WEBVTT

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the gentleman yields back . Now yield

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five minutes to the gentleman from

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pennsylvania . Mr Smucker . Thank you .

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Mr Chairman Mr McCord . Good to see you .

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You know , I listened very carefully to

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Mr Higgins questions and I thought he

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hit the nail on the head in regards to

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the impact of energy policies on what's

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happening in Ukraine . Uh and I just

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wondered if you agree with that , do

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you agree that energy policies were in

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many ways are are linked to what's

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happening in Ukraine ? I would , I

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would say it's undeniable that that

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that the politics and the policies of

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energies are very important from I

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think if you look at Putin's history ,

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he tends to make a move in winter when

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he can , when he knows that his

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european western european neighbors are

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probably most sensitive to his ability

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to cut off their natural gas or to

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threaten to do so . And and that the

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revenue that he gets from oil is hugely

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important to the economy . Yeah , thank

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you . The fact of the matter is that I

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support , I think eventually we will be

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moving to cleaner sources of energy .

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But the fact of the matter is today ,

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The world uses about 100 close to 100

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million barrels of oil per day and

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disrupting that supply would have

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devastating consequences in many ways

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across the world . Do you believe that

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uh whether or not our nation is energy

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independent is important for our future

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security . It is uh ,

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and under the previous administration ,

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it was widely seen that the , that we

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were as a country . Energy independent .

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Do you agree with that ? Ah I am not an

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expert in this field . I I don't know

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that we've ever been energy energy

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independent in in in the industrial era .

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But do you agree that some of the first

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actions that President biden has taken ,

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reduced our energy production and our

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energy independence a little bit

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outside my area of expertise ? I

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couldn't comment on that . Well , I

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mean , clearly he did on the in the

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first week of his presidency , he

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stopped uh he reduced production ,

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he has slowed up the permitting for

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a new production of oil and

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gas . Uh and um you know , it just it

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makes no sense . Does that make any

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sense to you if the President is making

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those kinds of decisions ? Well , I I

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know that for example , the keystone

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pipeline was a controversial decision

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under under every administration over

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several years . So I think there was

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arguments on both . But but don't you

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think the President should be at this

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point , particularly as we're seeing

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and you already said you agree that

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energy is linked to what's happening in

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Ukraine . Don't you think it would make

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sense for President ? Do everything

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that you can to produce our to boost

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our production right now ? Well , there

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would be boosting production and

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boosting our climate resilience and

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boosting our our our our electric

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vehicle ? Another , I mean , there

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there's multiple ways you would want to

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attack this problem . I think , you

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know , I think it's I think it's very

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difficult to look at the policies of

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this administration and not see how

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they are linked to what's happening in

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Ukraine . Even Smolinski and his

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advisers have said that our energy

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policies and policies of energy

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production in europe have given the

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Putin the opening to to do he thought

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he had the leverage we gave him

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leverage to do that . And then as mr

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Higgins said , we helped to fund that

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war fund what he's doing by continuing

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to buy oil from them and then the other

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part of the energy policies , it has

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resulted in the inflation that that

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we've seen today . Uh and earlier this

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month , the House Armed Services before

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the House Armed Services Committee ,

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chairman of the joint chiefs of staff ,

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Mark Milley said this budget assumes an

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inflation rate of 2.2% . Which is

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obviously now incorrect when we've seen

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inflation of 8.5% , far outpacing

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that what was predicted in this budget .

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Uh Why do you think the budget has

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missed the mark in so many ways in

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regards to rising prices ? Well , I

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want to distinguish the the inflation

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rate for of in the 23 budget is for

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FY23 , which hasn't started yet and

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won't end for a year and a half from

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now . So no one can conclude that that

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we know that it's right or wrong . I

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would conceive that inflation today is

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higher than higher than what it was

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when we when we were locking the budget .

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Yeah . So you agree that they were

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wrong in the prediction of the budget

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in regards to inflation ? I would I

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would I would yes , I would agree that

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that anyone who predicts inflation in

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advance is going to be wrong and I know

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that we're going to get more data .

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Former chairman of the joint chiefs of

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staff , Admiral Michael Mullen said

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back in 2010 that the most significant

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threat to our national security is our

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debt . At that point , our debt was

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13.5 trillion . And now , as you know ,

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it's over 30 trillion . One of the

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consequences of rising inflation that

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it's now forcing the Federal Reserve to

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raise interest rates which also raises

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the cost for the US to pay the interest

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on our debt . Uh How do you think

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additional spending on interest which

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will absolutely be required as a as a

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result of policies that have led to

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inflation ? How will that additional

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spending affect our perhaps undermine

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our national defense ? Well , that

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would be a question that is , you know ,

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obviously primarily in your wheelhouse

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here in the Budget committee as to

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whether how how you would assess

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whether mandatory spending on debt is

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going to change your decisions on

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discretionary spending or discretionary

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spending caps should should caps exist .

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But it's it's it's it's an issue for

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for all of us and especially for for

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those of you on the budget committee as

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to whether the mandatory side ,

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mandatory spending such as interest on

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the debt is going to change what we

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think we can afford . On the

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discretionary side , Gentleman's time

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has expired now recognize the gentleman

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from massachusetts mr moulton for five

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minutes . Thank you . Mr Chairman Mr

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McCord . I'd like to like to start by

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expressing my agreement with my

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colleague here and my shared concern

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for the impact of the deficit on our

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ability to provide for our national

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defense . And that is one of many

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reasons why I voted against the trump

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tax cut that provided millions for

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millionaires at the expense of our

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national security and ballooned the

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deficit to epic proportions ? I think

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that your budget here strikes the

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balance right ? I agree with your top

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line . I think that the administration

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is finding a way to balance the needs

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of the military with also the the

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importance of diplomacy as a marine

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veteran myself . I saw every single day

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in Iraq the impact that diplomacy had

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on saving the lives of our troops . I

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align myself strongly with Secretary

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Mattis who as Mr trump's Secretary of

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Defense emphasized how important it is

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to fund our diplomatic establishment ,

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our State Department or else he said

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you'll have to buy me more ammunition .

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Can you talk for a minute about how

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your budget supports our allies in

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europe meets the pacing threat with

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china and balances all these things

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with the needs of the National security

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establishment today . Thank you . Mr

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bolton I would let me let me start with

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with china . Um as you know , we don't

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have we don't have the alliance

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framework of multilateralism in in Asia

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that we do in europe . So we continue

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to do a lot of bilateral work there .

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But but we in both theaters , we lead

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by example and the investments that

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we're making in this budget are are

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designed to show designed to keep us

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in an overmatched position versus china

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on the high end . I think a number of

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members have commented that that what's

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happening in Ukraine obviously has

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lessons depending how this comes out

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for for calculations that President XI

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may make . We we are very cognizant of

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that as well in europe . We've talked a

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number a little bit this morning about

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energy . I think that's a great example

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of sanctions , whether and whether

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sanctions should extend to two Russian

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energy and how much they should extend .

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There are something that you have to go

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together with your allies on . It

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doesn't doesn't work very well .

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Obviously sanctions that are the

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unilateral . So I think that is

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something that that is a good example

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of of the the steps that that Secretary

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Blinken and Secretary Austin have taken

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to move together has been enormously

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helpful in europe . I think many of us ,

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I I you may have better foresight than

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many , many of us were were surprised

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and heartened how responsive the

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Germans for example have been on North

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Stream and on their defense spending

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increase things that I think would not

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have happened had we not taken the time

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to try and bring everybody together .

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So I think , I think that as you say ,

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these uh , how we do this system is

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very important and we've tried to move

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together with it with and lead the pack .

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Well , the fact that the administration

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has been able to coalesce our allies

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around this uh mission is actually

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quite extraordinary and of course trump

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was working at cross purposes to that

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every single day that he undermined

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NATO thinking about the future . When I

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co led the bipartisan future defense

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task force , we spent a lot of time

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thinking about how the department can

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get the best equipment and newest

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technologies into the hands of the war

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fighter at the speed of relevance .

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That means they need to get the stuff

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today . We can't wait until it becomes

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outdated . Do you think the D . O . D .

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Acquisition system is efficient enough

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to address these challenges and compete

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with china . I think that all of us are

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looking for a way that we can be more

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agile but still be accountable and

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transparent enough and and your your

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your your committee in the NBA created

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a PPB commissions planning programming

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budgeting execution , which is the D .

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O . D centric part of the larger

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federal budget process that commission

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is now underway , co chaired by a

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former comptroller and by a former 18 L .

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S . Executive , that was my amendment

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and I certainly hope it will be

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successful . I mean one of our

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conclusions on the task force is that

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the system that we have today is not

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sufficient that we have to reform it .

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But one of the other things we

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determined is that in the meantime we

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can empower , reinforce the programs

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that are working . Um . Deputy

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Secretary Hicks has openly discussed

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concerns with shrinking defense

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industrial base and the department has

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taken funding away from programs that

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are delivering critical capabilities

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such as the defense innovation unit

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unit . Now D IU in particular has

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leveraged $25 billion in private R .

10:34.988 --> 10:37.520
And D introduced 100 new suppliers to D .

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O . D . From 37 states in the face of a

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shrinking industrial base . And yet

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shockingly the department has cut its

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funding . So I agree with your top line ,

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I agree with your strategy , I'm very

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proud of what the administration is

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doing in Ukraine and yet I cannot

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understand why on earth you would cut

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the budget for D . I . U . I'll have to

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get you a good answer for that one . Mr

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Malone . Okay , well I hope the answer

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is that we will restore they also that

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we have as you know , build a plant

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just on board for a little more than a

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week . So we now a full house in terms

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of our leadership in the acquisition

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and sustainment world to go along with

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with undersecretary shoe on the R and B

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side to help move us forward ? Well , I

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certainly hope it was just an oversight .

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Mr Chairman . Thank you . Alright ,

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gentleman's time has expired and now

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recognize the gentleman from Virginia

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Mr Klein for five minutes . Thank you .

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Mr Chairman . I'm gonna go back to

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china and your assertion that this

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budget provides us with with an

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overmatched position vis a vis china

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according to china's Ministry of

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Finance , They've increased their

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defense spending by 7.1% this year .

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Its highest level since 2019 . While we

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truly don't know what china spends on

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its military could be even higher . I

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think folks in the national security

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community are concerned about china's

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military ambitions . Um as you said ,

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you consider china to be a threat on

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par with with climate . Is that an

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accurate assessment of your judgment ?

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Yeah , I would say . And I would

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actually , what the secretary Austin

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said . We have we have threats that are

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that are very important that are not

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identical in nature . So , so , Covid ,

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for example , was was a near term

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threat to the health of our force into

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the country . China is a longer term

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threat . More of a military centric

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threat . Climate is a more existential

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threat to our whole society . So

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they're they're they're important

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threats that are not identical threats .

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So you're considering china a long term

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threat . Let me Quote , the former

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commander of the Indo Pacific Command ,

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Admiral Philip Davidson , who stressed

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that China might try to forcibly annex

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Taiwan before 2027 . That timeline

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reflects china's massive investments in

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naval power in its recent expansion of

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nuclear weapons . Are you aware of a

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report to Congress in 2020 titled

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military and security developments

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involving the People's Republic of

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China ? Are is this a department of

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defense report you're referring to ? I

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believe there's there's an annual

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report that has been instituted in the

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last couple of years that I don't I

13:09.830 --> 13:12.052
don't know if that's the title , but it

13:12.052 --> 13:14.108
sounds like this is a regular report

13:14.108 --> 13:17.040
submitted for the last 20 years . The

13:17.050 --> 13:18.939
2020 report states that China has

13:18.939 --> 13:20.994
already achieved parity with or even

13:20.994 --> 13:23.161
exceeded the United States and several

13:23.161 --> 13:25.439
military modernization areas , correct ?

13:27.630 --> 13:29.908
I don't have the report in front of me ,

13:29.908 --> 13:31.908
but I don't dispute that . It might

13:31.908 --> 13:31.520
have might have said that . So you

13:31.520 --> 13:33.409
don't know which areas the report

13:33.409 --> 13:36.160
stated . We're most concerned . I

13:36.160 --> 13:38.271
wasn't in the department in 2020 , so

13:38.271 --> 13:40.493
I'm not familiar with the 2020 report .

