WEBVTT 00:00.830 --> 00:03.400 - The meeting will come to order. 00:03.400 --> 00:06.330 What we're going to do is have our opening statements 00:06.330 --> 00:08.890 of Senator Reid and myself, 00:08.890 --> 00:10.720 and then we'll recognize Dr. Wilson 00:10.720 --> 00:13.153 for a very important introduction. 00:17.730 --> 00:19.757 The committee meets today for the nomination 00:19.757 --> 00:22.180 of General and John E. Hyten 00:22.180 --> 00:24.673 to be vice chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff. 00:28.852 --> 00:30.610 We thank you for being here today. 00:30.610 --> 00:33.530 We welcome your family who is here 00:33.530 --> 00:35.193 and your friends, Dr. Hyten. 00:35.193 --> 00:36.960 They can be introduced at the time 00:36.960 --> 00:39.810 that you are recognized for your opening statement. 00:39.810 --> 00:42.870 And we have our boring seven to eight questions 00:42.870 --> 00:44.973 you have to respond to first. 00:45.990 --> 00:49.450 Have you adhered to applicable laws and regulations 00:49.450 --> 00:51.370 governing conflicts of interest? 00:51.370 --> 00:52.383 - [General] Yes, sir. 00:53.400 --> 00:54.950 - Do you agree, if confirmed, 00:54.950 --> 00:57.990 to appear and testify upon request before this committee? 00:57.990 --> 00:59.040 - [General] Yes, sir. 00:59.040 --> 01:01.430 - Do you agree to provide documents 01:01.430 --> 01:04.500 including copies of electronic forms of communications 01:04.500 --> 01:07.150 in a timely manner when requested 01:07.150 --> 01:09.690 by a duly constituted committee, 01:09.690 --> 01:11.710 or to consult with the committee 01:11.710 --> 01:15.650 regarding the basis of any good-faith denial 01:15.650 --> 01:18.520 or delay in such documents? 01:18.520 --> 01:19.690 - Yes, sir. 01:19.690 --> 01:22.420 - Do you agree, when asked to give your personal views, 01:22.420 --> 01:25.700 even if those differ from the administration in power? 01:25.700 --> 01:26.533 - I do, sir. 01:26.533 --> 01:29.050 - Will you ensure that your staff complies 01:29.050 --> 01:32.240 with deadlines established for requesting communications, 01:32.240 --> 01:35.770 including questions for the record in hearings? 01:35.770 --> 01:36.603 - We will, sir. 01:37.600 --> 01:40.160 - [Chairman] Will you cooperate in providing witnesses 01:40.160 --> 01:44.320 and briefers in response to congressional requests? 01:44.320 --> 01:45.153 - Yes, sir. 01:45.153 --> 01:49.190 - And will those witnesses be protected from reprisal 01:49.190 --> 01:50.980 for their testimony or briefings? 01:50.980 --> 01:52.010 - Yes, sir. 01:52.010 --> 01:53.550 - [Chairman] Have you assumed any duties 01:53.550 --> 01:55.750 or undertaking any actions which would appear 01:55.750 --> 01:58.610 to resume the outcome of this confirmation process? 01:58.610 --> 01:59.510 - I have not, sir. 02:13.990 --> 02:17.113 - The world is more dangerous now 02:17.113 --> 02:19.100 than it's been in my lifetime. 02:19.100 --> 02:22.630 I honestly believe that, I've talked to you about that. 02:22.630 --> 02:25.230 And after years of sustained armed conflict, 02:25.230 --> 02:26.930 underfunding and budget uncertainty, 02:26.930 --> 02:29.850 our military has fallen behind competitors 02:29.850 --> 02:32.620 in readiness and key capabilities. 02:32.620 --> 02:36.140 Without adequate, sustained and predictable funding, 02:36.140 --> 02:40.823 all the work we do on this committee to implement 02:41.990 --> 02:44.320 the national defense strategy would be for nothing. 02:44.320 --> 02:46.580 And that's why I thank President Trump 02:46.580 --> 02:47.770 and the congressional leaders 02:47.770 --> 02:50.680 for reaching a bipartisan budget agreement. 02:50.680 --> 02:52.890 It is critical to support our military 02:52.890 --> 02:55.000 and veterans and their families. 02:55.000 --> 02:57.630 While I would have liked to see more funding for defense, 02:57.630 --> 03:00.950 at the end of the day, this budget agreement provides 03:00.950 --> 03:03.980 minimal growth to give our military what it needs 03:03.980 --> 03:06.020 and will allow the Department of Defense 03:06.020 --> 03:08.507 to plan strategically in future. 03:12.418 --> 03:14.780 I need to tell you where I stand on the allegation 03:14.780 --> 03:17.510 that have been levied against General Hyten, 03:17.510 --> 03:20.970 allegations that have been banded about in the press 03:20.970 --> 03:23.200 with little regard to the truth. 03:23.200 --> 03:26.830 This committee has held five executive sessions, 03:26.830 --> 03:30.460 studied over a 1,000 pages of investigated records 03:30.460 --> 03:34.320 and reviewed statements of more than 50 witnesses. 03:34.320 --> 03:37.710 The members of the committee have devoted countless hours 03:37.710 --> 03:42.430 reviewing General Hyten's service and his nomination 03:42.430 --> 03:45.980 through a fair, thorough and methodical process. 03:45.980 --> 03:47.920 We have done this with respect 03:47.920 --> 03:50.950 for the privacy of all involved. 03:50.950 --> 03:54.380 Each senator was able to ask questions, receive answers, 03:54.380 --> 03:58.290 review documents and other material, listen to testimony, 03:58.290 --> 04:01.950 conduct analyses and express their opinions. 04:01.950 --> 04:04.850 Today's hearing is the next logical step 04:04.850 --> 04:09.160 in the deliberation, disciplined and detailed process 04:09.160 --> 04:12.400 this committee uses to determine the suitability 04:13.837 --> 04:18.310 of nominating candidates. 04:18.310 --> 04:21.120 Addressing these allegations is critical, 04:21.120 --> 04:22.880 not just for you, General Hyten, 04:22.880 --> 04:25.070 but for every nominee going forward. 