230 --> 20:41.950
11 we are very good to a fundamental

20:41.950 --> 20:45.750
change in the character of war . A

20:45.760 --> 20:49.240
ridiculous right decrease . He told you

20:49.240 --> 20:51.670
everything really very serious ,

20:52.140 --> 20:55.170
staying hydrated . We must ensure that

20:55.230 --> 20:58.840
we fail . Yes , the

20:58.850 --> 21:01.670
patient fresh secondly , honest and

21:01.670 --> 21:04.460
dragged us to do brilliant

21:04.470 --> 21:07.850
modernization . We found that our party

21:08.440 --> 21:11.980
a terrible war in many magazines and

21:11.980 --> 21:14.160
equally important , combat home

21:14.160 --> 21:17.570
requires teamwork reasons as well as in

21:18.340 --> 21:20.450
you want to call to get through a

21:20.460 --> 21:22.640
sexual assault in the front of the

21:22.640 --> 21:26.570
issue of training . Focus on the road

21:26.980 --> 21:30.980
again what means big of and they

21:30.980 --> 21:34.430
destroy believe they destroyed the work

21:34.450 --> 21:37.780
and there is not back out again .

21:38.290 --> 21:40.530
You must leave room as and leave the

21:40.530 --> 21:44.130
development now and wired leader . Very

21:44.130 --> 21:47.860
environment violence must need a

21:47.860 --> 21:50.620
nervous saying . Each getting sort of

21:50.620 --> 21:53.540
our brains with our network with many

21:53.540 --> 21:55.940
close allies department around the

21:55.940 --> 21:58.860
world during the first three games .

21:58.870 --> 22:00.814
Work and relax for a minute or two

22:01.240 --> 22:03.240
ensure that we have the resources .

22:03.240 --> 22:06.060
Being strange with Manafort is going to

22:06.060 --> 22:09.830
be ready . Today's money Polack . No ,

22:09.830 --> 22:13.660
no repeated considering our boots , the

22:13.660 --> 22:16.770
ruling . Grand . Hopefully it's good

22:17.500 --> 22:20.250
going forward to deliver modernization

22:20.260 --> 22:23.770
or awkward . Very little world .

22:24.540 --> 22:27.730
The everybody's invited where $7.15

22:27.740 --> 22:30.770
million dollars man

22:31.440 --> 22:34.430
friends of the american people . We

22:34.430 --> 22:36.560
know that in front of the world will

22:36.560 --> 22:39.960
work building there is a bedroom past

22:39.960 --> 22:43.280
the threat on a Yes . Why 22

22:43.280 --> 22:46.450
presidential wasn't as a result very

22:46.460 --> 22:49.780
hard with the year with today

22:51.740 --> 22:54.910
reported I think the lions that

22:54.910 --> 22:57.132
mathematics is very competed to kind of

22:57.540 --> 23:00.670
This bicycle livers ready agile and

23:00.670 --> 23:04.630
capable . 24th yellow beet sugar win

23:04.640 --> 23:07.510
across all the main anywhere on the

23:07.520 --> 23:10.670
globe . We are hot . Do you

23:12.640 --> 23:14.770
just watching her arthur the

23:14.780 --> 23:17.490
reorganization laundering fire

23:17.540 --> 23:20.160
hydroponic technology , artificial

23:20.160 --> 23:23.140
intelligence just building fiber left

23:23.140 --> 23:26.130
on space fiber quietly .

23:26.940 --> 23:28.930
These are the constable recently

23:28.930 --> 23:32.460
involved 24 by any conversation table a

23:32.680 --> 23:36.170
refined for when an economy

23:37.440 --> 23:40.190
Meeting went to that one . Well the

23:40.200 --> 23:43.550
reason read before found in my

23:43.550 --> 23:46.560
apartment During our people . Our

23:46.570 --> 23:50.460
number one bird James is people

23:51.340 --> 23:54.680
decision for april wife or on the movie .

23:55.240 --> 23:58.000
Credit this pain in the back . How

23:58.000 --> 24:01.640
about this for that . This

24:02.440 --> 24:06.000
find a way incredibly important . Yes .

24:06.000 --> 24:08.970
quite 22 President ready to work for

24:08.970 --> 24:11.360
your town . He served in the restaurant

24:12.040 --> 24:14.630
the modern day . The dominant ,

24:16.940 --> 24:19.460
the bias with the fever operating line .

24:20.340 --> 24:23.490
No . So we must set ourselves on a path

24:23.640 --> 24:26.050
to modernize drink . four in this

24:26.050 --> 24:28.670
budget contributed . Doing better pack

24:29.840 --> 24:32.510
many of the burden from china ,

24:32.510 --> 24:34.399
president of the United States of

24:34.399 --> 24:36.760
America . There are you . We are right

24:36.760 --> 24:40.410
now . Hold her name in Indonesia . Any

24:40.410 --> 24:44.090
adversary of United ? Yeah . Although

24:44.090 --> 24:47.260
there you can believe fill our will .

24:47.840 --> 24:51.580
Huh ? Our job . We're running for our

24:51.590 --> 24:55.260
final apparently the United States of

24:55.740 --> 24:59.140
The five men involved who was awarded

24:59.140 --> 25:01.770
the constitution . Always on the ground .

25:02.010 --> 25:05.460
Now look forward question . Thank you

25:05.460 --> 25:09.410
both very much . Secretary Austin on

25:09.410 --> 25:13.400
monday you and Secretary Blinken

25:13.400 --> 25:16.250
joined the president at the NATO summit

25:16.260 --> 25:18.204
where he called the north atlantic

25:18.204 --> 25:20.390
treaty of Sacred obligation of mutual

25:20.390 --> 25:23.150
defense . And we've discussed that

25:23.150 --> 25:26.130
meeting , I've said before and past

25:26.130 --> 25:29.200
secretaries the defensive both parties

25:29.210 --> 25:31.670
administrations have agreed with me .

25:32.240 --> 25:34.490
They're our nation's defense is

25:34.490 --> 25:37.000
strongest when we invest not only in

25:37.000 --> 25:39.710
our military but in our people and the

25:39.710 --> 25:41.530
best of priorities that are the

25:41.530 --> 25:45.130
hallmark of this democracy . Department

25:45.130 --> 25:47.074
of Defense is part of a network of

25:47.074 --> 25:48.797
federal agencies including the

25:48.797 --> 25:50.797
Department of State , Department of

25:50.797 --> 25:53.100
Homeland Security , Treasury , Commerce

25:53.110 --> 25:56.470
Agriculture More than that seek to

25:56.470 --> 26:00.140
secure our nation promote our national

26:00.170 --> 26:03.920
Defense Secretary Austin . Do you

26:03.920 --> 26:07.170
agree that our investments in education ,

26:07.840 --> 26:11.200
medical research , nutrition , economic

26:11.200 --> 26:13.850
development , agriculture , environment

26:14.940 --> 26:17.730
and all these do enhance our national

26:17.730 --> 26:20.670
security support our nations to

26:21.340 --> 26:22.770
Defense Strategy

26:25.140 --> 26:27.910
Chairman . I do . I think that one of

26:27.910 --> 26:30.021
the things that has occurred over the

26:30.021 --> 26:33.270
years is that we've we've fallen

26:33.270 --> 26:37.030
behind our ability to produce , you

26:37.030 --> 26:39.197
know , enough scientists and engineers

26:39.197 --> 26:41.460
to be able to create the kinds of

26:41.840 --> 26:44.560
technology that we need going forward .

26:44.560 --> 26:47.700
So our goal is to make sure that , you

26:47.700 --> 26:51.430
know , we begin to re

26:51.430 --> 26:53.710
sure a lot of the things that we've

26:53.720 --> 26:56.810
exported to overseas capabilities in

26:56.810 --> 26:58.366
the past and we'll need the

26:58.366 --> 27:00.740
technological base to be able to do

27:00.740 --> 27:03.073
that going forward . So I absolutely do .

27:03.073 --> 27:05.351
Senator Chairman , thank you very much .

27:05.351 --> 27:09.060
And as a result of the Press , it

27:09.060 --> 27:12.630
ended assault on January six of the

27:12.640 --> 27:16.030
capital of the National Guard , spent

27:16.040 --> 27:17.762
nearly five months assigned to

27:17.762 --> 27:20.870
protection duties at the capitol Guide

27:20.870 --> 27:23.750
members from all over the country . The

27:23.750 --> 27:25.861
cost for that deployment is estimated

27:25.861 --> 27:29.660
to be over $500 million . I know you

27:29.660 --> 27:32.260
were told the Guard would right baby

27:32.640 --> 27:36.100
reimbursed for these costs . Senator

27:36.100 --> 27:37.933
Shelby and I are responsible for

27:37.933 --> 27:40.370
drafting a Senate alternative . The

27:40.370 --> 27:43.340
House passed security supplemental . We

27:43.340 --> 27:45.770
have other urgent needs to overtime

27:46.440 --> 27:49.040
hazard pay , mental health services for

27:49.040 --> 27:51.207
our capitol police . All these must be

27:51.207 --> 27:54.320
met . My question for you is just what

27:54.320 --> 27:57.610
happens if congress does not pass the

27:57.610 --> 27:59.443
supplemental appropriations bill

27:59.443 --> 28:03.200
reimbursing the National Guard for

28:03.200 --> 28:05.360
these cars before the Senate House

28:06.040 --> 28:08.151
choir of session in august what's the

28:08.151 --> 28:10.096
impact of the men and women in the

28:10.096 --> 28:12.310
guard ? Well , the short answer

28:12.310 --> 28:14.800
chairman is that it will impact their

28:14.800 --> 28:17.780
ability in the short in the near term

28:17.790 --> 28:19.840
to be able to train and adequately

28:19.840 --> 28:22.860
prepare the Guard for for its future

28:22.870 --> 28:26.040
for its current responsibilities . I

28:26.050 --> 28:28.050
would just like to say , well , I'm

28:28.050 --> 28:30.106
answering this question , Chairman .

28:30.106 --> 28:32.272
That , you know , I'm absolutely proud

28:32.272 --> 28:34.383
of the work that our Guard has done .

28:34.383 --> 28:36.494
And you mentioned the tremendous work

28:36.494 --> 28:38.606
that they did in the in the capital ,

28:38.606 --> 28:41.420
but they've also around the country ,

28:41.420 --> 28:44.660
been very instrumental in helping to uh

28:45.040 --> 28:47.550
helping us to get shots out into

28:47.550 --> 28:49.980
people's arms during the vaccination

28:49.990 --> 28:52.700
effort . Uh They've they've answered

28:52.700 --> 28:56.610
the call uh to fight fires and uh and

28:56.620 --> 29:00.410
other disasters . Uh and so uh

29:00.420 --> 29:03.940
they've been very busy and we need to

29:03.950 --> 29:06.350
make sure that we have the resources

29:06.540 --> 29:08.780
required to ensure that we can continue

29:08.780 --> 29:12.410
to train and equip the garden . I

29:12.420 --> 29:14.420
agree I've seen there . But they've

29:14.420 --> 29:17.410
done in that uh natural disasters in my

29:17.410 --> 29:20.060
own state of Vermont but they also in

29:20.060 --> 29:22.790
other states around the country , in

29:22.800 --> 29:25.790
general Milley , there have been calls

29:25.790 --> 29:27.957
to expand the defense budget . We face

29:27.957 --> 29:31.300
a dire outcome . But you said it's not

29:31.300 --> 29:33.810
simply about numbers , it's about

29:33.810 --> 29:36.520
having the discipline and the certainty

29:36.520 --> 29:38.576
to spend the money you have wisely .

29:39.440 --> 29:41.590
What are some of the consequences the

29:41.590 --> 29:44.630
department defense faces And by

29:44.630 --> 29:46.852
extension , of course the men and women

29:46.852 --> 29:49.510
in uniform , their families . If we

29:49.510 --> 29:52.510
just simply put it on autopilot with a

29:52.510 --> 29:55.210
continuing resolution and stop gap

29:55.220 --> 29:58.670
funding . Mhm .

30:00.640 --> 30:04.040
Go to continue . Resolute . Yeah .

30:04.940 --> 30:08.160
Yes . Mhm . Play contract .

30:09.840 --> 30:12.930
Yeah . 20 years to build . Yeah .

