Senate Hearing LIVE — Pete Hegseth Interrupted Mid-Testimony As Chaos Breaks Out In Senate Hearing

[0:00] with general officers we will continue to make changes as necessary with general officers [0:04] and they will be in keeping with the trajectory of where we would like to take the department but it [0:08] doesn't take away from the service of those and i think you you will note that every officer that's [0:14] been um asked to leave has been treated with respect interesting uh of the two dozen officers [0:22] that you have fired for reasons unrelated to performance since you have not indicated any [0:28] cores sixty percent are black or females uh now did the president direct you to single out female and [0:37] black officers to be dismissed senator uh of course not and as we've emphasized at this department from [0:46] the beginning the only metric is merit uh this this members on this committee and the previous [0:53] leadership of this department were focused on hype you know social engineering race and gender in ways [0:58] that we think were unhealthy for the department focusing on those things making decisions based [1:03] on those things okay in president trump's war department we make decisions based on only one [1:08] thing merit and that's how we've made decisions going forward that's how we've made them and that's [1:12] how we'll make them going well let me go back to general george uh what did he fail in terms of [1:18] his lack of merit to continue serving as i as i said i don't talk about the nature of dismissal no [1:25] out of respect for these officers but ultimately we want to take the department in a particular [1:31] direction certain services in a particular direction and we want leadership that's running as fast in [1:35] that direction as possible and in some cases we make changes accordingly uh but do so out of respect [1:40] to those officers well i think that direction from your behavior is uh an intense interest in christianity [1:48] uh in nationalism and in uh not uh recognizing the talents of women and uh non-white gentlemen and [2:02] that's the wrong direction i don't know what you're insinuating senator but i am not ashamed of my faith [2:07] in jesus christ well i'm you shouldn't be and if you want to shame me for it go ahead i'm not shaming [2:12] you but are you a critical of other faiths i am a believer i'm quite open in that and our department [2:21] allows for a multitude of faiths so i don't know what you're suggesting i've heard the likes of [2:25] things that people like you suggest uh to try to smear my character and i won't give into it no [2:33] i'm sorry mr secretary but uh broadcasting before the national uh religious broadcasters stressing the [2:42] need for more christianity in the military forces doesn't seem like a neutral position in which you [2:48] tolerate and accept all religions let me move on uh the strategic aspects of this operation in iran [2:58] uh the president declared that we're going to destroy their missiles and raise their missile industry [3:05] to the ground and after more than 13 000 strikes unclassified assessments conclude that iran retains [3:12] more than 40 percent of its drone arsenal and 60 percent of its ballistic missile launches compared [3:18] with pre-war pre-war levels that's one of his objectives the uh second objective was uh regime [3:29] change to the great proud people of iran i say tonight that the hour of your freedom is at hand and we [3:34] will finish take over your government well when we finish we'll take over government that has not succeeded [3:41] and then uh one of his other things is the onset of the war the president said we will ensure that iran [3:47] does not obtain a nuclear weapon military operations since iran have not achieved that goal yet [3:54] and it also seems to uh indicate that his pronouncements about operation midnight hammer obliterating [4:02] the nuclear policy and structure of the iranians was false so you have not achieved any of the [4:09] objectives yet that has the president mentioned well in this setting i won't talk about the nature of [4:16] metrics which are which are classified as you know senator but i can say that looking at the objectives we [4:21] set out to achieve from the beginning some of which you laid out uh our military cape our military [4:27] objectives have been stunningly effective look take for example their defense industrial base they're [4:33] completely incapable at scale at any level of reconstituting the capabilities you referred to [4:39] which is a devastating result for any country uh especially one whose ambitions are as wide as [4:45] iran's so we've put the president in a very strong position to ensure uh iran never gets a nuclear weapon [4:52] that's that's the takeaway that's been underneath every single aspect of this for 47 years iran's trying [4:57] to blackmail its way to a nuclear weapon they were closer than ever before because of bad deals under [5:02] previous administration president trump was willing to do something about it and not allow their [5:06] conventional missile shield that's the north korea strategy that's to be clear what iran was pursuing [5:13] hiding their nuclear ambitions revealing them over time and then building a conventional shield of [5:18] missiles so powerful that no country would challenge them for fear of what would happen if they unleashed [5:24] that arsenal weekend after the 12-day war in midnight hammer which did obliterate their their their sites [5:30] president trump saw an opportunity because their ambitions continued to ensure that umbrella of nuclear [5:36] blackmail uh did not allow them to get to a nuclear weapon and the world is safer because of his bold and [5:42] historic choice mr secretary i think that's rhetorical but not factual thank you thank you senator reed [5:54] mr secretary mr hurst general kane welcome over the last several months i've worked closely with some of [6:02] the new direct reporting program managers and i've been encouraged by how they're approaching the [6:08] department's most complex acquisition systems general white's pulled forward the next milestone for the [6:16] sentinel program by at least six months general gutline has completed the initial blueprint for the golden dome [6:24] architecture and is beginning to build it out for years this committee has known that we must [6:31] improve our ability to defend our homeland against a wider variety of threats and we finally have a [6:38] partner with the full backing of the department to lead the charge mr secretary what's the advantage of [6:46] this new type of program management structure well thank you for the question senator it's it's acquisition [6:54] authority technical authority contracting authority it's consolidating decision making in one place under a [7:01] highly screened highly capable general general white and general gutline who know that terrain extremely [7:07] well uh and understand what mistakes have been made in the past in programs of that magnitude and then [7:12] are given the authority to cut through the red tape they that's the key there's there's successor [7:19] failure lands with them and they know it and as a result they're incentivized to ensure that program [7:24] and then given every dollar and authority needed to move it as quickly as possible so whether it's sentinel [7:28] whether it's f-47 whether it's golden dome for america these critical strategic assets the direct [7:34] report uh it construct along with deputy secretary feinberg who is a national treasure and is changing [7:42] the way we do business at this department is giving us a chance to ensure these critical systems are [7:46] delivered thank you and general kane can you uh give us your thoughts on why the golden dome received the [7:54] re why they must receive that requested 17 billion dollars in funding for the fiscal year 27. well [8:03] senator it's uh as you know it's a it's an essential part of our homeland security layered defense and as [8:09] as general gutline begins to do the work that you're asking about and frankly helping to advance um you [8:16] know the insurance around that down payment charging the defense industrial base with those capital [8:23] allocations will allow them to get after it much much quicker we appreciate the help and if there's [8:29] a delay in that funding well i i hopefully there won't be senator because we've got a leader on that [8:36] account 24 7 365 but if we do we'll always um of course come back and and talk to the congress but also [8:44] figure out what has to be true to uh help that constraint get removed in that production system [8:51] and that's really what we're asking these leaders to do is to be able to get past the theory of [8:56] constraints okay thank you uh secretary hagseth i agree with your statement on nuclear deterrence [9:03] when you said nothing else matters if we don't get this right so we will we need a modernized nuclear [9:11] triad and nc3 architecture that can credibly deter multiple adversaries instead of an insufficient [9:20] nuclear force structure based on fundamentally flawed assumptions made 16 years ago our presidents [9:28] must also have a more diverse set of options so that they can effectively manage more complex nuclear [9:36] escalation dynamics so mr secretary how does this budget request achieve those objectives well thank [9:46] you for your leadership on this issue for a very long time uh first and foremost it it invests in [9:51] it 71 billion dollars in our nuclear triad and nc3 understanding that if you get that wrong you get [9:58] everything else wrong frankly it's why the iran effort is so important imagine what the situation in the [10:04] region would look like if iran also wielded a nuclear weapon and the limits it would put on our capabilities [10:11] in those situations our adversaries have to deal with that dilemma because of the strength [10:15] of our nuclear triad so that 71 billion dollar investment the derpums that have been put over [10:20] top of it to move those systems left as you acknowledged uh it it's it's just been a priority [10:26] since we came in into the into the building and we're funding it accordingly and chairman kane uh secretary [10:35] hagseth uh whoever would like to answer this should our nuclear command control and communication [10:42] systems like the sayoc be given the same level of priority as congress considers the department's [10:50] budget request as our as our triad i i think so but i defer to the chairman yeah yes ma'am we've got [11:00] to be able to see to anything so yes ma'am thank you senator shaheen you are recognized thank you madam chair [11:09] um secretary hegseth congress enacted 400 million dollars to provide security assistance to ukraine [11:16] in january now the committee received a notification just yesterday confirming only that the funding would [11:24] go toward ukraine it contained no details about the type of equipment no delivery timelines nothing that is [11:31] typically included in these notifications and when asked about the delay in funding the committee was [11:37] told that bridge colby was developing a spend plan but we've received nothing so when can we expect [11:45] the full spend plan for this appropriation and madam chair can i if this is not all already part of the [11:52] record for the committee can i um enter it into the record we acknowledge and are executing on the [12:01] european capacity building amount of 400 million that you referred to uh under secretary colby's done a [12:08] great job looking at uh options and worked very closely with our european commander uh general grinkowicz so [12:15] his requests of what makes the most sense will inform what ultimately is invested in well this notification says [12:23] that ucom coordinated on the spin plan in march but general grinkowicz told this committee on april 16th that he had not yet been [12:32] asked to review any spin plan for this appropriation so general kane have you received the spin plan for [12:40] funds in ukraine and have you asked the ucom commander for his concurrence uh i do not believe so but i will [12:49] find out senator and get back to you by the end of the day thank you um and yesterday mr hurst you told [12:58] the house that you needed to seek legal review to appropriate the funds as congress intended [13:04] so can you share with us what the nature of that legal review is and seems to me the law was pretty [13:11] clear i saw it it was part of the defense appropriations bill that we passed in january [13:17] and as you know violating congressional intent on appropriating funds is a violation of the [13:22] impoundment control act so what's the nature of the legal review that you have to get thanks for [13:28] the question senator what we're looking at is if we could use the funds in the same manner as usai [13:33] and we had our council look at that and so they provide us a legal opinion on how the funds could [13:37] be used to support european capacity building and can you share with this committee what that legal [13:43] opinion is ma'am i don't have a copy of that but we can ask the ogc office if they can supply it to you [13:50] madam chair can we ask that that legal opinion is shared with the committee officially thank you [13:57] um also i don't know who can answer this but it says that um consistent with the president's priority [14:10] to shift the financial burden of ukraine support to european partners the united states will seek [14:15] commensurate financial contributions via the prioritized ukraine requirements list or pearl [14:23] from the european partners for this program so um what's the justification for using pearl when [14:31] there's 400 million dollars in appropriated funds can somebody pearl pearl is a reflection of the [14:37] president's priority and the belief that any weapons that are supplied are paid for by european [14:42] partners and used as they see fit whether it's ukraine that was not the intent of congress in providing [14:48] that 400 million as i understand the pearl program the europeans purchase those weapons from the united [14:56] states and they pay for them but this appropriation was 400 million dollars that congress expected [15:03] to be provided to ukraine not paid for by the europeans but provided from the united states to support [15:12] ukraine so again i don't understand what the justification is for using pearl [15:18] when that's not the intent that congress provided so we're following the intent of european capacity [15:25] building and but at the same time recognizing that wherever pearl can be utilized so that you [15:30] the europeans contribute to that fight uh per the burden sharing approach this president takes [15:35] is congressional intent and that's what i'm asking you why you're using pearl to do something [15:42] that congress intended to go directly to ukraine well we look forward to working with you on that [15:48] what was the legal opinion on this have did you ask the attorneys if the 400 million could be [15:55] used for the pearl program let's get back to you we'll take it for the record ma'am thank you and [16:01] what portion of the funding that's committed from the europeans under pearl is being used to assist [16:07] ukraine rather than restocking our own shelves can you answer that um that's up to that's up to europe [16:14] ultimately uh europe pays for and any weapons that we provide and they can utilize them as they see [16:20] fit whether it's ukraine or otherwise uh thank you senator shaheen there have been a number of times [16:27] when our witnesses have uh stated both in the closed hearing and up here that they will get back to us [16:33] and we we certainly hope that will happen um very expeditiously so thank you very much and thank you [16:40] senator shaheen senator cotton thank you gentlemen for your appearance today um mr secretary you provided [16:47] us with a chart here entitled the arsenal of freedom um which includes a lot of sites that you've [16:52] visited my favorite one is down here in south arkansas camden where you and i had a chance to visit just a [16:59] couple months ago um highlighting the great work that the people they are doing to help rebuild um our [17:07] arsenal of freedom um thank you first off for being there and for your kind words for the workforce of [17:15] the people of south arkansas uh isn't it fair to say that that the war in iran just like the ukraine [17:22] war uh before it and still today hasn't caused any challenges with our munitions the way some of our [17:30] democratic colleagues would say but it's exposed to a decades-old problem of brittleness and fragility [17:36] in our defense industrial base before you and general kane took over and that we're trying to address [17:41] right now um in many ways that's precisely what we're trying to address we also have a situation [17:47] where president trump rebuilt our military in the first term and a lot of those munitions and a lot [17:52] of those capabilities were sent to ukraine under the previous administration to the point where when [17:57] we ask our commanders or when we look at old plans the answer often is that was sent to ukraine so [18:03] the recognition of those two things has as the president gave us a