04:25.070 --> 04:26.750 This committee takes allegations 04:26.750 --> 04:28.910 of sexual assault very seriously. 04:28.910 --> 04:31.190 It is unacceptable, but this committee 04:31.190 --> 04:34.380 will not act on unproven allegations, 04:34.380 --> 04:36.770 allegations that do not withstand 04:36.770 --> 04:40.820 the close scrutiny of the committee's process. 04:40.820 --> 04:44.400 General Hyten, you have been leading Stratcom 04:44.400 --> 04:46.080 with discipline and integrity 04:46.080 --> 04:47.820 for the last two and a half years, 04:47.820 --> 04:50.850 and you've served honorably in the top leadership positions 04:50.850 --> 04:52.940 in the Air Force Space Command 04:52.940 --> 04:54.860 in the four years before that. 04:54.860 --> 04:57.650 I commend the willingness of you and your family 04:57.650 --> 04:59.970 to continue your outstanding service 04:59.970 --> 05:02.780 to our military and to our country. 05:02.780 --> 05:07.510 As we form a new United States Space Force, 05:07.510 --> 05:10.110 we need your strategic insights and guidance 05:10.110 --> 05:12.600 to move the key initiative forward, 05:12.600 --> 05:15.513 including how to improve space acquisition. 05:16.510 --> 05:21.057 British Army Field Marshal Bernard Montgomery said, quote, 05:21.057 --> 05:23.347 "If we lose the war in the air, 05:23.347 --> 05:26.360 "we lose the war and we lose it quickly." 05:26.360 --> 05:30.490 And we can say the same thing about space now. 05:30.490 --> 05:32.590 When I say the world's in the most dangerous position 05:32.590 --> 05:34.360 that has been in my lifetime, 05:34.360 --> 05:36.110 one of the area's I'm talking about 05:36.110 --> 05:38.580 is the proliferation of ballistic missiles 05:38.580 --> 05:40.950 and cruise missiles capability. 05:40.950 --> 05:43.530 Russia, China, Iran, North Korea 05:43.530 --> 05:46.040 use missiles as strategic leverage, 05:46.040 --> 05:48.630 and we need strategic imagination 05:48.630 --> 05:50.943 and strong leadership to counter this growth. 05:51.850 --> 05:54.937 As the former Secretary of Defense Mattis said, 05:54.937 --> 05:57.957 "We need urgent change at significant scale 05:57.957 --> 06:00.590 "to implement the national defense strategy." 06:00.590 --> 06:02.150 And I couldn't agree more. 06:02.150 --> 06:02.983 Senator Reid. 06:04.292 --> 06:05.600 - Thank you very much, Mr. Chairman. 06:05.600 --> 06:08.580 Let me join you in welcoming General Hyten, his wife, Laura, 06:08.580 --> 06:11.670 his children, Chris and Katie to this morning's hearings. 06:11.670 --> 06:13.760 The purpose of this hearing is to focus on the duties 06:13.760 --> 06:16.020 of the vice chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, 06:16.020 --> 06:18.170 and to closely scrutinize whether General Hyten's 06:18.170 --> 06:19.570 previous service and experience 06:19.570 --> 06:22.173 qualify him to serve as the vice chairman. 06:23.220 --> 06:24.950 General Hyten, over the past few weeks 06:24.950 --> 06:26.220 a number of media outlets, 06:26.220 --> 06:28.300 including the New York Times and the Washington Post 06:28.300 --> 06:32.070 have reported allegations that you sexually assaulted 06:32.070 --> 06:33.450 a subordinate under your command 06:33.450 --> 06:36.190 as the commander of U.S. Strategic Command. 06:36.190 --> 06:38.180 These are serious allegations and therefore, 06:38.180 --> 06:41.090 consistent with the committee's long-standing practices, 06:41.090 --> 06:43.180 we have held five executive sessions 06:43.180 --> 06:45.520 related to your nomination, 06:45.520 --> 06:49.010 totalling over 15 hours of testimony and deliberation. 06:49.010 --> 06:52.070 During those sessions members received sworn testimony 06:52.070 --> 06:53.960 on extremely sensitive matters, 06:53.960 --> 06:55.250 and were able to ask questions 06:55.250 --> 06:57.550 and review documents and background material. 06:57.550 --> 06:59.220 Members have been afforded the opportunity 06:59.220 --> 07:01.720 to request additional information from the department, 07:01.720 --> 07:03.210 which we have done. 07:03.210 --> 07:05.340 These executive sessions were the appropriate forum 07:05.340 --> 07:08.310 to consider this information, which enabled the committee 07:08.310 --> 07:09.900 to utilize long-standing procedures 07:09.900 --> 07:12.920 that have served it in the Senate well for decades. 07:12.920 --> 07:14.140 The sessions allowed each member 07:14.140 --> 07:15.690 to hear the viewpoint of our colleagues, 07:15.690 --> 07:18.410 even if that perspective was different from our own. 07:18.410 --> 07:20.940 Ultimately that dialogue helped inform our committee 07:20.940 --> 07:23.000 and I appreciate the thoughtful consideration 07:23.000 --> 07:25.550 of every member during this process. 07:25.550 --> 07:26.820 Finally, I want to thank the chairman 07:26.820 --> 07:28.860 for ensuring that the committee had sufficient time 07:28.860 --> 07:31.890 to conduct our review of these matters. 07:31.890 --> 07:33.580 Senator Inhofe has been extremely 07:33.580 --> 07:36.400 cooperative in this regard, and I appreciate it. 07:36.400 --> 07:38.070 Nevertheless, we must recognize 07:38.070 --> 07:39.920 that the public nature of these allegations 07:39.920 --> 07:42.130 will likely raise questions today 07:42.130 --> 07:45.133 that are appropriate to an open session of this committee. 07:46.240 --> 07:48.450 Last week, the Senate confirmed General Mark Milley 07:48.450 --> 07:50.280 to be chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff. 07:50.280 --> 07:51.710 As General Milley testified, 07:51.710 --> 07:53.830 the international order established by the United States 07:53.830 --> 07:57.470 from World War II is under threat by authoritarian regimes 07:57.470 --> 08:00.320 seeking to challenge our country and our global interests. 