30:14.540 --> 30:18.220
Also exactly training of the

30:18.220 --> 30:22.080
unit the drill . Don't

30:22.080 --> 30:25.030
mind that . Yeah . Continuing

30:25.030 --> 30:27.740
resolution . Not good . Of course ,

30:27.740 --> 30:29.790
back . No , my

30:31.740 --> 30:35.280
it's very you are great lean on

30:35.280 --> 30:37.224
that . If you get all the National

30:37.224 --> 30:39.660
Guard all the world . We haven't

30:39.660 --> 30:43.080
committed for these measures tremendous

30:43.640 --> 30:45.807
investment . They gave the part of the

30:45.807 --> 30:48.029
national park . They're an army over 50

30:48.240 --> 30:51.930
United States . So we don't get 500

30:51.930 --> 30:55.670
million moment or part of that

30:56.580 --> 30:58.913
different negative impact their ability .

30:59.040 --> 31:02.940
Thank you . And uh huh

31:04.540 --> 31:08.230
That's true . Mm Yes .

31:09.040 --> 31:12.560
Uh Secretary Austin , we have

31:13.640 --> 31:17.290
one thing we have in

31:17.290 --> 31:19.720
Vermont , we have semiconductor fab .

31:19.720 --> 31:21.776
This part of the trusted boundary as

31:21.776 --> 31:24.400
many other states , We just passed a

31:24.400 --> 31:26.456
bill that includes 54 billion to the

31:26.456 --> 31:29.010
commerce department for such a

31:29.020 --> 31:32.130
commercial Fabs to revitalized and

31:32.130 --> 31:35.760
bring us up to date and micro

31:35.760 --> 31:39.120
electronics . But I asked how is

31:39.120 --> 31:42.850
the department um

31:43.240 --> 31:46.910
investing in such microelectronic

31:46.920 --> 31:50.640
technology ? Because we're we're

31:50.640 --> 31:54.160
going on more and more are

31:54.840 --> 31:56.270
the networks and

31:58.540 --> 32:02.170
and we know that other countries uh

32:02.840 --> 32:05.420
accelerating their use of such things

32:05.420 --> 32:08.630
and I apologize to Senator Shelby for

32:08.640 --> 32:10.870
going over my time . But if you could

32:10.870 --> 32:12.203
respond to that , sir ,

32:14.740 --> 32:17.670
thank you . Chairman . As you've seen ,

32:17.670 --> 32:20.840
there's uh there's $2.3 billion dollars

32:20.840 --> 32:24.560
in this budget for micro electronics .

32:24.560 --> 32:27.080
And that Department of Defense is

32:27.080 --> 32:29.191
participating as a part of a whole of

32:29.191 --> 32:32.200
government effort to ensure that we

32:32.200 --> 32:35.700
begin to boost domestic production of

32:35.710 --> 32:38.890
key electronic elements that we know

32:38.890 --> 32:41.112
that we'll need going into the future .

32:48.240 --> 32:50.710
Um Senator Shelby that we need to pause

32:50.710 --> 32:53.190
by minister fix uh couple of

32:53.190 --> 32:55.580
microphones . Is that okay with you or

32:55.580 --> 32:58.170
would you rather take your time first ?

32:59.240 --> 33:01.073
Why don't you go ahead with your

33:01.073 --> 33:03.690
question 1st ? It will pause . Yeah ,

33:03.700 --> 33:05.756
it will pass for five minutes to fix

33:05.756 --> 33:09.460
the microphone and I have no idea how

33:09.460 --> 33:11.516
you do that . Leave that to somebody

33:11.516 --> 33:13.950
much higher . Great , thank you .

33:19.040 --> 33:22.370
Maybe I'd ask uh Chairman Billy , is it

33:22.370 --> 33:25.540
working now ? Yeah .

33:26.240 --> 33:29.370
Yeah . But Oh

33:29.800 --> 33:32.990
okay . Is it working ? It's working ,

33:33.000 --> 33:35.278
Sarah , Shall we go ahead , sir ? Born .

33:35.940 --> 33:37.940
Thank you . Mr Chairman . I believe

33:37.940 --> 33:40.273
he's mike's working general . Thank you .

33:40.273 --> 33:43.090
Um The department stated that it is

33:43.090 --> 33:45.530
prioritizing . China is our number one

33:45.530 --> 33:49.170
pacing challenge . I pose this

33:49.170 --> 33:51.114
question of the Secretary into you

33:51.114 --> 33:53.290
general . How does this year's flat

33:53.290 --> 33:56.700
defense budget adequately reflect that

33:56.700 --> 33:59.550
prioritization ? What specific

33:59.550 --> 34:01.850
investments are we making to counter

34:01.850 --> 34:04.330
China's increasing military

34:04.330 --> 34:06.660
capabilities ? And assuming it

34:06.660 --> 34:09.960
appropriately prioritizes uh China ,

34:09.970 --> 34:12.320
what are we ignoring ? Because we can't

34:12.320 --> 34:14.760
do everything with a flat budget . And

34:15.140 --> 34:17.362
I know some of the stuff you can't talk

34:17.362 --> 34:20.240
about in this hearing today , but tell

34:20.240 --> 34:23.860
us what's your prioritizing and why

34:25.340 --> 34:27.870
if you are , Thank you . Vice Chairman .

34:27.880 --> 34:31.030
Um uh China is in fact are facing

34:31.030 --> 34:33.610
challenge and it is my priority focus .

34:34.040 --> 34:37.180
You've seen that through uh quite

34:37.180 --> 34:39.780
frankly , our actions . My first

34:39.780 --> 34:41.960
overseas trip along with Secretary

34:41.960 --> 34:44.810
Blinken , was over to the indo pacific

34:44.810 --> 34:48.740
region . Uh we uh you

34:48.740 --> 34:51.220
saw me stand up to china task force

34:51.230 --> 34:54.080
that has helped to focus the efforts of

34:54.080 --> 34:57.670
the department on making sure that uh

34:57.940 --> 34:59.996
that we're doing the right things to

34:59.996 --> 35:02.260
create the capabilities and develop the

35:02.340 --> 35:04.580
operational concepts that we need to be

35:04.580 --> 35:08.090
successful in terms of specific

35:08.100 --> 35:10.660
issues or capabilities that we're

35:10.660 --> 35:14.270
investing in in this budget . Uh you

35:14.270 --> 35:17.880
see , uh Almost $2021

35:17.880 --> 35:20.050
billion for missile defense and defeat

35:20.540 --> 35:24.400
uh six $.6 billion for long range

35:24.400 --> 35:28.160
fires . $52 billion dollar investment

35:28.170 --> 35:31.420
for lethal air force , Uh $34 billion

35:31.420 --> 35:37.470
$12.3

35:37.470 --> 35:38.470
billion

35:38.470 --> 35:45.830
$28

35:45.830 --> 35:49.050
billion dollars to uh to modernize the

35:49.050 --> 35:51.520
nuclear try it . So I I think when you

35:51.520 --> 35:54.100
consider that you consider the $10.5

35:54.100 --> 35:56.267
billion that we're investing in things

35:56.267 --> 35:58.322
like cyber what we're doing in uh in

35:58.322 --> 35:59.990
space uh to create additional

35:59.990 --> 36:03.390
capabilities . Uh we are investing

36:03.390 --> 36:06.020
quite a bit . Uh We also invested

36:06.030 --> 36:10.020
$5.1 billion for the the Pacific

36:10.020 --> 36:12.730
Defense Initiative . And I think uh I

36:12.730 --> 36:15.270
think the aggregate there really has is

36:15.280 --> 36:18.000
will generate a lot of capability

36:18.010 --> 36:20.750
that's that's focused on china

36:22.030 --> 36:23.974
senator . Could I make a comment ?

36:24.260 --> 36:27.400
That's okay . Um This budget

36:27.400 --> 36:30.100
biases future modernization . You

36:30.100 --> 36:32.378
always have to do future modernization ,

36:32.378 --> 36:34.211
which is another word for future

36:34.211 --> 36:36.267
readiness and current operations and

36:36.267 --> 36:38.322
current readiness . There's always a

36:38.322 --> 36:40.280
balance previous budgets biased ,

36:40.290 --> 36:43.160
biased , the present . This budget

36:43.170 --> 36:45.550
starts leaning into the future and it's

36:45.550 --> 36:48.580
now that we need to pivot because the

36:48.580 --> 36:50.691
future , believe it or not , is going

36:50.691 --> 36:52.858
to get there someday . And about 10 or

36:52.858 --> 36:55.080
15 years from now we will be in a world

36:55.080 --> 36:57.136
of hurt in the National Security Geo

36:57.136 --> 36:59.358
Strategic World unless we invest in the

36:59.358 --> 37:01.302
modernization of the United States

37:01.302 --> 37:03.302
military . This budget specifically

37:03.302 --> 37:05.870
starts doing that in very explicit ways .

37:05.880 --> 37:07.824
With explicit programs such as the

37:07.824 --> 37:11.190
Secretary just outlined . We are in the

37:11.190 --> 37:13.301
midst of a change in the character of

37:13.301 --> 37:15.301
war . Perhaps the biggest change in

37:15.301 --> 37:17.468
over 100 years and we are investing in

37:17.468 --> 37:20.130
hypersonic robotic five G micro

37:20.130 --> 37:21.741
electronics and all kinds of

37:21.741 --> 37:23.852
investments in this . And this is the

37:23.852 --> 37:25.852
beginning of a pivot to a future US

37:25.852 --> 37:28.019
military that will be able to maintain

37:28.019 --> 37:30.130
its overmatch in some future conflict

37:30.130 --> 37:32.130
against for example , pacing threat

37:32.130 --> 37:34.130
like china , the secretary . Do you

37:34.130 --> 37:36.130
believe that we're investing enough

37:36.130 --> 37:38.130
money or in your budget or proposed

37:38.130 --> 37:41.800
budget that far ? Hypersonic

37:41.810 --> 37:44.530
weapons and also for the few quantum

37:44.530 --> 37:46.980
computing . Both are very important for

37:46.980 --> 37:49.202
the future . It's general , just hope .

37:49.202 --> 37:51.258
I think these are . Thank you . Vice

37:51.258 --> 37:53.410
Chairman . I think these are both

37:53.420 --> 37:56.300
critical capabilities that will need

37:56.310 --> 37:59.100
going forward in terms of hypersonic ,

37:59.110 --> 38:00.777
we not only need an offensive

38:00.777 --> 38:02.943
capability but we also need to be able

38:02.943 --> 38:04.777
to defend ourselves against uh ,

38:04.777 --> 38:07.780
hypersonic capable capability generated

38:07.780 --> 38:11.770
by china or Russia . Uh and I think

38:11.770 --> 38:14.680
this budget Vice chairman gives us the

38:14.690 --> 38:16.801
flexibility to go after the right mix

38:16.801 --> 38:18.857
of capabilities that will need to be

38:18.857 --> 38:20.857
not only relevant in the future but

38:20.857 --> 38:23.910
dominant shifting a little bit . Last

38:23.910 --> 38:25.930
month , President biden pledged his

38:25.930 --> 38:28.910
full support quoting to replenish

38:28.920 --> 38:31.690
Israel's iron dome missile defense

38:31.690 --> 38:34.020
system . After significant numbers of

38:34.020 --> 38:36.460
rounds were used to shoot down Hamas

38:36.470 --> 38:38.920
fired rockets . Secretary Austin .

38:38.930 --> 38:41.630
Should we expect this committee expect

38:41.630 --> 38:44.280
to see a request to replenish Israel's

38:44.280 --> 38:46.450
iron Dome , if not why not ?

38:48.320 --> 38:51.660
Uh you will see a request . Uh Vice

38:51.660 --> 38:53.827
Chairman , uh you know , I've had this

38:53.827 --> 38:56.570
conversation with uh Minister Minister

38:56.570 --> 38:58.800
of Defense , Benny Gantz , we were

38:58.800 --> 39:01.630
together about two weeks ago , uh and

39:01.630 --> 39:03.940
he walked through the details of uh you

39:03.940 --> 39:06.150
know what his requirements were , were

39:06.150 --> 39:08.610
working to flesh out those details .