charge from day one to rebuild the [18:09] arsenal of freedom to fast forward not to provide a little bit more of each thing but 2x 3x 4x the [18:15] number of exquisite munitions that we need the expenditures that we've seen under this administration [18:20] we can we can account for them and we ensure that other old plans and elsewhere are well taken care of [18:25] so on the munitions front we're in really good shape but we need to accelerate and that's exactly what [18:30] and i think that's an important point you make is that we're not just trying to fill a hole that was [18:35] created by epic fury or by support for ukraine we're going to fill that and then go much beyond [18:41] that for our needs in the future so we're never caught where we were um over the last several years [18:47] uh with work what these worries about munitions running short is that right mr secretary that's [18:51] exactly right the president has charged up with not just replacing anything but filling it up as he [18:56] might say to the tippy top make sure that the remainder of this term and future presidents have [19:02] all the munitions they need for any level of contingencies especially considering the dangerous [19:06] world we live in i want to turn now to operation epic fury it's been a smashing military success [19:12] unfortunately we have suffered casualties to include soldiers killed in the line of action [19:19] obviously our military takes the greatest steps possible to protect our troops whether they are in [19:25] action or whether they are on bases in the region um no war though is antiseptic uh mr secretary [19:31] could you explain some of the steps we've taken to try to minimize the greatest extent we can [19:36] uh the number of casualties we've taken in the middle east first of all every um every day we [19:41] live to ensure that we follow through on the legacy of those who gave everything so that's front and [19:45] center for us but i can also say and the chairman may want to weigh in from the beginning of looking at [19:50] the the the possibility of this contingency setting the defense and ensuring that admiral cooper and [19:56] everyone throughout centcom had every possible measure they could to ensure that our troops are [20:01] protection force protection was maximized was the top priority moving assets to the region we [20:07] integrated our air defenses with local gulf cut with gulf countries to ensure our shot doctrine was [20:12] maximized whether it's ballistic missiles or on drones uh flowing in the most recent uh capabilities to [20:19] ensure we can intercept drones moving troops off the x i think what people mostly don't know is that a [20:26] massive effort was undertaken before this conflict to move as many humans off of targets to other [20:32] places and maintain operational security about where they might be to minimize the space with which [20:38] iran could hit we always knew something getting through was was a possible was a tragic possibility [20:43] but i can assure you from our perspective that was priority number one as it was admiral cooper's [20:48] to ensure that fortification and missile defenses were right there when we went on offense if we had to [20:54] general kane do you have anything to add well in addition to just again mourning our fallen from [21:00] the 103rd what i'll add to the secretary's comments is after every tragic loss commanders [21:06] at every echelon within our joint force are going to go back and look at what was our plan and what [21:12] lessons we can learn from this so that we protect and defend uh our soldiers sailors and other members [21:19] of the joint force the next time thank you and i know you do and i just wanted to give you the opportunity [21:23] to speak to what you've done to try to prevent um casualties and minimize them obviously again no [21:29] war is antiseptic one final question i understand you've been accused of lying to the president [21:33] uh mr hexath have you lied to the president at all about what's happening in iran or epic fury [21:38] only tell the truth to the president general kane have you lied to the president about what's [21:42] happening in iran or operation epic fury never i suspected that would be your answer but since [21:46] you were accused of it and deep staters are leaking to the media about as well i just wanted to give [21:50] you a chance to answer on the record that of course you've always given the president a completely [21:54] accurate picture of what's happening thank you gentlemen thank you very much senator cotton [21:57] senator jillibrand and then senator rounds thank you gentlemen for appearing before this committee [22:02] and thank you for the closed session prior to this i don't know if you fully appreciate how much [22:08] the american people do not support this war it is an unauthorized war normally when you come to [22:14] congress it's a way for the american people to be part of that discussion the american people [22:21] particularly in my state of new york are upset for a lot of reasons first of all this war is costing [22:27] so much money over 25 billion dollars already estimates a billion dollars a day and they're [22:34] feeling it every single day at the gas pump with higher prices for both fuel for diesel for gasoline for [22:41] their cars they're also feeling it with higher grocery costs and they're exhausted they are truly exhausted [22:48] on top of that on top of that they have so many grave concerns about how this war is being prosecuted [22:58] they read in the paper that 22 schools have been hit they read in the paper about a girl's school [23:06] hundreds getting killed we have a debate going on in this country about ai a serious debate about ai [23:15] and i haven't heard yet from you that you will not allow ai to make final targeting determinations [23:22] even when nuclear weapons are being used that's a huge issue that we need to discuss [23:27] so i want to start from the top secretary hegseth why do you continue to prosecute a war that the [23:33] american people aren't behind uh first of all i appreciate the opportunity for that closed session [23:41] where we had a unsurprisingly very different discussion than we have here with the cameras on [23:46] we support this because my job is to represent new yorkers and i can tell you [23:50] when i talk to them all across my state they are furious and they expect me to explain to them [23:59] why they are furious and senator when i talk to americans and especially when i talk to the troops [24:04] they are grateful for a president who has the courage to take on this threat after 47 years of [24:08] what iran has done targeting and killing americans and what it would mean to the world if iran's nuclear [24:14] ambitions were actually achieved so the question i would ask to you and to others is what is the cost of a [24:19] nuclear-armed iran what is the cost to the american people if the world's most dangerous regime has a [24:25] nuclear weapon but the truth is they don't want war coming to this shore and when you do a decapitation [24:30] operation the likelihood is going to be exchanged in the united states there's no evidence that we are [24:36] safer because of this war we did not have any evidence that iran intended to imminently attack [24:41] this country in any way shape or form so i disagree with your assessment that we were under threat [24:47] do you not believe them when they say death to america listen our adversaries use rhetoric all [24:53] the time what i'm concerned about is we are not safer and i would just like to know why you have [25:00] not sought the support of the american people and three out of five americans are against this war today [25:08] i believe we do have the support of the american people and we have briefed regularly what this mission [25:13] looks like and why it's critically important that we undertake it and i would remind you and this group [25:17] that we're two months in to an effort and many congressional democrats as i pointed out want [25:23] to declare defeat two months in iraq took how many years afghanistan took how many years and they [25:29] were nebulous missions that people went along with this is different this is a defined mission set [25:35] that we have had great success in pursuing against the determined enemy who seeks nuclear weapons and [25:41] i'm and i'm proud of the opportunity to remind the american people because they believe in it as well [25:45] are not supporting this war you don't care when the american people and they're the american people [25:51] are quite smart they understand and see through spin they know that a regime that says death to [25:56] america that seeks nuclear weapons and the ability to deliver did they lie about the range of their [26:01] missiles how much because i i saw a 4 000 kilometer to pay for this war right now do you want it a [26:08] billion dollars a day do you want two billion dollars a day you're asking for 200 billion dollars more to [26:13] fund this war and to make sure we didn't ask for 200 billion dollars i don't know where you got that [26:17] number from senator i think you got it from the news which you should be careful where you what you [26:21] read in the news okay mr hegseth here secretary hegseth here's a few more let's talk about how you're [26:27] prosecuting the war what is your response to targeting that has resulted in the destruction of schools [26:35] hospitals civilian places why did you cut by 90 percent the division that's supposed to help you [26:42] not target civilians and do you know the impact of a strategic failure at a war when you have so [26:48] many civilian casualties you may have tactically completed a mission well but strategically is not [26:54] meeting your goals because of the harms to civilians what is the cost of time for an answer no military [27:01] no country works harder at every echelon to ensure they protect civilian lives than the united states [27:07] military and that is a ironclad commitment that we make no matter how no matter what systems why [27:12] did you cut the department by 90 percent thank thank you senator jillibrand there'll be other rounds [27:17] of questions um senator rounds you are now recognized thank you miss thank you mr chairman first of all [27:24] thank you to all of you for your service to our country um let me just allow you to finish the [27:30] answer a little bit with regard uh to the senator from new york does the united states military ever [27:38] target a civilian center well thank you senator unlike our adversaries unlike radical islamists [27:46] unlike those that target civilians or use civilians as shields the united states military ab never [27:54] targets civilians and puts constructs in place to ensure that the maximum extent possible we do not [28:01] harm or or hit civilians is war a difficult place with a lot of complexities absolutely right but no [28:07] country does more and no department does more than than our department do you still have all of the [28:12] resources necessary to assure that every uh opportunity to eliminate that as a threat in terms of that [28:20] happening do we still have the resources available in the department to make sure that we do the best we [28:26] can never to hit a civilian target every resource necessary at every echelon is available legal intel and [28:33] otherwise to ensure that we minimize at every extent possible civilian casualties and the suggestion was [28:39] made that somehow ai might be used without a human in the loop which is a classic anthropic talking point [28:45] which is half of what we talked about previously uh there is a human in the loop on decisions that are [28:51] made uh and the suggestion otherwise is to suggest that somehow ai is running targeting thank you um right now [29:00] part of what we're also talking about is not just are we engaged right now in terms of trying to [29:06] eliminate the threat from iran in terms of being a nuclear armed country but we've also got staring [29:11] with us as well the fact that we have an ongoing principle threat with regard to a pacing threat with [29:17] china the dual capable b-21 raider will be a critical part of both our conventional and our nuclear [29:25] deterrence against china and russia as you know the air force's program of record includes plans to procure [29:31] 100 b-21s but many national security experts and leaders including stratcom commander admiral corral [29:38] and indopacom commander admiral paparro are calling for a greater number of b-21s admiral paparro [29:45] testified here last week that he would favor buying 200 b-21s uh secretary hegseth and chairman kane [29:54] could you speak to the progress and the importance of the b-21 program and if you agree with the growing [30:00] sentiment that the u.s needs to revisit the b-21 program of record and assess the requirement for [30:05] at least 200 b-21s to match the global threat would you would you speak just to exactly what that would [30:12] mean and what the probability of that is thank you for the question and i appreciate the fact that you're [30:18] listening to and hearing from combatant commanders because that's who we listen to as well who are [30:23] looking at the operational plans and what would be required to ensure we deter and if necessary defeat [30:28] assets like the b-21 or the f-47 are critical to that that's why we're funding them and increasing [30:34] the funding and where necessary would increase the allocation uh and i think you see a a budget that [30:39] reflects the the reality that we have to invest in more capabilities to include the b-21 uh which [30:47] is ahead of schedule uh and will uh we will be funding to the tune of six billion and we believe uh [30:52] will be require a lot more over a hundred in the future but i'll defer to the chairman hey sir uh [30:57] thank you for the question working working through the the j-rock and the and the vice chiefs i'll [31:02] absolutely stack hands around assessing the requirement and we're glad to see b-21 on the on the flight [31:09] path no pun intended uh that it's on through through operational testing um on the on the specific [31:17] numbers the one sort of big picture strategic thing i want to say is we will make we want to make sure [31:23] as we think through what does air power of the future look like based on the evolving threat [31:27] that we're staying well in front of it and so that's the only thing we'll look at in the assessment [31:32] but i i'm on board with assessing the numbers um i want to make sure we're buying ahead of the [31:38] technology development curve so that we give all those young war fighters out there [31:42] the capabilities that we need well into the future is there any question at all that we're going to [31:47] need more than 100 b b21s i want to go back here's how i'll look at it senator i want to go back and [31:55] look at the old plans right now that we have uh to make sure that we allocate those numbers so i i i [32:00] don't believe so but i i do want to take the due diligence time if you'll allow me to look at that [32:06] center i appreciate the opportunity to visit with you and to uh clarify yes sir absolutely what that [32:11] number should look like in the near future yes sir thank you thank you very much senator round [32:15] senator blumenthal thank you mr chairman uh thank you for being here today i want to talk about the [32:22] costs of war the costs of war include caring for our veterans we've had an estimate from mr hurst [32:32] yesterday that the cost to date in dollars for this war has been 25 billion dollars which i believe is [32:42] well below the actual cost based on everything that i've heard everything available to us in various [32:50] kinds of settings and i'm going to ask for a more accurate assessment but we also know that about 400 [32:57] service members have been wounded as a result of this war when they retire when they come home their [33:07] retirement pay will be docked dollar for dollar for every disability benefit dollar they receive [33:18] secretary hegseth i'd like your commitment that you will support the major richard star act that will [33:26] eliminate this wounded warrior tax i'm sure you're familiar with it tens of thousands of servicemen and [33:34] women now are reduced in their retirement pay literally for every dollar of disability benefits [33:43] they receive well i appreciate your focus on this issue and i will tell you of the you mentioned [33:48] roughly 400 that have been injured thankfully over 90 percent are returned to duty but that doesn't [33:54] mean they wouldn't have a residual challenge and we're tracking that at point of injury to ensure [33:59] that that is noted even though they're returned to duty but but what i'd like is your commitment that [34:04] you will support the major richard as i have said in the past to other organizations we support the [34:09] richard star act thank you uh on the issue of cost uh mr hurst uh does that 25 billion dollar estimate [34:21] include all of the costs in terms of damage to our bases the need to replace planes and munitions and [34:35] the costs of injuries to our servicemen and women senator so uh for the milcon facilities replacement cost [34:45] that's probably the