08:00.320 --> 08:03.020 The new National Defense Strategy or NDS, 08:03.020 --> 08:04.910 which the department is currently implementing, 08:04.910 --> 08:06.570 will help posture the U.S. to compete 08:06.570 --> 08:09.780 with a near peer competitor like China or Russia. 08:09.780 --> 08:12.340 As the department pursues this new strategic direction, 08:12.340 --> 08:15.520 Iran and North Korea remain dangerous, and the threat posed 08:15.520 --> 08:18.450 by violent extremist organizations is not diminishing. 08:18.450 --> 08:20.170 Furthermore, the department must continue 08:20.170 --> 08:22.760 to recruit and retain high caliber individuals 08:22.760 --> 08:23.870 by restoring readiness 08:23.870 --> 08:26.730 and pursuing new high-end capabilities for the force. 08:26.730 --> 08:28.560 General Hyten, if confirmed as the vice chairman, 08:28.560 --> 08:30.300 you'll be working closely with General Milley 08:30.300 --> 08:32.100 to address each of these issues, 08:32.100 --> 08:33.630 and I hope you will share your views 08:33.630 --> 08:36.060 with this committee on those issues. 08:36.060 --> 08:37.900 In addition, if confirmed as the vice chairman, 08:37.900 --> 08:40.160 you'll serve a key role in the inter-agency process 08:40.160 --> 08:41.830 that often requires working closely 08:41.830 --> 08:44.320 with senior policy makers within the department 08:44.320 --> 08:45.990 and at the National Security Counsel 08:45.990 --> 08:48.260 on critical national security issue. 08:48.260 --> 08:50.830 In light of the strategic challenges I referenced earlier, 08:50.830 --> 08:52.280 the committee looks forward to hearing from you 08:52.280 --> 08:55.620 on the effectiveness of the current inter-agency process. 08:55.620 --> 08:56.880 Finally, the vice chairman is assigned 08:56.880 --> 08:59.370 a number of specific responsibilities within the department. 08:59.370 --> 09:01.070 First, the vice chairman oversees 09:01.070 --> 09:03.470 the Joint Requirements Oversight Council, 09:03.470 --> 09:06.170 which is a critical aspect in our acquisition process. 09:06.170 --> 09:08.660 Second, as a senior member of the nuclear weapons council, 09:08.660 --> 09:10.220 the vice chairman plays a central role 09:10.220 --> 09:13.130 in ensuring the safety of our nuclear arsenal. 09:13.130 --> 09:14.730 And finally, giving your recent service 09:14.730 --> 09:17.500 as commander of U.S. Strategic Command, if confirmed, 09:17.500 --> 09:19.380 I would expect that you would play an integral role 09:19.380 --> 09:20.880 in how the Department of Defense will address 09:20.880 --> 09:24.740 the threats posed by near-peer adversaries in space. 09:24.740 --> 09:26.730 We look forward to hearing your testimony, General Hyten, 09:26.730 --> 09:29.750 and how you will prioritize these duties 09:29.750 --> 09:31.810 if you are confirmed as the vice chairman. 09:31.810 --> 09:33.180 Thank you, Mr. Chairman. 09:33.180 --> 09:34.180 - Thank you, Senator Reid 09:34.180 --> 09:36.900 and thank you, Dr. Wilson for being here. 09:36.900 --> 09:40.493 Your service to our country has been exemplary. 09:42.670 --> 09:44.890 We hope you enjoy your next chapter. 09:44.890 --> 09:48.020 And you're recognized now for an introduction. 09:48.020 --> 09:49.650 - Thank you, Mr. Chairman. 09:49.650 --> 09:52.630 I'm here to introduce General John Hyten, 09:52.630 --> 09:55.000 the nominee to be the next vice chairman 09:55.000 --> 09:56.483 of the Joint Chiefs of Staff. 09:57.410 --> 09:59.290 I graduated from the Air Force Academy 09:59.290 --> 10:01.730 in the third class to include women 10:01.730 --> 10:04.363 and served for seven years as a junior officer. 10:05.300 --> 10:07.520 As a former member of the Defense Advisory Committee 10:07.520 --> 10:11.610 on Women in the Services in the 1990s and as a former member 10:11.610 --> 10:13.940 of the House Armed Services Committee, 10:13.940 --> 10:16.740 I know well that sexual harassment 10:16.740 --> 10:20.470 and sexual assault happen in the military. 10:20.470 --> 10:24.683 It must be confronted, investigated and punished. 10:25.710 --> 10:28.460 While I have now left the Defense Department, 10:28.460 --> 10:31.010 I was the Secretary of the Air Force 10:31.010 --> 10:33.520 and directed the investigation of allegations 10:33.520 --> 10:36.683 made against General Hyten by a former subordinate. 10:37.750 --> 10:40.240 That investigation was overseen 10:40.240 --> 10:43.913 by the Air Force Inspector General and was peer reviewed. 10:44.860 --> 10:48.980 The task was to conduct an exhaustive investigation 10:48.980 --> 10:50.183 and to find the truth. 10:51.260 --> 10:54.100 During my time as Secretary of the Air Force, 10:54.100 --> 10:57.603 I've come before you with great success stories, 10:58.750 --> 11:01.643 and I've been here when the Air Force missed the mark. 11:02.520 --> 11:04.200 I've taken responsibility 11:04.200 --> 11:07.173 and been straight with you when we got it wrong. 11:08.900 --> 11:11.770 This investigation was thorough 11:11.770 --> 11:14.690 and the allegations were taken seriously 11:14.690 --> 11:16.913 and it was handled appropriately. 11:18.000 --> 11:23.000 A team of 53 investigators interviewed 63 people 11:23.710 --> 11:27.540 in three countries and 14 states. 11:27.540 --> 11:32.020 They reviewed over a 196,000 emails 11:32.020 --> 11:35.420 and 4,000 pages of documents. 11:35.420 --> 11:37.910 They reviewed a 152 travel records 11:37.910 --> 11:41.813 and portions of phone records dating back to 2015. 11:42.770 --> 11:45.630 They interviewed members of the general staff 11:45.630 --> 11:49.110 at Strategic Command, as well as members of his staff 11:49.110 --> 11:50.573 when he was at Space Command. 