39:08.610 --> 39:11.690
And uh and you will see a request in

39:11.690 --> 39:14.450
the future . Uh Thank you ,

39:16.520 --> 39:19.650
thank you very much , shall be in .

39:20.220 --> 39:23.770
Senator Feinstein , thanks very

39:23.770 --> 39:27.690
much Mr Chairman Secretary Austin

39:27.690 --> 39:30.460
and General Milley , as you mentioned ,

39:30.460 --> 39:32.910
the Department of Defense is focusing

39:32.950 --> 39:35.950
more on the indo pacific and china .

39:36.420 --> 39:39.220
And I think we face as a California and

39:39.220 --> 39:41.900
I think we face a challenging strategic

39:41.900 --> 39:44.490
environment and that the United States

39:44.490 --> 39:47.180
has to be prepared to act in a region

39:47.430 --> 39:49.940
that's much closer in many respects to

39:49.940 --> 39:52.450
china than to the United States .

39:52.820 --> 39:56.530
So we need to be smart , we

39:56.530 --> 40:00.420
need to have conversations and we need

40:00.420 --> 40:04.040
to be strong as well . And one of the

40:04.040 --> 40:07.590
things that has concerned me , I see a

40:07.590 --> 40:10.700
lot in the West about various countries

40:10.710 --> 40:13.730
having military to military meetings ,

40:13.740 --> 40:16.590
uh interaction between

40:16.600 --> 40:20.030
various uh countries .

40:20.410 --> 40:23.530
And I don't see that with respect to us .

40:24.010 --> 40:27.790
What is the policy of this kind of mil

40:27.790 --> 40:30.880
to mil engagement by our Defense

40:30.880 --> 40:34.820
Department ? Thank

40:34.820 --> 40:36.876
you , senator . I will just tell you

40:36.876 --> 40:39.098
that one of the strengths of the United

40:39.098 --> 40:42.840
States of America is that we have a lot

40:42.840 --> 40:45.540
of allies and partners who want to work

40:45.540 --> 40:49.520
with us . Uh and we uh

40:51.210 --> 40:53.321
we will be successful in the future .

40:53.321 --> 40:55.488
And one of the ways that's gonna , one

40:55.488 --> 40:57.654
of the means it's going to create that

40:57.654 --> 40:59.877
success is uh you know , leveraging the

40:59.877 --> 41:02.430
capacity and capability of our allies .

41:02.910 --> 41:06.040
Uh as I pointed out earlier , are my

41:06.040 --> 41:08.800
first trip overseas . Was was out to

41:08.800 --> 41:11.060
the region in the in the pacific region

41:11.060 --> 41:13.520
where I I met with our allies in in

41:13.520 --> 41:17.400
Japan and South Korea uh and uh

41:17.410 --> 41:20.720
and further uh traveled to India to

41:20.720 --> 41:23.250
meet with partner with our partner

41:23.250 --> 41:27.030
there . And uh uh just as

41:27.040 --> 41:29.330
just as recent as

41:31.460 --> 41:34.990
two nights ago , I was on a on

41:34.990 --> 41:38.490
a uh in a conference with Asean nations

41:38.500 --> 41:41.450
uh and uh and exchanging ideas about

41:41.460 --> 41:43.793
about how we could better work together .

41:43.793 --> 41:45.870
What I've done with the china task

41:45.870 --> 41:49.240
force is is focused our efforts a bit

41:49.240 --> 41:51.860
more that in a way that will create

41:51.870 --> 41:54.720
opportunities for us to uh to better

41:54.720 --> 41:57.480
partner with allies and and uh and

41:57.480 --> 42:00.250
partners in the region because I think

42:00.250 --> 42:02.417
that's really , really important . But

42:02.417 --> 42:04.510
to answer your question , we've done

42:04.510 --> 42:07.350
quite a bit , but we will do a lot more

42:07.350 --> 42:09.350
because I think this is very , very

42:09.350 --> 42:12.400
important . Senator could uh please are

42:12.410 --> 42:14.299
are opaque . Um Commander Admiral

42:14.299 --> 42:17.450
Casino uh versus army Navy Air Force

42:17.460 --> 42:19.930
marines to include joint staff . We

42:19.930 --> 42:22.041
interact with our allies and partners

42:22.041 --> 42:24.041
in the pacific on a routine basis .

42:24.041 --> 42:26.041
Yeah , I think your question may be

42:26.041 --> 42:27.708
directed about china , though

42:27.708 --> 42:29.874
specifically china , uh and that is an

42:29.874 --> 42:32.097
issue and we need to improve our mil to

42:32.097 --> 42:35.610
mil relationship with china in order to

42:35.800 --> 42:37.689
will be able to deescalate during

42:37.689 --> 42:39.689
crisis and to understand each other

42:39.689 --> 42:41.300
better . I routinely call my

42:41.300 --> 42:43.411
counterpart , but we are not doing it

42:43.411 --> 42:45.522
at echelon and we need to improve the

42:45.522 --> 42:48.270
speed at which we can communicate . So

42:48.270 --> 42:50.330
it's pushed to talk on up or the

42:50.330 --> 42:52.552
secretary can pick the phone up , We're

42:52.552 --> 42:54.441
working through that . We want to

42:54.441 --> 42:56.552
improve those systems . Uh but you're

42:56.552 --> 42:56.510
hitting a very important point that

42:56.510 --> 42:59.240
will keep us uh and prevent any sort of

42:59.240 --> 43:01.296
great power conflict in the years to

43:01.296 --> 43:03.518
come . Those systems do need to get set

43:03.518 --> 43:06.210
up . General , thank you very much for

43:06.210 --> 43:09.310
that . It's very much appreciated and I

43:09.310 --> 43:12.160
think you're 100% on the right track .

43:12.170 --> 43:16.100
So thank you . Um General Milley

43:16.270 --> 43:18.650
recent reporting claims that at least

43:18.650 --> 43:22.350
1900 U . S . Military firearms were

43:22.350 --> 43:25.820
lost or stolen during the past decade .

43:26.070 --> 43:28.560
They say mostly from the army

43:28.720 --> 43:31.750
explosives have also gone missing . The

43:31.750 --> 43:34.520
reporting also says that the pentagon

43:34.700 --> 43:37.430
has not been transparent about this .

43:37.800 --> 43:40.840
Um , California authorities recently

43:40.840 --> 43:44.090
found a stolen military assault rifle

43:44.090 --> 43:46.910
in Fresno that was stolen eight years

43:46.910 --> 43:50.810
prior from Fort Irwin In 2018 . A

43:50.810 --> 43:53.320
government accountability office report

43:53.410 --> 43:56.430
found shortcomings in securing weapons .

43:56.460 --> 43:58.860
So I would just like to ask you to

43:58.860 --> 44:02.120
briefly outline what is being done

44:02.120 --> 44:04.540
today to see that there there are no

44:04.540 --> 44:07.060
problems like this and that weapons are

44:07.060 --> 44:09.820
well secured . Thanks Senator for the

44:09.820 --> 44:13.380
question . 1st , we the Department of

44:13.380 --> 44:15.630
Defense and I can tell you everyone in

44:15.630 --> 44:17.870
the military were in a uniform from

44:17.870 --> 44:20.037
company commander platoon starting all

44:20.037 --> 44:22.800
the way up to myself . We take the

44:22.800 --> 44:24.810
security of weapons extraordinarily

44:24.820 --> 44:26.900
seriously . We've got an order of

44:26.900 --> 44:29.100
magnitude of about Call it somewhere

44:29.100 --> 44:32.010
around three million or so small arms .

44:32.390 --> 44:34.446
I'm not talking big ticket items and

44:34.446 --> 44:36.668
aircraft carriers have 35 . I'm talking

44:36.668 --> 44:38.668
small arms . What you're mentioning

44:38.668 --> 44:40.890
about rifles , machine guns , pistols ,

44:40.890 --> 44:43.057
rocket launches . The things that were

44:43.057 --> 44:45.168
mentioned in these reports , I'm I've

44:45.168 --> 44:47.279
asked each of the services to go back

44:47.279 --> 44:49.390
and let's get the numbers . Let's get

44:49.390 --> 44:51.446
the reports over to you to make sure

44:51.446 --> 44:53.390
that we can level set as to what's

44:53.390 --> 44:55.279
correct and incorrect . I saw the

44:55.279 --> 44:57.334
reports as well in the media . I was

44:57.334 --> 44:59.334
frankly shocked by the numbers that

44:59.334 --> 45:01.557
were in there . The reports I have from

45:01.557 --> 45:03.760
the services as of this morning are

45:03.760 --> 45:05.950
significantly less numbers than are

45:05.950 --> 45:08.061
reported in the media . That's not to

45:08.061 --> 45:10.172
say it zero , but it's much less so I

45:10.172 --> 45:12.394
need to square the balance here . I owe

45:12.394 --> 45:14.460
you a firm answer as to what's being

45:14.460 --> 45:16.682
done though I can assure you that every

45:16.682 --> 45:18.904
company commander , every company grade

45:18.904 --> 45:21.016
officer out there that's in charge of

45:21.016 --> 45:23.127
an organization every single month is

45:23.127 --> 45:25.127
doing a 10% inventory on their arms

45:25.127 --> 45:27.182
room and they are required by law by

45:27.182 --> 45:29.240
policy by regulation to inventory in

45:29.240 --> 45:31.184
account for all of those weapons .

45:31.184 --> 45:32.907
Anything lethal law to include

45:32.907 --> 45:34.740
explosives . If anything becomes

45:34.740 --> 45:36.629
missing or unaccounted for in any

45:36.629 --> 45:38.851
manner , shape or form , there's a full

45:38.851 --> 45:41.073
fledged investigation by C . I . D . As

45:41.073 --> 45:43.296
well as unit chains of command . And if

45:43.296 --> 45:45.462
anyone has found negligent at all , uh

45:45.462 --> 45:44.940
they are relieved of your command or

45:44.940 --> 45:46.996
punished in some of the way . And if

45:46.996 --> 45:48.884
there's a criminal involved , for

45:48.884 --> 45:50.940
example , you mentioned for Irwin uh

45:50.940 --> 45:53.162
there were there were people arrested ,

45:53.162 --> 45:55.329
prosecuted and in currently in jail as

45:55.329 --> 45:57.496
a result of some of those weapons That

45:57.496 --> 45:59.607
you're talking about with the AK 47 .

45:59.607 --> 45:59.530
So everything is rigorously

45:59.530 --> 46:01.720
investigated . There are weapons that

46:01.730 --> 46:04.330
we can't account for . But I can assure

46:04.330 --> 46:06.330
you that we take it extraordinarily

46:06.330 --> 46:08.490
seriously . And I owe you the exact

46:08.490 --> 46:10.712
numbers that we're getting and I'll get

46:10.712 --> 46:12.823
you those very , very quickly . Thank

46:12.823 --> 46:14.768
you . Thanks General . You're very

46:14.768 --> 46:16.823
direct and honest answer . It's much

46:16.823 --> 46:18.823
appreciated . Thank you . Thank you

46:18.823 --> 46:21.046
Senator Feinstein and Senator Collins .

46:21.046 --> 46:23.490
Thank you 1st . Welcome Secretary

46:23.490 --> 46:25.930
Austin and General Milley . We

46:25.930 --> 46:29.390
appreciate your service . Secretary

46:29.390 --> 46:32.790
Austin . The administration's budget

46:33.480 --> 46:36.480
prioritises national security and

46:36.480 --> 46:39.990
homeland security spending last

46:40.000 --> 46:44.000
relative to seemingly every other area

46:44.010 --> 46:47.750
of the budget . That strikes me as not

46:47.750 --> 46:50.350
only unwise but dangerous ,

46:50.360 --> 46:53.150
particularly when we look at what the

46:53.150 --> 46:56.430
chinese are doing . Mr

46:56.430 --> 46:59.200
Secretary . One of the biggest mistakes

46:59.200 --> 47:02.360
in the budget From my perspective is

47:02.360 --> 47:05.070
the decision to cut a D . D . G . From

47:05.070 --> 47:07.750
the current multi year procurement

47:07.750 --> 47:11.060
contract . This reflects a broader

47:11.060 --> 47:14.060
trend of not making the investments

47:14.060 --> 47:17.960
necessary to build anywhere close to

47:17.970 --> 47:21.560
a 355 ship Navy that

47:21.560 --> 47:25.250
multiple studies have confirmed

47:25.260 --> 47:28.710
is needed , on the other hand .