hardest thing to estimate right now because we don't know what our future [34:48] posture is going to be or the future construction of those bases well you owe it to us you're here [34:52] to ask for appropriations and uh i would like a more accurate estimate of what has been done that [35:04] will require replacement and renovation as well as the other costs and i think 25 billion is probably [35:14] less than half maybe less than a quarter of the total cost of war which is the reason why [35:19] the supplemental request is much higher so i think you owe it to the american people to give us [35:26] the straight talk about what the costs have been mr secretary um i know you have characterized [35:34] this war as a astonishing military success to use your words yesterday but the american people aren't [35:45] buying it and i know you feel the american people are seeing through the abstruse stuff that is thrown at [35:56] them but one point is irrefutable which is america never succeeds in war unless the american people are behind [36:05] it and if what you're seeing as success now is winning i would hate to see what losing looks like [36:16] because none of the shifting and contradictory objectives of the war so far have been achieved [36:22] likewise let me ask you yesterday the president said that ukraine has been quote militarily defeated [36:31] i assume you don't agree with that assessment um the negative nature in which you characterize the [36:40] incredible and historic effort in iran is part of the reason senator why the american people view it the [36:46] way they do it's why i looked out at our press corps at the pentagon and called them the pharisees in [36:49] the press because they look for every problem i'm asking you look for every problem that exists [36:55] militarily defeated you missed i would submit based on my nine trips to ukraine that is [37:04] a false narrative that the president's we are two months into a historic military success in iran [37:09] and you want to call it a defeat and it's defeatist democrats like you that cloud the mind of the [37:14] american people fighting and would otherwise fully support preventing in iran from having a nuclear [37:19] weapon administration and they are bravely fighting our fight and that is the reason that i'm pursuing [37:26] the russian sanctions bill which is bipartisan along with senator graham and why i hope we will [37:32] recognize our obligation to release that 400 million dollars thank you we've appropriate thank you [37:36] senator blumenthal senator ernst thank you mr chair and and thank you gentlemen for being here today i [37:43] really do appreciate your time to be with us um i before i i begin some of my questions i do want to [37:51] start with something personal and both to you uh secretary hegseth and to uh the chairman i want to thank you [37:57] both for the time that you take to recognize our fallen and those that have given uh of course during [38:06] this administration given their all uh you have traveled to dover and have been there to greet [38:12] those families and to welcome home the fallen i've been there with you and iowa has been hit in [38:18] particular very hard we lost two of our iowa national guardsmen from the second brigade combat team 34th [38:25] infantry division secretary hegseth you know full well the 34th but we also lost six members from the 103rd [38:34] sustainment command expeditionary based out of des moines iowa during this current conflict and again [38:42] your presence there meant a lot to the families it also meant a lot to me so thank you very much for [38:49] taking the time to do that um secretary hegseth you and i have had many discussions um over uh the [38:56] course of many months now regarding general officer positions and you know i i believe that we were [39:04] operating in good faith as we talked through a couple of those in particular two iowans general mingus [39:10] and general randy george i was disappointed to see that their retirements were hastened [39:17] over what i i believed uh had been had been set out by you and the administration so i just want to [39:25] take the time to list out some of general randy george's accomplishments as army chief of staff [39:33] he pulled the army out of its worst recruiting crisis since the vietnam era exceeding fiscal year 2024 [39:40] recruiting goals and welcoming more than 61 000 new soldiers recruitment numbers that both you and the [39:47] president talk a lot about and rightfully so he cut five percent of general officer positions 12 [39:54] positions that were deemed as non-essential in the army and he reduced the army headquarters by 1 000 [40:01] personnel he co-authored the army transformation initiative which is a comprehensive response aligned [40:08] with your directives and he testified here in front of congress and took a lot of heat [40:14] defending that army transformation he was suddenly let go at the beginning of april 2026 general george's [40:24] merits which i firmly believe in he enlisted at the age of 17. he is a west point graduate he had four [40:32] combat deployments he served in desert storm iraq and afghanistan he had 38 years of honorable service [40:41] he achieved the greatest army recruitment and modernization effort in a generation so i want to [40:49] thank him for his service and i would like to enter into the record mr chair uh the speeches that i did [40:58] honoring general randy a george on his retirement and general james j mingus on his retirement without [41:06] objection they'll be admitted thank you very much um i'd like to to talk a little bit about the audit [41:13] mr secretary um i saw the video that you posted this week calling on the department to class pass a clean [41:20] audit and thank you for doing that it's something that we talked about during your confirmation hearing [41:26] fiscal responsibility at the department has been a priority of mine for a very long time [41:31] and i think it's time that we build on that momentum it's extremely important and that's why i'm [41:38] pushing for my receipts act in this year's ndaa it's focused on improving financial traceability and [41:45] accountability across the department and if you could talk a little bit more about the efforts in making [41:52] sure that we are being much more accountable to our taxpayers what is that effort going to entail when [41:59] will we see a clean audit as i said senator thank you for your work on on the audit uh that has been [42:05] a priority of our department from day one uh and we put in place uh goals and benchmarks to get to fy [42:11] 28 get to 28 for a clean audit the joint task force audit which we announced was a reflection of even [42:17] more capabilities we want to push forward and centralize authority to make sure it happens uh jay's [42:22] been involved from the beginning we also have a new ig who uh the new ig's focus one of his focus [42:28] points is precisely this and he's prepared uh to work with us to ensure we reach it so i think at [42:34] every level and through this budget it's a focus okay thank you we look forward to seeing a clean audit [42:39] thank you mr thank you senator senator hirono thank you mr chairman before i begin my questions i'd like [42:47] to take a moment to highlight the true costs of this war both for the military and everyday americans [42:54] uh the true costs of the president's illegal war with iran and since the start of the war 13 14 brave [43:02] u.s service members have been killed and more than 400 have been wounded we've burned through over 25 [43:09] billion dollars in taxpayer money with no end in sight and the fiscal year 27 budget request is a massive [43:16] 42 percent increase from last year hundreds of critical munitions have been expended and deployments have [43:24] been extended directly impacting service members quality of life military readiness and our ability to [43:33] deter our adversaries the relationships with our allies some of our closest allies and partners have [43:42] been fractured and the closure of the strait of hormuz which somehow caught the president by surprise even [43:50] though he had to have been warned is directly contributing to the affordable crisis that americans [43:57] are facing energy costs are skyrocketing with the price of gas now at its highest level in almost four [44:05] years instability has driven interest rates to its highest level since september of last year the cost of [44:12] fertilizer is spiking which will have a direct impact on the cost of food this illegal war is driving up [44:20] of costs undermining readiness and alienating our allies with neither a clear rationale for starting this war [44:30] nor an exit strategy and when the president was asked how long he'll let this war continue he said [44:39] do not rush me i have a question for our general king relating to women serving in combat and i'd like to [44:48] hear your best military advice does the mere fact of women being in combat armed units lower standards or readiness [44:59] if they meet the physical standards well ma'am the the standards are are set by the civilians we have [45:07] examples of women leading well across the joint force i'll highlight some of our current commanders engaged in [45:16] the fight in epic fury uh specifically one of our bomb squadrons are led by a extraordinary female leader [45:23] who's doing great work and but those standards are set by i'm sorry i mean stephanie i think that your [45:29] answer is that in fact it does not lower standards of readiness readiness second question should every [45:34] service member regardless of gender be permitted to serve in any role including the combat arms if they meet [45:41] the standards established yes or no is that to me ma'am over the last decade since combat arms have been open to women [45:51] have you personally seen any instance where the standard resulted in a degradation in combat effectiveness [46:01] apologies i didn't hear your first question the the you know people policies are all set by the civilian [46:07] leaders in the government could you repeat the question again i'm sorry ma'am over the last decade since combat arms [46:14] have been open to women have you personally seen any instance where the standard resulted in a degradation and combat effectiveness [46:23] um again i'll highlight that the standards are set by our civilian leaders women continue to perform [46:29] uh well across a range of of mos's and jobs and afsc's that are out there no i do need to get [46:37] to a question for secretary hickson prior to your nomination hearing you said women shouldn't serve [46:44] in combat armed units at your confirmation hearing you reverse course and excuse me and you basically [46:52] said as long as the women meet the standards they should be able to serve but um recently you ordered a [46:59] review of the effectiveness of women in combat roles and i am concerned you are laying the groundwork [47:06] to reverse the policy allowing women to serve in these units because right now current law if you [47:12] want to change this policy a current law requires you to submit a report to congress justifying such [47:18] a change so did you order the review to support a potential decision to overturn the policy of having [47:26] women in combat roles we are laser focused on standards the highest male standard for every combat arms [47:33] position should be the standard and 10 years into this we are reviewing it which is what the american [47:38] people would expect also there's nothing illegal about a war that defends the american people and [47:43] prevents iran from having a nuclear bomb you know you didn't answer the question because the reason [47:48] that you're asking for this review i think has to do with your earlier position that you don't think [47:54] women should serve in combat roles so now we have this study and i'd like to ask you will you [47:59] senator will you reveal the study to the public to the american people will you make the study public [48:07] will you make that study yes we're doing the study for that very reason to ensure that real science is [48:14] applied to this this question and not social engineering like the previous administration we [48:18] appreciate your uh assurance that that will be made public yeah i think it's really thank you [48:23] you thank you ma'am uh center scott thank you well first thanks thank each of you for being here [48:31] secretary hitchhift you can talk about you've had the job for a little bit what's your what are you most [48:35] proud of and uh what are your biggest challenges well i appreciate the question and and what i'm most [48:43] proud of is the incredible men and women who serve in our nations in in uniform and what they are [48:49] capable of when they're given a clear mission and unleashed to do it and i think the best reflection [48:55] of the success of president trump and this war department is the historic recruiting success [49:02] and the historic morale amongst our ranks i would encourage every member of this committee democrat [49:07] or republican go into the formations go into the air force formations the army formations the marine [49:13] corps formations and talk to corporals talk to sergeants talk to lieutenants talk to captains talk to [49:19] colonels and what you will find are men and women more inspired to serve in the military than they have [49:25] been in a generation and you see that in the young americans who are rushing to to recruiting stations [49:31] at historic numbers 30-year highs across the force we're hitting our recruiting numbers [49:36] halfway through the year why is that because the american people look at what we're doing at the war [49:42] department by getting back to basics and they're attracted to that same with our retention rates [49:48] which are now merit-based our best sergeants our best leaders are staying that's exactly what we [49:54] want so we've made changes to change the environment uh the renaming of the department to the war [50:00] department is not just a name in fact it's restoring it to the original name of the department set by [50:05] george washington but it's an ethos as well that that warrior ethos lives inside the heart of each one [50:11] of these men and women and we're unleashing it i'm proud of of the i mean you name it the border the [50:15] missions yes those are all incredible demonstrations of that but it's the people and the urgency of americans to [50:21] want to be a part of it that is the best affirmation senator thank you so we've talked about the [50:26] importance of not um relying on chinese drugs uh for our military can you just talk about what um [50:32] the um what you're doing to make sure that we don't continue to rely on china for anything including our [50:37] our drugs oh drugs um absolutely uh we can't be dependent on china on anything that's critical to [50:45] our supply chain even if it's the national industrial base and not just the defense industrial base [50:50] uh and you've been a leader on that this committee's been a leader on that on shoring men bringing [50:55] manufacturing here bringing critical capabilities here uh is central to the inner agency and the nsc [51:02] but also our department uh if any critical weapon system is reliant upon something china could [51:08] change at a moment's notice then we have a uh a true challenge to our ability to produce for the [51:14] american people and so we're finding all of those changing them on shoring it reviving the [51:18] divest you invest the defense industrial base allows us to ensure we're separated from china [51:24] on anything that's critical thank you can you talk about the importance of foreign military sales to [51:29] our allies and our partners and what you're doing to make sure that that um that whether it's what [51:35] you're doing right now in iran or any potential conflict in in asia you our partners have the best [51:42] assets to be able to be a great partner absolutely foreign military sales uh has been a huge problem [51:49] for a long time because the department didn't prioritize it and organized to deliver efficiently [51:53] on it so we're working with the state department we've changed the way we do business internally [51:57] the executive order the america first arms strategy prioritizes what we sell into whom a catalog approach [52:04] but it took us you this committee would be astonished to to know how long it took us just to get our [52:10] arms around who we're selling to what and by what processes which means there was no strategy behind [52:15] ensuring we're sending the proper demand signal to industry and delivering those systems on time and [52:20] under budget to those countries which you can imagine is frustrating to partners who are relying [52:25] on those to be able to step up and burden share so foreign military sales is critical to our own [52:30] defense industrial base more customers more customers for our companies that employ more american [52:35] workers to ensure our allies are properly armed for the fights and they can stand alongside us so [52:40] fms is a is a big one for us senator general kane um i just want to commend you and everybody in the [52:45] military for um what you didn't in is um venezuela and then what