13:40.493 --> 13:42.660
Okay . The report states that China is

13:42.660 --> 13:44.716
ahead in the areas of shipbuilding ,

13:44.716 --> 13:46.938
land based , conventional ballistic and

13:46.938 --> 13:48.882
cruise missiles and integrated air

13:48.882 --> 13:51.940
defense systems . So do you think that

13:51.950 --> 13:55.700
a budget That would decommission 24

13:55.700 --> 13:59.180
ships Just this year while

13:59.180 --> 14:02.060
building nine and

14:02.440 --> 14:04.662
Projected that in the next five years ,

14:04.670 --> 14:06.892
our naval fleet would shrink further to

14:06.892 --> 14:10.530
only 280 ships Not meeting the legal

14:10.530 --> 14:12.820
requirement to field a fleet of 355

14:12.820 --> 14:15.042
battleships . You think that would meet

14:15.042 --> 14:18.860
the needs of are our

14:18.860 --> 14:21.020
position versus china . That that is

14:21.020 --> 14:23.187
exactly the intent that the ships that

14:23.187 --> 14:25.020
the , that the navy proposed the

14:25.020 --> 14:27.187
commissioner or ones that would not be

14:27.187 --> 14:29.131
capable in a high end contest with

14:29.131 --> 14:28.880
china , whereas the ones that we're

14:28.880 --> 14:31.640
investing in would be right . And at

14:31.640 --> 14:35.310
the same time We're proposing to spend

14:35.310 --> 14:37.650
3.1 billion on climate programs .

14:38.840 --> 14:42.110
Well , uh , Cutting funding for ships ,

14:42.110 --> 14:44.221
troops and aircraft , two billion for

14:44.221 --> 14:45.999
climate resiliency and military

14:45.999 --> 14:48.250
installations . 247 million Operational

14:48.250 --> 14:50.417
energy and buying power and 28 million

14:50.417 --> 14:54.360
for contingency preparedness . I would

14:55.540 --> 14:57.670
argue that this budget prioritizes

14:57.670 --> 14:59.800
green new deal initiatives over our

14:59.800 --> 15:02.050
military readiness vis a vis china ,

15:02.050 --> 15:04.550
which as I stated , is a near threat ,

15:04.560 --> 15:08.150
not a long term threat as

15:08.440 --> 15:11.180
earlier stated . Would you care to

15:11.180 --> 15:14.760
comment on that ? Sure . First of all ,

15:14.760 --> 15:16.871
just on the climate side , the half a

15:16.871 --> 15:18.982
percent that's in our budget for this

15:18.982 --> 15:20.927
does not detract from our military

15:20.927 --> 15:22.593
capabilities . Uh , these are

15:22.593 --> 15:22.560
investments that we need to make anyway ,

15:22.560 --> 15:24.671
we're always going to be investing in

15:24.671 --> 15:26.782
our facilities and we're always going

15:26.782 --> 15:26.500
to be investing in our , in our

15:26.510 --> 15:28.454
vehicles especially are non combat

15:28.454 --> 15:30.566
vehicles . So we want to be investing

15:30.566 --> 15:32.621
in , ones that are , that are in the

15:32.621 --> 15:34.788
same direction the market is moving um

15:34.788 --> 15:38.720
where there's oh with respect to china

15:38.730 --> 15:41.620
again , china is china is a long term

15:41.620 --> 15:43.940
threat or or now now in future threat .

15:43.940 --> 15:46.107
So when I say long term , I don't mean

15:46.107 --> 15:48.051
to the exclusion of they're not of

15:48.051 --> 15:50.410
concern today . Just that that they are

15:50.410 --> 15:52.577
going to be with us , they're going to

15:52.577 --> 15:54.632
be an influential economic power and

15:54.632 --> 15:56.799
influential military power for decades

15:56.799 --> 15:58.799
to come . So it is not a short term

15:58.799 --> 16:01.021
issue . It is a longer term issue , but

16:01.021 --> 16:02.910
that doesn't mean it doesn't , it

16:02.910 --> 16:02.620
hasn't already , it's not already in

16:02.620 --> 16:04.842
the window of being a concern of ours .

16:04.842 --> 16:06.842
And I'm sorry if I didn't make that

16:06.842 --> 16:09.009
clear , I appreciate that . And as you

16:09.009 --> 16:12.370
said , uh Chairman G is watching and

16:12.380 --> 16:14.436
watching how we conduct ourselves in

16:14.436 --> 16:16.150
Ukraine and is prepared to

16:17.840 --> 16:20.960
act if we are not showing strength . So

16:21.340 --> 16:23.920
I believe a stronger military budget

16:24.030 --> 16:28.010
focused on ships would be

16:28.010 --> 16:30.470
appropriate . And send the right

16:30.470 --> 16:32.692
message to the chinese . So with that I

16:32.692 --> 16:34.914
yield back Gentleman's time has expired

16:34.914 --> 16:37.137
and now recognizes the gentlewoman from

16:37.137 --> 16:39.081
Washington , Miss Jayapal for five

16:39.081 --> 16:41.192
minutes . Thank you Mr Chairman . And

16:41.192 --> 16:43.248
and thank you Under Secretary McCord

16:43.248 --> 16:45.137
for your service to our country .

16:45.137 --> 16:47.414
Deeply appreciated um to my colleagues .

16:47.414 --> 16:49.414
I wish we were spending more within

16:49.414 --> 16:51.303
this budget on addressing climate

16:51.303 --> 16:53.470
change is a national security threat .

16:53.470 --> 16:52.960
I'm glad there's at least a little

16:52.960 --> 16:55.290
piece in here that recognizes that

16:55.290 --> 16:57.123
because certainly it's extremely

16:57.123 --> 16:59.179
important . Mr McCord . You probably

16:59.179 --> 17:01.234
know I'm not a fan of the ballooning

17:01.234 --> 17:03.346
Department of Defense budget . Um You

17:03.346 --> 17:05.401
probably know that I think there's a

17:05.401 --> 17:07.623
lot of waste fraud and abuse and if the

17:07.623 --> 17:09.123
pentagon were to undergo a

17:09.123 --> 17:11.300
comprehensive audit as every other

17:11.300 --> 17:13.610
agency has done that would make an

17:13.610 --> 17:15.832
enormous difference and it might get me

17:15.832 --> 17:18.590
more interested in putting more money

17:18.590 --> 17:20.701
into the defense budget . But at this

17:20.701 --> 17:22.868
point the Department of Defense budget

17:22.868 --> 17:25.870
has ballooned $2,740 billion 2020 to

17:25.880 --> 17:27.991
more than double the defense spending

17:28.060 --> 17:30.500
in 2000 . Our defense spending makes up

17:30.500 --> 17:32.900
about half of all federal discretionary

17:32.900 --> 17:35.220
spending even as we question our

17:35.220 --> 17:37.690
ability to pay pay for critical

17:37.690 --> 17:41.010
investments like childcare or housing

17:41.010 --> 17:42.954
or things that families across the

17:42.954 --> 17:45.121
country need . But I want to dive into

17:45.121 --> 17:46.899
one of the factors driving that

17:46.899 --> 17:48.843
spending and that is the statutory

17:48.843 --> 17:51.066
requirement that D . O . D . Provide an

17:51.066 --> 17:53.840
unfunded priorities list . A wish list

17:53.840 --> 17:56.062
of items that would be nice for D . O .

17:56.062 --> 17:58.062
D . To have but are not required to

17:58.062 --> 18:00.610
carry out its duties . This is on top

18:00.620 --> 18:03.720
of the 773 billion requested by the

18:03.720 --> 18:07.230
White House for fiscal 2023 . Secretary

18:07.230 --> 18:09.397
of Defense Lloyd Austin said last year

18:09.397 --> 18:11.619
that the president's budget request for

18:11.619 --> 18:13.350
fiscal 2022 met D . O . D .

18:13.350 --> 18:15.406
Requirements . And yet the law still

18:15.406 --> 18:17.950
requires D . O . D . To provide this

18:17.960 --> 18:20.570
unfunded priorities list and that's why

18:20.570 --> 18:22.292
I have persistently offered an

18:22.292 --> 18:24.181
amendment to the National Defense

18:24.181 --> 18:26.181
authorization Act to eliminate this

18:26.181 --> 18:28.181
wasteful practice . Mr McCord . How

18:28.181 --> 18:30.440
does D . O . D determine what goes into

18:30.440 --> 18:33.270
the White House budget request versus

18:33.270 --> 18:36.500
the unfunded priorities list ? Thank

18:36.500 --> 18:39.320
you . The uh the budget process is

18:39.320 --> 18:41.487
something that that has lead from lead

18:41.487 --> 18:43.598
from the top down with input from the

18:43.598 --> 18:46.810
service is up . And we're especially

18:46.820 --> 18:48.876
this year when we had a new strategy

18:48.876 --> 18:51.042
under development . We were looking at

18:51.042 --> 18:53.153
all through the lens of what the lens

18:53.153 --> 18:55.376
of what supports our strategy . So what

18:55.376 --> 18:57.209
goes in the budget ? Our highest

18:57.209 --> 18:59.320
priorities . I want to be clear about

18:59.320 --> 19:01.542
nothing in an unfunded priority list is

19:01.542 --> 19:01.370
a higher priority than anything in our

19:01.370 --> 19:03.710
budget . So I know that they sometimes

19:03.710 --> 19:06.430
get misunderstood as somehow a service

19:06.430 --> 19:08.430
chief for a combat commander saying

19:08.430 --> 19:10.541
this is more important than what's in

19:10.541 --> 19:12.763
the budget . That is not the case . The

19:12.763 --> 19:14.986
law , as you said , I think for they've

19:14.986 --> 19:17.152
been a practice for about 25 years and

19:17.152 --> 19:16.960
they've been codified in law more

19:16.960 --> 19:19.060
recently than that . Um

19:20.640 --> 19:23.100
They are they are the opinions of

19:23.100 --> 19:26.480
senior military people . They are not

19:26.480 --> 19:28.369
vetted by civilians including the

19:28.369 --> 19:30.350
secretary or myself or the service

19:30.350 --> 19:32.870
chiefs . So they are they are the best

19:32.870 --> 19:35.000
professional military advice if of a

19:35.000 --> 19:37.056
particular senior officer . If in my

19:37.056 --> 19:39.056
area , there were more funds , what

19:39.056 --> 19:41.167
would I choose to spend them on . But

19:41.167 --> 19:43.389
they should not be confused with saying

19:43.389 --> 19:45.611
that the budget is not adequate or that

19:45.611 --> 19:47.833
there are things in the budget are less

19:47.833 --> 19:47.210
important than the things on those

19:47.210 --> 19:49.099
lists , but I think that they are

19:49.099 --> 19:51.266
easily misunderstood to be saying that

19:51.266 --> 19:53.377
that they are must haves that somehow

19:53.377 --> 19:55.377
trump the budget , which is not the

19:55.377 --> 19:57.210
case . That is such an important

19:57.210 --> 19:59.377
explanation . These are just basically

19:59.377 --> 20:01.377
wish I had this . Nobody has really

20:01.377 --> 20:03.543
looked at it . We haven't looked at it

20:03.543 --> 20:03.510
in the context of the entire department .

20:03.510 --> 20:05.566
They're completely separate From the

20:05.566 --> 20:07.399
process that you go through as a

20:07.399 --> 20:09.621
department approved by the secretary to

20:09.621 --> 20:11.843
say these are the most important things

20:11.843 --> 20:13.899
that we need and must have . So in a

20:13.899 --> 20:16.020
June 2021 hearing before the Armed

20:16.020 --> 20:17.853
Services Committee , House Armed

20:17.853 --> 20:20.020
Services Committee General Milley said

20:20.020 --> 20:22.140
of unfunded priorities . If they were

20:22.140 --> 20:24.360
critical , then they need to be higher

20:24.370 --> 20:26.537
on the priority list . And in the base

20:26.537 --> 20:28.314
budget . Do you agree with that

20:28.314 --> 20:31.430
statement ? Mr McCord . Thank you . And

20:31.440 --> 20:34.440
um these unfunded priorities again are

20:34.440 --> 20:36.662
just a wish list that don't reflect the

20:36.662 --> 20:38.662
true needs of the United States . I

20:38.662 --> 20:40.496
understand that we are living in

20:40.496 --> 20:40.450
uncertain times with increasing global

20:40.450 --> 20:42.920
tensions because of the war in Ukraine .