47:28.880 --> 47:32.650
now has the world's largest navy Has

47:32.650 --> 47:35.920
about 60 more shifts in our own fleet

47:35.930 --> 47:39.540
and it has surpassed our own

47:39.540 --> 47:42.210
355 ship goal .

47:44.580 --> 47:47.480
The Office of Naval Intelligence

47:47.480 --> 47:50.510
projects , that china will have 400

47:50.520 --> 47:54.400
battles for shifts by the year 2025

47:54.410 --> 47:57.740
D . D . G . S are the workhorse of the

47:57.750 --> 48:00.840
Navy and the flight threes will be the

48:00.840 --> 48:04.370
most capable ships in the world . And I

48:04.370 --> 48:07.000
want to stress that these are shifts in

48:07.000 --> 48:09.010
production right now . They're not

48:09.020 --> 48:12.160
conceptual ideas or designs for a

48:12.160 --> 48:15.220
future ship . We need more

48:15.230 --> 48:19.180
DDgs patrolling the pacific , not fewer .

48:19.190 --> 48:21.570
And it's surely significant that the

48:21.570 --> 48:24.960
Navy has listed as its number

48:24.960 --> 48:27.700
one unfunded priority .

48:28.570 --> 48:31.640
The restoration of funding for the

48:31.650 --> 48:35.530
missing . DDG my question is this ,

48:35.530 --> 48:37.730
will you work with the committee to

48:37.740 --> 48:41.480
find ways to restore that D . D .

48:41.480 --> 48:44.810
G . That has been cut And to meet the

48:44.810 --> 48:48.000
Navy's # one unfunded priority ?

48:49.570 --> 48:53.000
Uh Senator . You have my um

48:53.470 --> 48:55.581
my commitment that I will continue to

48:55.581 --> 48:57.248
work with the committee to do

48:57.248 --> 49:00.500
everything we can to resource our Navy .

49:00.970 --> 49:03.920
Uh We have the most powerful , we have

49:03.920 --> 49:07.530
the dominant naval force on the face of

49:07.530 --> 49:09.850
the planet . Uh It has been so in the

49:09.850 --> 49:12.180
past , it is , it is so now it will

49:12.180 --> 49:14.330
remain so going forward . And I

49:14.330 --> 49:16.580
absolutely agree with you that 355

49:16.580 --> 49:18.900
ships is a good goal to to shoot for .

49:19.270 --> 49:23.190
And , and I want to make sure that that

49:23.190 --> 49:26.040
we have uh , you know , the right mix

49:26.040 --> 49:28.670
of capabilities if size matters , but

49:28.680 --> 49:31.630
capabilities also matter . And uh and

49:31.630 --> 49:33.852
so we're going to continue to work with

49:33.852 --> 49:35.852
the Navy and with this committee to

49:35.852 --> 49:38.020
make sure that we have the right right

49:38.030 --> 49:40.560
capabilities in place . And our plan is

49:40.560 --> 49:44.520
to resource that uh that DDG in

49:44.530 --> 49:48.510
fiscal year 23 . Well , an

49:48.510 --> 49:51.960
admiral once told me that quantity has

49:51.960 --> 49:54.850
a quality all of its own . That's

49:54.850 --> 49:57.950
always stuck with me . And I'm also

49:57.960 --> 50:01.090
very concerned about the impact on our

50:01.090 --> 50:04.500
industrial base . We only have two

50:04.500 --> 50:07.670
yards that build a large surface

50:07.670 --> 50:10.820
combatants And bath arm works in Maine ,

50:10.820 --> 50:14.260
it's hired 3000 additional shipbuilders

50:14.260 --> 50:18.070
since 2018 . It's working quickly to

50:18.080 --> 50:20.770
improve its productivity to reach two

50:20.770 --> 50:24.070
shifts per year , build rate . And it

50:24.070 --> 50:26.080
has a hot production line that's

50:26.080 --> 50:28.910
getting more efficient by the day . But

50:28.910 --> 50:32.840
if this budget passes , b I w

50:32.850 --> 50:36.370
is rushing toward a workload cliff ,

50:36.380 --> 50:39.260
that will lead to loss of judge jobs ,

50:39.270 --> 50:42.430
reverse these projects , activity gains

50:42.430 --> 50:45.660
and weaken the industrial base . So

50:45.670 --> 50:47.920
that's the other point that I would ask

50:47.920 --> 50:49.587
that that you think about the

50:49.587 --> 50:53.180
importance of that productivity just

50:53.180 --> 50:56.980
very quickly for uh for General Milley ,

50:57.660 --> 51:00.090
I described to you my very first trip

51:00.100 --> 51:03.310
to Afghanistan when I met in an army ,

51:03.570 --> 51:07.550
an army tent rather with the other

51:07.550 --> 51:10.050
members of the caudal . When Hamid

51:10.050 --> 51:13.700
Karzai had been smuggled back into the

51:13.700 --> 51:15.920
country . And we were allowed each ,

51:15.920 --> 51:18.640
only one question of him . And my

51:18.640 --> 51:22.240
question was , will you get girls

51:22.240 --> 51:25.120
back into schools , will you reverse

51:25.120 --> 51:28.460
what the taliban has done ? I'm very

51:28.460 --> 51:31.420
concerned that Afghanistan is going to

51:31.430 --> 51:34.410
fall to the taliban and that we once

51:34.410 --> 51:36.410
again , we'll see the imposition of

51:36.410 --> 51:39.980
Sharia law and that girls and women

51:40.160 --> 51:43.770
will not be allowed to pursue an

51:43.770 --> 51:46.230
education or participate fully in

51:46.230 --> 51:48.970
society . Senator Shaheen and I've

51:48.970 --> 51:52.390
worked very hard about this issue and

51:52.390 --> 51:54.446
are very concerned . Do you have any

51:54.446 --> 51:56.480
comments in that area ?

51:57.960 --> 52:01.470
Well , um I would tell you this , uh

52:01.480 --> 52:03.450
Senator , your concern is a valid

52:03.450 --> 52:05.660
concern . There's a range of outcomes

52:05.660 --> 52:08.480
here and without going into classified

52:08.950 --> 52:11.180
probabilities here of these outcomes ,

52:11.600 --> 52:14.150
there are a wide range of outcomes that

52:14.150 --> 52:16.390
we've looked at and we assess that

52:16.400 --> 52:18.940
based on risk right now , the

52:18.940 --> 52:21.720
government of Afghanistan is holding

52:21.730 --> 52:24.360
and they have approximately About a

52:24.360 --> 52:27.790
325-350,000 person , security force ,

52:27.790 --> 52:29.980
army and police forces . There is

52:29.980 --> 52:32.110
ongoing violence as we know , and we

52:32.110 --> 52:34.610
are drawing down our force . Um now the

52:34.610 --> 52:36.940
question remains , what will happen in

52:36.940 --> 52:39.280
the future ? Will that military

52:39.290 --> 52:41.234
disintegrate ? Will the government

52:41.234 --> 52:43.346
collapse ? Will the Taliban come in ?

52:43.346 --> 52:45.290
If the answer to that ? Worst case

52:45.290 --> 52:47.290
scenario is yes , then I think your

52:47.290 --> 52:49.457
concern is a very valid concern . What

52:49.457 --> 52:51.623
will happen to women and girls and not

52:51.623 --> 52:53.846
only that , but many , many others , uh

52:53.846 --> 52:53.320
and they're probably going to be at

52:53.320 --> 52:55.431
risk . But I would also tell you that

52:55.431 --> 52:57.710
is not a certain outcome . Um There are

52:57.710 --> 53:00.520
many other outcomes that are possible ,

53:00.530 --> 53:02.586
uh and we're going to work to try to

53:02.586 --> 53:04.474
have those outcomes achieved , as

53:04.474 --> 53:06.474
opposed to the worst case outcome .

53:06.474 --> 53:08.641
This is not a done deal yet . It's the

53:08.641 --> 53:10.780
president's intent to keep an embassy

53:10.780 --> 53:13.370
open to keep our security forces around

53:13.370 --> 53:15.370
the embassy and to continue to work

53:15.370 --> 53:17.537
with the Afghan government to continue

53:17.537 --> 53:20.110
to fund the Afghan security forces and

53:20.110 --> 53:22.970
to keep that situation from devolving

53:22.980 --> 53:25.091
into the worst case . And that's what

53:25.091 --> 53:27.147
we're planning on . And that's where

53:27.147 --> 53:29.147
we're working toward . There are no

53:29.147 --> 53:31.313
guarantees in any of this . Your right

53:31.313 --> 53:31.090
to bring it up as a concern . And we're

53:31.090 --> 53:33.034
working to fulfill their concern .

53:33.034 --> 53:35.201
Thank you , senator . I would just add

53:35.201 --> 53:37.423
on by saying , we really appreciate the

53:37.423 --> 53:39.479
bipartisan support that we've gotten

53:39.479 --> 53:41.830
for over the years for the women and uh ,

53:41.840 --> 53:43.896
and girls in Afghanistan . And we're

53:43.896 --> 53:46.118
going to do everything within our power

53:46.118 --> 53:48.710
as General Milley is as uh indicated to

53:48.710 --> 53:50.880
work through the embassy to carry

53:50.880 --> 53:53.158
forward with as much as this as we can .

53:53.250 --> 53:55.880
Thank you . Mhm . Mhm .

53:57.550 --> 53:59.910
Thanks marriage . Mr Chairman . Thank

53:59.910 --> 54:02.021
you . Mr Secretary and General Milley

54:02.021 --> 54:05.320
for joining us . Um At least two of the

54:05.320 --> 54:07.890
pillars of our national defence , our

54:07.890 --> 54:10.660
civilian control of the military and

54:10.660 --> 54:14.340
our ambition gold demand that those who

54:14.340 --> 54:16.380
serve in the military military be

54:16.390 --> 54:18.900
nonpartisan and above politics .

54:19.340 --> 54:21.610
America is bitterly divided on

54:21.610 --> 54:23.730
political questions . What are you

54:23.730 --> 54:25.952
doing to make certain that our military

54:25.952 --> 54:28.230
is not infected with this partisanship ?

54:29.740 --> 54:32.320
Thank you senator . It is this is a

54:32.320 --> 54:35.810
very , very important issue for me .

54:35.820 --> 54:37.960
And also I would add General Milley ,

54:38.440 --> 54:40.720
the military has been a political in

54:40.720 --> 54:43.430
the past . It is a political now and it

54:43.430 --> 54:45.430
will be a political going forward .

