Transcripts For CSPAN2 Defense Department Confirmations 2017

CSPAN2 Defense Department Confirmations November 2, 2017

The next army secretary. Other nominees included the defense undersecretary for intelligence and for personnel and readiness and the assistant defense secretary who advises on weapons of mass destruction to the committee is chaired by her son senator john mccain. This is just under two hours. [inaudible conversations] [inaudible conversations] the Senate Armed Services Committee Meets today to consider the nominations of mark espers to be secretary of the army or robert l. Wilkie to be undersecretary of defense for personnel and readiness Joseph D Kernan to be undersecretary of defense for intelligence and roberts were Nuclear Chemical and biological defense weapons. I would like to say that ive been pleased with the reaction of the secretary of defense and the administration being cooperative and responding to our questions and to our ability to carry out our responsibilities on the Defense Authorization bill. I think most members were happy with their briefing that we received concerning reactions on the uss mccain and others so we are glad to begin this hearing. We thank all of you for joining us this morning. We welcome your family and friends here with us today. As is our tradition at the beginning of your testimony we invite you to introduce those who are joining you. Stand for this committee to ask certain questions in order to exercise legislative and oversight responsibilities. Its important that this committee and other appropriate committees of congress be able to receive testimony briefings and other communications. I would ask that you each provide responses to the following questions. For the years ive been a member of this committee and has not been an important issue. It is now an important issue because we are not receiving the information and communication that is the constitutional responsibility of this committee. So, i urge you to consider your answers very carefully when i asked these questions. Have you at here to applicable laws and regulations governing conflicts of interest . Yes. Will you ensure that your staff complies with deadlines established for requested communications including questions for the record . Yes. Will you cooperate in providing witnesses and briefers in response to congressional requests . Yes, sir. Will those witnesses be protected from reprisals for their testimony or briefings . Do you agree if confirmed to testify upon request before this committee . Do you agree to provide documents including copies of electronic forms of communication in a timely manner when requested by a duly constituted committee or to consult with the Committee Regarding as the basis for any goodfaith delay or denial in providing such documents . Have you assumed any duties or undertaken any actions which would appear to presume the outcome of a confirmation process . Thank you. Mr. Wilkie over half of the annual Defense Budget is spent on personnel costs. Include Training Health care compensation. Our force is facing a readiness crisis. Our personnel are experiencing the strain of 16 years of continuous conflict. I wish you could have heard our navy testimony yesterday concerning the action that has taken place and we all know the us congress bears significant responsibility for the lack of funding and a lack of readiness, the lack of capability of our military which then makes for a 100 hour work week which leads to accidents. Im sure you are aware of them. Testimony of the chief of naval operations. Our force is facing a readiness crisis. Personnel are experiencing the strain of 16 years of continuous conflict. The next undersecretary of defense for personnel and greatest with the senior official responsible for issues that have been a priority for this committee in the last three years. The sweeping personnel Reforms Congress has passed in recent Defense Authorization bills that reflect the importance we place on these issues. If confirmed we expect that you will work to faithfully implement these reforms and be a forwardthinking partner to this committee as we look to ensure can serve serving in the defense of our nation remains the compelling calling for our best and brightest americans. Admiral kernan if confirmed as the undersecretary of defense for intelligence he will serve as the principle intelligence adviser for the secretary of defense and will be dualhattedness the director of Defense Intelligence of the office of the director of national intelligence. Its been nearly 15 years since this position was created and the security environment has changed dramatically during that time. The scope and complexity of global tragedies unlike anything the nation has faced during the last seven decades. Thats why its more important than ever that this committee and the department make certain that the Defense Intelligence enterprise is appropriately structured to immigrate and prioritize challenges resources and capabilities throughout the department. I look to our nominee to explain how he intends to reassess the structure and ensure that the military has timely and accurate intelligence to defend the nation against a rapidly evolving series of security challenges. Mr. Roberts if confirmed he will be the principle adviser to the secretary of defense on Nuclear Weapons and chemical and biological defense as well as the executive director of the Nuclear Weapons counsel. As such you will have a key role in shepherding modernization programs of the Nuclear Triad including the bomber submarine icbm longrange standoff weapons and Nuclear Command