20:42.920 --> 20:45.150
I think the president and his team have

20:45.150 --> 20:47.810
done a phenomenal job of really

20:47.810 --> 20:49.980
building a diplomatic coalition across

20:49.990 --> 20:52.570
the world . In response , Congress has

20:52.570 --> 20:54.680
authorized $1.35 billion

20:54.680 --> 20:58.490
3.5 billion to the

20:58.490 --> 21:00.490
Defense Department to replenish its

21:00.490 --> 21:02.212
equipment stock is an unfunded

21:02.212 --> 21:04.101
priorities list even necessary to

21:04.101 --> 21:05.879
provide flexibility in military

21:05.879 --> 21:09.790
spending . I would say the purpose

21:09.790 --> 21:11.623
of unfunded prior to list is not

21:11.623 --> 21:13.568
generally about flexibility . It's

21:13.568 --> 21:15.734
about in the scene in the opinion of a

21:15.734 --> 21:17.568
senior military personnel . That

21:17.568 --> 21:19.623
Congress presumably by virtue of the

21:19.623 --> 21:21.790
answer is no , no , no . The answer is

21:21.790 --> 21:23.679
no flexibility . Flexibility is a

21:23.679 --> 21:25.901
process that we have to go through with

21:25.901 --> 21:27.512
the Congress . And Ukraine's

21:27.512 --> 21:29.734
appropriate example of how flexible the

21:29.734 --> 21:31.957
process can be when there's an emergent

21:31.957 --> 21:31.930
need that everybody agrees is important

21:31.930 --> 21:34.620
to address . Uh , the the evacuation of

21:34.620 --> 21:36.620
Afghan interpreters was another one

21:36.620 --> 21:38.898
just in my , in my time back in office ,

21:38.898 --> 21:40.731
our own processes sadly far less

21:40.731 --> 21:42.231
flexible and we we get our

21:42.231 --> 21:44.910
appropriation bills months late . Uh ,

21:44.920 --> 21:46.976
you know every year something I know

21:46.976 --> 21:49.087
the chairman has been has been making

21:49.087 --> 21:50.920
sure our side is not part of the

21:50.920 --> 21:53.142
problem here . But I thank you for um I

21:53.142 --> 21:55.253
thank you for that undersecretary now

21:55.253 --> 21:57.198
yield back mister mister Gentleman

21:57.198 --> 21:59.364
yields back and now yield five minutes

21:59.364 --> 22:01.364
to the gentlewoman from Colorado MS

22:01.364 --> 22:03.364
Probert . Thank you mr Chairman and

22:03.364 --> 22:05.860
thanks again Under Secretary McCord for

22:05.860 --> 22:08.027
taking the time today to talk about MR

22:08.027 --> 22:10.740
biden's defense budget proposal . Um

22:10.740 --> 22:13.760
sadly this budget is a continuation of

22:13.760 --> 22:15.950
the woken ng and weakening of our

22:15.950 --> 22:18.050
military and I wish I could say that

22:18.050 --> 22:20.490
I'm surprised but I'm really not . Um ,

22:20.490 --> 22:23.240
somehow we are spending more on defense

22:23.240 --> 22:25.407
than we ever have , but we're ignoring

22:25.640 --> 22:28.680
Real national security threats like

22:28.690 --> 22:32.660
China Iran the complete invasion

22:32.670 --> 22:34.892
at our southern border with two million

22:34.892 --> 22:36.614
people coming into our country

22:36.614 --> 22:39.080
illegally . More than two million . So

22:39.080 --> 22:41.410
let's take a look at what MR biden

22:41.420 --> 22:44.450
would like to spend this money on Under

22:44.450 --> 22:46.561
Secretary McCord . Would you say that

22:46.561 --> 22:48.506
this budget makes investments into

22:48.506 --> 22:50.890
making our military more green meaning

22:50.890 --> 22:52.834
does this budget allocate funds to

22:52.834 --> 22:54.950
reduce greenhouse gas emissions ?

22:58.040 --> 23:00.040
The investments that we have in our

23:00.040 --> 23:02.207
budget on on on climate resilience are

23:02.207 --> 23:04.318
not are not the primary metric is not

23:04.318 --> 23:06.484
greenhouse gas emissions . It's making

23:06.484 --> 23:08.207
us it's making us more climate

23:08.207 --> 23:10.040
resilient to the extreme extreme

23:10.040 --> 23:12.096
weather events . More green electric

23:12.096 --> 23:13.984
vehicles and whatnot the electric

23:13.984 --> 23:15.596
vehicles part . Yes that the

23:15.596 --> 23:17.318
installation part is is not an

23:17.318 --> 23:19.262
emissions based . Thank you . Mr .

23:19.262 --> 23:21.429
Under Secretary Mr biden has said that

23:21.429 --> 23:23.540
all federal agencies should be at net

23:23.540 --> 23:26.470
zero greenhouse gas emissions by 2050 .

23:26.480 --> 23:28.530
Does this budget make investments

23:28.530 --> 23:31.550
towards getting there ? Mhm .

23:32.140 --> 23:35.500
This budget makes investments in in all

23:35.500 --> 23:37.500
all of the president's priorities .

23:38.540 --> 23:40.596
Okay , thank you . There's there's a

23:40.596 --> 23:42.818
long time between now and 2050 . So But

23:42.818 --> 23:45.640
but there there was a mission put in

23:45.640 --> 23:48.400
place by your commander in chief and

23:48.410 --> 23:51.020
this budget um certainly gets the ball

23:51.020 --> 23:53.950
rolling on that goal to be at net zero

23:53.960 --> 23:56.990
greenhouse-gas emissions by 2050 . This

23:56.990 --> 23:58.990
puts that plan by your commander in

23:58.990 --> 24:01.157
chief into action , correct ? We would

24:01.157 --> 24:03.268
want to be moving in that direction .

24:03.268 --> 24:05.379
But again , again , mr well , frankly

24:05.379 --> 24:07.379
mr undersecretary , it sounds to me

24:07.379 --> 24:09.740
like you're burning the tax dollars at

24:09.750 --> 24:13.100
the altar of environmental extremists

24:13.100 --> 24:15.590
because in this report that I have here

24:15.590 --> 24:17.590
that I would like to seek unanimous

24:17.590 --> 24:19.423
consent to enter into the record

24:19.423 --> 24:21.646
without objection . Thank you . Um This

24:21.646 --> 24:24.530
report issued by your agency is not

24:24.540 --> 24:26.707
quote technically feasible for the D .

24:26.707 --> 24:29.460
O . D . To achieve net zero greenhouse

24:29.460 --> 24:31.680
gas emissions . End quote . This is

24:31.690 --> 24:34.250
your report and it provides an example

24:34.260 --> 24:36.260
of the impacts woke green New deal

24:36.260 --> 24:39.460
policies would have an action saying

24:39.460 --> 24:42.220
quote , the dog cannot for instance ,

24:42.440 --> 24:45.120
risk and armored brigade in combat

24:45.120 --> 24:47.231
running out of fuel because it's only

24:47.231 --> 24:50.190
allowed to acquire net zero fuel and

24:50.200 --> 24:52.770
none is readily available . End quote .

24:52.780 --> 24:55.070
So Mr Under secretary , why are we

24:55.070 --> 24:57.930
proposing to spend billions and some

24:57.930 --> 24:59.652
estimates from this report say

24:59.652 --> 25:01.486
trillions of tax dollars towards

25:01.486 --> 25:03.319
reaching net zero greenhouse gas

25:03.319 --> 25:05.263
emissions when the D . O . D . Has

25:05.263 --> 25:07.541
already said that this is not feasible .

25:08.440 --> 25:10.384
Well , again , Net , net zero is a

25:10.384 --> 25:12.329
policy for the for a country or an

25:12.329 --> 25:15.340
agency is is one thing Our budget is

25:15.340 --> 25:17.460
not a budget to 2050 . We could not

25:17.460 --> 25:19.627
possibly predict what kind of vehicles

25:19.627 --> 25:21.960
the aircraft we're gonna be using in 24 .

25:21.960 --> 25:24.127
You're certainly setting forward those

25:24.127 --> 25:26.127
goals to reach that in 2050 when we

25:26.127 --> 25:26.120
know that it's not feasible and I'm

25:26.120 --> 25:28.342
sorry to cut you off . My time is short

25:28.342 --> 25:30.350
here , according to this report ? I

25:30.350 --> 25:32.461
mean , it says trillions of dollars .

25:32.461 --> 25:35.880
But um instead of wasting our time and

25:35.880 --> 25:37.880
tax dollars on turning our military

25:37.880 --> 25:39.824
green Let's talk about what really

25:39.824 --> 25:41.824
should be focused on . Earlier this

25:41.824 --> 25:43.713
year , I joined my colleagues and

25:43.713 --> 25:45.769
sending a letter to Secretary Austin

25:45.769 --> 25:47.880
asking for the congressional required

25:47.880 --> 25:50.280
report on us equipment left in

25:50.280 --> 25:53.540
destroyed or removed from Afghanistan

25:53.550 --> 25:55.670
during the disastrous withdrawal . We

25:55.670 --> 25:57.892
sent this letter two weeks after it was

25:57.892 --> 26:00.059
already due to Congress . And we still

26:00.059 --> 26:02.170
have not received the complete report

26:02.170 --> 26:04.392
or virtually any accountability for the

26:04.392 --> 26:06.559
surrender and the total failure . That

26:06.559 --> 26:08.670
was Afghanistan Mr Under Secretary is

26:08.670 --> 26:10.337
the D . O . D . Aware of this

26:10.337 --> 26:12.280
congressional request for the way

26:12.280 --> 26:14.280
overdue report on the Afghanistan

26:14.290 --> 26:18.280
debacle on the on the issue of

26:18.280 --> 26:20.790
equipment that was left behind . I my

26:20.790 --> 26:22.790
understanding that I've I know I've

26:22.790 --> 26:24.790
seen draft reports , I believe that

26:24.790 --> 26:27.012
those reports have been submitted , but

26:27.012 --> 26:29.290
there may have been different requests .

26:29.290 --> 26:29.280
Can you tell me how many tanks are

26:29.280 --> 26:32.360
currently in Afghanistan ? No .

26:33.440 --> 26:35.218
With all due respect . Mr Under

26:35.218 --> 26:37.218
Secretary , I've asked for a peanut

26:37.218 --> 26:39.384
butter and jelly sandwich and I'm kind

26:39.384 --> 26:41.384
of getting bread here . We don't we

26:41.384 --> 26:43.384
don't have the full and complete uh

26:43.540 --> 26:46.290
answers that we need . Uh this is a

26:46.290 --> 26:48.680
congressional mandate that we get this

26:48.680 --> 26:50.900
report . Um can you tell me how many

26:50.900 --> 26:53.480
rifles are in Afghanistan ? If there's

26:53.480 --> 26:55.690
been reports that have been made . Can

26:55.690 --> 26:57.746
you tell me how many rifles are left

26:57.746 --> 26:59.801
behind ? I would have to get for the

26:59.801 --> 27:02.023
record for you that the the the reports

27:02.023 --> 27:04.357
that I've seen , Do you know how much U .

27:04.357 --> 27:06.301
S . Military ammunition is left in

27:06.301 --> 27:08.634
Afghanistan at the hands of the taliban ?

27:08.740 --> 27:11.360
I'm sorry munitions . Yes . Again I

27:11.360 --> 27:13.638
would have to refer you to the reports .

27:13.638 --> 27:15.693
I don't prepare those reports much .