11:51.800 --> 11:54.070 General Hyten is one of the most 11:54.070 --> 11:57.330 closely guarded officers in the military 11:57.330 --> 12:00.253 because he commands the nuclear deterrent. 12:01.180 --> 12:03.890 The inspector general also interviewed 12:03.890 --> 12:06.113 his personal security team. 12:07.300 --> 12:12.223 The result is a final report of over 1,400 pages. 12:13.330 --> 12:15.370 The military does not automatically 12:15.370 --> 12:19.810 suspend people's clearances or remove them from command 12:19.810 --> 12:23.450 when there is an allegation of impropriety. 12:23.450 --> 12:27.700 If the initial facts gathered justify it, we can 12:27.700 --> 12:30.223 and I have done so in other cases. 12:31.350 --> 12:34.300 This committee also has handled this matter, 12:34.300 --> 12:38.490 with respect for the accuser and for General Hyten, 12:38.490 --> 12:41.203 with discretion and sensitivity. 12:42.940 --> 12:46.890 After all of this, I believe the Senate 12:46.890 --> 12:49.253 will come to the same conclusion I did. 12:50.150 --> 12:54.040 General Hyten was falsely accused, 12:54.040 --> 12:56.480 and this matter should be set aside 12:56.480 --> 12:58.793 as you consider his nomination. 13:01.000 --> 13:05.230 I accept that it is entirely possible 13:06.090 --> 13:09.850 that his accuser is a wounded soldier 13:09.850 --> 13:14.850 who believes what she is saying is true, even if it's not. 13:16.870 --> 13:21.853 That possibility makes this whole situation very sad. 13:25.210 --> 13:29.980 We all know that sexual assault is a highly charged issue, 13:29.980 --> 13:33.973 more so today than perhaps at any time in our history, 13:34.880 --> 13:37.290 difficult in any environment, 13:37.290 --> 13:41.750 it is even more so when your decisions as senators 13:41.750 --> 13:46.750 are public, but not all of the information will be public. 13:48.210 --> 13:50.670 None of us want to appear, as leaders, 13:50.670 --> 13:53.913 to be breaking faith with victims of sexual assault. 13:54.750 --> 13:58.873 All of us want to encourage victims to come forward. 13:59.810 --> 14:02.470 But we have to do the right thing, 14:02.470 --> 14:06.170 in this case, with these facts, 14:06.170 --> 14:11.170 maintaining the credibility of this committee and this body, 14:12.320 --> 14:14.900 aligned with the American people's 14:14.900 --> 14:18.113 deeply rooted sense of justice. 14:19.670 --> 14:24.090 I hope you will agree with me that General John Hyten 14:24.090 --> 14:27.540 is worth all of the time that you have taken 14:27.540 --> 14:29.183 to consider his nomination. 14:30.270 --> 14:33.750 He's the right leader to be the next vice chairman 14:33.750 --> 14:35.243 of the Joint Chiefs of Staff. 14:36.310 --> 14:40.660 There is no other active duty officer today who combines 14:40.660 --> 14:44.960 the intellect and breadth of experience of John Hyten 14:44.960 --> 14:46.580 when it comes to three areas 14:46.580 --> 14:49.920 of vital importance to our national security, 14:49.920 --> 14:53.803 space, cyber and the nuclear deterrent. 14:55.170 --> 14:57.660 John has the credibility and experience 14:57.660 --> 14:59.660 of a combatant commander, 14:59.660 --> 15:02.343 yet he began his career in acquisition. 15:03.320 --> 15:05.230 He has experience setting requirements 15:05.230 --> 15:07.270 for complex weapons systems, 15:07.270 --> 15:10.653 which is a process he would lead as the vice chairman. 15:11.780 --> 15:13.820 As commander of Stratcom, General Hyten 15:13.820 --> 15:16.110 has stewarded the development of requirements 15:16.110 --> 15:18.580 for nuclear command and control, 15:18.580 --> 15:20.240 and has been a driving force 15:20.240 --> 15:23.523 behind the need to modernize the nuclear deterrent. 15:24.760 --> 15:26.800 He is an exceptionally good complement 15:26.800 --> 15:29.603 to General Milley's skills as the chairman. 15:31.630 --> 15:36.150 More than his expertise, John Hyten 15:36.150 --> 15:41.150 has a well-earned reputation for speaking truth to power. 15:42.710 --> 15:47.363 He gives frank military advice without much sugar coating. 15:48.810 --> 15:51.183 I know that from personal experience. 15:53.320 --> 15:57.060 Like it or not, he will tell you what he thinks 15:58.160 --> 15:59.460 and what you need to know. 16:01.310 --> 16:03.693 Not what you wanna hear. 16:06.290 --> 16:09.540 He is passionate about the security of this country 16:10.520 --> 16:14.653 and I encourage you to support his confirmation. 16:15.860 --> 16:17.160 Thank you, Mr. Chairman. 16:17.160 --> 16:18.370 - Thank you, Dr. Wilson, 16:18.370 --> 16:21.113 very much for that excellent introduction. 16:23.380 --> 16:24.740 With that, General Hyten, 16:24.740 --> 16:27.377 we'll recognize you for an opening statement. 16:36.228 --> 16:38.960 - Chairman Inhofe, Ranking Member Reid, 16:38.960 --> 16:39.990 distinguished committee members, 16:39.990 --> 16:41.680 it is a privilege to appear before you today 16:41.680 --> 16:43.050 as the president's nominee to become 16:43.050 --> 16:45.650 the 11th Vice Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff. 16:46.610 --> 16:49.610 I wanna recognize Secretary Wilson, as you did, Chairman, 16:49.610 --> 16:52.670 for her long a devoted service to this nation. 16:52.670 --> 16:53.910 And it means everything to Laura and me 16:53.910 --> 16:56.410 that she came all this way to speak on our behalf. 16:57.310 --> 16:59.010 I thank her for that introduction. 16:59.940 --> 17:01.710 To begin, I'd like to introduce 17:01.710 --> 17:04.240 my wife, Laura to the committee, 17:04.240 --> 17:05.420 so thank you for that opportunity. 17:05.420 --> 17:08.380 Laura and I met when I was stationed in Los Angeles, 17:08.380 --> 17:10.730 and we've been married now for almost 32 years. 