[inaudible conversations] good morning the Committee Meets today to consider g nominations for the chief of the National Guard bureau and the project warp speed and in those circumstances what we are facing to do things differently we enjoyed meeting theee families and when you do your Opening Statement and you have both been nominated for positions and then to consider the nominations and then to provide the solutions general wilkinson from the National Guard and your expertise of the National Guard bureau north carolinian and those that will be essential across the country on the front lines of the Coronavirus Response leadership from the joint chiefs of staff testing the Health System and the economy and military and every other part of everyday life, President Trump is taking you and others not only to develop a vaccine but also to manufacture and distribute 300 million doses by january the 2021 extensive expertise and that is key to complete the mission. We appreciate your willingness to serve and i look forward to serving with you. The standards and with that oversight. I commend the integrity you have shown to bring to the committee and then continuing to serve in the current position and that to provide ryall necessary support and then that as directed and then those steps to prepare with those that with the responsibilities you would assume to be the chief operating officer the committee has reviewed the information provided and deemed actions appropriate so when i asked g these questions and then to appreciate the fact and thats the no answer. [laughter] have you adhered to laws and regulations governing companies of interest . Yesns sir. With your staff comply with deadlines and requested communications including questions for the record inn hearings . Yes. We cooperate and toes provide witnesses in response to congressional request . Yes. With a be protected with those briefings . Do you agree to appear and testify before request with this committee . And eu agreed to provide documents with communication . And then to consult with the Committee Regarding the basis and then to provide such documents. And do you have any duties and those actions that would havect appeared to presume the outcome and i have to tell you and that hearing every year it seems this committee is focused on the emerging issue last e year and then to privatize housing. And people did respond and that it was brought to our attention. And then to ensure the dod to implement the National Defense strategy and Senior Leaders to the department for which you have been nominated and in a great power of competition with china and russia with forward to hearing from you and your views. I want to join you to welcome the nominee i appreciate their flexibility as we continue to do the important work of this committee with these challenging circumstances. General hogans and joined today by his wife kelly and proud parents of victoria and danny and also the alleging his wife susan his son cody and the navy civilian. That general hogans and you been nominated to come to us with qualifications for this position serving as the director of the army National Guard t Deputy Commander of north con you check every box as a member of the joint chiefs of staff and principal advisor toef the secretary of defense on matters on those National Guard forces and Civil Support Missions and in this role to play a Critical Role to facilitate and mediate the interest of the programs of the department of defense it has been more visible than ever g as we were called to assist the Health Care System while on the frontlines of the pandemic they risk their own health and infection rates have been high with think those guard members and their families for the sacrifice and dedication while covid19 is still a very real threat many of also being called in real weeks and then to strake a fine balance before performing theiror duties all they do not engage in any unlawful acts our the citizens of nation to show just how the position is will remain throughout your tenure in this position. And then with these trying imtimes and with the chief Operations Officer at work speed the Publicprivate Partnership to develop a straight safe covid vaccines to the American People by 2021. You have an important skill out and expertise to this endeavor and most notably and then to oversee moreil than 109,000 civilian and contract employees. And then to commend you within weeks of retirement but yet you do not hesitate to accept another position and a challenging one at that. O and that operation warp speed and that this will play in the effort and those resources in the way it would be equitably distributed among the americanin people with civilian personnel we have great confidence in your skill and integrity to the constitution i look forward to hearing from both the nominees. Thank you senator the this to be the committees first hearing sense it is possible to know our colleagues joining us through the computer live with first come first serve of those questions by seniority so once we reach the end we will start back at the top and not until we reach everybody whether in the room to ask all colleagues of your microphone. I assume youre down there someplace. You are recognized for an introduction. Thank you very much Ranking Member read i want to think my colleague and classmates for an extraordinarily good statement with the role of the National Guard. Itss a privilege and dan hawkinson and i