27:15.693 --> 27:17.804
How many night vision gear ? How much

27:17.804 --> 27:19.804
fire night vision equipment is left

27:19.804 --> 27:22.027
there ? So Mr Mr Under Secretary of the

27:22.027 --> 27:24.082
point that I'm getting at here is we

27:24.082 --> 27:26.220
can't tell the american taxpayers how

27:26.230 --> 27:28.452
we have spent their money , how we have

27:28.452 --> 27:31.820
funded and equipped the taliban and now

27:31.820 --> 27:35.520
we're asking for more money . Mr Under

27:35.520 --> 27:37.687
Secretary , do you think that Congress

27:37.687 --> 27:39.909
deserves gentlewoman's time has expired

27:40.140 --> 27:42.830
and but you're entitled to submit

27:42.830 --> 27:45.070
questions for the record . Thank you

27:45.070 --> 27:46.792
very much . And may I also ask

27:46.792 --> 27:48.959
unanimous consent to enter this letter

27:48.959 --> 27:51.014
into the record . I apologize that I

27:51.014 --> 27:54.830
had 39 seconds now without

27:54.830 --> 27:57.052
objection , you may submit that for the

27:57.052 --> 27:59.108
record . Thank you . Mr Chairman . I

27:59.108 --> 28:01.330
now yield five minutes to the gentleman

28:01.330 --> 28:03.552
from Nevada . Mr . Horse furred . Thank

28:03.552 --> 28:05.497
you . Mr Chairman for holding this

28:05.497 --> 28:07.274
hearing . I want to thank Under

28:07.274 --> 28:09.052
Secretary McCord and all of the

28:09.052 --> 28:11.290
leadership um with the Department of

28:11.290 --> 28:14.370
Defense uh and particularly our service

28:14.370 --> 28:17.530
members and their family members for

28:17.540 --> 28:20.550
their service every single day and

28:20.550 --> 28:23.610
protecting our national security too

28:23.610 --> 28:26.240
often in these hearings we tend to get

28:26.250 --> 28:29.880
uh wound up in partisan talking points

28:29.880 --> 28:32.000
and and for some reason we we don't

28:32.000 --> 28:34.056
focus on the very people that we are

28:34.056 --> 28:36.710
here to pass a budget to serve and

28:36.710 --> 28:38.877
that's the american people and in this

28:38.877 --> 28:41.430
case our service members who need the

28:41.430 --> 28:44.760
resources to be successful when they

28:44.760 --> 28:47.970
need it . So I'm I'm sure I don't have

28:47.970 --> 28:50.040
to remind Under Secretary McCord

28:50.050 --> 28:52.480
Department of Defense acquisition and

28:52.480 --> 28:54.580
modernization programs take years of

28:54.580 --> 28:57.370
planning and development . They require

28:57.370 --> 29:00.730
consistent and reliable funding and and

29:00.730 --> 29:02.674
follow follow on years to meet the

29:02.674 --> 29:04.897
needs of war fighters . Funding for our

29:04.897 --> 29:07.063
national defense is not some political

29:07.063 --> 29:09.740
prop that can be held up to score cheap

29:09.740 --> 29:12.050
political points . And yet for all the

29:12.050 --> 29:14.272
bluster that we're hearing from some of

29:14.272 --> 29:16.383
my colleagues about the D . O . D . S

29:16.383 --> 29:18.383
top line , it was their side of the

29:18.383 --> 29:21.050
aisle that held up the omnibus spending

29:21.050 --> 29:23.920
package for fiscal year 22 for nearly

29:23.920 --> 29:27.090
six months . They delay put putting

29:27.090 --> 29:29.590
critical important major acquisition

29:29.590 --> 29:32.820
programs at risk prevented new programs

29:32.820 --> 29:35.660
from starting and delayed pay raises

29:35.840 --> 29:38.200
for service members . Additionally ,

29:38.200 --> 29:41.420
they degraded readiness at an extremely

29:41.430 --> 29:44.570
dangerous moment . And for the record ,

29:44.580 --> 29:47.760
joe biden is the commander in chief

29:48.640 --> 29:51.280
and when our allies needed us most ,

29:51.290 --> 29:54.350
he's the one who helped to bring them

29:54.350 --> 29:56.290
together to make sure that we're

29:56.290 --> 29:57.960
holding Russia accountable ,

29:58.540 --> 30:01.180
inconsistent funding . Emboldens our

30:01.190 --> 30:04.030
adversaries and undermines the trust of

30:04.040 --> 30:06.840
our allies , a trust that we have had

30:06.840 --> 30:10.130
to fight hard to restore after the

30:10.140 --> 30:12.350
previous administration . So I want to

30:12.350 --> 30:16.000
be clear that the tactics are are not

30:16.000 --> 30:18.200
just partisan employees . They have

30:18.200 --> 30:20.960
real life effects for my district , for

30:20.960 --> 30:23.500
my constituents and for service members

30:23.560 --> 30:26.220
around the world . Now , last year I

30:26.220 --> 30:29.260
supported an increase top line for DLD

30:29.260 --> 30:31.371
spending . And this year , like every

30:31.371 --> 30:34.130
year I will work hard in a nonpartisan

30:34.130 --> 30:37.240
way to ensure that the capabilities and

30:37.250 --> 30:39.730
and systems included in the pentagon's

30:39.730 --> 30:42.770
budget request are reviewed

30:43.540 --> 30:45.710
only after a careful assessment of the

30:45.720 --> 30:48.053
threat environment and our capabilities .

30:48.053 --> 30:50.460
Can we decide if an increase is again

30:50.460 --> 30:52.590
necessary to meet the complex

30:52.590 --> 30:55.210
challenges of our ever evolving

30:55.220 --> 30:58.700
strategic environment under Secretary

30:58.700 --> 31:02.430
McCord um in my

31:02.430 --> 31:04.597
previous discussion with Department of

31:04.597 --> 31:06.819
Defense leaders , they have stressed to

31:06.819 --> 31:08.940
me that continuing resolutions do far

31:08.940 --> 31:11.650
more damage to readiness and the well

31:11.650 --> 31:13.850
being of our service members than any

31:13.850 --> 31:15.930
of the hollow complaints we've heard

31:15.980 --> 31:18.640
here today . Could you please speak to

31:18.640 --> 31:22.610
the impacts that CRS have on military

31:22.610 --> 31:24.390
readiness and the importance of

31:24.390 --> 31:26.570
consistent funding for our most

31:26.570 --> 31:30.450
critical modernization programs . Thank

31:30.450 --> 31:32.672
you for that question . Yes , this this

31:32.672 --> 31:34.783
is something I think that is not well

31:34.783 --> 31:36.617
understood and it's been hard to

31:36.617 --> 31:38.617
translate to the public because the

31:38.617 --> 31:40.561
organism that is the Department of

31:40.561 --> 31:42.783
Defense has adapted to perpetual CRS in

31:42.783 --> 31:44.728
a way that therefore you don't see

31:44.728 --> 31:46.950
contracts expiring because nobody tries

31:46.950 --> 31:48.783
to write a contract in the first

31:48.783 --> 31:50.950
quarter of fiscal year anymore because

31:50.950 --> 31:53.117
they know that you're gonna be under a

31:53.117 --> 31:55.283
c are not gonna be able to to to enter

31:55.283 --> 31:57.172
into new contracts . So there's ,

31:57.172 --> 31:59.172
there's the issue , first of all of

31:59.172 --> 32:01.620
delayed resources , especially when

32:01.620 --> 32:03.509
there's inflation . But even when

32:03.509 --> 32:05.620
there's not , you know , time time is

32:05.620 --> 32:07.731
money and we lose , we lose , when we

32:07.731 --> 32:10.064
lose time , we lose ability to be agile ,

32:10.064 --> 32:12.350
we lose , we lose resources . Uh The

32:12.360 --> 32:14.582
this year was particularly bad . As you

32:14.582 --> 32:16.749
say , it's sort of the , the threat to

32:16.749 --> 32:18.749
have a full year cr which has never

32:18.749 --> 32:20.971
happened to the department . Defense in

32:20.971 --> 32:23.193
history was particularly troublesome to

32:23.193 --> 32:22.900
us . And we , we had a hearing , I had

32:22.900 --> 32:24.789
a hearing with the service Chiefs

32:24.789 --> 32:26.567
before the House appropriations

32:26.567 --> 32:28.678
committee that spoke to this issue in

32:28.678 --> 32:30.733
some detail in january in january to

32:30.733 --> 32:32.789
lay out the problems . Um As you may

32:32.789 --> 32:35.650
know , we we had a history of beginning

32:35.650 --> 32:37.650
with sort of the fall of the Berlin

32:37.650 --> 32:39.770
wall uh for about 20 years where the

32:39.780 --> 32:41.891
the department defense appropriations

32:41.891 --> 32:43.947
bill got enacted on average about 25

32:43.947 --> 32:45.947
days into the fifth gear , which is

32:45.947 --> 32:48.113
reasonable . Uh But beginning with the

32:48.113 --> 32:50.650
with with the the threat of default in

32:50.650 --> 32:52.872
2011 that led to the budget control act

32:52.872 --> 32:54.720
continuing since that day , That

32:54.720 --> 32:56.887
average has ballooned to 120 days into

32:56.887 --> 32:58.998
the fiscal year , on average over the

32:58.998 --> 33:01.280
last dozen years compared to 25 Days

33:01.290 --> 33:03.568
for the , for the 20 years before that .

33:03.568 --> 33:05.790
So we have definitely gotten into a bad

33:05.790 --> 33:07.846
pattern that needs to be broken ? It

33:07.846 --> 33:10.480
does cost money . It does it does make

33:10.480 --> 33:12.360
us less agile . When a number of

33:12.360 --> 33:14.360
members have pointed out that China

33:14.360 --> 33:16.471
does move fast and we need to be able

33:16.471 --> 33:18.582
to we can't afford to give away 34 or

33:18.582 --> 33:20.638
five months of the fiscal year every

33:20.638 --> 33:22.304
year to our adversaries by by

33:22.304 --> 33:24.820
hamstringing ourselves . Thank you . I

33:24.820 --> 33:26.931
know my time is expired . I just hope

33:26.931 --> 33:29.290
that all of us can come together and

33:29.290 --> 33:32.710
make sure that America succeeds by

33:32.710 --> 33:34.821
helping our service members and their

33:34.821 --> 33:37.099
families in this budget . I yield back .

33:37.099 --> 33:39.154
Gentleman's time has expired and now

33:39.154 --> 33:41.377
recognize the gentleman from Virginia .

33:41.377 --> 33:43.543
Mr Good for five minutes . Thank you .

33:43.543 --> 33:45.710
Mr Chairman . Thank you . Mr Secretary

33:45.710 --> 33:47.766
for being here . Mr Secretary , your

33:47.766 --> 33:49.932
former boss . Defense Secretary robert

33:49.932 --> 33:51.710
Gates said a few years ago that

33:51.710 --> 33:53.877
President biden quote , has been wrong

33:53.877 --> 33:55.950
on nearly every major foreign policy

33:55.950 --> 33:58.260
and national security issue over the

33:58.260 --> 34:01.690
past four decades . End quote . Even

34:01.700 --> 34:03.840
former President Obama tried to warn

34:03.840 --> 34:06.007
people during the 2020 campaign and he

34:06.007 --> 34:07.980
said , don't underestimate Joe's

34:07.980 --> 34:10.850
ability to screw things up .

34:12.240 --> 34:14.330
Americans seem to agree as a gallup

34:14.330 --> 34:17.020
poll in february showed that only 40%

34:17.030 --> 34:18.980
of americans approve of the way

34:19.020 --> 34:21.380
President biden is handling foreign

34:21.440 --> 34:24.690
policy affairs and only 36% approve of

34:24.690 --> 34:26.357
the way he's handling . Links

34:26.357 --> 34:28.412
specifically the Russian invasion of

34:28.412 --> 34:31.850
Ukraine . I think this is a budget is

34:31.850 --> 34:34.017
further proof of this administration's

34:34.017 --> 34:36.072
misguided priorities . Would you say

34:36.072 --> 34:38.072
that Americans are safer today than

34:38.072 --> 34:40.520
they were in January of 2021 ? I would

34:40.530 --> 34:43.490
On what basis ? I think we we have

34:43.500 --> 34:45.556
strengthened our alliances and and I

34:45.556 --> 34:47.556
think the the unified response that

34:47.556 --> 34:49.500
we've seen in europe to to Russian

34:49.500 --> 34:51.444
aggression has has shown kind of a

34:51.444 --> 34:55.000
revitalized uh Western Western response

34:55.010 --> 34:58.630
of democracies . Um if I may

34:58.790 --> 35:01.220
let me thank . Thank you . Mr Secretary ,

35:01.220 --> 35:03.553
thank you . Thank you . Reclaim my time .

35:03.553 --> 35:05.498
Can you explain why the department

35:05.498 --> 35:07.609
defense wants to spend 3.1 billion on

35:07.609 --> 35:10.910
climate programs Or four times what the

35:10.920 --> 35:13.087
602 million allocated for Ukraine ? So

35:13.087 --> 35:15.309
3.1 billion on climate programs in this

35:15.309 --> 35:17.476
budget , which is more than four times

35:17.476 --> 35:19.698
the 602 million allocated for Ukraine .