and control. If confirmed we will expect you to abdicate in a timely and responsible execution of these programs which remain a cornerstone of our Nations National defense especially in the current strategic environment. We also expect he will work with their National Nuclear Security Administration and the department of energy to support the recapitalization of the critical infrastructure. Many of these facilities are in a disgraceful state of disrepair and strong leadership from both the dod will be required to keep all of these programs on time and that costs. Doctors esper theres no clear clear then our navy army remains at war. After 16 years of war the army perhaps more than any other service has been tested. Repeatedly our soldiers have met the test improve the commitment courage skill and determination. Today however our army is facing a crisis. The burden imposed on our soldiers only grows as threats to our nation increase and sequestration remains the law of the land. Given current operational demands restoring readiness must be the armys First Priority. We have made progress this year towards improving the number of ready brigades are to available for deployment but too many of our soldiers remain in brigades that are currently known the playable. The rp still does not plan to return the full Spectrum Readiness until 2021 at the earliest. Meanwhile the arm or leg the army is woefully behind on modernization and our soldiers are increasingly unprepared to confront the harsh realities of 21st century warfare. The glaring capability gaps and mobility in legality and survivability these problems would only get worse as our ever series continue to modernize their forces. Put simply our army lacks both the adequate capacity and the key capabilities to win decisively. If confirmed we will expect you to implement the sixth key priorities for postmodernization like the army announced last month. We must work to turn these goals into real weapon and equipment and put them in the hands of soldiers as soon as possible. Our soldiers cant afford the false choice between readiness and modernization. Building a ready modern army will require Visionary Leadership and a clear strategy. If confirmed we will expect you to lead the army to those ends. You will have to learn the lessons of the past, make tough decisions, take and manage real risk and hold yourself and those working for you accountable for results. When you do so you always have an ally in this committee. Finally got or esper i would be remiss if i did not reiterate my concerns about the number nominees from the Defense Industry filling out the leadership ranks of the department of defense. I want to be clear that my reservations in the early consultations ahead with the administration about potential nominees including yours and a handful of others that have yet to be nominated. It was then i decided i cant support for the nominees without background beyond those we have are discussed. Ive share your commitment not only to retreat recuse yourself from matters really into the to the Raytheon Company bever than not to seeker except laborers to your recusal obligation. I would like to submit your commitment into the record without objection. Again let me thank our witnesses for their willingness to serve our nation at this challenging time. The length of my Opening Statement was good directly related to the importance of the task that you have asked to undertake. Thank you very much mr. Chairman let me join you in welcoming our nominees and to thank them and their families for their willingness to serve in the positions with great responsibility. I would also like as you introduce your families you will at knowledge the Critical Role they play in supporting your efforts and the men and women in uniform. Doctors esper youve been on a twoweek one of our greatest institutions the United States army. If confirmed he will serve the organization that is facing many challenges including full Spectrum Readiness while the continued to deploy soldiers around the world. The Army Continues to grapple with modernization to include how best to make target investment programs canceling those efforts that are underperforming or prohibited. Doctors esper have a wealth of experience as well as lyrics sensitive experience in the public and private sector. If trends burned your unique perspective will allow you to tackle these challenges headon and i look forward to hearing your views on these issues. Mr. Wilkie if confirmed he will face many challenges including first and foremost that our military has adequate numbers of ready and trained servicemembers and sufficiently high character and talent and National Defense objected to this overarching requires organizational challenges. Military personnel cost of continued to rise exceeding the increase to the overall Defense Budget even as the overall number of activeduty soldiers has dropped from over 2 million in 1998 to 1. 