you've done in iran um can do the [52:54] willingness of the american military to to fight and win do you think it's changing the calculus for [52:59] beijing and moscow well senator i'm i know they're watching um and i'm incredibly proud uh of the joint [53:08] force um and their ability to integrate and synchronize a range of activities and i suspect [53:15] that my counterpart in china is watching very closely and envious of uh what our joint force is capable [53:23] of doing if ordered to do so well thank each of you and thank everybody that serves under you [53:29] thank you senator scott senator kane thank you mr chair mr hurst i want you to just confirm something [53:35] for me about the president's submitted budget 1.5 trillion dollars is about a 40 plus percent [53:42] increase from fy26 am i right that not a penny of that is to go to a pay raise for the 800 000 [53:52] civilians who work for the department of defense we have uh four two point our 4.2 percent of a [53:58] civilian salary set aside for bonuses uh to make sure we can recognize high performers in the civilian [54:03] workforce but you have guaranteed pay raises for the active duty in the garden reserve component [54:08] but no guaranteed raises for there are guaranteed rates for the military but you know the last year [54:13] this department's given out more civilian bonuses well i you know if we're if we're going to increase [54:17] the defense budget by that much i would hope the committee would take a look at this um chairman kane [54:23] and i like the sound of that chairman kane um general kane i want to ask you a question about [54:29] southern spear it's an operational question i know from your background that you carefully [54:34] act to keep military actions within the rules of war what legal justification could there possibly be [54:43] that would allow the u.s military to strike boats in international waters and kill the occupants of [54:50] those boats without a showing of evidence that there's narcotics on those boats well sir as you know [54:58] our our job is to show the range of options the associated risks and then take those execution uh orders [55:06] transmit them down to the co-coms on legally appropriate and legally backstopped actions [55:14] could you give me a legal justification well sir the execution or i don't have striking boats that do not [55:20] have evidence that they're carrying narcotics i don't know i apologize i didn't mean to interrupt [55:25] you i i don't have a copy of the the order issued to south com with me today it's classified in its own [55:32] right which clearly articulates based on a variety of criteria what constitutes a valid military and legally [55:40] valid target in that theater and i know i just want to say i know and trust that our commanders at [55:47] echelon are rigorously following that legal opinion and those legal boundaries upon which we've been [55:55] issued those orders and and general kane i would encourage again my colleagues i am at a disadvantage [56:01] i've seen the legal opinion but i can't talk about it because it's classified i've seen the targeting [56:06] criteria but i can't talk about them because they're classified i've seen the secret list of dto's [56:13] against whom we have declared war that even they haven't been informed of but i can't talk about [56:18] it because it's classified but i would urge all of my colleagues to go to the skiff and read the [56:25] targeting criteria and get briefed about it and then also look at all of the files of all the strikes [56:30] that have taken place i've done that with the first 46 strikes or so and i think there's a profound [56:37] mismatch between what is occurring and the underlying assumptions in the legal opinion and i would just [56:43] encourage my colleagues to dig into this to secretary hegseth and general kane the war powers resolution [56:49] specifies that a war initiated by a president without congressional approval must be concluded within [56:55] 60 days it can be extended by an additional 30 days if quote the president determines and certifies to [57:03] congress in writing that unavoidable military necessity respecting the safety of the u.s armed forces [57:09] requires the continued use of such armed forces in the course of bringing about a prompt removal [57:16] of such forces we're right at the 60-day deadline is the president intending to either seek congressional [57:23] authorization for the war in iran or send us the legally required certification that he needs an [57:30] additional 30 days to remove u.s forces from the war just briefly on the previous question there we do [57:38] know that these are designated terrorist organizations so we treat them like the al-qaeda of our hemisphere [57:42] just as a note but but that was not the question i asked i know i know there's more to that question [57:47] i just think it's important for the public to understand that there's no willy-nilly targeting of [57:51] drug boats we know exactly who these people are affiliated i was asking about what's on the boats [57:55] on the on on on iran uh ultimately i would i would defer to the white house and white house council on [58:00] that however we are in a ceasefire right now which our understanding means uh the 60 day clock pauses [58:06] or stops in a ceasefire so you're not in that's it's our understanding just so you know okay well [58:11] i i do not believe the statute would support that i think the 60 days runs maybe tomorrow [58:16] and it's going to pose a a really important legal question for the administration there [58:22] we have serious constitutional concerns and we don't want to layer those with additional [58:27] statutory concerns i yield back mr chair uh thank you very much senator sullivan thank you mr chairman [58:33] thank you gentlemen for your testimony uh mr secretary i mentioned in the classified hearing [58:39] today but i do think the 1.5 trillion dollar top line is historic it meets the needs and the other [58:47] thing is i mentioned in our earlier meeting um you know the president's done a really good job of [58:52] getting other allies nato and asian allies to step up meet a five percent gdp of defense spending and [59:00] um in many ways that's what this is doing as well so isn't that important as well in terms of our [59:06] global leadership what you and the president are uh providing is that example as well i think uh the [59:13] more we step up the more the world should look at the american leadership and example and step up as [59:17] well and they're going to do that it helps we will it remains to be seen whether some of our allies [59:23] actually step up to their commitments but that is that is the hope let me uh go to an element of that [59:28] budget that i i mentioned in the classified hearing you know i always like to put this [59:33] chart up in different hearings we have the examples so we a lot of our uh adversaries the chinese the [59:39] russians in my aor in the arctic in the north pacific these are the numbers just recently eight [59:45] is incursions easy incursions by the russians by the chinese by the way the green ones are joint russian [59:53] chinese strategic bomber task forces joint russian chinese naval task forces uh this is america right [1:00:01] this is a a really important part of uh our national defense so i was pleased to see that one of the [1:00:09] elements in the budget was what's referred to by the air force is the j bear fighter town recapitalization [1:00:18] given how strategically important that air force base is um general can you talk a little bit about [1:00:25] that recapitalization it's uh uh for uh building out what is a very strategic base but old a lot of these [1:00:36] uh facilities are from the 1950s the goal of in the air force's language was to have a recapitalization [1:00:44] to provide a new state-of-the-art fighter facility capable of supporting multiple platforms now and [1:00:50] well into the future 6.9 billion dollar total authorization 2.2 billion dollar appropes for [1:00:58] this year can you talk about the importance i was glad to host you at j bear recently can you talk about [1:01:03] the importance of this element of the president's budget yes senator thank you thank you for uh for that [1:01:08] and you know our investment up at j bear is essential to modernize in the nation's ability to project [1:01:15] power and capabilities and really bolsters uh our effort in not only the indo-pacific but also in the [1:01:22] high north in the arctic which i know is something that's passionate to you the arctic is certainly [1:01:28] becoming more operationally and strategically valuable and we need to be thinking proactively [1:01:35] around how we're going to set the conditions for us to offer a range of options to the secretary and [1:01:41] the president about power projection uh across a range of capabilities and fighters is certainly [1:01:47] one of them and the recap effort that's there um you know it is uh it is our ability to protect that [1:01:54] flank is a national imperative and something that we want to keep uh focused on and we appreciate the [1:01:59] efforts uh across this committee and the rest of the congress to help us with that thank you uh ms [1:02:06] secretary one of the things that i've been talking about and i think is really important now [1:02:10] is american energy and us being a energy dominant president put a recent executive order out [1:02:18] highlighting highlighting the need to accelerate the ability to produce lng in america we have a huge [1:02:28] lng project that we're getting close to getting off the ground in alaska would be huge for our military in [1:02:34] terms of uh energy for our military huge for our allies and can i get your commitment to work with [1:02:41] me and this committee you mentioned in your testimony the office of strategic capital this to me is one of [1:02:48] these projects uh that i think would be absolutely critical for our national security we talked about [1:02:55] this just in admiral paparo's testimony last week he was talking about the alaska lng project is hugely [1:03:02] strategic kind of a private sector american counter to the chinese belt and road initiative i think it'd be [1:03:09] a great opportunity to work with the office of strategic capital can i get your commitment mr secretary [1:03:13] to do that on this project yes very aware of that project and i think it's a the office of strategic [1:03:19] capital is a great place to look at partnering great i appreciate that uh finally i'm just going to ask [1:03:26] 47 years of war that we've had with iran um my colleagues on the other side of the aisle that you [1:03:32] know they talk about uh the civilian uh casualties these are all horrible horrible whenever there's [1:03:40] any civilian casualties but just general um do our forces target civilians ever uh sure not never [1:03:51] intentionally and i don't know in any particular case of unintentional but we don't do that that's [1:03:56] not core to our american values or how we approach things that's one one do our adversaries target [1:04:01] civilians yes sir like the kudz force yes sir i think it's really important as we keep bringing [1:04:07] this topic up uh to remember who we are and who our adversaries uh senator sullivan do you uh ask [1:04:14] unanimous consent to have the two exhibits added to the record yes sir mr chairman without objection [1:04:18] that will be done senator king thank you mr chairman we've had a lot of discussion about iran [1:04:24] i'd like to talk about several other aspects of the budget the first is the way the budget's been [1:04:29] constructed ever since i've been here until last year we've had bipartisan budgets and bipartisan [1:04:37] national defense authorization acts and passed by majorities i voted for all of them and all of [1:04:45] a sudden in this year 25 of the budget is essentially out of the process and will be passed presumably [1:04:53] through some kind of reconciliation which is by definition a partisan exercise mr secretary [1:05:00] why not what all those items of housing or golden dome whatever why aren't they in the in the [1:05:05] regular budget why do we suddenly have a two-part budget where the this committee and the congress [1:05:11] generally has oversight and and and input to a process where a quarter of the budget is is essentially [1:05:19] a slush fund well senator i appreciate the question i wouldn't characterize a quarter of it as a as a slush fund [1:05:25] but i recognize that we see it as a in totality as a 1.5 trillion dollar budget but why multiple [1:05:31] separation why the two pieces multiple vehicle as you know there are multiple dynamics uh that play into [1:05:37] why there are multiple vehicles but we are fully committed with working to the committee to ensure [1:05:41] that the right vehicles are utilized to get precisely this amount 1.5 trillion why should we [1:05:47] you didn't answer my question why are there two pieces why why not for time immemorial we've done [1:05:52] budgets here we've never to my knowledge we've never used this reconciliation process for a defense [1:05:57] budget before what's what's what's going on my understanding of the reason for the vehicles is [1:06:03] to ensure we actually get to 1.5 trillion which is the most important bottom line the most important [1:06:09] bottom line is that top line of 1.5 trillion to fund what we need and we think this process is the [1:06:14] most effective way to get there senator well what you're really saying is we don't want to deal with [1:06:20] that pesky congress and their appropriation process i i think it's i think this is significant mr chairman [1:06:26] that we're we're basically abdicating a quarter of our responsibility in terms of this budget let me [1:06:32] move on uh one of the factors of this budget that hasn't gotten any publicity is uh there's zero funding [1:06:40] for ukraine that's correct isn't it mr hurst that's correct there's no usai funding in this budget and [1:06:45] there was 400 400 billion 400 million that was appropriated last year by a bipartisan bicameral act [1:06:53] of congress what's become of that money my understanding is not a dollar of it has been [1:06:59] dispersed it was released uh very recently and again we got these funds i believe in march [1:07:07] and it takes time for funds to flow through the department but it's going to get put to work very [1:07:11] shortly we're going to work the ucom commander to make sure we use these funds in the most appropriate [1:07:15] way possible i didn't want senator sullivan to be the only one with an exhibit this indicates what's [1:07:20] happened to our support for ukraine over a period of years the orange bars are u.s support the blue bars [1:07:28] are europe as you see europe is 99 in the year 2026 same thing with humanitarian and other aid to ukraine [1:07:38] and yet this is i believe an existential struggle for the future of democracy where we had an [1:07:45] aggressive country invade a neighboring country without any justification whatsoever and by the [1:07:50] way that invading country is the major winner so far of the war in iran uh they've gotten the estimates [1:07:58] are 40 to 80 billion dollars of additional revenues from oil and the relief of sanctions as a result of [1:08:04] the war in iran uh secretary hegseth why are we abandoning ukraine senator if if you would hold that [1:08:11] chart back up i i think that's a beautiful chart i think that's exactly what we want we want europe [1:08:19] stepping up and funding and shouldering the burden they are rich countries worth 20 trillion versus [1:08:24] economy of 2 trillion europe can step up europe can fund it and they have through our pearl initiative [1:08:29] and through our european command that's exactly what the american people want to see is other countries [1:08:35] stepping up and funding that if it's if it's that important to europe which i understand why it is in [1:08:39] the incursion of russia and the bravery of the ukrainians then european countries should pay for [1:08:43] it and that's exactly what that chart says and that's the administration policy so we don't have [1:08:47] any we don't have any interest in what happens in ukraine is that what you're saying it's only the [1:08:51] europeans i'm saying the threat is far closer to rich and capable countries in europe and they should [1:08:57] step up to lead the charge and that's why that chart is a good thing to see they have stepped up [1:09:02] but i think the american people should understand that we've stepped back in fact [1:09:06] stepped back to the point of abandoning this is a war that never would have happened under [1:09:10] president trump and he supports ending it through a deal and he's pursued that so far it hasn't [1:09:15] happened uh i'm at a time i want to talk about dto's who designates but uh we'll take that up later [1:09:21] thank you senator king senator schmidt thank you mr chairman and uh it's a proposal that i'm following [1:09:29] my friend from maine missouri and maine came into the union at the same time but we couldn't disagree [1:09:33] more on this particular point we may have to separate here um i actually think it's interesting [1:09:38] that ukraine just came up