17:11.770 --> 17:14.840 When we met, my long-term aspirations did not include 17:14.840 --> 17:17.680 a lifetime of service to the United States Air Force. 17:17.680 --> 17:19.360 But over and over again, 17:19.360 --> 17:23.170 opportunities continued to come along to do what I love, 17:23.170 --> 17:24.720 and Laura always encouraged me. 17:26.090 --> 17:28.320 During this time, her own passion 17:28.320 --> 17:31.520 for the men and women of our nation's military has grown. 17:31.520 --> 17:33.340 Today, she's an advocate in our communities 17:33.340 --> 17:36.840 and works to empower and care for our military families. 17:36.840 --> 17:40.223 She is an amazing woman, the best person I know. 17:41.140 --> 17:42.580 She is ready to fight for this country 17:42.580 --> 17:43.973 alongside me one more time. 17:45.410 --> 17:46.630 And together we also had the joy 17:46.630 --> 17:50.400 of raising two incredible children, Katie and Chris, 17:50.400 --> 17:52.000 both successful in their own right, 17:52.000 --> 17:53.450 each with weddings this year. 17:54.580 --> 17:56.290 Katie's here with us today from Boston, 17:56.290 --> 17:57.210 but Chris couldn't make it 17:57.210 --> 18:00.110 all the way from Colorado on such short notice. 18:00.110 --> 18:02.330 But sitting next to them is my brother, Scott 18:02.330 --> 18:05.620 representing my mom, dad and my sister in Alabama, 18:05.620 --> 18:06.750 and I've been lucky to have them 18:06.750 --> 18:09.383 by my side every step of the way. 18:10.290 --> 18:13.870 This last Christmas, I was asked to talk over with my family 18:13.870 --> 18:15.000 whether or not I would consider 18:15.000 --> 18:17.433 serving in another position if it were offered. 18:18.450 --> 18:20.080 I wasn't sure what I would say, 18:20.080 --> 18:22.030 but this was clearly a family decision. 18:23.460 --> 18:26.547 That's when Katie made it quite simple, asking me, 18:26.547 --> 18:27.887 "If you love this country 18:27.887 --> 18:29.807 "and you love the people you work with 18:29.807 --> 18:32.327 "and you still feel you can make a difference, 18:32.327 --> 18:35.500 "then why stop?" Period. Simple. 18:35.500 --> 18:38.350 So that's why I'm here. I still love what I do. 18:38.350 --> 18:41.220 And if confirmed, I look forward to continuing my advocacy 18:41.220 --> 18:42.950 for the soldiers sailors, airmen and marines 18:42.950 --> 18:45.170 and civilians of the Department of Defense. 18:45.170 --> 18:47.240 When the nation provides them the right tools, 18:47.240 --> 18:49.500 they have proven time and time again 18:49.500 --> 18:52.963 they are our greatest advantage over any adversary. 18:54.220 --> 18:57.060 But as I sit here today, as has been discussed, 18:57.060 --> 18:59.210 I'm intensely aware of the allegations made against me 18:59.210 --> 19:00.670 concerning one of the most serious problems 19:00.670 --> 19:02.670 we have in the military, sexual assault. 19:03.780 --> 19:06.313 It has been a painful time for me and my family. 19:07.160 --> 19:09.940 But I wanna state to you and to the American people, 19:09.940 --> 19:11.260 in the strongest possible terms, 19:11.260 --> 19:12.973 that these allegations are false. 19:14.790 --> 19:17.120 There was a very extensive, thorough investigation 19:17.120 --> 19:19.870 that Dr. Wilson described, which revealed the truth. 19:19.870 --> 19:21.583 Nothing happened, ever. 19:23.020 --> 19:24.320 And I'm also thankful to this committee 19:24.320 --> 19:25.940 for all the time you took individually 19:25.940 --> 19:27.240 and together in executive session 19:27.240 --> 19:29.360 to study and understand the facts. 19:29.360 --> 19:32.270 I really think the integrity of both the investigation 19:32.270 --> 19:35.140 and the nomination process are critical, 19:35.140 --> 19:36.780 not only for everybody involved 19:36.780 --> 19:38.680 but for our nation's citizens as well. 19:40.120 --> 19:42.550 So I stand by the truth. 19:42.550 --> 19:44.330 And I thank the committee for its unwavering 19:44.330 --> 19:46.040 commitment and support to our national defense 19:46.040 --> 19:47.990 as well as the men and women who serve. 19:48.950 --> 19:51.300 If confirmed, I look forward to working 19:51.300 --> 19:52.440 across the Department of Defense 19:52.440 --> 19:54.260 with our friends and allies, the inter-agency, 19:54.260 --> 19:56.870 members of Congress, to address an ever-widening 19:56.870 --> 19:59.170 spectrum of challenges confronting our nation. 20:00.140 --> 20:01.970 While we've not yet ceded our advantage, 20:01.970 --> 20:04.290 we are facing direct challenges across all domains, 20:04.290 --> 20:06.530 and particularly in areas of long-held superiority 20:06.530 --> 20:08.830 like space and cyberspace. 20:08.830 --> 20:12.000 We're in a position where we must address resurgent peers 20:12.000 --> 20:13.960 who have long-term strategies to supplant 20:13.960 --> 20:16.770 the global influence of the United States and our allies. 20:16.770 --> 20:18.760 Finally, the threats from violent extremists 20:18.760 --> 20:20.400 and transnational groups will persist, 20:20.400 --> 20:23.600 and so we cannot lose focus on this asymmetric challenge 20:23.600 --> 20:25.250 and the challenge they represent. 20:26.220 --> 20:28.170 In order to address these myriad of challenges, 20:28.170 --> 20:29.580 the department must continue to field 20:29.580 --> 20:31.190 a best-in-the-world force. 20:31.190 --> 20:33.900 No son or daughter of ours should ever go into combat 20:33.900 --> 20:35.550 with second-best equipment. 20:35.550 --> 20:37.800 We do not ever want a fair fight. 