3 million today. Despite an increased Defense Budget over that timeframe mr. Wilkie your vast experience with congress should serve you well and in the fewer confirmed i look forward to working with you and tackling difficult issues and i know you will do that well. Intelligence and operations are more integrated than ever before but at the same time the demand for act and timely intelligence continues to outstrip supply. This challenge is exacerbated inefficient allocation russ is of surveillance and recognizance capabilities among geographic combatant commands. It is capabilities continue to advance at an exceptional pace we are experiencing a short wall and personnel and analytical tools necessary to make effective the overwhelming amount that is being generated. Given your more than three decades of service in the navy bring important experiences to the position of the usdi which you should serve with great distinction as you have in the past. Mr. Roberts since its creation this office has assumed other Missions Including however the core mission has not changed which is to serve as the interface between the department of defense and stop of the requirement to support its Deterrence Mission and over the Nuclear Security agency to expect you as your predecessors have done to hold the nn as they accountable in meeting the stockpile made in a particular restoring your ability produce plutonium pits as we have we recapitalize over the next 20 years. Since 2011 boeing the rabbit ratification of the new start treating we expect a continued continue. And thank you for your willingness to serve the nation. Thank you. I know the presence of our respected friends senator tillis who would like to believe introduced one of the witnesses. Thank you mr. Chairman Ranking Member and distinguished colleagues. I had the privilege of making a few comments about Robert Wilkie or colonel Robert Wilkie paez nixon to resume and im sure to the record for the years repeating some of the more important things that i believe makes him uniquely qualified for this role. Many view probably met robert when he was working for the nomination of secretary mattis. He has got several years of private sector experience including projects to reform and were organized the United Kingdom ministry of defense supply chain and logistics system. He also served in the Bush Administration for rumsfeld as assistant secretary of defense and before that he served under condoleezza rice. I could go through the but i wont. I have to tell you being a junior senator coming in and having someone of roberts cal caliber willing to serve with me was a real honor. Started under deputy helms and has worked on capitol hill for many times. He has the grasp of history that is unparalleled. We play a game in my office called stomp stump or robert and we havent figured out how to do it yet i guess so has broadbased educational experience that follows in the line of the service that mr. Chair and your comment about taking up readiness seriously theres probably not a day that goes by that we are not talking about that and its one of the reasons when they were looking at the subcommittee that i may serve on that he was the one to say it would be great to get the personnel subcommittee because thats an area where we can do a lot of work and we focused on it and we have made progress. Im pretty sure most of the Senate Armed Services staff have a high opinion of roberts i will tell you we also called because theres not a single story we cannot put in context with the experience he had during his working career dating back to roman times. He is going to be a great addition to the Department Defense and im personally, its bittersweet to lose him as a capacity of personnel sub many of Senate Armed Services. I get it opportunity to contain to work with him so i wholeheartedly support his nomination and appreciate the opportunity to introduce him. Santa thank you for your very good words and your opinion is shared on this dais as well. Thank you very much. Maybe we will just begin with you mr. Wilkie if you would like to prepay. So i think mr. Chairman senator reed and distinguished members of the committee Armed Services. This is the second time ive appeared in this chair. I hope its better than the last time. In 2006 i was blessed to have my wife julie with me. We grew up together outside of fort bragg and she is the foundation of our family in both of our civilian and military lives. Unlike 2006 my daughter meghan is now old enough to sit here. She is escaping from her Junior High School classes at washington and is also representing her brother adam who was a first semester Mechanical Engineering student at clemson university. Im also proud to help my sisterinlaw carla counsel here. We to went to high school in fayetteville. Mr. Chairman. We welcome them to the committee. I was honored to be introduced by a former member of this committee and a truly great Senate Leader trent lott. Im equally humbled today not only by the confidence placed in me by the president and secretary mattis puts to be introduced by senator tillis. Senator helms said for any senator to truly represent North Carolina that senator must understand North Carolina highway 24. That is the road that connects 45 of the entire United States marine corps in the eastern part of our state and a place senator reed calls the dash fort bragg. It exemplifies what all of us whove been part of military life straight to be and that is to serve. Mr. Chairman if confirmed i will be charged with making life easier for the men and women and families military and civilian who carry our future on their shoulders when i improve isha see this military life from many angles as dependents, the son of a gravely wounded combat soldier as an officer with a family in the military Health Care System in the Senior Leader of the white house and the pentagon. My earliest memories of the mass jumps of the Second Airborne Division on the normandy and sicily drop sons and fort bragg and artillery rolling across the old quadrangle at fort sill. I witnessed firsthand the all volunteer total force guard active and reserve. Mr. Chairman since desert storm readiness has met the ability to mobilize fight and win two wars. Without prejudging secre

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