54:45.430 --> 54:48.460
There is no place for for for politics

54:48.470 --> 54:51.910
in in in our military . I fully expect

54:51.920 --> 54:53.930
that , you know , all of our troops

54:53.930 --> 54:55.870
will have the opportunity to

54:55.870 --> 54:57.981
participate in the , in the political

54:57.981 --> 55:01.350
process . But the military will , we're

55:01.350 --> 55:03.572
gonna do everything we can to make sure

55:03.572 --> 55:05.794
that the military remains a political ,

55:05.794 --> 55:08.500
I can assure you as well on the part of

55:08.500 --> 55:11.080
myself and the Joint Chiefs in the

55:11.080 --> 55:14.170
entire uniform branches that that is we

55:14.170 --> 55:15.948
we understand some extra of the

55:15.948 --> 55:18.114
military . We are committed to being a

55:18.114 --> 55:20.337
political military and we will give our

55:20.337 --> 55:22.559
dying breath to defend the constitution

55:22.559 --> 55:24.781
of the United States of America . Thank

55:24.781 --> 55:26.892
you . A critic may take a look at our

55:26.892 --> 55:28.892
budget and say our national defense

55:28.892 --> 55:30.837
budget continues to grow to record

55:30.837 --> 55:32.837
numbers even though we may retrench

55:32.837 --> 55:34.900
from time to time . But the real

55:34.900 --> 55:37.150
threats may not be addressed by this

55:37.150 --> 55:40.150
budget . It wasn't a hypersonic

55:40.150 --> 55:43.200
aircraft or a missile or a stealthy

55:43.210 --> 55:45.930
group of saboteurs who closed down the

55:45.930 --> 55:48.210
oil pipeline , the colonial oil

55:48.210 --> 55:50.330
pipeline and really disrupted the

55:50.330 --> 55:52.700
american economy and other

55:52.710 --> 55:54.766
vulnerabilities which were obviously

55:54.766 --> 55:56.380
aware of or in the area of

55:56.380 --> 55:59.570
cybersecurity . Uh what is our military

55:59.570 --> 56:02.340
doing to compliment any other agency

56:02.340 --> 56:06.110
efforts in that regard ? Well ,

56:06.110 --> 56:08.820
Senator , the military , uh as you've

56:08.830 --> 56:11.640
indicated just now , is uh is one

56:11.640 --> 56:14.840
element of a larger government effort

56:14.850 --> 56:17.500
to ensure that we can protect our

56:17.500 --> 56:21.450
networks . Uh uh we

56:21.460 --> 56:24.470
have the ability to engage

56:24.470 --> 56:27.390
adversaries , uh kind of a forward

56:27.390 --> 56:30.410
manner at the source of the of the of

56:30.410 --> 56:32.577
the mischief , and we have the ability

56:32.577 --> 56:36.190
to to sustain contact with with

56:36.190 --> 56:38.400
potential adversaries . So we're doing

56:38.400 --> 56:41.470
two things , protecting three things

56:41.470 --> 56:45.120
protecting our bot networks , adding

56:45.120 --> 56:48.650
to the overall effort that uh

56:48.660 --> 56:52.450
that the the government has in terms of

56:52.460 --> 56:55.540
uh defense against cyber attacks and

56:55.540 --> 56:57.762
also remaining engaged with adversaries

56:57.762 --> 57:00.990
uh forward deployed and

57:01.000 --> 57:04.430
center on the military side , as you

57:04.430 --> 57:06.890
know , we have cyber com um and each of

57:06.890 --> 57:09.190
the service branches has cyber

57:09.190 --> 57:11.190
organizations inside it . We've got

57:11.190 --> 57:12.857
defensive and offensive cyber

57:12.857 --> 57:14.579
protection teams . We are very

57:14.579 --> 57:16.746
aggressive not to be discussed in open

57:16.746 --> 57:18.912
testimony , but we are very aggressive

57:18.912 --> 57:20.746
offensively were needed and when

57:20.746 --> 57:22.912
directed . Uh and we are continuing to

57:22.912 --> 57:25.079
build our defensive capabilities . The

57:25.079 --> 57:27.800
domain of cyber as a domain of war . Uh

57:27.810 --> 57:29.532
the domain of competition with

57:29.532 --> 57:31.643
adversary nations is a relatively new

57:31.643 --> 57:33.477
domain and we are building those

57:33.477 --> 57:35.390
capabilities . We have the most

57:35.390 --> 57:37.501
significant cyber capabilities in the

57:37.501 --> 57:39.668
world . That doesn't mean it's perfect

57:39.668 --> 57:41.890
and we witnessed what happened with the

57:41.890 --> 57:43.950
hackers and colonial pipeline And we

57:43.950 --> 57:46.270
have to do much much more . This budget

57:46.270 --> 57:49.380
puts about I think 2.3 or 2.4 billion

57:49.390 --> 57:51.430
uh into increasing our cyber

57:51.430 --> 57:53.263
capabilities just in the uniform

57:53.263 --> 57:55.486
branches . But there is a lot more work

57:55.486 --> 57:57.652
to do . There's no question about it .

57:57.652 --> 57:59.819
Uh and this is an area in which we are

57:59.819 --> 58:01.930
vulnerable and we need to continue to

58:01.930 --> 58:03.930
invest . Someone may look at a $750

58:03.930 --> 58:05.986
billion dollar budget for a national

58:05.986 --> 58:09.720
defense and question whether we are

58:09.730 --> 58:12.760
wasting any money in the spending of

58:12.760 --> 58:15.810
that amount . My guess is we are even

58:15.810 --> 58:17.977
with the best of efforts on our part ,

58:19.020 --> 58:21.187
both of you have extensive backgrounds

58:21.187 --> 58:23.390
and careers in the military , what

58:23.390 --> 58:25.570
would you identify as the largest

58:25.580 --> 58:27.800
essential source of waste in our

58:27.800 --> 58:29.856
federal federal military spending at

58:29.856 --> 58:30.856
this point ,

58:33.920 --> 58:37.560
one of the things that makes uh that is

58:37.560 --> 58:41.280
a challenge for Senate senator is to be

58:41.280 --> 58:43.502
able to invest in the capabilities that

58:43.502 --> 58:45.613
we know that we need for the future .

58:46.120 --> 58:49.480
Uh and and as we do that to

58:49.490 --> 58:52.910
divest capabilities that won't be

58:52.910 --> 58:56.360
relevant going forward . And so as we

58:56.370 --> 58:58.810
as we hang on to systems that we know

58:58.810 --> 59:01.380
will not be relevant in the future . I

59:01.380 --> 59:03.490
think that creates drag on on the

59:03.490 --> 59:05.840
overall budget . I think that uh that

59:05.840 --> 59:08.230
makes it more complicated for us . And

59:08.230 --> 59:11.750
so I would ask you and the committee to

59:11.760 --> 59:14.430
help as much as you can in terms of

59:14.440 --> 59:16.551
those things that we've worked with ,

59:16.551 --> 59:19.180
the services to identify that that we

59:19.190 --> 59:21.840
that won't be relevant in the next

59:21.840 --> 59:24.900
fight , help us to be able to divest of

59:24.900 --> 59:27.178
some of those systems . MR . Secretary .

59:27.178 --> 59:29.178
That was a very tactful answer at a

59:29.178 --> 59:31.400
congressional hearing . Uh I would just

59:31.400 --> 59:33.660
add uh that I think our procurement

59:33.660 --> 59:36.090
process in this country is in desperate

59:36.090 --> 59:38.620
need of reform . We're wasting too much

59:38.620 --> 59:40.560
time and too much money in our

59:40.570 --> 59:42.440
procurement process and the

59:42.440 --> 59:44.440
responsibility of changing it is in

59:44.440 --> 59:46.662
your hands and ours as well . Thank you

59:46.662 --> 59:48.520
both . Yeah .

59:51.020 --> 59:53.840
Mhm . Thank you . Mr Chairman

59:54.620 --> 59:56.342
gentlemen , thank you for your

59:56.342 --> 59:58.564
leadership , greatly appreciate it . MR

59:58.564 --> 01:00:00.231
Secretary , I appreciated the

01:00:00.231 --> 01:00:01.898
opportunity that we had for a

01:00:01.898 --> 01:00:04.120
discussion on some arctic related

01:00:04.120 --> 01:00:07.010
matters . Just last week , I I

01:00:07.010 --> 01:00:10.490
expressed my my appreciation um for the

01:00:10.490 --> 01:00:13.300
department's initiative in this focus

01:00:13.310 --> 01:00:17.140
on the region . Um We have seen

01:00:17.510 --> 01:00:20.010
the service level arctic strategies

01:00:20.010 --> 01:00:22.580
released over the last year or so ,

01:00:22.580 --> 01:00:24.710
those have been good . Uh Actually

01:00:24.710 --> 01:00:27.280
exceptional , these strategies really

01:00:27.290 --> 01:00:29.770
give the attention to this region that

01:00:29.770 --> 01:00:32.800
I think we recognize needs to be a

01:00:32.800 --> 01:00:34.744
priority , at least . It gives the

01:00:34.744 --> 01:00:36.744
attention in writing . I was hoping

01:00:36.744 --> 01:00:38.800
that we would see the implementation

01:00:38.800 --> 01:00:41.250
and resources of these strategies

01:00:41.260 --> 01:00:44.650
reflected better in this budget request .

01:00:44.660 --> 01:00:47.200
Um as I look at it , it seems like we

01:00:47.200 --> 01:00:49.560
we've missed the mark a bit here . I

01:00:49.560 --> 01:00:52.360
think we recognize we're seeing

01:00:52.370 --> 01:00:56.310
regional competition . Uh we are we are

01:00:56.310 --> 01:00:58.670
seeing a level of activity in the

01:00:58.670 --> 01:01:01.670
region from those that who would have

01:01:01.680 --> 01:01:04.940
ever thought that uh the , the interest

01:01:04.940 --> 01:01:07.230
would be coming from from china , that

01:01:07.230 --> 01:01:09.341
china would be re sourcing whether it

01:01:09.341 --> 01:01:12.790
is , it is icebreakers training with

01:01:12.790 --> 01:01:15.240
the Russians . We know we can see what

01:01:15.240 --> 01:01:18.540
is happening up there . Um Senator

01:01:18.540 --> 01:01:21.930
Sullivan had an opportunity earlier uh

01:01:21.940 --> 01:01:24.440
this week or last week , I believe , to

01:01:24.440 --> 01:01:26.551
question General Van Herck on how the

01:01:26.551 --> 01:01:29.590
services could use what was included in

01:01:29.590 --> 01:01:31.812
this year's budget request to implement

01:01:31.812 --> 01:01:34.010
their respective arctic strategy . And

01:01:34.010 --> 01:01:36.232
his his response was a little less than

01:01:36.232 --> 01:01:38.200
encouraging . He said , I see an

01:01:38.210 --> 01:01:40.540
inching along , we didn't move the ball

01:01:40.540 --> 01:01:42.596
very far down the field this year in

01:01:42.596 --> 01:01:45.370
the budget with regards to resources in

01:01:45.380 --> 01:01:47.920
the arctic . So the question to you

01:01:47.920 --> 01:01:50.420
this morning is whether you believe we

01:01:50.420 --> 01:01:54.230
are we do have adequate funding for the

01:01:54.230 --> 01:01:57.360
arctic strategies in the budget . What

01:01:57.360 --> 01:02:00.440
can we do to use General Van hurts

01:02:00.440 --> 01:02:04.190
words to move the ball forward in the

01:02:04.190 --> 01:02:06.820
arctic in a more responsive manner .

01:02:09.300 --> 01:02:11.467
Well , what we can do , first of all ,

01:02:11.467 --> 01:02:13.360
thank you for your support of our

01:02:13.360 --> 01:02:15.920
efforts in the arctic senator . They

01:02:15.930 --> 01:02:19.160
they've been uh tremendous over the

01:02:19.160 --> 01:02:21.460
years and uh certainly they've helped

01:02:21.460 --> 01:02:25.020
us , you've helped us in a major way .

01:02:25.700 --> 01:02:28.730
Uh as you probably know , we're in the

01:02:28.740 --> 01:02:31.730
process of developing a national

01:02:31.730 --> 01:02:34.730
Defense strategy . My goal is to make

01:02:34.730 --> 01:02:37.930
sure that our efforts in the arctic

01:02:37.940 --> 01:02:39.990
requirements in the arctic are

01:02:40.000 --> 01:02:42.330
reflected in that new national Defense

01:02:42.330 --> 01:02:45.470
strategy . And so as we do that , it

01:02:45.470 --> 01:02:47.248
will help us to better link our

01:02:47.248 --> 01:02:50.220
resources to our strategy going forward .

01:02:50.230 --> 01:02:53.640
And uh and again , uh there is

01:02:53.650 --> 01:02:57.340
some capability there now ,

01:02:57.350 --> 01:02:59.580
but I agree with you . We need to we

01:02:59.580 --> 01:03:01.870
need to better resource our arctic

01:03:01.870 --> 01:03:04.260
efforts in the future . Well , as I've

01:03:04.270 --> 01:03:06.170
reminded folks when I start any

01:03:06.170 --> 01:03:09.670
conversation , um right now the arctic

01:03:09.680 --> 01:03:12.190
is not a hot spot and I think we all

01:03:12.190 --> 01:03:14.350
would agree we want to keep it from

01:03:14.350 --> 01:03:18.270
becoming so and readiness is what what

01:03:18.270 --> 01:03:20.690
we need to speak to . Uh I will also

01:03:20.690 --> 01:03:22.660
want to raise the issue of mineral

01:03:22.660 --> 01:03:25.390
security in the context of of National

01:03:25.390 --> 01:03:27.730
Security . President biden's executive

01:03:27.730 --> 01:03:29.660
order on America's supply chains

01:03:29.660 --> 01:03:32.060
required the department to produce a

01:03:32.060 --> 01:03:34.090
report identifying the risks in the

01:03:34.090 --> 01:03:37.120
supply chain for critical minerals . Um

01:03:38.400 --> 01:03:40.570
Your report states that the United

01:03:40.570 --> 01:03:42.737
States has always relied on imports of

01:03:42.737 --> 01:03:44.960
strategic critical minerals to meet its

01:03:44.960 --> 01:03:47.016
public and private sector needs . We

01:03:47.016 --> 01:03:49.200
recognize that we certainly have a

01:03:49.210 --> 01:03:51.377
strong domestic supplies in Alaska and

01:03:51.377 --> 01:03:54.320
elsewhere around the country . So

01:03:54.700 --> 01:03:58.540
the question that some might ask

01:03:58.540 --> 01:04:01.670
is why is this important ? From a

01:04:01.680 --> 01:04:03.990
national security perspective , what

01:04:03.990 --> 01:04:06.550
are the consequences if we fail to

01:04:06.550 --> 01:04:09.300
create a domestic supply chain ?