35:20.240 --> 35:22.462
First , I would say that we are in this

35:22.462 --> 35:24.573
fiscal year spending more on spending

35:24.573 --> 35:26.740
more than that on Ukraine . And we are

35:26.740 --> 35:28.851
about to ask for another supplemental

35:28.851 --> 35:28.310
to increase to make sure that the

35:28.310 --> 35:30.199
Ukrainians have what they need to

35:30.199 --> 35:32.532
continue the from a military standpoint ,

35:32.532 --> 35:34.699
what's the 3.1 billion four on climate

35:34.699 --> 35:36.754
programs that is both on that ? That

35:36.754 --> 35:38.921
has two basic parts , its installation

35:38.921 --> 35:41.143
side , our facilities , our buildings ,

35:41.143 --> 35:41.080
our , you know , our our our bases .

35:41.090 --> 35:43.312
And then how does how does investing in

35:43.312 --> 35:45.146
climate programs help ? Military

35:45.146 --> 35:47.146
preparedness , military readiness ,

35:47.146 --> 35:49.840
military effectiveness . Well on the ,

35:49.840 --> 35:51.896
on the , on the facility side of the

35:51.896 --> 35:53.673
resilience , it is to be better

35:53.673 --> 35:55.673
prepared for extreme weather events

35:55.673 --> 35:57.729
which are increasing in frequency on

35:57.729 --> 35:59.618
the vehicle side , the idea is to

35:59.618 --> 36:01.896
reduce our logistic footprints to , to ,

36:01.896 --> 36:03.951
to be have more capability to be not

36:03.951 --> 36:06.960
tethered to a logistic train of , of

36:06.970 --> 36:09.900
fuel . This president ,

36:10.740 --> 36:12.890
thank you . This President told our

36:12.890 --> 36:15.120
troops of all people , our troops back

36:15.120 --> 36:17.120
in june that the greatest threat to

36:17.120 --> 36:19.120
America is climate change . He even

36:19.120 --> 36:21.398
added his typical , this is not a joke .

36:22.230 --> 36:24.286
I guess he needed to add the , hey ,

36:24.286 --> 36:26.508
this is not a joke because the soldiers

36:26.508 --> 36:28.397
were probably , I have to presume

36:28.397 --> 36:28.100
surprised to hear from the commander in

36:28.100 --> 36:30.100
chief of the greatest threat to the

36:30.100 --> 36:32.156
country and telling them as military

36:32.156 --> 36:34.267
personnel that the greatest threat is

36:34.267 --> 36:36.267
climate change . Uh , and then just

36:36.267 --> 36:38.322
last week and you kind of alluded to

36:38.322 --> 36:40.322
already , the President stated that

36:40.322 --> 36:42.378
we're going to spend billions making

36:42.378 --> 36:44.711
every military vehicle climate friendly .

36:44.711 --> 36:46.878
I think that makes us the amusement of

36:46.878 --> 36:49.100
our adversaries around the world . That

36:49.100 --> 36:51.322
that's what we're focused on . Uh , you

36:51.322 --> 36:51.280
know , it's , it's as embarrassing as

36:51.280 --> 36:53.550
it was to send john Kerry to , to , you

36:53.550 --> 36:55.717
know , essentially begged the Russians

36:55.717 --> 36:57.828
to consider the climate impact of the

36:57.828 --> 36:59.994
invasion if they were going to do that

36:59.994 --> 37:01.939
just just before the invasion took

37:01.939 --> 37:04.050
place even days before . Uh , but the

37:04.050 --> 37:06.217
president said , quote , every vehicle

37:06.217 --> 37:08.439
is going to be climate friendly , every

37:08.439 --> 37:07.820
vehicle ? I mean , it we're spending

37:07.820 --> 37:10.100
billions of dollars to do it , Do you

37:10.100 --> 37:12.156
think that climate concern should be

37:12.156 --> 37:14.489
the main priority for military vehicles ?

37:14.830 --> 37:17.340
It is not the primary concern . Their

37:17.340 --> 37:19.118
their effectiveness is what the

37:19.118 --> 37:21.062
president said that we're going to

37:21.062 --> 37:23.284
spend billions to do that . This , this

37:23.284 --> 37:25.451
budget switching gears . Another topic

37:25.451 --> 37:27.507
contains 34 million to address quote

37:27.507 --> 37:29.960
concerning behaviors and extremism .

37:30.330 --> 37:32.163
What does this mean ? What's the

37:32.163 --> 37:35.120
purpose of that funding ? As the

37:35.120 --> 37:37.430
Secretary Austin has has stated , uh ,

37:37.610 --> 37:39.499
the incidence of extremism in the

37:39.499 --> 37:41.920
military is low , but any any amount is

37:41.920 --> 37:44.410
not acceptable . And so these efforts ,

37:44.410 --> 37:46.410
well , I'm going to inject their on

37:46.410 --> 37:48.632
unprotected terry Austin . I'm glad you

37:48.632 --> 37:50.799
brought him up because he said when we

37:50.799 --> 37:52.743
were asked to give an exception to

37:52.743 --> 37:54.743
approve him in the House because he

37:54.743 --> 37:56.966
didn't meet the seven years of required

37:56.966 --> 37:56.830
retirement between military and

37:56.830 --> 37:59.160
civilian service , he said that his

37:59.290 --> 38:01.512
self proclaimed mission essentially was

38:01.512 --> 38:03.734
to root out racism in the military . Is

38:03.734 --> 38:05.790
that truly a significant problem ? I

38:05.790 --> 38:07.901
mean , for him to say that's what one

38:07.901 --> 38:07.840
of the reasons why he was there to root

38:07.840 --> 38:10.060
out racism in the military . It seems

38:10.060 --> 38:12.227
to me the military has been an example

38:12.227 --> 38:13.893
of integration of merit based

38:13.893 --> 38:16.230
performance and advancement , as

38:16.240 --> 38:18.420
evidenced by Secretary Austin and and

38:18.420 --> 38:21.250
and Secretary Powell before him on the ,

38:21.250 --> 38:23.417
on the Secretary of State side is this

38:23.417 --> 38:25.417
truly a significant problem for our

38:25.417 --> 38:27.417
heroes , heroes in the military ? I

38:27.417 --> 38:30.760
would say first of all racism exists in

38:30.760 --> 38:32.871
society to exist in every institution

38:32.871 --> 38:34.927
were to spend $34 million dollars to

38:34.927 --> 38:37.760
address in the military . But racism

38:37.760 --> 38:40.038
and extremism are two different topics .

38:40.038 --> 38:42.260
And you were talking , I think you were

38:42.260 --> 38:41.580
citing a figure about , about

38:41.580 --> 38:44.200
addressing extremism , racism is a

38:44.210 --> 38:46.432
different issue . And I would certainly

38:46.432 --> 38:48.599
say Secretary Austin probably has more

38:48.599 --> 38:50.766
experience with this issue than I do .

38:50.766 --> 38:52.877
And so I certainly would not question

38:52.877 --> 38:55.099
his . His . Well , my time is expired .

38:55.099 --> 38:54.950
Thank you . MR sector . Gentlemen .

38:54.950 --> 38:57.006
Time has expired . And now recognize

38:57.006 --> 38:59.120
another gentleman from Virginia . Mr

38:59.120 --> 39:02.740
Scott . Thank you . Mr Chairman

39:03.420 --> 39:06.330
um MR record in the

39:06.920 --> 39:09.031
Reagan administration . We're talking

39:09.031 --> 39:12.070
about a 600 ship Navy without getting

39:12.070 --> 39:14.181
into classified information . Can you

39:14.181 --> 39:17.090
tell us with us ? Maybe we could expect

39:17.280 --> 39:19.860
this budget is approved and how that

39:19.860 --> 39:22.760
compares to the size of Nate of other

39:22.760 --> 39:26.710
nations navies . Mr scott ? I

39:26.710 --> 39:28.860
would say that that our navy , uh and

39:28.860 --> 39:30.916
there there are 30 year shipbuilding

39:30.916 --> 39:33.027
report was just sent to Congress . So

39:33.027 --> 39:34.916
you can you can look at different

39:34.916 --> 39:37.249
periods of , of years out to , you know ,

39:37.249 --> 39:39.471
several decades out in the future . But

39:39.471 --> 39:39.390
we're in the 300 ship range right now ,

39:39.390 --> 39:41.390
we were not in the 600 ship range .

39:41.390 --> 39:43.557
Before we were There was talk of a 600

39:43.557 --> 39:45.612
ship Navy , not not the reality of a

39:45.612 --> 39:47.501
600 ship Navy before , but we are

39:47.501 --> 39:50.590
looking to to have a very capable force ,

39:50.840 --> 39:52.951
the most capable navy in the world by

39:52.951 --> 39:54.620
far At about 300 ships .

39:56.940 --> 39:59.051
And how does that compare to the size

39:59.051 --> 40:01.740
of the navies of other countries .

40:04.010 --> 40:06.010
I don't have the figures of all the

40:06.010 --> 40:07.677
navies around the world at my

40:07.677 --> 40:09.732
fingertips , we can get you , we can

40:09.732 --> 40:11.788
get you the most capable navy in the

40:11.788 --> 40:15.440
world . Um ,

40:15.910 --> 40:18.021
If we're gonna build ships , you have

40:18.021 --> 40:20.243
to maintain them . What are we doing to

40:20.243 --> 40:22.860
upgrade the ship repair facilities at

40:22.860 --> 40:25.430
public yards ? How's that ? How's that

40:25.430 --> 40:28.300
coming ? But we have , we have some

40:28.300 --> 40:30.189
major investments in our shipyard

40:30.189 --> 40:32.411
capability , primarily on the submarine

40:32.411 --> 40:34.189
side . You're probably probably

40:34.189 --> 40:36.522
familiar with so called psyop S . I . O .

40:36.522 --> 40:38.411
P . A Navy acronym for a shipyard

40:38.411 --> 40:40.633
investment plan . That's basically a 20

40:40.633 --> 40:42.930
year plan , $20 billion.20 year plan

40:42.940 --> 40:45.107
for probably the four public shipyards

40:45.107 --> 40:47.330
that have not been seeing the kind of

40:47.330 --> 40:49.441
maintenance they need for a century .

40:49.441 --> 40:51.730
Uh , So these are addressing our

40:51.730 --> 40:53.897
ability primarily to , to take care of

40:53.897 --> 40:55.952
our nuclear force . In addition , we

40:55.952 --> 40:57.841
have investments in the submarine

40:57.841 --> 41:01.620
workforce . Uh , and uh , those are

41:01.620 --> 41:03.842
probably the primary , the primary ship

41:03.842 --> 41:05.787
investments we have is to keep our

41:05.787 --> 41:08.180
submarine uh industrial base and our

41:08.180 --> 41:10.250
submarine yard and our shipyards

41:10.260 --> 41:12.371
capable of moving through this period

41:12.371 --> 41:14.427
where we're buying both Columbia and

41:14.427 --> 41:16.538
the Virginia Class at the same time ,

41:16.538 --> 41:18.760
which puts some additional stress on on

41:18.760 --> 41:20.927
that part of our industrial base . And

41:20.927 --> 41:23.038
what kind of priority is made to make

41:23.038 --> 41:25.850
sure that the private repair yards to

41:25.850 --> 41:27.961
get enough work to stay in business ,

41:28.210 --> 41:30.154
well in the private on the private

41:30.154 --> 41:31.988
repair yards and in minority and

41:31.988 --> 41:35.250
minority owned shipyards . Yes , sir .

41:35.250 --> 41:37.139
The private yards , as you know ,

41:37.139 --> 41:38.972
focused focused much more on the

41:38.972 --> 41:41.139
surface side . And there , I think one

41:41.139 --> 41:43.194
of the best things we can do is have

41:43.194 --> 41:43.020
stable , predictable funding . Getting

41:43.020 --> 41:45.131
to the point of the previous question

41:45.131 --> 41:47.409
about perpetual continuing resolutions ,

41:47.409 --> 41:49.576
stable , predictable funding will be a

41:49.576 --> 41:51.576
great benefit to the private sector

41:51.576 --> 41:53.687
yards because they have always as you

41:53.687 --> 41:55.576
know , have always had to be more

41:55.576 --> 41:57.742
flexible than the public yards because

41:57.742 --> 41:57.470
because they flex up and down when

41:57.470 --> 41:59.680
funding is unpredictable . So that I

41:59.680 --> 42:01.902
think is probably the best thing we can

42:01.902 --> 42:04.170
do . In addition , we need to get we

42:04.170 --> 42:06.281
need to get our our private Secretary

42:06.281 --> 42:08.448
yards producing the ships on time . So

42:08.448 --> 42:10.670
we we have been putting more money into

42:10.670 --> 42:13.320
say , buying destroyers at two a year ,

42:13.320 --> 42:15.542
but not they're not able to produce two

42:15.542 --> 42:17.542
a year . That leads to all kinds of

42:17.542 --> 42:19.876
problems in terms of maintenance cycles .