understand and even the four kids there are all military and then has been nominated for the next chief of the National Guard bureau. You have the right guy for the job. And with those now more than ever what you see is somebody that embodies the values. With a long and distinguished career to leave them then peaceful missions to serve in some of the highest levels of National Guard leadership. I can tell my colleagues on the community we really dont have the military bases that you see so often in the east and the south in so many oregonians for their patriotism to the National Guard and we are so proud of them and has been a source of inspiration so i will wrap up with one simple statement the list of awards and decorations i would still be talking at breakfast time tomorrow. I dont want to be accused of filibustering we went to get this good manco confirmed. And then to be a superb chief to the National Guard bureau. That the committee will report favorably in the senate will confirm them in shortt order. Thank you mr. Chairman. Its my honor to introduce my friends to this committee someone that needs no introduction but i am humbled to be here with him today. I first met the general in 2018 shortly after my election to the senate he was kind enough to arrange the indepth to her as the Material Command it was an amazing experience and shortly after that meeting with me in my office to talk about the Important Role of redstone and also to our nation security. To say i was impressed early on is an understatement and not just of his command but also his commitment to service and the people that serve under him and to the United States ofs america. He comes to huntsville as the deputy chief staffer he served a couple ofl years before taking the home to answer the call to be the chief of the army Material Command he has done a magnificent job and i will tell you can to the over the last two tea years we have quietly tried to slip into the nda a language to prevent his retirement so we can keep him in alabama but fortunately you can catch that quickly but we did not want to lose he is not retiring at this point. But will take on the duties of the coo operation at work speed there is not a better man for the job im happy to say he has assured me him and nds susan and elaborate dinner will be attending eventually. Everybody should know he is a Problem Solver a logistics expert the army Material Command is one ofal the largest was 200,000 military civilian contractor employees with impacts in all 50 states and 152 countries not only a logistics expert but a logistics wizard with the and parallel depth of experience in acquisition and procurement. He delivers and as important as this is there is another position he undertook in the last year since i have been on this committee which indicates the army and the United States confidence. With the military to encounter pounds of prioritize housing that they turn to to solve the crisis to be appointed as the officer in charge of correcting the deficiencies of the Army Installations and to answer that command to bring together civilian agencies military personnel Contractors Corporation and other stakeholders and to ensure adequate housing is available on all military bases and as Material Commander the country needs a vaccine that needs countermeasures for the Novel Coronavirus we need it yesterday that i know with the general at the helm we will receive the vaccine and it will be distributed as soon as possible as soon ase and a fair and efficient way he has answered the call again. I believe the president has made absolutely the right call i commend him not only for this but the general for answering his call to service thank you for your service for this critical challenge not just families but all america. Thank you and good luck. G and these Opening Statements and then to be made the record. First of all thank you for that kind introduction. Chairman in half Ranking Member read thank you for that longstanding support and then actually help the be before the committee as you consider my nomination. And those to make my appearance today possible. And those who served in world war ii and korea a tireless advocate for military families to make sacrifices for our family her daughter victoria is an Operations Officer is a marine Corps Officer and the wife jenna and son is an Army Infantry officer with the regiments. So living in california where i was born and raised and my father taught high school over 36 years god has blessed me beyond words and their unwavering support and as you are well aware this is an important and pivotal time we face complex Dynamic Missions overseas in here at home they must continue to effectively navigate the unprecedented landscape to work closely with stakeholders at the International Federal state and local levels over the past 34 years to be shaped by incredible opportunities and experiences and those people i bring before you today and confirmed i will work with. This committee wherever we are needed. And in recent months the National Guard of the frontlines ofhe the Pandemic Response in every state and territory and district of columbia members are helping to fight this invisible enemy. And those key functions at testing sites and longterm care facilities hospital in food banks facemasks and so much more. At the same time the National Guard responded to civilt unrest as part of the call for justice we are there to protect First Amendment rights and preserve