20:37.800 --> 20:40.960 We must be prepared to meet the threats directly head on 20:40.960 --> 20:43.370 in order to deter and dissuade adversary aggression, 20:43.370 --> 20:47.050 and if necessary, fight and win our nation's conflicts. 20:47.050 --> 20:50.070 To do this, we must maintain our ready and lethal force 20:50.070 --> 20:52.280 and we cannot break the bank doing it. 20:52.280 --> 20:55.890 So, if confirmed, I commit to you that I'll work to find 20:55.890 --> 20:58.410 effective and efficient solutions to these challenges, 20:58.410 --> 21:00.550 leveraging the best of American ingenuity and know-how. 21:00.550 --> 21:03.420 So, Chairman Inhofe, Ranking Member Reid, 21:03.420 --> 21:04.740 members of the committee, thank you again 21:04.740 --> 21:07.060 for the opportunity to appear before you today. 21:07.060 --> 21:08.590 I thank the president and the secretary of defense 21:08.590 --> 21:09.940 for their confidence in me. 21:11.660 --> 21:13.610 I also wish Chairman and Mrs. Dunford 21:13.610 --> 21:14.740 and Vice Chairman and Mrs. Selva, 21:14.740 --> 21:17.690 godspeed on their pending retirements. They'll be missed. 21:17.690 --> 21:19.360 And if confirmed, I will work hard every day 21:19.360 --> 21:22.600 to carry on their legacy, maintaining the highest standards 21:22.600 --> 21:24.160 of the Joint Staff, the Department of Defense 21:24.160 --> 21:25.580 and of our nation. 21:25.580 --> 21:27.430 Thank you, and I look forward to your questions. 21:27.430 --> 21:29.420 - Thank you General Hyten. 21:29.420 --> 21:33.630 We're going to begin with a five-minute questions a round. 21:33.630 --> 21:37.060 I'm gonna do something a little bit differently in my case. 21:37.060 --> 21:39.380 There's one among us here who's spent 21:39.380 --> 21:40.980 more time than anyone else, 21:40.980 --> 21:45.040 looking into allegations against you, General Hyten. 21:45.040 --> 21:48.200 And I'm going to use a small part of my time 21:48.200 --> 21:51.310 and then yield the rest of my time to that individual 21:51.310 --> 21:54.253 when her time is appropriate. 21:55.240 --> 21:59.260 So first of all, let me just hold this up here. 21:59.260 --> 22:01.810 This is something we've talked about a lot. 22:01.810 --> 22:03.290 You're very familiar with this. 22:03.290 --> 22:06.520 I'm sure you've read it over many times. 22:06.520 --> 22:08.220 This is something that we have used 22:08.220 --> 22:11.680 as a blueprint for our actions. 22:11.680 --> 22:16.680 And I would like to get from you, number one, 22:17.930 --> 22:20.090 do agree with me in terms of 22:20.090 --> 22:22.300 the significance of this document? 22:22.300 --> 22:26.340 And secondly, would you agree that you would use this also 22:26.340 --> 22:29.363 as a basis, a blueprint from your activities? 22:30.358 --> 22:31.360 - And just to make sure, Senator, 22:31.360 --> 22:33.350 you're holding up the report of the commission 22:33.350 --> 22:35.630 on the review of the national defense strategy? 22:35.630 --> 22:36.660 - [Chairman] That's correct. 22:36.660 --> 22:37.990 - Yes, sir. I've looked at that. 22:37.990 --> 22:40.750 And I think the National Defense Strategy 22:40.750 --> 22:43.230 is an important document, and I think 22:43.230 --> 22:44.420 the commission did a great job 22:44.420 --> 22:46.430 in walking through exactly what our challenges are. 22:46.430 --> 22:47.780 Clearly, our challenges are 22:49.200 --> 22:50.620 the re-emergence of Russia and China, 22:50.620 --> 22:52.330 and we have to be prepared for that, but it goes through 22:52.330 --> 22:54.180 all the other things we have to be worried about as well, 22:54.180 --> 22:56.840 emerging technologies, challenges that we have. 22:56.840 --> 22:58.200 That's a very good document, 22:58.200 --> 23:00.370 and I think you used the word blueprint, a good blueprint 23:00.370 --> 23:02.770 and something we need to continue to follow. 23:02.770 --> 23:03.603 - That's good. 23:03.603 --> 23:05.210 And I would remind you that this is put together 23:05.210 --> 23:09.190 by equal number of Democrats and Republicans, 23:09.190 --> 23:12.620 but all of whom were experts in this field. 23:12.620 --> 23:14.970 And the second thing is really, 23:14.970 --> 23:18.480 I don't need an answer for this but I do need to make sure 23:18.480 --> 23:21.540 that we get an answer for the record, and that is. 23:21.540 --> 23:23.660 It's a little different, what we're doing now. 23:23.660 --> 23:26.630 We have China and we have Russia, 23:26.630 --> 23:30.670 in situations they actually have some things better than us. 23:30.670 --> 23:32.900 We have a gap that's out there, 23:32.900 --> 23:36.090 a credibility gap against these two countries and, 23:36.090 --> 23:40.000 for the record, I'd like to have you outline in detail 23:40.000 --> 23:42.510 where that gap is, all right? 23:42.510 --> 23:43.667 - Senator, I'll be glad to do that. 23:43.667 --> 23:45.630 - [Chairman] And with that, I'm going to yield 23:45.630 --> 23:48.240 the rest of my time to Senator McSally 23:48.240 --> 23:49.850 at the appropriate time. 23:49.850 --> 23:51.030 Senator Reid. 23:51.030 --> 23:52.430 - Well, thank you very much, Mr. Chairman, 23:52.430 --> 23:53.580 and thank you, General. 23:54.650 --> 23:58.290 You stated in your opening comments 23:58.290 --> 24:02.750 that you categorically deny all of these allegations. 24:02.750 --> 24:06.160 And you have done so under oath, is that correct? 24:06.160 --> 24:07.173 - Yes, sir. - Yes. 24:09.310 --> 24:14.130 - There is, regardless of the outcome of the proceedings, 24:14.130 --> 24:18.177 the issues that are surrounding you now 24:18.177 --> 24:21.590 that were not surrounding you months ago. 24:21.590 --> 24:23.370 And if you are confirmed and you assume 24:23.370 --> 24:25.840 the responsibility as the vice chairman, 24:25.840 --> 24:28.920 how will you deal with these issues? 