42:19.876 --> 42:21.987
If you can't get the ships out of the

42:21.987 --> 42:24.209
yard and we all know that the uh , this

42:24.209 --> 42:26.376
is the ship industrial base . Shipyard

42:26.376 --> 42:28.487
workers are one of the areas that has

42:28.487 --> 42:30.598
been , you know , supply demand issue

42:30.598 --> 42:32.598
right now , in terms of getting the

42:32.598 --> 42:34.598
skilled workers , you need is a big

42:34.598 --> 42:36.653
challenge for the navy , is the Army

42:36.653 --> 42:38.542
Corps of Engineers budget in your

42:38.542 --> 42:41.120
portfolio . It is not the Army Corps of

42:41.120 --> 42:43.810
Engineers is part of the department but

42:43.810 --> 42:46.980
the their budget is on the Civil side

42:46.990 --> 42:49.046
and does not come through . Does not

42:49.046 --> 42:52.090
come through me . Um If you fail to do ,

42:52.100 --> 42:54.800
we've had disparaging remarks made

42:54.800 --> 42:56.911
about climate change . If you fail to

42:56.911 --> 43:00.550
invest uh in resilience to

43:00.550 --> 43:03.100
protect against sea level rise , what

43:03.100 --> 43:05.430
will happen to military assets like the

43:05.430 --> 43:08.410
naval station in Norfolk ? Well , that

43:08.410 --> 43:10.632
that is one of the things that concerns

43:10.632 --> 43:12.632
us is the Navy and the Marine Corps

43:12.632 --> 43:14.743
particularly are are vulnerable to uh

43:14.743 --> 43:16.799
to the impacts of of extreme weather

43:16.799 --> 43:19.010
and and and see change . Uh

43:20.400 --> 43:22.511
we alone as the Department of Defense

43:22.511 --> 43:24.844
to be clear , cannot prevent , you know ,

43:24.844 --> 43:26.550
climate change and we are not

43:26.550 --> 43:28.772
attempting to prevent it by ourselves .

43:28.772 --> 43:30.828
We are trying to be responsive to it

43:30.828 --> 43:32.828
and look ahead and get out ahead of

43:32.828 --> 43:34.939
changes so that our installations are

43:34.939 --> 43:34.780
more capable of dealing with these

43:34.780 --> 43:37.002
events and doing what we can to be part

43:37.002 --> 43:39.169
of the solution . But we are not going

43:39.169 --> 43:41.770
to solve the problem by ourselves . And

43:41.770 --> 43:43.990
I introduced legislation as signed in

43:43.990 --> 43:47.520
the law as part of the recent N . B . A .

43:48.000 --> 43:50.810
To allow mitigation of storm water

43:50.810 --> 43:53.800
flooding around military bases . House

43:53.800 --> 43:56.850
that can be implemented Mr scott . I

43:56.850 --> 43:58.794
would have to get you that for the

43:58.794 --> 44:01.128
record from our installations community .

44:01.128 --> 44:03.239
I I I can't speak to that from my own

44:03.239 --> 44:05.600
expertise . Thank you . Mr Chairman , I

44:05.610 --> 44:07.990
yield back . Gentleman yields back and

44:07.990 --> 44:10.212
now yield five minutes to the gentleman

44:10.212 --> 44:12.490
from California . Mr Albano over Nolte .

44:12.690 --> 44:15.720
Thank you . Mr Chair Secretary McCord .

44:16.190 --> 44:18.380
I'd like to continue Linus questioning

44:18.380 --> 44:21.000
regarding inflation . Obviously that's

44:21.000 --> 44:23.167
been front of mine for many members of

44:23.167 --> 44:24.944
congress and I mentioned in the

44:24.944 --> 44:27.056
Department of Defense as well in your

44:27.056 --> 44:29.880
testimony you mentioned that the in

44:29.880 --> 44:32.160
preparing the budget , you used a chain

44:32.160 --> 44:35.230
weighted inflation index as a benchmark

44:35.230 --> 44:37.397
rather than consumer price index . Can

44:37.397 --> 44:39.563
you talk a little bit more about about

44:39.563 --> 44:41.674
the the assumptions that were made in

44:41.674 --> 44:43.786
preparing the budget and what rate of

44:43.786 --> 44:45.952
inflation for the chain weighted price

44:45.952 --> 44:48.980
index that you're assuming ? Yes sir .

44:48.990 --> 44:52.790
The the reason that we use uh the the

44:52.800 --> 44:55.022
rate that we use is that it is first of

44:55.022 --> 44:57.520
all uh in U . S . Code that that's what

44:57.520 --> 44:59.631
we're supposed to be using . But also

44:59.631 --> 45:01.798
because the biggest single category of

45:01.798 --> 45:03.853
what we do is purchases of goods and

45:03.853 --> 45:06.020
services from the private sector . And

45:06.020 --> 45:08.131
that's a pretty good metric for a GDP

45:08.131 --> 45:10.510
deflator to measure . So so what what

45:11.190 --> 45:13.246
what number did you use in preparing

45:13.246 --> 45:15.590
the budget for the budget for for ?

45:15.600 --> 45:18.700
What we did was the Fy 20 if I can walk

45:18.700 --> 45:21.010
one step back the fy 22 budget was

45:21.010 --> 45:23.830
prepared assuming about 2.2% inflation

45:23.830 --> 45:25.997
for for the year that we're in . Now ,

45:25.997 --> 45:28.219
what we did was we looked looked at the

45:28.219 --> 45:30.330
data it was it had doubled to four by

45:30.330 --> 45:32.163
the time we were wrapping up our

45:32.163 --> 45:34.274
assumptions in december . So we built

45:34.274 --> 45:36.660
that price increase into Our budget for

45:36.660 --> 45:40.170
23 . So based on what was happening in

45:40.170 --> 45:42.392
count in the calendar year that just in

45:42.392 --> 45:45.190
a calendar year , 21 for the budget for

45:45.190 --> 45:47.940
fy 23 we use like as with every

45:47.940 --> 45:50.940
administration , Oh and be produces one

45:50.940 --> 45:52.662
side of economic assumptions ,

45:52.662 --> 45:54.884
assumptions that every agency uses that

45:54.884 --> 45:57.550
inflation rate is 2.2% . And so that

45:57.550 --> 45:59.661
the question is the question that has

45:59.661 --> 46:01.772
been discussed this morning and other

46:01.772 --> 46:03.994
venues , is is whether that's the right

46:03.994 --> 46:03.620
assumption for the fiscal year , that's

46:03.620 --> 46:06.000
going to start this September , uh .

46:06.380 --> 46:08.602
you know , based on , based on the fact

46:08.602 --> 46:10.824
that it's higher than that right now We

46:10.824 --> 46:12.991
don't , we don't get to decide what to

46:12.991 --> 46:15.550
use for 23 . We use , we use consistent

46:15.550 --> 46:17.661
assumptions across the administration

46:17.661 --> 46:19.772
as every administration does for 22 .

46:19.772 --> 46:21.939
We did our best working with O M . B .

46:21.939 --> 46:23.994
And working with the president to up

46:23.994 --> 46:25.994
our price basing across this across

46:25.994 --> 46:27.828
this five years that we were not

46:27.828 --> 46:29.994
falling behind what was happening last

46:29.994 --> 46:32.161
year . But the situation has continued

46:32.161 --> 46:34.383
to change as most primarily again , the

46:34.383 --> 46:36.217
spike in energy prices since the

46:36.217 --> 46:36.040
Russian invasion of Ukraine was

46:36.040 --> 46:38.040
something that is not in our budget

46:38.040 --> 46:40.207
could not have been on our budget . We

46:40.207 --> 46:42.262
were already done with our budget by

46:42.262 --> 46:44.151
then . So there there there there

46:44.151 --> 46:44.140
remains something we need to work with

46:44.140 --> 46:46.500
with you and I appreciate that you said

46:46.500 --> 46:48.500
that you were prepared to work with

46:48.500 --> 46:51.380
Congress to address those impacts on a

46:51.380 --> 46:54.500
historical basis . If you look at

46:54.980 --> 46:57.036
our investment and the Department of

46:57.036 --> 46:59.036
Defense in real dollars , how do we

46:59.036 --> 47:01.590
compare historically right now to where

47:01.590 --> 47:04.250
we've been in the past ? We're at a

47:04.250 --> 47:06.472
relatively high level . Especially when

47:06.472 --> 47:08.583
you consider that the that the number

47:08.583 --> 47:10.806
of people in our forces smaller . So we

47:10.806 --> 47:10.630
have a smaller , highly compensated

47:10.630 --> 47:12.797
force which has been true for a number

47:12.797 --> 47:15.019
of years and it's true today . So we're

47:15.019 --> 47:17.297
we're we're on somewhat the higher end .

47:17.297 --> 47:19.463
And of course you could always ah have

47:19.463 --> 47:21.574
debates with people about do you take

47:21.574 --> 47:23.519
the cost of something like Iraq or

47:23.519 --> 47:25.630
Afghanistan ? Do you include those of

47:25.630 --> 47:27.686
you exclude those as unique events .

47:27.686 --> 47:29.797
But our budget is on the high side in

47:29.797 --> 47:32.019
real terms right now . Okay , so I I've

47:32.019 --> 47:34.670
seen measures , other measures that

47:34.670 --> 47:36.870
disagree with that assessment and I

47:36.870 --> 47:39.037
don't think it's fair to measure it in

47:39.037 --> 47:41.092
terms of the number of people in our

47:41.092 --> 47:43.460
armed forces because as you as you have

47:43.460 --> 47:45.820
described , the number of people is

47:45.830 --> 47:49.420
declining . But our need for a

47:49.430 --> 47:52.770
robust Department of Defense is is

47:52.770 --> 47:55.040
certainly still very high and I'm

47:55.040 --> 47:57.262
concerned that we can't fall behind the

47:57.262 --> 48:00.310
curve there on a real dollar basis . Um ,

48:00.320 --> 48:02.209
but with the time I have left , I

48:02.209 --> 48:04.153
wanted to ask about something on a

48:04.153 --> 48:06.580
different topic . So I understand that

48:07.070 --> 48:09.400
there's been a uh debate in the

48:09.400 --> 48:11.511
Department of Defense about change in

48:11.511 --> 48:14.660
philosophy from a counterinsurgency

48:14.660 --> 48:16.570
point of view towards more of a

48:16.580 --> 48:18.747
response to near peers like Russia and

48:18.747 --> 48:20.900
china . As geopolitical events have

48:21.270 --> 48:23.850
have shifted in the last few years , I

48:23.860 --> 48:26.380
represent Some of the largest training

48:26.380 --> 48:28.750
bases in the country . A monitor

48:28.750 --> 48:31.870
represent for her when the marine air

48:31.870 --> 48:34.092
to ground training center in 29 Palms .

48:34.100 --> 48:37.370
Does this budget make the necessary

48:37.370 --> 48:40.700
investments to shift our training

48:40.710 --> 48:43.800
philosophy in response to the shift in

48:43.800 --> 48:45.800
D . O . D . Philosophy from counter

48:45.800 --> 48:49.560
insurgency to near pier . I would say

48:49.560 --> 48:51.782
that's the intent but but certainly our

48:51.782 --> 48:53.949
army and Marine corps leadership could

48:53.949 --> 48:55.782
probably give you better and you

48:55.782 --> 48:58.004
probably already have better specific ,

48:58.004 --> 49:00.116
specific information about the combat

49:00.116 --> 49:01.949
training centers and how the how

49:01.949 --> 49:01.490
they're adapting . But yes , we are

49:01.490 --> 49:03.546
trying to move our focus of our both

49:03.546 --> 49:05.700
our modernization and our training to

49:05.700 --> 49:07.590
to the near pier or high end

49:07.600 --> 49:09.656
competitions . Exactly as you said .