because we've heard uh from my colleagues on the other side um discussion [1:09:45] about the cost of what the ongoing american effort there was never a never a discussion about the 200 [1:09:52] billion dollars we were sending to a foreign country that's not even in nato never in fact when [1:09:58] amendments were offered for independent audits of how that money was spent there was bipartisan [1:10:04] opposition to that kind of oversight so i find it really rich now that there's a complaint that [1:10:10] we're not spending money on ukraine and by the way 30 billion for salaries for bureaucrats [1:10:18] pensions and social safety net programs and government operations to keep the state functioning during [1:10:25] wartime that's where american tax dollars were going 30 billion dollars for bureaucrats in ukraine [1:10:30] and we just heard a a speech for more money for ukraine yet the 1.5 trillion for this country [1:10:39] is being balked at i mean i've seen ukraine flags all over this capital for three years [1:10:45] at the same time the same people call the president of the united states of this country a nazi so i [1:10:53] forgive me if if i if i feel like we've lost our bearings a little bit so i'm all for the america first [1:11:02] agenda i'm all for us realigning our priorities i'm all for the national defense strategy that says [1:11:08] our core strategic interests are the homeland the western hemisphere and the rising threat in china [1:11:14] and that means our european allies should step up if vladimir putin is truly some existential threat [1:11:23] and the next hitler that's going to roll through europe you would think by the way he can't take kiev [1:11:27] so you can't have it both ways he hasn't made it to kiev but they would step up and we better start [1:11:33] demanding that because if we want to meet the challenges of the 21st century in china our [1:11:38] priorities our focus has to be somewhere else it doesn't mean abandonment it just means a true [1:11:44] partnership with our european allies who for very very long time have have not stepped up i want to ask [1:11:50] you um mr secretary in your first year one of the things i think that's really gone towards this morale [1:11:55] in recruitment boom that we've seen through your leadership and president trump was finally taking [1:12:01] on the sort of cultural marxism that had taken hold from the highest levels of leadership from the [1:12:06] president united states to your predecessor this obsession with dei could you just walk through [1:12:11] maybe maybe the worst example that you saw and a way that you address that and how it was affecting [1:12:17] morale well thank you senator first of all i want to fully associate myself with the first two and [1:12:24] a half minutes of your comments and i appreciate that perspective very much so i would note 30 [1:12:29] billion dollars for bureaucrats in ukraine is more than the bill that we've talked about today [1:12:33] uh for a existential and critically important war to ensure that iran doesn't get a nuclear weapon [1:12:39] that's worth noting i i haven't talked about it as much in these hearings um because this is a budget [1:12:45] hearing about 1.5 trillion that's historic and significant but underwriting the the change that we've [1:12:50] seen in our department was a laser focus on getting back to basics and the the key word to that is [1:12:56] merit we had a department that was that was obsessed with gender ideology and race diversity equity and [1:13:04] inclusion in fact the mantra you would hear dripping from the lips of generals and with a serious look on [1:13:10] their face was our diversity is our strength which is the single dumbest phrase in military history [1:13:17] of course our diversity is not our strength our unity is our strength our shared purpose [1:13:22] the flag we wear and who we and the constitution we serve to defend and when you clear that debris [1:13:28] away whether it's marxist ideologies or social engineering or political correctness or quotas based [1:13:35] on gender and diversity you get the best of the best rising up regardless of gender regardless of race [1:13:42] motivated by that environment where merit reigns its accountability standards lethality readiness [1:13:49] training all the debris wiped away that is the secret sauce of the revival of the war department [1:13:56] and why americans are attracted to serving in it and why those inside it why morale is sky high and [1:14:02] any insinuation that it is not are coming from folks who haven't been in our units recently go visit [1:14:07] the troops at every level and their morale is at record level and i want to talk about morale with the 15 [1:14:11] seconds that i have left i want to thank you for um coming to st louis for your arsenal of freedom [1:14:15] tour where the next generation aircraft the f47 is being built by the hard-working men and women [1:14:20] in missouri who take a tremendous amount of pride uh for that aircraft that's going to go further see [1:14:26] see further go faster have a bigger payload and i know there's another decision coming with the faxx but [1:14:31] really appreciate your leadership and thanks for coming thank you senator uh thank you senator schmidt [1:14:37] senator king do you wish to ask unanimous consent to include your exhibit in the record yes without [1:14:45] objection that will be done senator warren uh thank you mr chairman so americans are paying a high [1:14:51] price for donald trump's war with iran we've got 14 service members who are dead over 400 more who are [1:14:58] wounded uh prices are rising for nearly every american family but someone is profiting off trump's war [1:15:07] insiders who know what's going on and who place bets on that inside information on march 23rd just 14 [1:15:16] minutes before trump unexpectedly posted about quote very good conversations on ending the war traders [1:15:25] suddenly bet 500 million dollars on the price of oil which once trump made his announcement immediately [1:15:34] dropped it happened again on april 7th and then again on april 21st a surge in oil bets then a trump post [1:15:44] and then a huge shift in oil prices in just the space of minutes it looks like insiders have been making [1:15:52] out like bandits using secret information about the war now one u.s soldier has been charged but that was [1:16:00] for betting on capturing maduro months ago not a single person has been charged in the many many many [1:16:08] many trades over the middle east wars so secretary hegseth do you have any explanation for these [1:16:17] perfectly timed spikes in trading activity other than insider trading um senator all i can tell you is [1:16:28] that everything we've done in our department everything we've done with information in working [1:16:32] with the white house and across the interagency has been completely above board [1:16:35] well so what does it mean do you have any other explanation other than insider trading do you have [1:16:43] a story for why just minutes before there's an announcement there's a surge in trading activity [1:16:52] senator i'm more than focused on doing my job and ensuring we execute properly which thankfully [1:16:56] under this administration uh our troops have done incredible things in all these missions my job in all [1:17:02] of those moments is to make sure we're prepared and that's part of the reason why we've been [1:17:06] so successful in these raids in these efforts is that this joint force is you're saying you're not [1:17:11] paying any attention to this insider trading is that what you're telling me that you've paid no [1:17:15] attention to this you haven't noticed it you haven't done anything about it what i'm saying is we're [1:17:20] focused on our mission of executing for the american people and what happens in in markets is not uh [1:17:25] embedding markets is not something we're involved what happens in betting markets doesn't matter to you [1:17:30] even if the information may be coming from insiders in your office senator it's not something we're [1:17:37] involved in at all and of course we take operational security at every level very seriously in fact no [1:17:42] one's taken operational security more uh seriously than us if you look at what it required to keep secret [1:17:49] midnight hammer and operation maduro the uh absolute resolve with maduro and the steps we've taken no one's [1:17:57] been tighter about ensuring that operational security is with insider trading out of your office we [1:18:06] have we would ensure at every level that inside information is properly safeguarded all right well [1:18:12] obviously you're not uh i'm also concerned about recent reporting on your own financial dealings [1:18:19] with regard to profiting from the war in iran the financial times reported that your broker tried [1:18:24] to buy hundreds of shares in a black rock fund invested in defense companies just before the war [1:18:30] began the law clearly prohibits the secretary that entire story is false has been from the beginning [1:18:36] and was made up out of whole cloth and anybody that looks at it sees how it was worded from the beginning [1:18:41] to make it look like i was involved in something i had nothing to do and never have so any insinuation [1:18:46] that i've ever profited other than serving this nation what what i give what you give what others give [1:18:53] i'm not looking for money i don't do it for money i don't do it for profit i don't do it for stocks [1:18:56] and that's part of the reason why i'm able to be effective in this job because no one owns me [1:19:00] no one owns this department no one owns this president and we can execute for the american [1:19:05] people and we do clearly prohibits the secretary of defense from owning stock in the 10 biggest defense [1:19:13] contractors other senators and i sent you a letter with detailed questions about this and you have not [1:19:20] given us a response so i'd like to hear you say did you through your broker at morgan stanley or [1:19:26] otherwise seek to invest in any defense related funds right before trump started the iran war [1:19:35] i'll give it to you as a big fat negative then let me ask you a second question is your broker [1:19:42] getting your personal sign off on any investment in individuals bigger fatter negative he's not getting [1:19:51] your sign off before he makes investments in defense stocks can i refer you to i'm not making [1:19:56] investments senator i am asking does he know that he has to get your sign off before he does that of [1:20:03] course i don't know what you're looking for but you're going to find it thank you thank you senator [1:20:09] i would like to enter into the record the ethics agreement that the secretary of defense has signed [1:20:15] that he will sign off personally before his broker makes any attempt to buy defense stocks is there [1:20:23] objection thank you without objection it will be admitted uh senator uh banks thank you mr chairman [1:20:31] secretary hexeth um you're doing a great job i i've been in washington for 10 years several secretaries [1:20:38] of defense now secretary of war you're the best that we've had since i've been in washington what [1:20:44] you've done to restore readiness uh restore military recruitment get the pentagon focus on war [1:20:49] fighting is is second to none and i i appreciate what you and president trump and general kane are [1:20:54] doing very much in fact uh general kane according to the department's 2025 china military power report [1:21:02] quote china believes the next revolution in military affairs will occur when militaries transition to [1:21:09] intelligentized warfare and fully integrate artificial intelligence big data advanced computing and other [1:21:17] technologies into the joint force end quote can you describe general in greater detail how the p [1:21:25] pla is using ai to enhance its military capabilities uh you bet senator um you know they are attempting to [1:21:34] integrate uh ai across the range of their war fighting functions which extends to uh command and control [1:21:42] information advantage intelligence um certainly kinetic uh and non-kinetic uh capabilities and to a [1:21:51] certain extent sustainment i'll note that that so are we and in many cases we are out in front of them i want [1:21:58] to commend our chief digital uh and artificial intelligence officers inside the joint force at the cocoms with [1:22:06] the services who are also leaning very far in as we march towards a digitized joint force that allows us to [1:22:15] cease and see and uh command and control of force better uh the china military power report also goes on [1:22:23] to note that the chinese ai sector remains quote constrained by its limited access to high performance ai chips [1:22:34] general kane how big of an advantage is it for the american war fighter that america's arsenal of compute [1:22:42] is bigger than china's so it's a it's uh it's critical to us and you know while i acknowledge there's there's [1:22:51] all kinds of chip issues in this it is important to us to uh to continue to scale at that and i'll [1:22:57] highlight a lot of the work going on up at fort meade that the committee's helped to advance in [1:23:02] the cyber capabilities so we appreciate the help of that if that advantage were eroded and china were [1:23:07] able to develop more advanced ai capabilities as a result what are some of the potential consequences [1:23:13] for american war fighters well sir it could it could certainly put us at risk and that's why we're [1:23:19] leaning in so hard um there's always a balance between commerce and uh and and protection i [1:23:27] acknowledge those are policy matters i think is what you're uh starting to get towards um but on a [1:23:33] pure military only standpoint um we we that we would see some defense in depth eroded from that secretary [1:23:40] hex said do you agree that enhanced chinese ai capabilities put could could put american service [1:23:46] members at risk uh senator we absolutely have to stay ahead uh the advantage that ai provides applied [1:23:55] to any number of capabilities whether it's domain awareness targeting cycles you name it uh ai and [1:24:01] leveraging it and that's why we've made it the forefront i mean it's ai first with everything that [1:24:05] we do integrating it at every potential echelon to ensure we can respond faster if we're if we're [1:24:11] better at that than any adversary is it's going to give us an advantage and we have to maintain that [1:24:15] i agree do you agree that we should do everything in our power to ensure that american service members [1:24:21] go into battle with an overwhelming and fear-inducing technological advantage particularly with ai [1:24:29] always uh overwhelming is is the goal in every scenario uh earlier this year the pentagon issued [1:24:35] updated guidelines that prohibit department funds from supporting grants and contracts involving [1:24:41] fundamental research collaboration and with blacklisted chinese entities how important are those [1:24:48] restrictions to safeguarding our technological leadership have to have them uh especially when [1:24:54] you look at the power of models and all those things and you you have connections to entities that [1:24:58] could have connections to your adversary and you can uh you can have degradation of your advantage [1:25:03] again this is where i appreciate your leadership mr secretary uh which has been second to none and i know that [1:25:09] you will work with congress to help codify those restrictions and encourage taxpayer dollars that [1:25:14] to to never advance the capabilities of our enemies and our adversaries i appreciate both of your leadership [1:25:22] we've come a long way in a couple of years from i mean the night and day difference between the [1:25:27] last administration and this administration is apparent to every hoosier that i talk to so i appreciate [1:25:33] your leadership i yield back thank you very much senator banks senator peters thank you mr chairman right [1:25:39] thank you member gentlemen uh welcome uh to the uh committee i appreciate uh this uh discussion [1:25:44] i'll just start off the the number one question i get when i'm back home from people uh is basically [1:25:48] very simply when when will this war end uh we know the cost are uh that the american people are paying [1:25:54] both at higher fuel costs our farmers are paying because of fertilizer cost we we know that the uh the whole [1:26:01] world economy is paying a great deal for this war and basically when i as i think that through and this is [1:26:07] what i want to talk to you about is that we we all know that it's a whole lot easier to go to war than [1:26:12] it is to get out of war that's uh always the tough question uh and we've got to figure that out uh and there [1:26:19] are some folks who've written quite a bit about this uh one one text on war by carl von klauswitz uh [1:26:26] mr secretary i'm sure you're familiar uh with with the book i know all of the men and women in uniform are [1:26:31] it's the most widely read most influential military strategy book in western history which is uh pretty [1:26:39] pretty broad broad and it is the core curriculum that is