Public Safety in the communities where we live. Are citizen soldiers have responded to these and other events in the homeland for simultaneously meeting all overseas deployment requirements with the National Defense strategy and as a result we reached a new peak earlier this month the 120,000 citizen soldiers and airmen mobilized worldwide what makes this possible does not change since the founding of 1636 and that is the incredible men and women in our formations they have been and always will be the highest priority to balance their military careers and civilian careers and families to the sacrifices they must make to the true to the motto always ready always there and thank you to secretary trump on dash President Trump and secretary esper and also also those of 39 years of Selfless Service the example they said has a Lasting Impact on the National Guard. And as a prepared to return home to texas thank you for the opportunity to be before the community i look forward to your questions. Thank you now we will hear from general. Distinguish members of the committee i am grateful and deeply humbled to be with you in my fellow nominee. The servicemembers and the nation. Thank you to senator jones for his kind and generous remarks it has been my privilege to work with him as the senator inork alabama or the workforce army i very grateful while my family could not be here today to remain my number one supporters my wife susan today is our 37th anniversary married me and made the journey with me throughout our careers. Always in support always there for me. My son, the supply core officer and then noncommissioned officer with three lovely daughters adriana and priscilla and our son who serves the navy as a gs 13 contracting officer, without them i would not be here today it is their support i am incredibly grateful and always love for them. Nor can i be there about the friendsie or mentors who have helped me over the years. Thank you. And defense secretary mark esper and hhs secretary as are for their trust and ncconfidence in me to support the president s nomination to have operation for nearly 39 years in uniform culminating and then to cement the Strategic Operational and those sustained foundation. This has prepared me for this opportunity leading amc highly skilled and workforce all 190,000 plus soldiers and contractors was challenging but incredibly rewarding but if confirmed that National Experience will enable me and in my new responsibilities. Chairman and members of that committee if confirmed i am 100 percent committed to support the efforts of our nations best scientist and researchers to develop a safe and effective vaccine. With that distribution to deliver a fax by the end of the year. This will require everyone to do more than their best. We must do what is required. We must win to embrace the whole government approach to collaborate daily with academia partners we will prioritize our efforts on potential candidates that are netermined to be safe and effective that would be ready by the end of the year and to be distributed accordingly at the right numbers. The key to success is to rely on science and those protocols are executed to standards for simultaneously executing protection at risk i am be and then we could reduce delivery time by months if not years i swore an oath to the coconstitution it is impacting our way of life. And then to defeat this enemy and i and i look forward to your questions. And those statements so lets just are with you general hogans and kevin the biggest p problem that we have is retention and recruiting. And we were not able to meet our goals. Ninetyseven. 6 percent. And then to have that same situation. It has to be more difficult now and then the word gets out its a lot of hard work and recruiting and retention is to be more difficult now if we are unable to meet our goals fiscal year 18ca and 19 are you confident something has changed . If so what is it . Thank you for the opportunity to address that importantor question and look at the National Guard prior to covidien in february 1 of the best recruiting months in the past five o r years and since covan 18 our ability to interact with recruits has been greatly reduced but we have leverage the internet and other social media to reach out those individuals if you look at march and april and may we read 99 percent april and may below that and so if you look at the remaining months of the year s s they are lower recruiting months but from what i am hearing and that is what they can make up the shortages. And did you do anything different . The chairman. And social media that has been very beneficial. I have a question for the general its a very Ambitious Program that everybody appear knows that and with the victory of this program are predicated on the assumption we will have the necessary vaccine and all of that by yearend so give us your insurance if we have it by then whyd it is based on . Chairman what i thought was aspirational goal 30 days ago it is more and more likely to occur. And then based on the updates received in those partnerships with industry. And the efforts and their presentations to myself have indicated they have the right formula to produce to execute Clinical Trials and then to distributed accordingly. And then still working their way through human science leads us to her conclusions so that we can determine the effectiveness of the vaccine because it must be safe first and foremost and that the fda makes the decis