The Committee Meets today to consider the nominations of Lieutenant GeneralDavid Hawkinson to be chief of the National Guard bureau, and general Gustave Perna to be chief operating officer of the project warp speed. I think both of you for being here today particularly under the current circumstances of what we are facing now, we are doing things differently. I know you are down there but i can barely see you. Anyway, we enjoyed meeting the families and all of that. We were not going to be able to do with the same way. When you do your opening statement, you may want to family that may be looking on. You have both been nominated for positions in the current challenge and as we consider your nominations, would be looking to ensure you can provide the expertise and Solutions Needed or the circumstances. , as our nationon demands more from our National Guard, your expertise is extensive in the National Guard as a general, will be essential. Across the country, tens of thousands of guardsmen are on the front lines of the coronavirus response. They deserve strong, measured, amateur leadership from their advocate on the joint chiefs of staff. Gen. Perna, we are facing down a virus that has tested our health system, economy, military, and every other part of our life. President trump is taking you and the team and others with an Ambitious Mission to not only develop a vaccine but also to manufacture and distribute some 300 million doses by january 2021. Your expertise in the just ask in leading the United States key tommand will be complete this mission. I speak for the committee when i say we appreciate your willingness to serve. Looking forward to serving with you. It is standard for this committee, we have seven required answers, questions. Standard for the committee to ask certain questions in order to exercise its legislative oversight responsibilities. Before i begin, gen. Perna, i commend the integrity that you have shown in bringing to the committees attention the fact that while continuing to serve in your current position as commander, u. S. Army Material Command, you have ensured that amc provided all necessary support to operation warp speed as directed. In addition, you have taken theent steps to prepare for new duties and responsibilities that you would assume to be the chief operating officer of operation warp speed. The committee has reviewed the information provided and deems your actions appropriate under the circumstances, so when i asked these questions, we want an audible yes or no. Gen. Perna, we appreciate the fact that you have wanted out some of the things that you have ane that would not be violation of a no answer. Number one, have you adhere to laws and regulations governing the conflict of interest . Yes. Will you ensure your staff complies with deadlines established for communications, including questions for or the records in hearings . Yes. Will you cooperate in providing briefs in response to congressional requests . Yes. Will those witnesses be protected from reprisals in their testimony briefings . Yes. Do you agree, if confirmed, to agree and testify upon request before this committee . Yes. Do you agree to provide documents including documents of electronic forms of communication in a timely manner when requested by a duly constituted committee or to consult with the Committee Regarding the basis for any good faith delay or denial in providing such documents . Yes. Week, have you assumed any duties or undertaken any actions which would appear to presume the outcome of the confirmation process . No. Very good. I dont have to tell either of you about the many challenges facing the nation here and across the world. It seems this committee every year is focused on turning to an emerging issue. Last year, it was the privatization, Privatized Housing prices, which we handled in a great way. People didnt respond did respond to the satisfaction of those that have brought the problem to our attention. We also remain focused on ensuring the dod has the authorities and resources it needs to implement the National Defense strategy, often referred to as Senior Leaders of the department, in the positions for which you have been nominated. You would continue to play key the great in winning power of competition and in taking care of the people talking about the great power of competition, with china and russia. We look forward to hearing from you and your views. Senator reid. Thank you, mr. Chairman. I want to join in welcoming our nominees. I appreciate their flexibility along with the cooperation of our colleagues as we continue to do the important work of this committee. I want to thank the families of the nominees. Gen. Hokanson it joined by his wife kelly. They are the proud parents of mckinnon. Danny, and family is not in the room but i want to acknowledge his wife susan, their son cody, a navy lieutenant, and their son ryan, who is a navy civilian. Thank you for the support and sacrifices your families have given to you and the nation. Gen. Hokanson, you have been nominated to be chief of the National Guard bureau and come to us with extraordinary qualifications for this position. You have also served as the vice chief of National Guard bureau, Deputy Commander of north com. You check every box 111 for a nominee in this position. The chief of the National Guard bureau was a member of the joint chiefs of staff and is a principal advisor to the secretary of defense through the chairman on matters involving the nonfederalized National Guard forces