01:04:09.310 --> 01:04:12.280
Because we can continue to rely on

01:04:12.280 --> 01:04:14.570
resources from others ? I think we

01:04:14.570 --> 01:04:18.390
recognize that right now , um we rely

01:04:18.400 --> 01:04:21.520
more heavily on china for these these

01:04:21.530 --> 01:04:23.840
critical minerals , particularly in the

01:04:23.840 --> 01:04:26.300
area of Rarer . And that creates a

01:04:26.300 --> 01:04:28.411
vulnerability . It takes us back to a

01:04:28.411 --> 01:04:30.356
time in a place where we were very

01:04:30.356 --> 01:04:33.750
vulnerable , very reliant on others for

01:04:33.750 --> 01:04:36.500
for oil where we're kind of heading in

01:04:36.500 --> 01:04:38.500
that direction a little bit , we're

01:04:38.500 --> 01:04:41.000
actually importing more oil from Russia

01:04:41.000 --> 01:04:43.450
right now than we are from Alaska . So

01:04:43.450 --> 01:04:46.060
from a national security perspective ,

01:04:46.410 --> 01:04:49.130
if you could just speak to the

01:04:49.130 --> 01:04:52.590
consequences if we fail to secure a

01:04:52.600 --> 01:04:54.860
critical mineral supply chain , I think

01:04:54.860 --> 01:04:58.100
we've seen this play out . Mhm .

01:04:59.290 --> 01:05:03.050
In recent past here , it's it's a it's

01:05:03.050 --> 01:05:06.920
a a risk to our national security

01:05:06.990 --> 01:05:10.420
if we don't have a secure supply chains .

01:05:10.700 --> 01:05:14.630
And so What we're doing

01:05:14.640 --> 01:05:18.280
is there's $341 million dollars in this

01:05:18.280 --> 01:05:21.180
budget that we've set aside to help us

01:05:21.190 --> 01:05:24.880
partner with uh with us companies ,

01:05:24.890 --> 01:05:27.970
and and and part of that is designed to

01:05:27.970 --> 01:05:31.810
help us uh begin to uh to establish our

01:05:31.810 --> 01:05:33.870
own capabilities for rare earth

01:05:33.880 --> 01:05:37.800
elements that can help us to

01:05:37.800 --> 01:05:41.060
maintain or create more secure supply

01:05:41.060 --> 01:05:43.900
chains . But it is certainly a risk if

01:05:43.900 --> 01:05:46.710
we don't have a secure supply chains .

01:05:48.090 --> 01:05:50.312
Thank you . Mr . Chairman , thank you .

01:05:50.312 --> 01:05:52.810
Senator Murkowski and Senator Tester ,

01:05:52.810 --> 01:05:56.010
the chair of the defense subcommittee .

01:05:56.020 --> 01:05:59.190
Thank thank you . Chairman Leahy , and

01:05:59.190 --> 01:06:01.134
thank you all for uh for what I've

01:06:01.134 --> 01:06:03.360
heard so far . Certainly appreciate the

01:06:03.360 --> 01:06:05.510
answers you gave to Senator Shelby in

01:06:05.510 --> 01:06:08.830
particular on his questions . Uh This

01:06:08.830 --> 01:06:10.608
year's budget proposal includes

01:06:10.608 --> 01:06:12.890
numerous requests to divest legacy

01:06:12.890 --> 01:06:15.410
platforms all across the services For a

01:06:15.410 --> 01:06:17.270
projected total of 28 billion in

01:06:17.270 --> 01:06:20.940
savings in Fy 22 . I agree with you

01:06:20.940 --> 01:06:23.107
that there are some old weapon systems

01:06:23.107 --> 01:06:25.107
that don't have a place in our next

01:06:25.107 --> 01:06:27.273
fight . And I've expressed this to you

01:06:27.273 --> 01:06:29.600
before and I support that , but I also

01:06:29.600 --> 01:06:31.822
want to see the math and understand how

01:06:31.822 --> 01:06:33.933
these divestments were selected . For

01:06:33.933 --> 01:06:35.878
example . Uh I want to know if our

01:06:35.878 --> 01:06:37.878
National Guard , which we all think

01:06:37.878 --> 01:06:39.211
highly of , is taking a

01:06:39.211 --> 01:06:41.267
disproportionate share of cuts as it

01:06:41.267 --> 01:06:43.550
applies to legacy systems . So

01:06:43.550 --> 01:06:45.550
Secretary Austin , when divestments

01:06:45.550 --> 01:06:48.020
occur , it's impacts the resources

01:06:48.020 --> 01:06:49.909
available to our National Guard ,

01:06:49.909 --> 01:06:52.131
potentially degrading force readiness .

01:06:52.131 --> 01:06:53.964
So how are you balancing finding

01:06:53.964 --> 01:06:56.650
savings to tomorrow's force with

01:06:56.650 --> 01:06:59.290
potentially reduced capabilities today ?

01:07:02.380 --> 01:07:05.530
Well , we certainly uh everything that

01:07:05.530 --> 01:07:08.130
we do in terms of systems , we want to

01:07:08.130 --> 01:07:09.963
make sure that our Guard has the

01:07:09.963 --> 01:07:13.900
capability to uh uh two be

01:07:13.910 --> 01:07:17.050
properly equipped . Uh It's the

01:07:17.050 --> 01:07:19.272
chairman mentioned earlier , you know ,

01:07:19.272 --> 01:07:21.780
the guards not just doing domestic , uh ,

01:07:21.790 --> 01:07:23.901
they're not just involved in domestic

01:07:23.901 --> 01:07:26.012
activities . We have them deployed in

01:07:26.012 --> 01:07:28.234
the number of cases , uh they have gone

01:07:28.234 --> 01:07:30.457
to war with us over and over again with

01:07:30.457 --> 01:07:32.568
the active component . Uh and so they

01:07:32.568 --> 01:07:34.901
need uh up to date modernized equipment .

01:07:34.980 --> 01:07:37.147
And our goal is to make sure that they

01:07:37.147 --> 01:07:40.710
have that . And so retiring a

01:07:40.720 --> 01:07:42.776
system that's no longer relevant for

01:07:42.776 --> 01:07:45.880
the future does not impose necessarily

01:07:45.890 --> 01:07:49.830
a tax or a cost or burden on our on

01:07:49.830 --> 01:07:52.080
our National Guard . So , so I will

01:07:52.080 --> 01:07:53.969
direct this to General Mills just

01:07:53.969 --> 01:07:56.191
simply because I want to see if his mix

01:07:56.191 --> 01:08:00.030
working . So do I see this incorrectly

01:08:00.030 --> 01:08:03.150
then that you guys don't believe that

01:08:03.150 --> 01:08:06.480
the guard is taking , hey , uh , more

01:08:06.480 --> 01:08:09.110
of a cut uh , as it applies the legacy

01:08:09.110 --> 01:08:12.440
than active duty . Yeah , I'll check

01:08:12.440 --> 01:08:14.780
the specific numbers , but I do not

01:08:14.780 --> 01:08:16.947
have the impression that the guard has

01:08:16.947 --> 01:08:18.947
taken a disproportionate cut of the

01:08:18.947 --> 01:08:21.169
divestiture . But the real message here

01:08:21.169 --> 01:08:23.336
though , I think for the committee and

01:08:23.336 --> 01:08:26.080
for all of us is we must pivot to a

01:08:26.080 --> 01:08:28.490
future military force . And yes , there

01:08:28.490 --> 01:08:31.030
are legacy so called legacy systems

01:08:31.040 --> 01:08:32.984
that are quite good . They're very

01:08:32.984 --> 01:08:35.060
capable in today's world , but they

01:08:35.070 --> 01:08:38.270
will likely not be as relevant In a

01:08:38.270 --> 01:08:40.760
future fight . We must invest in some

01:08:40.760 --> 01:08:42.649
of these emerging technologies of

01:08:42.649 --> 01:08:44.704
artificial intelligence , robotics ,

01:08:44.704 --> 01:08:46.970
hypersonic and so on . We must do that

01:08:46.970 --> 01:08:49.130
now . We cannot invest in horses when

01:08:49.130 --> 01:08:51.297
they're about to face machine guns and

01:08:51.297 --> 01:08:53.690
tanks . Those mistakes were made 150

01:08:53.690 --> 01:08:56.270
years ago . We can't do that . We must

01:08:56.270 --> 01:08:58.510
keep pace with the threat environment

01:08:58.510 --> 01:09:00.600
is ongoing . Thank you for that . I

01:09:00.600 --> 01:09:02.822
think it's an important message for all

01:09:02.822 --> 01:09:04.878
of us to here and I think we need to

01:09:04.878 --> 01:09:06.933
take it to heart . Um , I wanna talk

01:09:06.933 --> 01:09:09.156
about multi year contracts for a little

01:09:09.156 --> 01:09:11.267
bit . It does apply to something that

01:09:11.267 --> 01:09:13.433
Senator Collins asked you about when I

01:09:13.433 --> 01:09:15.267
was out of the room . But if the

01:09:15.267 --> 01:09:17.489
Defense Department's request , Congress

01:09:17.489 --> 01:09:19.711
approved a limited number of multi year

01:09:19.711 --> 01:09:22.050
procurement contracts , these longer

01:09:22.050 --> 01:09:23.939
contracts , our commitment to the

01:09:23.939 --> 01:09:25.939
industry to buy a certain number of

01:09:25.939 --> 01:09:28.161
ships , airplanes , missiles . Uh , and

01:09:28.161 --> 01:09:30.328
with the idea that we're going to save

01:09:30.328 --> 01:09:32.328
money and in the long haul and give

01:09:32.328 --> 01:09:35.320
them certainty also , um , Secretary

01:09:35.320 --> 01:09:37.542
Austin , because multi year procurement

01:09:37.542 --> 01:09:39.598
contracting authorities specifically

01:09:39.598 --> 01:09:41.764
provided by Congress at the request of

01:09:41.764 --> 01:09:44.050
the D . O . D . Does the department

01:09:44.060 --> 01:09:46.060
have an obligation to fulfill multi

01:09:46.060 --> 01:09:48.890
year procurement content procurement

01:09:48.890 --> 01:09:51.400
contracts once we sign up for them .

01:09:53.570 --> 01:09:56.240
Thank you . Senator . The department

01:09:56.240 --> 01:09:59.510
has an obligation to provide the

01:09:59.520 --> 01:10:02.790
best mixed of mix of capabilities

01:10:03.160 --> 01:10:05.440
that we can possibly provide to our

01:10:05.440 --> 01:10:09.260
services where we can , you know , if

01:10:09.260 --> 01:10:13.180
we have , uh , the ability to honor a

01:10:13.180 --> 01:10:15.850
multiyear contract , then then I think

01:10:15.850 --> 01:10:18.270
that's exactly what we should do . If

01:10:18.270 --> 01:10:20.870
we have to make a difficult choice and

01:10:20.870 --> 01:10:24.030
invest in something else . Uh , then

01:10:24.040 --> 01:10:26.207
then I think we need to be prepared to

01:10:26.207 --> 01:10:28.500
make that difficult choice , uh , and

01:10:28.510 --> 01:10:31.100
uh , and certainly that we'll we'll pay

01:10:31.100 --> 01:10:34.660
a tax for not abiding by that multi

01:10:34.660 --> 01:10:37.500
year contract . But I think what's most

01:10:37.500 --> 01:10:39.667
important is that we provide the right

01:10:39.667 --> 01:10:43.100
capabilities for the service . So , um ,

01:10:43.110 --> 01:10:46.410
I got you and I agree with you . Um

01:10:46.420 --> 01:10:50.190
but I also have uh a

01:10:50.860 --> 01:10:52.804
I also have a belief that if we're

01:10:52.804 --> 01:10:54.916
going to sign a multi year contract ,

01:10:54.916 --> 01:10:56.693
we ought to live up to it or we

01:10:56.693 --> 01:10:58.860
shouldn't sign it in the first place .