49:09.656 --> 49:11.767
All right , well thank you . I see my

49:11.767 --> 49:13.989
time is expired on your back . Mr Chair

49:13.989 --> 49:16.400
Gentleman yields back and now recognize

49:16.410 --> 49:18.466
the gentleman from Georgia Mr carter

49:18.466 --> 49:22.320
for five minutes . He's not . Is he

49:22.320 --> 49:26.280
virtual ? Is he not ? Okay ? I'm sorry

49:27.470 --> 49:30.490
skip a friend . MR growth Now you have

49:30.490 --> 49:32.434
five minutes to the gentleman from

49:32.434 --> 49:34.434
Wisconsin . Mr Grossman , thank you

49:34.434 --> 49:36.546
very much . Um , looking through some

49:36.546 --> 49:39.270
articles about your department . Um , I

49:39.270 --> 49:41.790
notice here's an article that was

49:42.570 --> 49:46.170
written last week And the

49:46.180 --> 49:49.490
plan is to decommission two littoral

49:49.490 --> 49:52.630
combat ships . They were kind of big

49:52.630 --> 49:54.630
ships and those ships are about 100

49:54.630 --> 49:56.963
yards long . Big stuff . I've seen them .

49:57.370 --> 50:01.250
One was built in ,

50:02.360 --> 50:05.670
Um , I believe 2015 and one was built

50:05.670 --> 50:08.880
in 2016 . So these are rather large

50:08.880 --> 50:11.270
ships , I'm sure very expensive to

50:11.270 --> 50:14.920
build an over 100 yard ship And we plan

50:14.920 --> 50:18.690
on declassifying him ,

50:20.260 --> 50:23.380
Um , less than 10 years in .

50:24.860 --> 50:26.916
I'm glad you're doing it . If it's a

50:26.916 --> 50:29.138
waste of money , I'm just , do you have

50:29.138 --> 50:31.360
any comments on how that could happen ?

50:31.360 --> 50:33.416
How we could build a big ship and 10

50:33.416 --> 50:35.638
years later we want to scrap it . Thank

50:35.638 --> 50:37.582
you . Yeah . The , the , the , the

50:37.582 --> 50:39.638
issue with those particular ships is

50:39.638 --> 50:42.490
that the first of all that as as the

50:42.490 --> 50:44.630
strategies have focused more as was

50:44.630 --> 50:46.852
just discussed toward the high end peer

50:46.852 --> 50:48.852
competitors . Both both the matters

50:48.852 --> 50:51.130
strategy and Secretary Austin strategy .

50:51.130 --> 50:53.352
These ships are , are not as consistent

50:53.352 --> 50:55.352
with with with these new strategies

50:55.352 --> 50:57.519
that focus on a high end fight against

50:57.519 --> 50:59.574
a very capable military like china .

50:59.574 --> 51:01.630
Secondarily on the , on the littoral

51:01.630 --> 51:03.574
combat ships . Several of them the

51:03.574 --> 51:06.240
mission packages for these ships never

51:06.240 --> 51:08.690
delivered in correcting usable form .

51:08.690 --> 51:10.857
So the ships basically do not have the

51:10.857 --> 51:12.968
capability they were supposed to have

51:12.968 --> 51:15.134
even on top of the question of whether

51:15.134 --> 51:17.134
that's the right capability for the

51:17.134 --> 51:16.860
okay , would you say it's accurate if I

51:16.860 --> 51:19.970
say we wasted money building the USS

51:19.970 --> 51:23.190
Jackson and the USs Montgomery the

51:23.220 --> 51:25.276
moral combat ships that we , that we

51:25.276 --> 51:27.640
are Decommissioning . Uh , I would say

51:27.640 --> 51:29.751
we're not , we're not our best use of

51:29.751 --> 51:32.270
funds . Okay . So I think a goal we

51:32.270 --> 51:34.326
should have is to make sure we don't

51:34.326 --> 51:37.000
make any more mistakes like these two

51:37.000 --> 51:39.630
big 100 yard ships that we're

51:39.630 --> 51:41.852
Decommissioning almost right after they

51:41.852 --> 51:43.852
were built . Do you think they were

51:43.852 --> 51:47.650
built ? Well , I don't know at the

51:47.650 --> 51:49.817
time , were the things that were built

51:50.260 --> 51:52.427
because of pressure from Congress when

51:52.427 --> 51:54.538
the navy didn't want him that much in

51:54.538 --> 51:56.649
their own right . I think at the time

51:56.649 --> 51:58.982
there were , there was a desire to , to ,

51:58.982 --> 52:01.149
to have ships that would be more agile

52:01.149 --> 52:03.093
for a wider range of missions that

52:03.093 --> 52:05.204
maybe wouldn't be so much on the high

52:05.204 --> 52:07.204
end . But again , as the strategies

52:07.204 --> 52:09.316
have shifted to , we do want to focus

52:09.316 --> 52:11.649
on the high end . Ah , they , they have ,

52:11.649 --> 52:13.982
they have a bit of a strategic mismatch .

52:13.982 --> 52:16.093
And then there's a particular problem

52:16.093 --> 52:18.260
of , of these ships , mission packages

52:18.260 --> 52:20.371
did not deliver . I'm afraid we don't

52:20.371 --> 52:22.427
have enough missile defense , enough

52:22.427 --> 52:24.482
cyber defense . And there are things

52:24.482 --> 52:26.649
that we aren't looking at because to a

52:26.649 --> 52:28.704
degree , we may be fighting the last

52:28.704 --> 52:30.927
war , maybe going back about six wars ,

52:30.927 --> 52:33.190
five wars . Um , I remember reading

52:33.190 --> 52:35.412
about , you know , the battle of Midway

52:35.412 --> 52:37.634
in World War Two and at the time , some

52:37.634 --> 52:39.634
people felt it showed that aircraft

52:39.634 --> 52:41.690
carriers were overrated and that was

52:41.690 --> 52:45.190
proven in 19 41 , was it 40 to 40 to

52:45.660 --> 52:48.920
42 . Okay . Now , I've had people tell

52:48.920 --> 52:51.530
me that aircraft carriers , well ,

52:51.530 --> 52:53.530
there is nothing more beautiful and

52:53.530 --> 52:55.530
impressive looking than an aircraft

52:55.530 --> 52:58.960
carrier against a country like china or

52:58.960 --> 53:01.910
north Korea In War Games , they may

53:01.910 --> 53:05.440
last a day or two days . Are there

53:05.440 --> 53:07.662
smart people who believe that against a

53:07.662 --> 53:09.773
country like Russia or china or North

53:09.773 --> 53:11.880
Korea ? An aircraft carrier may only

53:11.880 --> 53:15.210
last one or two days ? Uh , I would say

53:15.210 --> 53:17.043
that there absolutely that there

53:17.043 --> 53:19.266
absolutely are our analysts who believe

53:19.266 --> 53:21.770
that carriers are are , are have

53:21.770 --> 53:23.826
questionable survivability in a high

53:23.826 --> 53:25.881
end fight and the navy would , would

53:25.881 --> 53:27.826
strongly dispute that . So that is

53:27.826 --> 53:30.048
something you could have an entire good

53:30.048 --> 53:32.020
classified debate on . There are

53:32.020 --> 53:34.187
definitely people who believe as you ,

53:34.187 --> 53:36.298
as you state . Yeah , I run into them

53:36.298 --> 53:38.298
and it kind of bothers me because I

53:38.298 --> 53:40.353
think we're short of missile defense

53:40.353 --> 53:42.520
and short of cyber defense and we keep

53:42.520 --> 53:44.742
these big aircraft care groups out here

53:44.742 --> 53:46.798
and um , like I said , it was a very

53:46.798 --> 53:48.853
different time , but we were able to

53:48.853 --> 53:50.909
sink some Japanese aircraft carriers

53:50.909 --> 53:53.680
very quickly In 1942 . And they do

53:54.250 --> 53:58.150
compared to missiles . Um , are

53:58.150 --> 54:01.470
very slow . I would also say that the

54:01.470 --> 54:03.637
Navy would say that compared to a base

54:03.637 --> 54:05.470
on land that can't move at all ,

54:05.470 --> 54:07.581
carriers are much more agile than any

54:07.581 --> 54:09.803
other way to project power . So again ,

54:09.803 --> 54:12.026
there are , there are some , I've heard

54:12.026 --> 54:14.137
that argument that by that standard ,

54:14.137 --> 54:16.359
nothing is worthwhile . All right . Not

54:16.359 --> 54:15.700
only would they sink an aircraft care

54:15.700 --> 54:19.090
right away . They destroy it , uh , an

54:19.090 --> 54:23.060
air force base right away . But um ,

54:24.040 --> 54:28.010
do you feel in your heart That if we

54:28.010 --> 54:30.120
went to 10 aircraft carriers or nine

54:30.120 --> 54:32.231
aircraft carriers and used that money

54:32.231 --> 54:34.398
for missile defense or cyber defense ,

54:34.740 --> 54:38.200
we would be more in tune with the

54:38.200 --> 54:40.460
times if our real our real goal is to

54:40.460 --> 54:42.627
protect the United States of America .

54:44.040 --> 54:46.207
What we tried to do in this budget and

54:46.207 --> 54:48.460
and to the gets exactly at the point

54:48.470 --> 54:50.526
that you're doing is try and address

54:50.526 --> 54:52.637
our challenges on a number of friends

54:52.637 --> 54:54.748
and not say we can only do a maritime

54:54.748 --> 54:56.914
threat or only do missile defense only

54:56.914 --> 54:59.081
to cyber we , we tried to put chips on

54:59.081 --> 55:01.137
a number of , of places we wanted to

55:01.137 --> 55:03.192
put bets , I think it's a continuing

55:03.192 --> 55:05.137
question . What what the future of

55:05.137 --> 55:07.710
surface warfare is ? Uh , certainly the

55:07.710 --> 55:09.766
movement on in maritime borders more

55:09.766 --> 55:11.670
toward moving eventually toward

55:11.670 --> 55:13.392
unmanned , moving towards more

55:13.392 --> 55:16.530
distributed uh , sets of naval

55:16.530 --> 55:18.830
architecture . But we we we are , it's

55:18.830 --> 55:21.052
not at the expense of missile defense .

55:21.052 --> 55:22.886
Missile defense tends to be , if

55:22.886 --> 55:25.052
anything , technological limit of what

55:25.052 --> 55:27.163
of what is Technologically capable to

55:27.163 --> 55:29.330
be done as quickly as you'd like to be

55:29.330 --> 55:31.497
done rather than funding constrained .

55:31.497 --> 55:31.440
Okay , well I'd like to thank the

55:31.450 --> 55:33.617
chairman for indulging me , I'll point

55:33.617 --> 55:35.728
out if one of those aircraft carriers

55:35.728 --> 55:37.894
get sunk in addition to the huge waste

55:37.894 --> 55:39.894
of money . There are 5000 people on

55:39.894 --> 55:42.006
each of them who die . So you want to

55:42.006 --> 55:44.228
take that into account ? I don't know .

55:44.228 --> 55:43.260
But thank you for giving me a

55:43.260 --> 55:45.316
gentleman's time has expired and now

55:45.316 --> 55:47.427
recognize the gentleman from texas mr

55:47.427 --> 55:50.560
dr burgess for five minutes . I thank

55:50.560 --> 55:52.850
the chair . Thanks the undersecretary

55:52.850 --> 55:55.840
for being here today . Um Mr Under

55:55.840 --> 55:58.130
secretary , you're familiar with ,

55:58.140 --> 56:00.029
familiar with the position of the

56:00.029 --> 56:02.890
controller at the at the pentagon , is

56:02.890 --> 56:05.540
that correct ? Yes , sir . This is my ,

56:05.550 --> 56:07.661
my second time , I've been back since

56:07.661 --> 56:09.772
one June and I served in the position

56:09.772 --> 56:13.560
previously . So for several years I've

56:13.560 --> 56:17.130
tried to get the Pentagon to audit as

56:17.130 --> 56:19.980
it's every agency was required to do

56:19.990 --> 56:22.540
what 20 years ago and to get the audit

56:22.540 --> 56:25.570
undertaken at the pentagon Fiscal year

56:25.660 --> 56:28.120
2018 , the first audit was finally

56:28.120 --> 56:31.870
undertaken . Um No , great surprise

56:31.880 --> 56:34.460
it wasn't passed . Um

56:35.430 --> 56:39.200
And What we have been told is

56:39.200 --> 56:43.120
that by 2027 the clean audit will in

56:43.120 --> 56:46.360
fact be done , is that still four ,

56:46.360 --> 56:48.416
that's four years from now . Is that

56:48.416 --> 56:51.240
still the glide path you're envisioning

56:51.240 --> 56:53.360
for the for the clean audit for the

56:53.360 --> 56:55.830
pentagon ? I think that I think that is

56:55.830 --> 56:57.997
still the best estimate that we have .