in support of Homeland Defense and civil support missions. In this role, the chief of the National Guard bureau plays a Critical Role in facilitating and mediating the interest of the states with the programs of the department of defense. The unique role has been more visible than ever in the past few months. In march, members were called to assist the Health Care System as the coronavirus pandemic swept the country. While on the frontlines of the pandemic, they have risk their own health and the infection rates in the guard has been high. We think those guard members and their families for their sacrifice and dedication. While covid19 is still a real threat we are battling, many guard members have also been called in recent weeks to assist governors and Law Enforcement in recent nationwide protests. The guard has had to strike a fine belt between performing their duties while ensuring they do not engage in any unlawful acts or even the perception of unlawful acts against the citizens of our nation. Hownt weeks show just difficult the position of the chief of the National Guard bureau is and will remain perhaps to write your tenyear indisposition. Hokanson, i look forward to hearing your thoughts on how you plan to approach the job in these trying times. You have been nominated to become the chief operating officer of operation warp speed, a process to develop and manufacture a safe covid19 vaccine to the American People by january 2021. You bring an important skill set and expertise to this endeavor having served your career as an Army Logistics specialist. You must recently served as the commander of the Army Material command, receiving more than 190,000 contractor employees and managing a Global Supply chain that provides materials to army forces around the world. Gen. Perna, i want to commend you from being weeks within retirement, and yet, you did not hesitate to accept another position, and a challenging one at that. The committee and the entire country are still waiting for details about operation warp speed. We are interested in hearing about the role that you will play in the Defense Department and the resources you will need and the way that a vaccine will be equitably distributed among the American People. We have great confidence in your skill and your integrity and dedication to the cost to ship. I look forward to both of the nominees. Thank you. Thank you, senator reid. This will be the committees first hearing with senators attending remotely, so i want to let everyone know how we will run this thing. Since it is impossible to know exactly when our colleagues who computeroining us via arrived, we will not be following the normal standard we do on a firstcome, firstserved. Instead, we will handle the order of questions by seniority, alternating with sides. Once we reach the end, if there is anyone who we have missed, we will start back at the top, until we reach everybody. Finally, to allow for everyone to be heard, whether in the room or on computer, i ask all colleagues to please be sure to mute your microphones. Senator wyden, i assume you are down there. Chairman . Remote. I see. You are recognized for an introduction. Thank you, mr. Chairman, Ranking Member read. I want to thank my colleague, for ante, senator reid, extraordinarily good statement with respect to the exemplary role the National Guard is playing right now. You thankof both of you. Its a privilege to introduce a long friend, general daniel hokanson. I understand his wife kelly is there. Perhaps even his four kids are there. All military, all the time. Oregonians are just thrilled that he has been nominated to serve as the next chief of the National Guard bureau. You, you all have got the right guy for the job. As both of you, chairman, senator reid, have touched on, we need sensible leaders with strong character and strong morals now more than ever. Hokanson,k at gen. What youll see is someone who embodies those values. He is a west pointer with a long and distinguished career. He has led our troops in iraq. He has lent him in peace omissions at home in oregon. He has served at some of the highest levels of National Guard leadership. At home in oregon, i can tell my colleagues on the committee, we really dont have the big military bases that you see so often, for example, in the east and the south. Oregoniansmany professing their patriotism through the National Guard, many of them serving three, four tours of duty. We are so proud of them. Gen. Hokanson has been a source of inspiration for many of those oregonians who serve in the guard. I am going to wrap up with just one simple statement. Through the list of awards and decorations to gen. Hokanson, i would still be talking at breakfast time tomorrow. I do not want to be accused of filibustering you all. We want to get this good man confirmed. I will just close by saying, i believe he will be a superb chief of the National Guard bureau. Thank you for giving me the opportunity to come. I certainly hope the committee will report about the outstanding citizen and confirm him shortly. Thank you, senator wyden. Jones recognize senator to introduce gen. Perna. Thank you, mr. Chairman, Ranking Member. It is my honor to introduce my ,riend, general gus perna someone who probably needs no introduction, but im honored and humbled to be here with him today. Gen. Perna in 2018 18 shortly after my election to the senate. He was kind enough early on to arrange an indepth tour of redstone arsenal, where he is based as the chief of the Army Materiel