01:10:58.860 --> 01:11:00.749
You give me your thoughts on that

01:11:00.749 --> 01:11:02.804
because the reason I bring this up ,

01:11:02.804 --> 01:11:04.638
the department agreed two a navy

01:11:04.638 --> 01:11:06.804
proposal not to fund two navies guided

01:11:06.804 --> 01:11:08.804
missile destroyers this year . That

01:11:08.804 --> 01:11:10.860
would break a multiyear contract . I

01:11:10.860 --> 01:11:12.971
think the destroyer that soon Senator

01:11:12.971 --> 01:11:15.249
Collins talked about is the same thing .

01:11:15.249 --> 01:11:18.870
So for the DDG uh the tax for for

01:11:18.870 --> 01:11:21.040
not complying with the multi year

01:11:21.040 --> 01:11:23.580
contract is about uh

01:11:25.260 --> 01:11:28.710
What ? million . But you know when you

01:11:28.710 --> 01:11:30.710
compare that to a couple of billion

01:11:30.710 --> 01:11:32.654
dollars that you would have had to

01:11:32.654 --> 01:11:35.240
spend on that on that D . D . G . So ,

01:11:35.250 --> 01:11:37.740
so I mean we have to make choices and

01:11:37.740 --> 01:11:41.290
in this case we invested in a D . D . G .

01:11:41.300 --> 01:11:44.680
Two submarines and a frigate . So .

01:11:45.860 --> 01:11:48.027
Okay thank you . Thank you very much .

01:11:48.027 --> 01:11:50.520
Thank you . Mr . Thank you . Senator

01:11:50.520 --> 01:11:52.520
Tester . Senator Graham thank you .

01:11:52.520 --> 01:11:54.687
Thank you both for your service to our

01:11:54.687 --> 01:11:57.720
country . Uh Secretary Austin does the

01:11:57.720 --> 01:12:00.330
Department of Defense have a definition

01:12:00.330 --> 01:12:02.274
of what a cyber attack against the

01:12:02.274 --> 01:12:03.980
United States constitutes ?

01:12:08.950 --> 01:12:11.770
I don't uh I don't recall a specific

01:12:11.860 --> 01:12:14.510
definition . I don't either and I'm not

01:12:14.510 --> 01:12:18.410
blaming you . Uh We need one . Do we

01:12:18.420 --> 01:12:20.587
don't you think we need to define what

01:12:20.587 --> 01:12:23.250
a cyberattack would be and rules of

01:12:23.250 --> 01:12:25.330
engagement about how to respond . Do

01:12:25.330 --> 01:12:27.163
you think that would be a worthy

01:12:27.163 --> 01:12:29.219
endeavor for all of us ? And I'm not

01:12:29.219 --> 01:12:31.441
blaming you . I think all of us need to

01:12:31.441 --> 01:12:33.663
do this . I think it certainly would be

01:12:33.663 --> 01:12:35.552
would be very helpful . Uh That's

01:12:35.552 --> 01:12:37.552
that's good . I'm good . I got five

01:12:37.552 --> 01:12:40.850
minutes here . Uh Iran do both of you

01:12:40.850 --> 01:12:43.830
agree with the assessment by just about

01:12:43.830 --> 01:12:46.170
everybody in the intel world that the

01:12:46.170 --> 01:12:48.220
Iranians are trying to develop a

01:12:48.220 --> 01:12:51.390
nuclear weapon , not a peaceful nuclear

01:12:51.390 --> 01:12:54.940
power program . I

01:12:54.950 --> 01:12:57.510
agree that if left to their own devices

01:12:57.520 --> 01:12:59.680
the Iranians would acquire nuclear

01:12:59.680 --> 01:13:01.890
weapon . General Milley , do you agree

01:13:01.890 --> 01:13:05.070
that's sort of their in game here .

01:13:06.250 --> 01:13:08.760
You know senator . I think yes . But I

01:13:08.760 --> 01:13:10.927
also know that I don't I don't believe

01:13:10.927 --> 01:13:12.982
and I haven't seen any evidence that

01:13:12.982 --> 01:13:15.093
they've been an actual national level

01:13:15.093 --> 01:13:17.204
decision to do that . But it is clear

01:13:17.204 --> 01:13:19.427
to me if you need to check with the C .

01:13:19.427 --> 01:13:21.890
A . I . Have . Okay . And I'm talking

01:13:21.890 --> 01:13:24.120
about a national strategic all I don't

01:13:24.120 --> 01:13:26.453
know how they set the groundwork . Okay .

01:13:26.453 --> 01:13:28.620
Where does the national strategic plan

01:13:28.620 --> 01:13:30.842
come from ? In Iran it would have to be

01:13:30.842 --> 01:13:32.842
the supreme leader of Iran . Yeah .

01:13:32.842 --> 01:13:34.898
That decision , I don't know how you

01:13:34.898 --> 01:13:37.009
determine what he says or doesn't say

01:13:37.009 --> 01:13:39.231
so . Here's my belief they're trying to

01:13:39.231 --> 01:13:41.398
develop a nuclear weapon and I hope we

01:13:41.398 --> 01:13:43.398
understand that because if we don't

01:13:43.398 --> 01:13:43.140
understand it would be hard to stop

01:13:43.140 --> 01:13:45.590
them . Uh my belief as well . So , Okay ,

01:13:45.590 --> 01:13:48.270
thank you sir , Afghanistan , both of

01:13:48.270 --> 01:13:51.280
you . How would you rate the the

01:13:51.280 --> 01:13:53.810
likelihood of international terrorist

01:13:53.810 --> 01:13:56.160
organizations like Al Qaeda and IsIS

01:13:56.160 --> 01:13:59.900
regenerating inside of Afghanistan uh

01:13:59.910 --> 01:14:02.243
and presenting a threat to our homeland ,

01:14:02.243 --> 01:14:04.590
our allies . Given what you see today .

01:14:04.600 --> 01:14:07.140
Is it a small , medium large ? How

01:14:07.140 --> 01:14:09.670
would you assess it ? I would assess it

01:14:09.670 --> 01:14:11.800
as medium . I would also say senator

01:14:11.800 --> 01:14:15.170
that that it would take

01:14:15.840 --> 01:14:19.030
possibly two years for them to develop

01:14:19.030 --> 01:14:20.808
that capability . Fair enough ,

01:14:20.808 --> 01:14:22.974
gentlemen , I concur with that . And I

01:14:22.974 --> 01:14:25.530
think that if certain other things

01:14:25.530 --> 01:14:27.752
happen , if there was a collapse of the

01:14:27.752 --> 01:14:29.919
government or disassociate disillusion

01:14:29.919 --> 01:14:31.974
of the Afghan security forces , that

01:14:31.974 --> 01:14:33.974
risk would obviously increase . But

01:14:33.974 --> 01:14:36.030
right now it's a medium and in about

01:14:36.030 --> 01:14:38.252
two years or so . Okay , thank you very

01:14:38.252 --> 01:14:40.308
much . Uh do you consider the border

01:14:40.308 --> 01:14:44.280
situation In terms of 160% increase in

01:14:44.280 --> 01:14:46.447
illegal crossings in the last year , a

01:14:46.447 --> 01:14:48.613
national security threat to the United

01:14:48.613 --> 01:14:50.058
States Secretary Austin ,

01:14:53.140 --> 01:14:55.330
I think that we should be able to

01:14:55.330 --> 01:14:57.441
control our borders and I would defer

01:14:57.441 --> 01:14:59.552
to Secretary of my orders . Would you

01:14:59.552 --> 01:15:02.670
agree with me ? General Milley . Mhm .

01:15:03.140 --> 01:15:06.690
That 160% increase in legal

01:15:06.690 --> 01:15:10.160
crossings is does represent a threat .

01:15:11.640 --> 01:15:14.310
Sure . I think there's a possibility or

01:15:14.310 --> 01:15:16.630
probability of contraband or people

01:15:16.630 --> 01:15:18.630
with ralph Fiennes aforethought and

01:15:18.630 --> 01:15:20.686
criminals and terrorists and all the

01:15:20.686 --> 01:15:22.741
kinds of that's all possible . And I

01:15:22.741 --> 01:15:24.686
think the border protection of any

01:15:24.686 --> 01:15:26.908
nation , sovereignty of any nation is a

01:15:26.908 --> 01:15:29.130
national security issue for any country

01:15:29.130 --> 01:15:29.030
to include ours . I also think that the

01:15:29.030 --> 01:15:31.141
primary responsibility do that is law

01:15:31.141 --> 01:15:33.197
enforcement of the United States . I

01:15:33.197 --> 01:15:35.030
understand , uh , We've taken $2

01:15:35.030 --> 01:15:36.740
billion dollars away from the

01:15:36.740 --> 01:15:38.962
Department of Defense to build a wall .

01:15:39.340 --> 01:15:43.210
Uh do you think we should based on

01:15:43.210 --> 01:15:45.377
your assessment of the threat ? Do you

01:15:45.377 --> 01:15:48.280
think walls will help ? Are you just

01:15:48.280 --> 01:15:50.770
not able to give me an answer on that ?

01:15:52.340 --> 01:15:54.780
I think there's other ways to to to

01:15:54.780 --> 01:15:57.900
work to control the border senator .

01:15:57.910 --> 01:16:01.760
I'm not sure that . So you're okay with

01:16:01.770 --> 01:16:03.880
biden decision to stop building the

01:16:03.880 --> 01:16:06.910
wall ? I I certainly support my

01:16:06.910 --> 01:16:08.900
president's decision . All right ,

01:16:08.910 --> 01:16:12.840
thank you very much . Uh China

01:16:13.530 --> 01:16:16.050
General Milley in the next

01:16:16.730 --> 01:16:20.060
decade , given what we see today ,

01:16:20.530 --> 01:16:22.474
where is china heading in terms of

01:16:22.474 --> 01:16:25.750
their military capability , china has

01:16:25.750 --> 01:16:29.680
announced publicly , their intent

01:16:29.690 --> 01:16:32.900
to be a peer of the United States and

01:16:32.900 --> 01:16:35.122
to be militarily superior to the United

01:16:35.122 --> 01:16:37.950
States by mid century . They have a

01:16:37.960 --> 01:16:39.793
program , a plan , if you will ,

01:16:40.130 --> 01:16:42.480
national aspiration to do that . And

01:16:42.490 --> 01:16:44.323
they have a very , very powerful

01:16:44.323 --> 01:16:46.730
economy uh and they intend to resource

01:16:46.740 --> 01:16:48.920
that to that end . That's exactly what

01:16:48.920 --> 01:16:51.031
they're going to do in our response .

01:16:51.031 --> 01:16:53.370
Should be , I think we I think it's

01:16:53.370 --> 01:16:55.481
incumbent upon us , the United States

01:16:55.530 --> 01:16:57.940
to make sure that we maintain military

01:16:57.940 --> 01:17:00.410
overmatch relative to china in order to

01:17:00.410 --> 01:17:02.660
maintain peace and deterrence . If we

01:17:02.660 --> 01:17:05.110
fail to do that , it's my personal and

01:17:05.110 --> 01:17:07.221
professional opinion that we're going

01:17:07.221 --> 01:17:09.332
to place a future generation at great

01:17:09.332 --> 01:17:11.443
risk . Couldn't agree with you more .

01:17:11.443 --> 01:17:15.290
Thank you both . Thank you very much .