read uh in all the war colleges uh i read it [1:26:45] when i was uh at the navy war college uh taking courses uh it's part of what the u.s military thinks [1:26:52] about when to go to war and then how to get out of the war and one of those core principles it starts [1:26:58] with is basically war is the continuation of politics by other means that everybody knows that [1:27:04] quote who's worn the uniform and others too it basically means there's two things about that [1:27:10] it's politics to get in the war and it's politics to get out of the war and in between we rely on the [1:27:15] men and women in the military to carry out those policies so i want to be clear and i think i speak [1:27:20] for all of my colleagues is that we know the military plays an important part they need to do the job [1:27:26] and nobody nobody questions the amazing work that our men and women in the u.s military have done and [1:27:32] continue to do they've performed absolutely brilliantly and we applaud all that they have done however [1:27:39] what we do question is the politics part it's a continuation of politics so it's our political [1:27:44] leaders that get us into war and our political leaders who have to get us out of that war which [1:27:51] falls on on you mr secretary hexaf and others in the administration including the president [1:27:55] as commander in chief so secretary are you familiar with the uh the concept in that book of center of [1:28:02] gravity sure so center of gravity is is basically as you know is it's the basically the hub of all the [1:28:10] power and movement everything depends on it colossus will say if you don't take out the center of gravity [1:28:16] it's very difficult to win the war you can have tactical successes you can have military successes but [1:28:22] if you're not focused on that you're not going to be able to win basically he talks about military [1:28:28] strikes are tactical and tactical success doesn't necessarily create the political conditions [1:28:34] necessary to get the parties to the table to negotiate and get it done so we've got to focus [1:28:40] on that so my question for you mr secretary what is the center of gravity for iran well the senator of [1:28:47] gravity as the president has seen it and as i see it and he's talked about for 30 years is is their [1:28:52] pursuit of a nuclear weapon and what they could do with that in pursuit as an extension of the [1:28:57] radical ideology they have professed since the beginning of their revolution so the the the [1:29:03] prophetic ideology they profess alongside the most dangerous weapon in the world would be the center [1:29:08] of gravity of the rationality of this undertaking which i appreciate it i'll elaborate more i appreciate [1:29:13] it general kane you know more about uh clauswoods uh and strategy that i will ever know including all [1:29:19] the folks behind you what would you consider the center of gravity as defined by clauswitz in this [1:29:24] type of war well sir i i i uh you're not going to love this answer but i hope you'll respect it [1:29:31] war is politics by any other means right and the political side of that necessitates that our [1:29:37] political leaders determine what is the center of gravity associated with that from a military only [1:29:42] perspective there's a variety of things academically that we could look at for center gravities from [1:29:48] leadership to will to capabilities to intent but i'll defer to our political leaders okay that's [1:29:54] fine but that's fair i don't like it you're right but i know i know and i know you know the answer to [1:29:57] that and you're just not telling me well i get why you're doing that my inner i would say you know [1:30:01] other observers say that basically it's the it's not the leader usually if you take out a leader that [1:30:07] doesn't necessarily uh take make the changes that in iran's case is probably the islamic uh revolutionary [1:30:13] guard is that that's the center of gravity they're the ones that control the country and [1:30:17] they're very diverse to do that the americans center of gravity is probably our economy and [1:30:22] our ability to maintain public opinion support we already know the public isn't there we know [1:30:27] the impact to our economy and central to that is the leverage i'm running out of time here but the [1:30:31] central of leverage is the strait of hormuz that that is bottom line we have to open that up we have [1:30:38] to take that away from iran the fact that we haven't done that yet and we're 60 days in we're just now [1:30:45] bringing mine sweepers from the pacific mr secretary we've got to see action a whole lot [1:30:50] sooner in the straits the world community needs it we're not going to bring this war to an end [1:30:54] until we seize control of the straits in a way he needs it we're not going to bring this war to an [1:30:58] end until we seize control of the straits in a way which which in part is why we have a blockade that [1:31:03] has been impenetrable for the iranians because they don't have a conventional navy to contest it [1:31:08] which means we control the straits the time the time of senator peters has expired let me [1:31:15] let me um observe that i very much appreciate the the senator from michigan uh suggesting ways in [1:31:24] which our effort in iran could be more successful i do appreciate that and let me also observe [1:31:31] senator kane that that civilian control um goes back well beyond uh marshall it goes back to to [1:31:40] george washington who was wise enough to resign his commission to the elected uh membership of of [1:31:47] the government at that time uh senator she he you are recognized i think it's important to note that [1:31:56] the objective is not to get out of the war the objective is to win the war not to get out of it [1:32:02] and i think we've allowed the narrative to shift so off target here president trump did not start this [1:32:08] war we did not start this war these radical barbarian savage clerics who have started killing americans [1:32:15] 47 years ago in a unilateral campaign of terror murder treason kidnapping torture have been murdering [1:32:23] our countrymen all over this world almost every single year hijacking airplanes hijacking cruise liners [1:32:29] taking our embassies blowing up our embassies blowing up our barracks blowing up our ships capturing our [1:32:34] soldiers and murdering them in brutal ways they started this war and it would be a lot easier to [1:32:42] beat them if we didn't have administrations shoveling hundreds of billions of dollars into their pockets [1:32:46] while they're actively fighting our own people while our own uniformed service members have been [1:32:50] fighting this murderous regime and we have presidents quite literally shipping pallets of cash [1:32:56] to pay these terrorists off it's been a disgrace it's been an embarrassment to this country [1:33:01] for far too long but back to the point general kane i have a specific question for you [1:33:07] i think in this day and age we all know that basically every single operation that we partake [1:33:12] in whether it's stealth bombers whether it's a blockade our special operations forces are a [1:33:17] fundamental shaping and priority component to all those would you agree yes senator i would and i think [1:33:25] for the last about 15 years the special operations community budget has been largely flat even adjusted for [1:33:31] inflation and yet continuously we call on those warriors to deliver the impossible and they pretty much do [1:33:40] we were reminded just a few weeks ago even after the amazing maduro raid when we had to rescue one of [1:33:44] our f-15 crewmen yet against the socom's budget how we affect that and how fast we can do it [1:33:49] well sir i'll just i'll just highlight my gratitude and appreciation for the entirety of the highlight [1:33:55] my gratitude and appreciation for the entirety of the socom joint socom joint force at at echelon and the work that they do [1:34:05] you know i'll leave the budget numbers and the increased percentages to to my civilian leadership [1:34:10] but echo to your point the exponential return on whatever investment they give these are incredible [1:34:18] many of these historic historic aspects socom should be part of that supplemental as well [1:34:22] makes complete sense who's been shouldering a huge part of the bird makes complete sense who's [1:34:27] been shouldering a huge part of the burden special operation special operations command so whether [1:34:33] it's a supplemental or this budget i i fully agree and i think we need to invest more great and i'd [1:34:40] ask that particularly invest more great and i'd ask that insightful exchange the care be given uh [1:34:47] the era of insightful exchange senator kelly senator kelly thank you mr chairman gentlemen thank you for [1:34:54] being here secretary hegseth thank you mr chairman gentlemen thank you for being here secretary hegseth [1:35:00] safe safe to say that our weapons like sm3s tomahawks to say that our weapons like sm3s tomahawks [1:35:10] patriot missiles have capabilities that are unmatched that's why they cost a lot this is a quote this was [1:35:16] a massive overwhelming attack across all domains of warfare striking more than thousand targets in the [1:35:22] first 24 hours on march 10th you said yet again our most intense day of strikes inside of iran on april 6 [1:35:30] you said and this is another quote the largest volume of strikes since day one of this operation [1:35:37] your department has released video patriots i'm not even going to say the numbers but a lot of patriots a [1:35:42] lot of thousand rounds jasmine are tomahawks very expensive jasmine are tomahawks very expensive exquisite [1:35:51] expensive exquisite we can't make these munitions overnight we can't make these munitions overnight and [1:36:00] it's clear from your and it's clear from your budget request that you know that can you tell a budget [1:36:07] request that you know that can you tell us how many years specific real time though just to replace [1:36:15] what we have extended i said months and then you said years both it depends on the weapon system [1:36:21] but two to three four x of what we have today so yes we're dealing with the reality under the [1:36:25] previous administration of what they sent to ukraine and what they allocated elsewhere okay i got it so we [1:36:29] fired wrap years worth of munitions i've got about a minute and and i want to go to another topic i saw [1:36:42] i want to go to another topic i saw your hearing yesterday while you're hearing yesterday and i'm [1:36:49] going to give you one more chance to address a question and i'm going to give you one more chance [1:36:54] to address a question here in here it's my understanding that the definition it's my understanding [1:37:04] that the definition of no court do you stand by that statement you made on march 13th we have [1:37:13] untied the hands of our war fighters we fight to win and we follow the law okay so you're not clarifying [1:37:19] so you stand by that statement so you're the secretary of defense the things you say matter and your [1:37:25] response here right now makes it clear to the american and has taken military action in 10 bases in the world [1:37:34] in 15 months more than any president in u.s history um i i think president trump has really become a [1:37:41] foreign policy president and many of those operations you know were on the news for a couple of days but [1:37:46] then the american public didn't feel them and i think the difference with this war with iran is that [1:37:52] the american public is um and we can block what they're trying to get through but nothing is moving and [1:37:59] it's costing the american public um and i think that's a fundamental thing is moving and it's [1:38:04] costing the american public um and i think that's a fundamentally different moment than the rest of [1:38:10] the military action we've taken um mentally different moment than the rest of the military action we've [1:38:16] taken um even in like middle east 101 class we used to talk about a few months ago he said that he regret [1:38:23] even in like middle east 101 a few months ago he said that he regretted that he ever a few months ago [1:38:28] he said that he regretted that he ever that he didn't read it that he ever that he didn't sign [1:38:34] that executive order so that he didn't sign that executive order so the u.s military sign that executive [1:38:43] order so the u.s military has the u.s military has never been deployed you miss correctly uh incorrectly [1:38:51] said you ever been deployed. You incorrectly said yesterday that they were deployed during [1:38:57] different elections. Governors deployed them under to your predecessor and your predecessor [1:39:02] and your predecessor said publicly, thank God, we didn't actually go for. Your predecessor said [1:39:07] publicly, thank God, we didn't actually go forward with it. What are you going to do? You're the guy [1:39:12] here in the seat. It's not hypothetical. Tell the American people, will you deploy the uniform [1:39:18] military to our polls to collect voter rolls or machines? Are you accusing me of performing because [1:39:24] you're performing? I've never been ordered to do anything illegal and I won't. That goes without [1:39:30] saying. Thank you for the answer. Senator Duckworth, you're now recognized. Thank you, Mr. Chairman. [1:39:36] Despite his campaign promise of no new wars, President Trump has been obsessed with using [1:39:41] the military any chance he gets from deploying troops to American cities to propping up Maduro's [1:39:46] chosen number too clearly now. And using forces made Americans in the Middle East less are already [1:39:52] seeing too clearly now. And using forces made Americans in the Middle East less safe or spiking [1:39:58] costs for Americans here at home all through to safe or spiking costs for Americans here at home [1:40:03] all through the tune of 14 service members dead, hundreds wounded, billions of taxpayer dollars and [1:40:09] untold costs to our military readiness. This administration claims to be focused on General [1:40:17] Cain. Can you tell us the status of the Iranian Revolutionary Guard Corps Navy, the entity actively [1:40:23] closing the strait? Senator, apologies. I was listening to you. I was just trying to write it down. [1:40:31] They're mostly developed capabilities. It would be difficult to develop capabilities. It would be [1:40:38] difficult for conventional U.S. military forces to target, for conventional U.S. military forces to [1:40:43] target. Iran's advantage was well known to anyone paying, Iran's advantage was well known to anyone [1:40:48] paying attention. I've no doubt that competent planners in the Pentagon raised their concerns about [1:40:53] a quagmire in the strait to leadership. The question is why their leadership did not pay attention to this [1:40:57] sound advice. Hubris is not venting a crisis boiling over into a war in the Indo-Pacific. General Cain, [1:41:03] do you agree that the military would benefit from significant in the Indo-Pacific? General Cain, [1:41:07] do you agree that the military would benefit from significant interagency planning by the [1:41:13] Department of Defense on actions short of war agency planning by the Department of Defense on [1:41:18] actions short of war that can be taken if that can be taken if a crisis occurs? [1:41:22] I appreciate that question, you highlighting the importance of that. [1:41:31] This war of choice is draining our military resources. We need leaders who do everything [1:41:36] they can to ensure war fighters only fight when they have to, not because of one man's whims and [1:41:40] the lack of bravery among the yes men he surrounds himself with. I thank you for your service, [1:41:45] General, and I continue to look forward to working with you. [1:41:48] General Cain, do you agree that the U.S. government has already deemed contaminated? Identifying those [1:41:53] who served in such locations and providing documentation of that service to the VA so that [1:41:59] they can receive the veterans benefits that they have earned? You bet, ma'am, and I'm, you know, [1:42:06] since our last... ...continuously. So before I ask you about the inconsistency, I just want you to [1:42:11] reconfirm what it is you plan to use this technology for. Affirm what it is you plan to use this technology [1:42:19] for. It's been publicly reported. It's been publicly reported that the decision to label anthropic [1:42:24] a national security risk was... reported that the decision to label anthropic [1:42:28] a national security risk was influenced by your personal and very public contract dispute [1:42:34] with anthropic when the company said... Terms of agreement with... [1:42:37] ...with anthropic. This is not the question. This is not about anthropic. This is just an example. [1:42:43] I want you to confirm that whether or not there will always be a human in the loop when AI is used [1:42:49] in the kill chain for lethal targeting decisions, will there always be a human in the size appropriate [1:42:54] levels of human judgment over use of force that is in the DOD. That's why we follow the