command. It was an amazing experience for me. Shortly after that, he came to washington and met with me in my office to talk with me about the Important Role of redstone and how it plays to alabama but also important to our nations security. To say that i was impressed early on would be an understatement. I was impressed not just with his command of his command, but also with his commitment, commitment to service, commitment to his command, commitment to the people that serve under him, and commitment to the United States of america. Huntsville as the deputy chief of staff of the Army Material command. We served for a couple of years before taking a couple of years before answering the call to be the chairman of the Army Material command at redstone arsenal. He has done a magnificent job. I will tell you candidly, mr. Chairman, over the last two years of my 10 year on this committee, me and my staff have quite leased to try to slip regardingdaa language his retirement. Upr staff was able to catch quickly, but we did not want to lose him from alabama. He is not retiring at this point, but will take on the duties of the coo of operation warp speed. I am very proud of him and there is not a better man for the job. I am happy to say that he has assured me that he and his wife susan and their lever doodle will be retiring eventually in alabama and taking up residence at smith leg. I will tell you as everyone should know, gus perna is a problem solver. He is imagistic. The Army Material command is one of the armys largest commands military,t 200,000 civilian, and contractor employees, with impact in all 50 states and 152 countries. He is not only a logistics expert in my opinion, he is a logistics wizard, with an and breadth depth of experience and acquisitions, procurement, and sustaining. Simply put, he delivers. As this position is, there was another position he had already undertook in the last year, since i have been on this committee, which indicates the army and the United States confidence in him. As the committee knows, the military encountered problems with Privatized Housing, which became crisis for portions in 2019. It was gen. Perna who the army turned to to solve the crisis and was appointed as the officer in charge of correcting the deficiencies of the armys installations. While still a work in progress, he answered that command. Gen. Perna has brought together civilian agencies, military personnel, contractors, Senior Leaders, and other stakeholders in order to correct the military Housing Program and ensure adequate housing is available on all military bases. Again, that was in addition to his duties as Material Command er. The country needs a vaccine. The country needs countermeasures for the novel coronavirus. We needed in yesterday. But i know and am confident that with gen. Perna at the helm we will receive the vaccine, and it will be distributed as soon as practical, as soon as possible, in a fair and efficient way. He has answered the call again. I believe the president has made absolutely the right call. I commend not only the president for this nomination but gen. Perna for his once again answering the call to service in leading this effort. Congratulations on your nomination. Thank you for your service and your willingness to tackle this credit will challenge for not just our families but for all america and, in fact, the world. Thank you and good luck. Thank you, senator jones. We will begin with opening statements. As you are aware, we would like to keep those brief. Your entire statement will be made a part of the record. We will start with you, gen. Hokanson. All, i want to thank senator wyden for that kind introduction. Chairman in hot, Ranking Member read, distinguished members of the committee, thank you for your longstanding support of americas National Guard and our soldiers, airmen, civilian, vans, and employers. Im humbled to be before this committee as you consider my nomination. I would like to take a moment to recognize my family, those most responsible or making my appearance at a possible. Kelly, the love of my life and wife of over 30 years, is with me today. She is the youngest daughter of a navy sailor who served in both world war ii and korea, is a tireless advocate for military families, and was always the first to mix a crisis for our family. Our children who could not be heard today all where the cloth of our nation. Our daughter victoria is an air force base operations officer, and her husband dan is a marine Corps Officer. Our son danny is an Army Special Forces officer. Our son mckinnon is an army entropy officer with a regimen. Bob and diane hokanson, who still live in california, where i was born and raised, and where my father taught high school for over 35 years. God has blessed me beyond words with my family and their unwavering support. This isre well aware, an important and pivotal time in the history of our National Guard. We have placed complex dimon missions overseas and here at home. The next chief of the National Guard bureau must continue to effectively navigate this unprecedented landscape and work closely with stakeholders at the international, federal, state, and local levels. The past 34 years, i have been shaped by incredible opportunities and experiences and have been fortunate to work with amazing and self, some of which are purely for me today. Work withed, i will this committee to ensure our National Guard is manned, trained, equipped, and ready, wherever we are needed. Months, the National Guard h