01:17:15.290 --> 01:17:17.730
And Senator Shaheen , thank you Mr

01:17:17.730 --> 01:17:19.841
Chairman and Secretary Austin General

01:17:19.841 --> 01:17:22.008
Milley , thank you both for being here

01:17:22.008 --> 01:17:24.820
this morning . Um Over the course of

01:17:24.830 --> 01:17:27.230
the almost 20 years of conflict in

01:17:27.230 --> 01:17:30.150
Afghanistan And Iraq , we've relied on

01:17:30.150 --> 01:17:32.900
our partners on the ground to help us

01:17:32.910 --> 01:17:35.800
um particularly in Afghanistan where at

01:17:35.800 --> 01:17:37.970
the time the president announced the

01:17:37.980 --> 01:17:41.280
intent to withdraw , we had 18,000

01:17:41.290 --> 01:17:44.700
Afghans and the Q who say that they are

01:17:44.700 --> 01:17:47.380
being threatened with harm to

01:17:47.380 --> 01:17:49.491
themselves and their families because

01:17:49.491 --> 01:17:51.713
of their willingness to help the United

01:17:51.713 --> 01:17:53.936
States . General Milley , you've stated

01:17:53.936 --> 01:17:55.713
that the department was rapidly

01:17:55.713 --> 01:17:57.960
preparing plans to evacuate afghans

01:17:57.960 --> 01:17:59.849
that have worked with the U . S .

01:17:59.849 --> 01:18:02.016
Government . Can you give us an update

01:18:02.016 --> 01:18:04.238
on those plans and whether you think we

01:18:04.238 --> 01:18:06.690
are in a position with what appears to

01:18:06.690 --> 01:18:10.350
be a rapid um

01:18:10.720 --> 01:18:14.230
end to our withdrawal from Afghanistan

01:18:14.240 --> 01:18:16.240
to help those people who are in the

01:18:16.240 --> 01:18:19.880
queue ? Yes , Senator , uh and I said

01:18:19.880 --> 01:18:21.824
those remarks a couple weeks ago ,

01:18:22.120 --> 01:18:24.342
planning is ongoing . The Department of

01:18:24.342 --> 01:18:26.830
State is the lead agency uh to work

01:18:26.830 --> 01:18:29.740
with any host nation on the evacuation

01:18:29.750 --> 01:18:33.200
of citizens who desire that . In that

01:18:33.200 --> 01:18:35.422
case , in the case of Afghanistan , the

01:18:35.422 --> 01:18:37.589
special immigrant Visa program , State

01:18:37.589 --> 01:18:39.811
Department running that they're working

01:18:39.811 --> 01:18:42.033
it . We the Department offense with the

01:18:42.033 --> 01:18:44.144
military are in support of Department

01:18:44.144 --> 01:18:46.144
of State's plans were working uh at

01:18:46.144 --> 01:18:48.311
echelon from embassy all the way up to

01:18:48.311 --> 01:18:50.367
Washington . See lots of planning is

01:18:50.367 --> 01:18:52.589
ongoing . Various contingencies are out

01:18:52.589 --> 01:18:54.756
there and we have to wait and see what

01:18:54.756 --> 01:18:56.644
the what the situation is . As it

01:18:56.644 --> 01:18:58.830
develops . We the military are capable

01:18:58.830 --> 01:19:01.052
of doing basically whatever is directed

01:19:01.052 --> 01:19:02.997
and we're very confident we can do

01:19:02.997 --> 01:19:05.052
whatever is required . Well , I have

01:19:05.052 --> 01:19:06.997
expressed my concerns to the State

01:19:06.997 --> 01:19:08.997
Department as well . And when I did

01:19:08.997 --> 01:19:11.590
that A month or so ago , I understood

01:19:11.590 --> 01:19:13.646
that there were three people who had

01:19:13.646 --> 01:19:15.720
been sent on temporary duty to help

01:19:15.730 --> 01:19:17.841
with the backlog that is not going to

01:19:17.841 --> 01:19:19.860
get us through 18,000 people . And

01:19:19.870 --> 01:19:22.860
given the potential threat , I hope

01:19:22.860 --> 01:19:25.490
that D O . D will coordinate very

01:19:25.490 --> 01:19:27.530
closely with state so that we don't

01:19:27.530 --> 01:19:29.697
have the kind of situation we had when

01:19:29.697 --> 01:19:33.590
we withdrew from Vietnam . Um , could I

01:19:33.600 --> 01:19:36.150
center , if I could My professional

01:19:36.150 --> 01:19:38.372
opinion , I do not see that unfolding .

01:19:38.372 --> 01:19:40.483
I may be wrong . Who knows ? He can't

01:19:40.483 --> 01:19:42.539
predict the future . But I don't see

01:19:42.539 --> 01:19:44.900
Saigon 1975 in Afghanistan . The

01:19:44.910 --> 01:19:48.080
Taliban are not the north , the Taliban

01:19:48.080 --> 01:19:50.302
just aren't the North Vietnamese army .

01:19:50.302 --> 01:19:52.524
It's not a similar , it's not that kind

01:19:52.524 --> 01:19:54.691
of situation . You know , you have our

01:19:54.691 --> 01:19:56.691
commitment senator that will , this

01:19:56.691 --> 01:19:58.747
department will do everything within

01:19:58.747 --> 01:20:01.390
our power to the number one support the

01:20:01.400 --> 01:20:03.780
State Department's efforts . Uh , if

01:20:03.780 --> 01:20:06.350
we're required to generate capabilities

01:20:06.350 --> 01:20:08.930
like transportation , whatever required

01:20:08.930 --> 01:20:12.020
to do , uh we'll be fully behind

01:20:12.030 --> 01:20:15.950
uh this effort . Well , thank you .

01:20:15.960 --> 01:20:17.850
Just to follow up a little bit on

01:20:17.860 --> 01:20:20.250
Senator Collins question about the

01:20:20.250 --> 01:20:22.194
impact on women and girls . And we

01:20:22.194 --> 01:20:24.306
discussed this General Milley several

01:20:24.306 --> 01:20:26.528
weeks ago , but are we working with our

01:20:26.528 --> 01:20:28.750
international partners to protect those

01:20:28.750 --> 01:20:31.860
vulnerable populations f as we leave ?

01:20:31.870 --> 01:20:35.580
And once we have left , I think we're

01:20:35.580 --> 01:20:37.524
doing everything we the military ,

01:20:37.524 --> 01:20:39.691
doing everything we can to ensure that

01:20:39.691 --> 01:20:41.691
those that worked with us and those

01:20:41.691 --> 01:20:43.913
that remain are protected to the extent

01:20:43.913 --> 01:20:46.080
that we have that ability to do that .

01:20:46.080 --> 01:20:48.358
But realistically , if we're not there ,

01:20:48.358 --> 01:20:48.260
we're gonna have very limited impact on

01:20:48.260 --> 01:20:50.427
the protection of those that are still

01:20:50.427 --> 01:20:52.690
uh in Afghanistan . And if certain

01:20:52.690 --> 01:20:55.330
scenarios unfold too early to tell if

01:20:55.330 --> 01:20:57.386
that's going to happen . But if they

01:20:57.386 --> 01:20:59.608
did , then yes , your your concerns and

01:20:59.608 --> 01:21:01.663
everyone else's concerns about women

01:21:01.663 --> 01:21:03.774
and girls are justified . Thank you .

01:21:03.774 --> 01:21:07.310
And I think General Milley , you were

01:21:07.310 --> 01:21:09.500
talking about pivoting to future

01:21:09.500 --> 01:21:11.611
military force and the need to invest

01:21:11.611 --> 01:21:13.990
in hyper sonics and robotics and ai you

01:21:13.990 --> 01:21:16.046
both you also talked about that , Mr

01:21:16.046 --> 01:21:18.101
Secretary and I certainly agree with

01:21:18.101 --> 01:21:20.160
that . But as I look at some of the

01:21:20.160 --> 01:21:23.040
situations where our aggressors have

01:21:23.040 --> 01:21:25.430
been successful in the last decade .

01:21:25.710 --> 01:21:27.960
It's really been through hybrid warfare

01:21:27.970 --> 01:21:31.940
and grey zone efforts . And what are

01:21:31.940 --> 01:21:34.430
we doing to address those ? Because as

01:21:34.430 --> 01:21:36.486
I look at the potential for Vladimir

01:21:36.486 --> 01:21:40.130
Putin to engage again in eastern europe .

01:21:40.510 --> 01:21:43.440
As I look at the potential in

01:21:44.310 --> 01:21:47.580
the asian pacific region , it's those

01:21:47.580 --> 01:21:50.320
efforts that I am most concerned about .

01:21:50.330 --> 01:21:52.520
And so how are we responding on those

01:21:52.520 --> 01:21:56.100
efforts ? He , on the uniform

01:21:56.100 --> 01:21:58.330
side , we just published fact ,

01:21:58.330 --> 01:22:00.340
Secretary just signed the joint

01:22:00.340 --> 01:22:03.590
warfighting concepts uh and in embedded

01:22:03.590 --> 01:22:05.757
within that is a concept of integrated

01:22:05.757 --> 01:22:07.810
deterrence . Uh It's a concept of

01:22:07.810 --> 01:22:10.990
globally integrated operations uh and

01:22:10.990 --> 01:22:13.620
Grey zone operations uh as you as you

01:22:13.620 --> 01:22:15.564
call them and as we call them , uh

01:22:15.564 --> 01:22:17.676
those are fully part of that . And so

01:22:17.676 --> 01:22:19.842
what are we doing specifically ? Socom

01:22:19.842 --> 01:22:22.064
has a very big role to play with all of

01:22:22.064 --> 01:22:24.120
our special forces . Obviously , the

01:22:24.120 --> 01:22:26.342
world , the domain of cyber and space ,

01:22:26.342 --> 01:22:28.453
play a critical role , our ability to

01:22:28.453 --> 01:22:28.030
see and develop intelligence ,

01:22:28.030 --> 01:22:30.252
surveillance and reconnaissance in that

01:22:30.252 --> 01:22:32.308
area . And there's a lot of money in

01:22:32.308 --> 01:22:34.474
this budget to do just that . So those

01:22:34.474 --> 01:22:36.697
are the type of capabilities along with

01:22:36.697 --> 01:22:38.808
other agencies in the government that

01:22:38.808 --> 01:22:41.030
would deal in levels below the level of

01:22:41.030 --> 01:22:43.150
open armed conflict . Uh If you get

01:22:43.150 --> 01:22:45.372
into open armed conflict , you'll still

01:22:45.372 --> 01:22:47.450
face hybrid war with not only

01:22:47.450 --> 01:22:49.617
conventional forces but also irregular

01:22:49.617 --> 01:22:51.950
forces and irregular warfare is one of

01:22:51.950 --> 01:22:54.360
the key parts of the current national

01:22:54.360 --> 01:22:56.590
defense strategy . And I expect you'll

01:22:56.590 --> 01:22:58.368
see that again in the future of

01:22:58.368 --> 01:23:00.479
national defense strategy . Thank you

01:23:00.479 --> 01:23:02.646
very much . I'm out of time but I have

01:23:02.646 --> 01:23:04.812
a final very brief question . Um would

01:23:04.812 --> 01:23:07.460
we be in better shape to protect the

01:23:07.460 --> 01:23:10.990
arctic and other um south china sea and

01:23:10.990 --> 01:23:13.510
other aspects of our oceans ? If we

01:23:13.510 --> 01:23:15.566
remember the law of the sea treaty ?

01:23:18.500 --> 01:23:21.470
I would I personally think it's a good

01:23:21.470 --> 01:23:23.414
idea to support the law of the sea

01:23:23.414 --> 01:23:25.526
treaty because it's all about freedom

01:23:25.526 --> 01:23:27.581
of navigation . We are the principal

01:23:27.581 --> 01:23:29.414
nation that advocates freedom of

01:23:29.414 --> 01:23:31.470
navigation . It's our navy that goes

01:23:31.470 --> 01:23:31.140
around on a day to day basis ,

01:23:31.140 --> 01:23:33.251
enforcing freedom of navigation . Are

01:23:33.251 --> 01:23:36.120
uh implementing that . Uh and I think

01:23:36.120 --> 01:23:38.231
the large C . Is a key part to that .

01:23:38.500 --> 01:23:40.950
So I would I would advocate for doing

01:23:40.950 --> 01:23:42.230
that . Yes , thank you .