56:57.997 --> 57:01.880
Yes . Are you able to implement any

57:01.880 --> 57:04.240
improvements of problems that you find

57:04.240 --> 57:06.710
along the way like in a in a business ,

57:06.710 --> 57:08.590
there'd be continuous quality

57:08.590 --> 57:11.860
improvement in any lean manufacturing

57:11.860 --> 57:13.971
process . Are you able to incorporate

57:13.971 --> 57:15.916
any of those things that you're as

57:15.916 --> 57:17.971
you're encountering them ? Yes . The

57:17.971 --> 57:20.138
main things that we're trying to focus

57:20.138 --> 57:22.193
on are the systems controls and uh ,

57:22.193 --> 57:24.416
probably the hardest thing that we that

57:24.416 --> 57:26.527
we have to do is trying to get rid of

57:26.527 --> 57:28.527
older systems that we still rely on

57:28.527 --> 57:30.416
every day to do our many business

57:30.416 --> 57:32.249
processes . But but yes , we are

57:32.249 --> 57:33.916
implementing control . We are

57:33.916 --> 57:36.082
implementing as we go . We are finding

57:36.082 --> 57:38.138
that some of the notices we get from

57:38.138 --> 57:40.304
our auditors are now more complex than

57:40.304 --> 57:42.638
than the first , the first round or two .

57:42.638 --> 57:44.860
So they're not easy that there are more

57:44.860 --> 57:46.916
difficult to get through . But we we

57:46.916 --> 57:49.082
are we are making progress , but it is

57:49.082 --> 57:51.249
not fast enough . Well , I want you to

57:51.249 --> 57:53.582
continue to , to keep the focus on that .

57:53.730 --> 57:55.952
Let me just ask you also in the process

57:55.952 --> 57:58.740
of working on the NBA several years ago

57:59.130 --> 58:03.120
In 2020 , um , Severe problems with ,

58:03.130 --> 58:05.680
with base housing were uncovered . The

58:05.690 --> 58:07.920
privatization of base housing that

58:07.920 --> 58:09.950
occurred back in the 1990s

58:13.020 --> 58:15.530
trying to offload that appropriation

58:15.530 --> 58:17.363
from uh , from the Department of

58:17.363 --> 58:20.540
Defense and uh , and , and farming it

58:20.540 --> 58:23.770
out 20 years later , 30 years later ,

58:23.770 --> 58:25.826
some of those properties now are are

58:25.826 --> 58:27.770
suffering and maintenance has been

58:27.770 --> 58:30.220
deferred . So , NBC news is reporting

58:30.220 --> 58:32.276
on the Senate report from the Senate

58:32.276 --> 58:35.040
Homeland Security Committee that have

58:35.720 --> 58:38.720
the problems that still exist in base

58:38.720 --> 58:41.680
housing . So , can you do anything to

58:41.680 --> 58:43.680
assure us that that is still a high

58:43.680 --> 58:45.902
priority for the pentagon to bring that

58:45.902 --> 58:49.740
base housing up to standard ? Ah yes

58:49.740 --> 58:51.720
sir , I'm familiar with . I read a

58:51.720 --> 58:53.831
report of the of the hearing that you

58:53.831 --> 58:55.831
describe on on the Senate side this

58:55.831 --> 58:58.300
week and um I would say that well , all

58:58.300 --> 59:00.467
that directly under my purview , we do

59:00.467 --> 59:02.689
have a nominee pending for that . Would

59:02.689 --> 59:04.189
that would really own that

59:04.189 --> 59:06.189
responsibility ? The tenant bill of

59:06.189 --> 59:08.411
rights , which I'm sure you're familiar

59:08.411 --> 59:10.578
with in the N . D . A . I would say if

59:10.578 --> 59:12.830
if it is not proving if there's enough

59:12.830 --> 59:14.941
time to determine that it still needs

59:14.941 --> 59:16.774
further improvement then that is

59:16.774 --> 59:18.830
something the department should work

59:18.830 --> 59:20.941
with the Congress on . I know that it

59:20.941 --> 59:23.163
had I believe over 30 different aspects

59:23.163 --> 59:25.386
to it , some of which may not have been

59:25.386 --> 59:27.386
completely rolled in yet but as you

59:27.386 --> 59:29.330
describe , I remember when housing

59:29.330 --> 59:31.219
privatization started um , it was

59:31.219 --> 59:33.480
always a bit of , it was a by pentagon

59:33.480 --> 59:35.480
standards . It was a bold move into

59:35.480 --> 59:37.702
privatization and the rubber was always

59:37.702 --> 59:39.924
going to meet the road not upfront when

59:39.924 --> 59:42.036
the houses were being built but later

59:42.036 --> 59:44.258
on in the middle of the deal , which is

59:44.258 --> 59:46.202
where we are now and I think it is

59:46.202 --> 59:46.120
important is it is important that we

59:46.120 --> 59:48.740
work with the Congress to to make sure

59:48.740 --> 59:50.907
that we stay on top of this within the

59:50.907 --> 59:53.018
within the within the realm of things

59:53.018 --> 59:55.240
that are privatized and you know having

59:55.240 --> 59:57.073
duty have it's appropriate share

59:57.073 --> 59:58.962
responsibility in the contract or

59:58.962 --> 01:00:01.184
having there's I mean I'm just going to

01:00:01.184 --> 01:00:00.360
reclaim my time because I'm gonna run

01:00:00.360 --> 01:00:02.582
out . Let me just ask you , we're gonna

01:00:02.582 --> 01:00:04.950
be we're gonna be asked to provide a

01:00:04.960 --> 01:00:08.050
good deal more in the way of military

01:00:08.050 --> 01:00:10.580
assistance to Ukraine . They've got a

01:00:10.580 --> 01:00:12.636
terrible problem and it's horrifying

01:00:12.636 --> 01:00:15.210
what is going on over there . But can

01:00:15.210 --> 01:00:17.432
you share with us as the administration

01:00:17.432 --> 01:00:19.488
kind of have an overarching strategy

01:00:19.488 --> 01:00:23.150
about where they are going with this .

01:00:23.360 --> 01:00:25.527
We keep hearing about stinger missiles

01:00:25.527 --> 01:00:27.471
going over . We keep hearing about

01:00:27.471 --> 01:00:29.693
javelin missiles going over . Are these

01:00:29.693 --> 01:00:31.916
coming from our existing stock ? Are we

01:00:31.916 --> 01:00:34.270
replacing those ? How how is that all

01:00:34.280 --> 01:00:37.010
working together right now ? Yeah ,

01:00:37.020 --> 01:00:39.242
thank you for that question . Um , what

01:00:39.242 --> 01:00:42.170
we have done is worked in concert with

01:00:42.170 --> 01:00:44.281
our with our allies but it's about 30

01:00:44.281 --> 01:00:46.503
countries that are helping Ukraine . So

01:00:46.503 --> 01:00:48.392
it's not all on us to help them .

01:00:48.392 --> 01:00:51.060
Although we are as as is often the case

01:00:51.070 --> 01:00:53.181
leading the coalition and leading the

01:00:53.181 --> 01:00:55.403
effort . Yes , we are donating from our

01:00:55.403 --> 01:00:57.860
own stocks . We are also looking to

01:00:57.860 --> 01:00:59.840
find from any place that we can .

01:00:59.850 --> 01:01:01.850
Secretary Austin and General Milley

01:01:01.850 --> 01:01:03.906
spend basically part of every day on

01:01:03.906 --> 01:01:05.739
the phone with people from other

01:01:05.739 --> 01:01:07.517
countries trying to get them to

01:01:07.517 --> 01:01:09.700
contribute as well . Um , especially

01:01:09.700 --> 01:01:11.867
Russian type equipment that Ukrainians

01:01:11.867 --> 01:01:13.922
are more familiar with . So there is

01:01:13.922 --> 01:01:16.144
both the U . S . Side of equipment , us

01:01:16.144 --> 01:01:18.200
NATO standard equipment that's being

01:01:18.200 --> 01:01:20.256
delivered to them and and especially

01:01:20.256 --> 01:01:22.422
from eastern europe european countries

01:01:22.422 --> 01:01:24.311
that have more familiar with it ,

01:01:24.311 --> 01:01:26.589
Russian style ammunition and equipment .

01:01:26.589 --> 01:01:28.533
So we're doing both . We have done

01:01:28.533 --> 01:01:30.311
eight drawdown packages , eight

01:01:30.311 --> 01:01:32.422
packages where we have drawn down our

01:01:32.422 --> 01:01:34.422
own supplies and given to Ukraine .

01:01:34.422 --> 01:01:36.533
Congress gave us funding to replenish

01:01:36.533 --> 01:01:38.644
those and we have sent out to notices

01:01:38.644 --> 01:01:40.533
so far . So we've sent About $3.2

01:01:40.533 --> 01:01:42.930
billion dollars out the door . We have

01:01:42.930 --> 01:01:44.930
started the clock on two billion of

01:01:44.930 --> 01:01:47.097
that to start replenishing our own and

01:01:47.097 --> 01:01:49.319
get our industrial basement up to start

01:01:49.319 --> 01:01:51.097
replenishing those missiles for

01:01:51.097 --> 01:01:53.152
ourselves . We are we are now to the

01:01:53.152 --> 01:01:55.374
point of expanding all of the authority

01:01:55.374 --> 01:01:57.152
congress gave us and if Ukraine

01:01:57.152 --> 01:01:59.208
supplemental attached to the omnibus

01:01:59.208 --> 01:02:01.374
appropriations bill from six weeks ago

01:02:01.374 --> 01:02:03.263
and we anticipate sending another

01:02:03.263 --> 01:02:05.430
supplemental to Congress probably this

01:02:05.430 --> 01:02:07.652
week to ask to continue to show that we

01:02:07.652 --> 01:02:09.819
are in this with the Ukrainians to get

01:02:09.819 --> 01:02:11.597
them what they need to fight to

01:02:11.597 --> 01:02:13.930
continue the fight to defend themselves .

01:02:13.930 --> 01:02:15.986
So I think the overall message is we

01:02:15.986 --> 01:02:18.152
are not letting up on the gas uh , the

01:02:18.152 --> 01:02:20.319
Ukrainians are fighting hard for their

01:02:20.319 --> 01:02:19.940
own country . What we want to continue

01:02:19.940 --> 01:02:21.940
to do what we can to support them .

01:02:21.940 --> 01:02:23.996
Yeah . We'd love to see the strategy

01:02:23.996 --> 01:02:25.920
though that the administration is

01:02:25.920 --> 01:02:28.260
pursuing right now . It just seems on

01:02:28.260 --> 01:02:30.640
it as the need comes up . We feel it is

01:02:30.640 --> 01:02:32.696
the need comes up . We fill it . But

01:02:32.696 --> 01:02:34.696
where are we going ? Where where is

01:02:34.696 --> 01:02:36.918
where is this going to end up ? Because

01:02:36.918 --> 01:02:39.029
remember it was these gentlemen folks

01:02:39.029 --> 01:02:41.307
that gentleman's time has long expired .

01:02:41.307 --> 01:02:43.362
Underestimated the resiliency of the

01:02:43.362 --> 01:02:45.196
resolve . The Ukrainian people .

01:02:45.196 --> 01:02:47.251
Everyone said it'll be over in three

01:02:47.251 --> 01:02:49.362
days . Well , it wasn't . And I can't

01:02:49.362 --> 01:02:51.362
believe that the geniuses in charge

01:02:51.362 --> 01:02:53.529
couldn't anticipate that . Thank you .

01:02:53.529 --> 01:02:52.910
Mr . Chairman on your gentleman's time

01:02:52.910 --> 01:02:55.132
has expired . Now you have five minutes

01:02:55.132 --> 01:02:57.021
to the gentleman from new york Mr

01:02:57.021 --> 01:02:56.940
Jacobs .