law, Senator. [1:43:01] So the answer is yes, Mr. Secretary. The answer is we follow the law. Absolutely. [1:43:06] I think this is more important than... Yes, Mr. Secretary. The answer is we follow the law. [1:43:10] Absolutely. I think this is more important than following the law. I think that people want to [1:43:15] know that AI isn't going to make lethal decisions and it is critically important. AI is not making lethal [1:43:20] decisions. That's what we want to hear. We're going to follow on that one. I have just to say how we choose [1:43:28] to say it. How do you justify using this language as Secretary of Defense? Where does it matter? [1:43:33] How do you justify using this language as Secretary of Defense? Where does it matter? It's a hurt... [1:43:38] historically hurtful term. Why do you continue to use it? And what actions are you taking to prevent [1:43:44] rhetoric like this from permeating throughout the department that is going to target specific groups [1:43:49] or individuals of people based on their religion? Their religion. Senator, I feel like it's a pretty... [1:44:01] Senator, I feel like it's a pretty accurate term. The accurate term for folks who don't see the [1:44:06] plank in their own eye and always want to see what's wrong with an operation as opposed to the historic [1:44:10] success of preventing Iran from getting a nuclear weapon. So I stand by it. You stand by calling people [1:44:16] Pharisees. Sir, I cannot... else is in the neighborhood. It looked like 1.7 to 1.8. So I didn't [1:44:25] decided we're going to build our own version. We're going to call it Golden Dome because the president [1:44:31] likes the color gold. We've seen that. See it in the Oval Office. We're going to call it Golden Dome, [1:44:38] and it might cost somewhere between 500 billion and a trillion dollars. I've heard those estimates. [1:44:43] By the way, on that problem, I know a little bit about intercepting stuff in space. It's really hard, [1:44:50] and the physics on this favors the offense. There's some things in that program that I think is really [1:44:57] important that we do and try to figure it out, but space-based interceptors to hit multiple targets. [1:45:05] And by the way, it's important how you size the system. So I'm trying to understand, Mr. Secretary, [1:45:11] what kind of detail did you guys... did you work out like a detailed plan, and at the end of the day, [1:45:17] it came out, oh, it just happens to come out to be $1.5 trillion? Senator, the exact amount is actually [1:45:25] $1.535 trillion, and it was a product of a highly rigorous process throughout our department, [1:45:32] from COCOM commanders to the services with our comptroller, with our deputy secretary, with the [1:45:36] chairman and myself, to ensure the budget reflects the realities of the world we live in and the [1:45:41] capabilities we're going to need. And that's why there's $65 billion for shipbuilding, $120 billion [1:45:46] for the defense industrial base, $331 billion for munitions, $44 billion for quality of life, [1:45:52] $71 billion on our nuclear dib. You name it, we're investing in it. And the biggest reason for it is [1:45:58] the underinvestment of the Biden administration. I mean, what they spent on defense, the continuing [1:46:03] resolutions and others, undercut the buildup that President Trump had created. So, yes, we're doing a lot of [1:46:09] deferred maintenance here, around the world and in our department. And this budget reflects it, [1:46:13] and it's a commitment, a generational commitment to the security of the American people. And if the [1:46:17] rest of the world won't spend on their defense, that's their fault. The American B-21, also supportive. [1:46:24] And then we want to make all these other investments in really inexpensive, low-cost munitions, [1:46:33] because we suddenly realize that the expensive stuff, even through B-21, we can't really maybe [1:46:39] not get close enough. But the whole idea behind B-21 and F-47 is we can penetrate further into the [1:46:44] A2-AD bubble. So there's some conflict there. So I'm just encouraging you to go back and see [1:46:51] if there are some systems where we can... First of all, I want to thank you, Mr. Secretary, for your [1:46:59] support for the Major Richard Starr Act, which I think is tremendously significant. I'm committed to [1:47:07] getting it done as soon as possible, at least before Veterans Day. And I look forward to your help [1:47:15] in accomplishing that goal that other adversaries could do as well. General King, would you agree that [1:47:22] there are lessons to be learned from Ukraine? You bet. You bet, Senator. And there's lessons [1:47:29] learned from everywhere. And that's really the culture of our joint force right now is to make [1:47:33] sure that across... Ukraine has been, quote, militarily defeated. In your professional judgment, [1:47:41] has Ukraine been militarily defeated? Feated. In your professional judgment, has Ukraine been [1:47:50] militarily defeated? Sir, I haven't seen the President's quote that I started with. And [1:47:55] that's the importance of me maintaining trust with Zelensky, but with our own military on the ground, [1:48:09] as well as our intelligence community. In fact, on the ground, as well as our intelligence community. [1:48:19] In fact, Ukraine arguably is winning. There is this false narrative. Russia's winning. Putin wants [1:48:26] that false narrative to be our official narrative. And you don't have to respond. I understand your [1:48:31] reasons for not responding. But the American people should know that the President of the [1:48:36] United States is undermining our security because Ukraine is the state. Sir, I'd agree that China's [1:48:47] watching... Sir, I'd agree that China's watching everywhere and carefully everywhere and carefully [1:48:56] thinking about what their force posture and approach will be. And I think their approach will be. And I [1:49:05] think they're learning a variety of things to include the tenacity and grit of the joint force around the [1:49:15] things... It will be... It's right now within the parameters of the length of time that normally these [1:49:20] investigations take. I'm asking because in your final response to Senator Gillibrand, you said, or [1:49:28] Gillibrand, you said that great care is taken to avoid civilian casualties, taken to avoid civilian [1:49:40] casualties. And it would be profoundly significant. And it would be profoundly significant if that report [1:49:46] were made available in a timely way to show, in fact, the way to show, in fact, the commitment to [1:49:57] avoiding civilian casualties and to avoiding civilian casualties and learning lessons from the mistake [1:50:03] made and learning lessons from the mistake made there. Thank you, Senator Blumenthal. [1:50:09] Hearing is in order. We completed a productive classified session down in the SCIF and now we will begin the [1:50:18] public portion of this hearing. I welcome back Secretary Hegseth, General Cain, and our Acting [1:50:24] Comptroller, Mr. Jay Hurst. I thank all of them, including their families, for their service. For the [1:50:31] dozens of Americans that regularly watch our hearings, my next remarks will be no surprise. But for new [1:50:38] viewers, I want to reiterate some context from our remarks. I've said this at almost every hearing, [1:50:44] we live in the most dangerous security environment since World War II. Every uniformed officer who has [1:50:52] come before this committee has agreed with that statement. First and foremost, we're locked in a [1:50:57] competition with Xi Jinping and the Chinese Communist Party. The competition is high stakes and it is [1:51:05] about whether this will be an American-led century or a century defined by authoritarian autocratic regimes [1:51:14] that care little for the needs of their citizens or those in neighboring countries. The Chinese Communist Party [1:51:21] has accelerated its historic military buildup and its predatory economic practices against Americans [1:51:28] and countries the world over. Xi Jinping leads not only China, but also an axis of aggressors. This [1:51:36] growing alliance cannot be denied. It includes China, Russia, Iran, and North Korea. They're united around [1:51:44] this goal to oppose America's interests and the interests of other like-minded democratic countries [1:51:51] across the globe. Vladimir Putin's war of choice in Ukraine has now entered its fifth year. In Putin's [1:51:58] objectives, we hear echoes of the imperialistic ambitions of World War II's aggressors, including Adolf Hitler. [1:52:09] Vladimir Putin has suffered 1.2 million casualties and failed miserably in his military objectives. [1:52:17] Along the way, he has transformed Russia's economy into one fueled by war, raising the prospect of an even [1:52:25] more aggressive Moscow for the foreseeable future. Most of Iran's leaders are now deceased, but they and [1:52:34] those who survived them have consistently sought violence against America, Israel, our Gulf allies, and the [1:52:42] Iranian people. We saw this during the October 7 massacre. During their continued support for [1:52:49] Hezbollah and Hamas and in their desire to engage in nuclear blackmail, Iran's ayatollahs have [1:52:56] consistently represented a threat to American interest. Kim Jong-un has joined Mr. Putin's war [1:53:04] of aggression. He continues a military and nuclear buildup that threatens South Korea, Japan, and the [1:53:10] United States. Ties have never been closer among these four dictators, among these four dictatorships. [1:53:18] They support each other's aggressive endeavors. They prop each other up financially, and they scheme to [1:53:26] undermine America's objectives. We should expect them to continue this behavior. This context plays out [1:53:33] across every dimension of national power, the economy, technology, diplomacy, and more. But today we're here to [1:53:41] talk about the military dimension of this competition. These regimes have regularly tried to take force, take by force, [1:53:50] what they cannot secure through the political process. For that reason, we must be ready to deter conflicts, and if [1:53:59] necessary, to win them. President Trump has used the US military appropriately and effectively for American interests. He has viewed our [1:54:10] adversaries as a united bloc and has taken action in light of that reality. In Operation Absolute Resolve and [1:54:19] Associated Statecraft, the president removed an aspiring dictator off the board and set up Venezuela for a future [1:54:28] aligned with democratic interests. In Operation Midnight Hammer, he sought to eliminate the Ayatollah's nuclear program. [1:54:35] When the Ayatollah chose to double down, the president launched Operation Epic Fury. In that mission, [1:54:43] he has worked to remove the regime's conventional military capabilities and force it back to the table [1:54:49] for a permanent solution. While we all mourn the tragic loss of the 14 service members who've lost their lives in [1:54:58] this conflict, we do so knowing the world is safer without a nuclear Iran. All of these actions are part of a [1:55:06] peace through strength strategy. In this approach, we seek first to avoid war, but we take military action when necessary to [1:55:14] achieve US interest. And so, Mr. Secretary, I'm pleased that you are here testifying today in support of President Trump's [1:55:22] historic $1.5 trillion defense budget request. That sum will go a long way toward rebuilding our military capabilities for a generation. I [1:55:33] should say up front that this may be a long hearing. There's much to discuss. This $1.5 trillion request [1:55:40] is chock full of important programs and initiatives that are absolutely necessary to secure American [1:55:49] interest in the 21st century. I think this funding underpins and accentuates three comparative advantages [1:55:56] the United States possesses over the axis of aggressors. The first comparative advantage [1:56:01] America enjoys over our adversaries is that we have the best innovation and industry in the world. [1:56:08] So, I hope our witnesses today will cover the progress we've made in just the past year [1:56:14] rebuilding the American arsenal. Last year, our reconciliation bill combined with bipartisan [1:56:21] appropriation bills achieved about a trillion dollar defense budget. This year's request would [1:56:27] represent a near 50 percent increase. Every penny of it should be money well spent making down payments [1:56:38] on crucial transformational capabilities such as drone warfare, low-cost munitions, and missile defense. [1:56:49] Also, last year, Congress and the executive branch achieved historic acquisition reforms. Consequently, [1:56:54] we're well positioned to make huge gains on efficiency this year and in the years to come, [1:57:02] making it much more flexible and a more timely process. I look forward to discussing how we might [1:57:10] accelerate implementation of these actions. In particular, I'd like to see the Pentagon do more [1:57:16] this year to drive competition in the defense industrial base. Competition absolutely drives better [1:57:26] outcomes for our service members and taxpayers. Of course, our people are the final comparative [1:57:32] advantage we have over our adversaries. We've enjoyed significant improvements in recruitment and [1:57:37] retention, but we need to solidify a merit-based environment that fully cares for our personnel. [1:57:44] I commend you, Mr. Secretary, for your efforts over the past year to do just that. That task will never be [1:57:50] finished, of course, but we embrace it gladly and we salute the progress. We will always be [1:57:56] striving to care for and equip American service members as much as possible. I look forward [1:58:02] to more work between this committee and the department this coming year. With that, [1:58:08] I turn to my friend and colleague, Ranking Member Jack Reed. [1:58:11] Well, thank you very much, Mr. Chairman and Secretary Hegseth, General Kane, Mr. Hurst, welcome. [1:58:18] And please convey my appreciation, all of our appreciation, to our military service members and defense [1:58:25] civilians. We owe them our deepest sense of gratitude. Mr. Secretary, this is your first public appearance [1:58:33] before this committee in nearly a year. Since your last public testimony, you and President Trump have [1:58:39] unwisely taken the United States to war with Iran. You ordered attack on Venezuela and have directed ongoing [1:58:48] illegal boat strike campaign in the Caribbean and Pacific. At your direction, our forces have bombed [1:58:55] Yemen, Somalia, Iraq, Syria, Nigeria, and Ecuador. In the United States, you have deployed thousands of [1:59:05] troops to cities like Washington, Los Angeles, Chicago, and Portland to police American citizens. And you have [1:59:13] personally intervened to end the careers of dozens of military leaders without explanation. These [1:59:19] actions will have significant and long-term consequences. Now you appear before us to ask for [1:59:28] a $1.5 trillion budget, a 45 percent increase above last year. I must say I'm skeptical, and such a request [1:59:38] demands intense scrutiny. Sixty-one days ago, President Trump unilaterally began the war in Iran. He had no [1:59:48] coherent strategy. He refused to make a case to the American people or consult Congress. He failed to [1:59:55] present any evidence of an immediate threat, and he ignored the advice of military and intelligence [2:00:01] experts who warned him of the consequences. Today, our nation is in a war strategic position. The Strait [2:00:09] of the Moves was open. Now it is closed. Thirteen service members have tragically lost their lives, [2:00:16] and more than 400 have been wounded. We have lost dozens of aircraft, sustained significant damage to our [2:00:23] bases in the area, and expended an alarming amount of our missile inventory. Morale and readiness across [2:00:30] the force, especially among over-deployed units and vessels like the USS Gerald R. Ford aircraft carrier, [2:00:37] have suffered. Gasoline and fertilizer prices throughout the world have surged. American families [2:00:45] are bearing the cost of a war they wanted nothing to do with and have gained nothing from. And yet, [2:00:51] Secretary Hedges, you declared victory a month ago. On April 8th, you said, in your words, [2:00:57] Operation Epic Fury was a historic and overwhelming victory. By any measure, Epic Fury decimated Iran's [2:01:05] military and rendered its combat forces ineffective for years to come. Let me be clear. Tactically, [2:01:14] the United States military performance against Iran has been remarkable. And I salute the service [2:01:20] members who have executed this mission with skill and bravery. The problem with your statements, [2:01:25] Mr. Secretary, is they are dangerously exaggerated. Iran's hotline regime remains in place. It still [2:01:33] retains stockpiles of enriched uranium, and its nuclear program remains viable. Iran's military [2:01:40] retains enough combat effectiveness to keep the conflict at an impasse. Its missiles and drones remain [2:01:48] a far greater threat than you have acknowledged, and the regime has demonstrated it can