24:28.920 --> 24:31.373 Correctly or incorrectly, but they will be there. 24:33.060 --> 24:35.090 - Senator, I've thought about that a lot, 24:35.090 --> 24:38.330 and I've thought about that a lot with my family. 24:38.330 --> 24:40.670 My wife and I talked about that, 24:40.670 --> 24:42.520 really for the last couple of months. 24:43.440 --> 24:44.993 Laura actually says it best. 24:46.570 --> 24:50.107 She says, "This is the United States of America, 24:50.107 --> 24:52.810 "the truth has to matter." 24:52.810 --> 24:56.250 And we believe that the truth will come out 24:56.250 --> 24:59.900 and the truth will tell the story 24:59.900 --> 25:02.650 and we'll be able to then continue to serve 25:02.650 --> 25:05.570 and do the things we need to 25:05.570 --> 25:07.460 to continue to defend this county. 25:07.460 --> 25:11.020 So Senator, it's been a difficult time, 25:11.020 --> 25:15.163 but we fundamentally hold to the truth. 25:16.720 --> 25:21.720 - One of the aspects of this case that has involved you 25:22.120 --> 25:27.120 is been problems within your headquarters, frankly. 25:27.580 --> 25:29.960 Some have described those as toxic, et cetera. 25:29.960 --> 25:32.420 And this is in your immediate headquarters, 25:32.420 --> 25:34.280 which raises, I think, the question 25:36.600 --> 25:38.293 which a leader must address. 25:39.410 --> 25:41.550 Why weren't they identified sooner? 25:41.550 --> 25:44.670 Why weren't they corrected more, 25:44.670 --> 25:47.973 I guess, expeditiously, but also more. 25:49.090 --> 25:51.590 Less disruptively might be the way to describe it. 25:52.640 --> 25:56.030 And do you think you took the appropriate 25:57.086 --> 25:59.430 level of action and responsibility 25:59.430 --> 26:01.380 for what happened in your headquarters? 26:02.560 --> 26:05.460 - Senator, as the commander, I assume responsibility 26:05.460 --> 26:07.080 for everything that happens in my command. 26:07.080 --> 26:09.133 That's the nature of command. 26:10.460 --> 26:15.460 And we had a toxic leadership problem inside the command, 26:15.500 --> 26:18.533 and I did not recognize it for a significant period of time. 26:19.940 --> 26:22.770 The Army has had that problem for a while 26:22.770 --> 26:25.550 and they published a regulation in 2017 26:25.550 --> 26:28.480 to help train the Army leadership 26:28.480 --> 26:30.050 to help identify toxic leaders. 26:30.050 --> 26:32.402 Because the problem with toxic leaders is, 26:32.402 --> 26:37.130 they look absolutely brilliant to the leadership, 26:38.310 --> 26:40.600 but it's not that way below. 26:40.600 --> 26:43.143 And so, it took me a long time to understand that. 26:44.350 --> 26:49.350 When I did it, I acted quickly, decisively, 26:50.980 --> 26:53.060 the investigations were thorough 26:53.060 --> 26:57.143 and we did the right thing through that entire process. 26:58.530 --> 27:02.580 - As both my opening statement and the secretary's comments 27:02.580 --> 27:06.360 indicated that, as the chairman of the JROC, 27:06.360 --> 27:07.560 the Joint Requirements Committee, 27:07.560 --> 27:09.683 you have an absolutely critical role, 27:10.640 --> 27:13.960 particularly as we find ourselves with programs 27:13.960 --> 27:18.960 that grow in cost, remarkably so, and schedule slows down. 27:21.350 --> 27:23.040 Can you give us just a small inkling 27:23.040 --> 27:24.760 of what you'd like to do 27:24.760 --> 27:28.963 to accelerate the schedule and decreased cost? 27:32.170 --> 27:34.500 - Senator, that's 38 years of experience 27:34.500 --> 27:36.363 I gotta cram into 30 seconds. 27:37.904 --> 27:39.730 I will just say that I've thought a lot, 27:39.730 --> 27:41.730 because I've watched the JROC for a long time. 27:41.730 --> 27:44.470 And I think General Selva has moved the ball forward. 27:44.470 --> 27:47.480 I think this committee and the Congress as a whole 27:47.480 --> 27:50.820 has moved the ball forward in terms of acquisition reform, 27:50.820 --> 27:52.690 looking at the right things to do. 27:52.690 --> 27:54.360 I think what we have to do on the requirement side 27:54.360 --> 27:56.170 is always make sure we're focused 27:56.170 --> 27:58.220 on the requirements being the capability, 27:59.160 --> 28:02.290 not the widget, not the solution. 28:02.290 --> 28:06.250 In the past, the JROC has gone into very, very specific 28:06.250 --> 28:07.450 system-level requirements. 28:07.450 --> 28:09.640 General Selva has worked to pull that up. 28:09.640 --> 28:11.450 I think the leadership of the department 28:11.450 --> 28:12.650 has worked to pull that up. 28:12.650 --> 28:15.850 If confirmed, I'll continue to drive that forward 28:15.850 --> 28:18.540 and make sure that the JROC looks on capabilities 28:18.540 --> 28:19.860 and what capabilities we have to have 28:19.860 --> 28:23.740 and make sure that they're real, achievable, rational, 28:23.740 --> 28:26.820 but not specifying a solution. 28:26.820 --> 28:28.670 - Thank you. Thank you, Mr. Chairman. 28:30.350 --> 28:31.610 - Thank you, Senator Reid. 28:31.610 --> 28:33.010 Senator Wicker. 28:33.010 --> 28:38.010 - Mr. Chairman, I yield my entire time to Senator McSally. 28:38.090 --> 28:43.020 And I understand that I may be recognized 28:43.020 --> 28:46.920 for five minutes in her place later on in the hearing. 28:46.920 --> 28:48.680 - [Chairman] You will be recognized for five minutes 28:48.680 --> 28:51.727 in her place as if it were. - Thank you. 28:51.727 --> 28:53.708 - [Chairman] You are recognized, Senator McSally 28:53.708 --> 28:56.440 for your five minutes plus my four. 28:56.440 --> 28:58.763 - Thank you, Mr. Chairman and Senator Wicker. 