effectively [2:01:54] control the straightable moves when it chooses. Mr. Secretary, I am concerned that you have been telling the [2:01:59] President what he wants to hear instead of what he needs to hear. Bold assurances of success are a [2:02:06] disservice to both the Commander-in-Chief and the troops who risk their lives based on them. Our military [2:02:13] has performed heroically, but military force without a signed strategy is a path to long-term defeat. [2:02:20] I'd like to know what options you are considering now, given the cost from this war and the stalemate [2:02:26] President Trump has put us in. More broadly, Mr. Secretary, too often you have made dangerous [2:02:33] statements that are counterproductive to the mission. You boasted about, quote, no stupid rules [2:02:40] of engagement, just days after hundreds of Iranian schoolers were tragically killed in a missile strike. [2:02:46] You have made troubling statements about showing no mercy and no quarter to the Iranians, orders that [2:02:54] would constitute war crimes. As importantly, while our men and women are fighting and dying overseas, [2:03:00] you have focused unduly on your own personal agenda. In the past two months alone, you have taken it upon [2:03:06] yourself to overhaul the Chaplain Corps, cancel flu vaccine requirements, repeal firearm restrictions on [2:03:14] military posts, and bar service members from attending certain universities. Just this week, [2:03:21] you brought performer Kid Rock to an army base to go for a joyride in an Apache helicopter after dismissing [2:03:28] an earlier investigation into the pilots who recklessly chose to hover above his home. That runs [2:03:36] directly counter to the chain of command and maintaining good order and discipline. Most disturbingly, [2:03:42] during your tenure, you have fired dozens of our most senior military leaders and personally [2:03:48] intervened to block the promotions of many others. That is a betrayal of the merit-based [2:03:53] system that forms the foundation of our military. You are hollering out the military's bench of [2:04:00] experience and highest performing senior officers while making young officers wonder if they should [2:04:06] continue to serve. My colleagues and I have heard from countless service members throughout the ranks, [2:04:13] many of whom will be watching right now, who are confused and disturbed by your actions. Hopefully, [2:04:19] you can explain them today. Additionally, this committee expects a fulsome update on Operation Southern [2:04:26] Sphere. This ongoing campaign against suspected drug trafficking votes has resulted in nearly 200 fatalities. [2:04:34] The administration has failed to explain the long-term objectives of this mission or provide any evidence [2:04:41] of reduced drug flows into the United States. I would ask for a credible answer to this most fundamental question, [2:04:48] what is the operation actually meant to accomplish? [2:04:52] Mr. Secretary, you are here to promote the President's $1.5 trillion defense budget. [2:05:00] While this budget provides funding for necessary programs, including shipbuilding and drone manufacturing, [2:05:06] many other critical programs like barracks repair and aircraft procurement would rely on the passage of a [2:05:12] party-line reconciliation bill. Further, this budget slashes research and development, provides no funding for [2:05:20] Ukraine, and includes no funding for losses incurred from the Iran war. Yesterday, Mr. Hurst testified that [2:05:28] Operation Epic Fury has cost $25 billion. If nothing else, that help clarifies that [2:05:36] we certainly do not need a supplemental anywhere near $100 billion, much less $200 billion. [2:05:44] And in this record-breaking budget, there is no pay adjustments for the civilian workforce, [2:05:50] and with inflation, that is a pay cut. After a year of doge layoffs and a hiring freeze across the [2:05:56] department, this is an insult to the 800,000 men and women who support our war fighters every day. I cannot [2:06:04] imagine a faster way to erode readiness and distract from our abilities to deter our adversaries. [2:06:12] Ultimately, Mr. Secretary, I believe you are causing lasting harm to the military. Like many members of [2:06:19] this committee, I had the opportunity and the privilege to serve in the military. And every officer knows [2:06:26] they are duty-bound to give their best professional advice, even if it is not what their superiors want to [2:06:32] hear. Because when leaders fear to speak honestly, people die, missions fail, wars are lost. The [2:06:40] American people's trust in our military took 250 years to build. You are dismantling it in a fraction [2:06:47] of that time. And trust, once long, can take generations to rebuild. Mr. Secretary, today I hope you'll take a step [2:06:56] forward toward rebuilding the trust that has been lost. Thank you, Mr. Chairman. [2:07:02] Mr. Secretary, you are now recognized for your opening statement, sir. [2:07:08] Mr. Chairman, Ranking Member Reid, Senators, thank you for the opportunity to testify in support of [2:07:16] President Trump's historic, as you said, Mr. Chairman, $1.5 trillion fiscal year 2027 budget for the [2:07:23] Department of War. The President's budget request reflects the urgency of the moment, addressing both [2:07:29] the deferment of long-standing problems as well as positioning our forces for the current and future [2:07:36] fights. I'm honored to appear alongside General Dan Cain, Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, [2:07:41] and Jay Hurst, our Chief Financial Officer and Comptroller. I'd like to start by thanking this [2:07:46] committee and Congress for your partnership in securing the investments needed for a stronger, [2:07:51] prouder, and more secure military. Your focus on acquisitions, your focus on efficiency, [2:07:57] are the reflection in our department as well and in this budget. A nation's ability to build, [2:08:04] to innovate, and to support the critical needs of its warfighters at speed and at scale is the [2:08:10] foundation upon which its deterrence and survival rests. However, upon taking office on January 20th, [2:08:17] 2025, President Trump inherited a defense industrial base that had been hollowed out by years of America [2:08:24] last policies, resulting in a diminished capacity to project strength. Under the previous administration, [2:08:31] we were offshoring, outsourcing, beset by cost overruns and degraded capabilities. But under the [2:08:39] leadership of President Trump, our builder-in-chief, we are reversing this systemic decay and putting our [2:08:45] defense industrial base back on a wartime footing. Urgency informs everything we do. We're rebuilding [2:08:52] a military that the American people can be proud of, one that instills nothing less than unrelenting fear [2:08:58] in our adversaries and inspires historic morale and recruiting in its ranks. We fight to win in every [2:09:06] scenario. The $1.5 trillion budget put forward by the President will build upon a previous $1 trillion FY26 [2:09:14] top line and will continue to reverse the four years of underinvestment and mismanagement of the [2:09:20] Biden administration. The $1.5 trillion budget will ensure that the United States continues to maintain [2:09:26] the world's most powerful and capable military as we grapple with a complex threat environment across [2:09:33] multiple theaters. Not to mention, the budget also includes a historic troop pay increase, 7% for junior [2:09:41] enlisted, and the budget eliminates all poor or failing barracks. Quality of life for our troops [2:09:48] is front and center in this budget. By supercharging our defense industrial capacity and transforming how [2:09:55] the department does business, we are restoring American commercial dominance at a pace unseen in [2:10:01] generations, transforming the defense industrial base from the broken, slow-moving systems of the past. [2:10:09] We have flipped the Pentagon acquisition process from a bureaucratic model to a business model, [2:10:15] decisively moving from an acquisitions environment paralyzed by bureaucratic red tape into an outcomes [2:10:22] driven organization focused on delivering the most for taxpayer dollars. Over the past year, [2:10:29] through historic multi-year procurement agreements that this committee supported, we've cut smart business [2:10:35] deals that have sent unambiguous demand signals to industry to build more and build faster. The result [2:10:44] has been a surge, a revitalization of our great American factories and a massive reinvestment in the skilled [2:10:50] American workers who serve as the industrial muscle behind our warriors. Further interruptions [2:11:13] of our hearing will be treated in like manner. We appreciate the First Amendment rights of Americans to express [2:11:22] themselves, but disruption of this hearing will not be tolerated. So, Mr. Secretary, you may continue. [2:11:29] I'll briefly provide some concrete high-level metrics of what we've accomplished over just the past few months. [2:11:36] These are announced new facilities and investments to support American warfighters. The department has helped [2:11:41] stimulate more than 250 private investment deals in 39 states, 180 cities, and 150 companies worth more than 50 [2:11:51] billion dollars. It's resulted in 280 new or expanded facilities, more than 18 million new square feet of [2:11:59] American manufacturing, and more than 70,000 new jobs. These 50 billion in investments in new plants, new [2:12:07] assembly lines, and new factories are private investments, not taxpayer dollars. By completely [2:12:15] transforming our department's business model, American companies are investing in America with their [2:12:20] own dollars, a historic demonstration of American manufacturing and defense revitalization, all with [2:12:27] their money, not Uncle Sam's. This has never been done before and is long overdue from a bureaucratic model [2:12:35] to a business model. These investments equal great things for America, for American families, and American [2:12:42] workers to ensure that our warfighters have everything they need, all American-made. Together with the help [2:12:49] of the policy updates and appropriations passed by Congress, President Trump's War Department has begun to [2:12:55] turn the lights back on in our manufacturing towns across this country, forging a lethal arsenal of freedom. [2:13:03] Every policy we pursue, every budgetary item we request, serves to ensure that this department remains [2:13:08] laser-focused on increasing lethality and survivability from the front lines to the factory floor. [2:13:15] This is a historic budget, as you said, Mr. Chairman. This is a fiscally responsible budget, and this is a [2:13:22] warfighting budget. Speaking of warfighting, the topic of Iran I'm sure will come up often today, which I welcome. [2:13:30] I look forward to sharing the incredible success of our military effort achieved in a matter of weeks. [2:13:38] President Trump has the courage, has had, unlike other presidents, to ensure that Iran never gets [2:13:44] a nuclear weapon and that their nuclear blackmail never succeeds. We have the best negotiator in the [2:13:51] world driving a great deal. Unfortunately, as I said yesterday, and I'll say it again today, [2:13:58] the biggest adversary we face at this point are the reckless naysayers and defeatist words of [2:14:05] congressional Democrats and some Republicans. Defeatists from the cheap seats who two months in [2:14:13] seek to undermine the incredible efforts that have been undertaken and the historic nature of taking on [2:14:18] a 47-year threat with the courage no other president has had to great success and great opportunity for [2:14:25] preventing Iran from having a nuclear weapon. Despite this, under President Trump, we are [2:14:31] restoring the unbreakable might of American manufacturing. We're providing for our warfighters, [2:14:37] and we are putting the people and interests of this country first. May almighty God continue to watch [2:14:43] over our troops wherever they are, and may we honor the legacy of those brave Americans that we have [2:14:50] lost. This is our sacred mission, and this is what we will continue to execute on. Thank you, Mr. Chairman. [2:14:57] Thank you for that statement, Mr. Secretary. General King, you're recognized. [2:15:01] Thank you, Chairman Wicker, Ranking Member Reed, members of the committee, and your staff who we [2:15:06] never get to say thanks to. Thanks for having me today. I'm honored to be here alongside the Honorable [2:15:12] Pete Hegseth and the Honorable Jay Hurst to testify on the President's fiscal 2027 budget. I'm grateful for [2:15:19] the opportunity to testify today, and I'm thankful for your continued partnership and support of our warfighters [2:15:26] defending the homeland and our interests around the world. It's a privilege to speak with you today [2:15:32] about the foundation of America's strength, the 2.8 million members of our joint force, [2:15:38] and I am continually inspired by the soldiers, sailors, airmen, marines, guardians, coast guardsmen, [2:15:46] and civilians standing the watch for the nation, supported always by their families. They could have [2:15:53] chosen a much easier path, any other path, but they volunteered for a life of purpose and passion [2:16:00] and service, and every single day they rise to meet the nation's challenges, from combat operations [2:16:07] to critical support roles with the courage, tenacity, and grit that keeps our nation strong and secure. [2:16:15] I would also like to express my deep gratitude for the 39 members of the joint force who've passed in [2:16:24] operations, combat, and training during my time as the Chairman, and specifically highlight the 14 who've [2:16:32] passed in Operation Epic Fury. The Secretary and I are deeply grateful for each of them and their families, [2:16:39] and their names will never be forgotten. As the Chairman, my duty is to ensure our civilian leadership [2:16:46] has a comprehensive range of military options and the associated risks required to make the nation's hardest [2:16:55] and most complex decisions. I owe the President, the Secretary, and the Congress the truth at every turn, [2:17:02] and my blueprint for this role has always been that of General George C. Marshall. His firm commitment to [2:17:10] civilian control and a nonpartisan military remains my constant standard, and I strive to emulate his [2:17:19] candor, delivering the facts leaders need to hear, not always what they want to hear, and once a decision [2:17:26] is made executing it with the absolute dedication while keeping the joint force precisely where it [2:17:33] should be. That's the demand of our profession. As I sit before you today representing our incredible joint [2:17:40] force, I want to emphasize my commitment to this committee and to the Congress. I will always follow [2:17:46] General Marshall's steadfast example by providing clear and candid nonpartisan military advice, working [2:17:53] together to ensure the military remains squarely focused on one thing, being prepared to deter and [2:18:00] if called upon fight and win our nation's war, and that is our mission. America's joint force is operational [2:18:08] at its core, purpose-built for the realities in a complex world. We're organized, trained, and equipped [2:18:15] to execute the most demanding missions across the globe with unrivaled precision. And over the past year, [2:18:23] our war fighters have consistently demonstrated exactly what it means to be the most capable and most [2:18:30] professional force on earth. Our shared goal is to ensure the joint force remains the strategic, sustains [2:18:40] the strategic initiative and advantage and ability to project power to respond to the global challenges [2:18:47] on our nation's terms. During Operation Rough Rider, Midnight Hammer, Southern Spear, Absolute Resolve, [2:18:56] and Epic Fury, the joint force executed globally integrated missions alongside our interagency and [2:19:03] international partners. And once our leaders made a decision, our forces demonstrated the unmatched ability [2:19:10] to seamlessly synchronize actions and activities from the seabed to cislunar space. We're able to accomplish [2:19:18] these complex things that we are asked to do because we draw from a deep reservoir of training, professionalism, [2:19:26] and commitment. Our operational tempo is high, but we're designed to sustain it, rebuilding readiness [2:19:33] every day, training professionals every day, and sharpening our edge every day. And I am incredibly [2:19:40] proud of this joint force team and the leaders at every echelon who command it. As the chairman said, [2:19:48] we are living in a complex environment. Today, I look forward to discussing how we can sustain America's [2:19:54] military advantage. And I know this committee recognizes the challenges and the urgency in the [2:20:00] environment that we face. We're operating in delicate and dangerous times where risk is scaling. And the [2:20:08] complexity of the modern battlefield demands America's constant adaptation, innovation, and [2:20:15] partnership with Congress. As a joint force, we're up to the challenge.