28:59.750 --> 29:02.020 When I disclosed in a hearing earlier this year 29:02.020 --> 29:05.080 that I too was a survivor of military sexual assault, 29:05.080 --> 29:08.023 I never saw myself in this position. 29:08.870 --> 29:11.240 As a 26-year veteran and member of this committee 29:11.240 --> 29:13.160 charged with oversight of our military 29:13.160 --> 29:16.990 and confirmation of nominees for senior military positions, 29:16.990 --> 29:18.490 I do not take the allegations 29:18.490 --> 29:20.870 made against General Hyten lightly. 29:20.870 --> 29:25.020 I take them extremely seriously, and I treated them as such. 29:25.020 --> 29:26.270 Over the past three weeks, 29:26.270 --> 29:29.370 I focused nearly solely on this issue 29:29.370 --> 29:31.730 in an effort to seek the truth. 29:31.730 --> 29:33.030 I am grateful that the chairman, 29:33.030 --> 29:34.630 the ranking member and this committee 29:34.630 --> 29:37.130 took a methodical, objective approach 29:37.130 --> 29:38.773 and conducted a thorough review. 29:40.040 --> 29:42.400 As a result of the exhaustive process 29:42.400 --> 29:46.260 and extreme due diligence, I have full confidence 29:46.260 --> 29:47.410 in General Hyten's ability 29:47.410 --> 29:50.390 to be the next vice chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff. 29:50.390 --> 29:52.720 He's the right leader at the right time 29:52.720 --> 29:54.520 for this important position, 29:54.520 --> 29:57.740 and I'm confident he will continue to serve in uniform 29:57.740 --> 30:00.423 with honor, humility and integrity. 30:01.420 --> 30:02.740 I look forward to working with General Hyten 30:02.740 --> 30:05.440 on critical national security and military issues, 30:05.440 --> 30:07.870 and I will also value his partnership, 30:07.870 --> 30:11.270 along with other military leaders, on efforts to prevent 30:11.270 --> 30:14.300 and improve the response to military sexual assault, 30:14.300 --> 30:16.590 including support to survivors 30:16.590 --> 30:18.603 and due process for the accused. 30:20.170 --> 30:21.660 I have and always will support 30:21.660 --> 30:23.610 these serious issues being worked out 30:23.610 --> 30:26.210 through thorough and due process, 30:26.210 --> 30:28.470 and not in the court of public opinion, 30:28.470 --> 30:31.870 where all the information, evidence and testimony 30:31.870 --> 30:34.000 are not fully known. 30:34.000 --> 30:36.193 I am confident in the outcome. 30:37.230 --> 30:40.740 To be clear, this wasn't just a jump ball, 30:40.740 --> 30:44.540 not a he-said-she-said, not a situation 30:44.540 --> 30:47.713 where we just couldn't prove what allegedly happened. 30:48.870 --> 30:52.150 I too believe that truth still matters in this country, 30:52.150 --> 30:55.930 and the full truth was revealed in this process. 30:55.930 --> 30:58.110 The truth is that General Hyten 30:58.110 --> 31:00.133 is innocent of these charges. 31:01.810 --> 31:05.040 Sexual assault happens in the military, 31:05.040 --> 31:07.253 it just didn't happen in this case. 31:09.010 --> 31:11.450 I pray the accuser gets the help she needs 31:11.450 --> 31:15.190 and finds the piece she is searching for, but it cannot be 31:15.190 --> 31:18.103 by destroying General Hyten with these false allegations. 31:19.070 --> 31:21.713 I didn't take coming to this conclusion lightly. 31:22.790 --> 31:24.750 I knew the message it could send 31:24.750 --> 31:26.930 to sexual assault survivors who haven't 31:26.930 --> 31:30.800 seen all the information on the case that I have. 31:30.800 --> 31:35.110 To them, I'm honored to continue to be a voice for you. 31:35.110 --> 31:36.760 Don't take the wrong message 31:36.760 --> 31:39.410 from how this is being played out publicly. 31:39.410 --> 31:43.480 The process I just witnessed was strong, fair 31:43.480 --> 31:48.370 and investigators turned over every rock to seek justice. 31:48.370 --> 31:50.220 I will continue to fight to ensure 31:50.220 --> 31:53.793 the best possible outcomes, and to fight for real victims. 31:54.860 --> 31:56.470 All sexual assault allegations 31:56.470 --> 31:59.700 should be treated seriously and investigated fully. 31:59.700 --> 32:02.620 All alleged victims should be treated respectfully, 32:02.620 --> 32:04.840 all accused should be assumed innocent 32:04.840 --> 32:07.390 and afforded due process. 32:07.390 --> 32:10.023 All of that occurred in this case. 32:11.220 --> 32:12.690 False allegations like these 32:12.690 --> 32:15.200 are not without collateral damage. 32:15.200 --> 32:16.880 Male military leaders may avoid 32:16.880 --> 32:18.760 choosing females for key positions, 32:18.760 --> 32:20.790 ultimately hurting service women's 32:20.790 --> 32:23.093 opportunities for career enhancing jobs. 32:24.060 --> 32:25.380 Male commanders may think twice 32:25.380 --> 32:27.690 about disciplining female subordinates 32:27.690 --> 32:30.800 for fear of sexual assault allegations and retribution. 32:30.800 --> 32:33.050 This precedent could act like a cancer 32:33.050 --> 32:35.320 on our good order and discipline. 32:35.320 --> 32:37.840 Male senior military leaders may choose to retire 32:37.840 --> 32:40.690 instead of accepting higher positions. 32:40.690 --> 32:43.340 And finally, General Hyten and his family 32:43.340 --> 32:46.063 were unfairly put through this terrible ordeal. 32:47.240 --> 32:50.380 General Hyten, I am sorry that you, Laura 32:50.380 --> 32:52.760 and your family had to endure this trial, 32:52.760 --> 32:55.213 but I am grateful you didn't back down. 32:56.520 --> 32:58.060 You continued to carry yourself 32:58.060 --> 33:03.060 with integrity, humility and respect through this process, 33:04.090 --> 33:06.423 something many of us would struggle to do. 33:07.880 --> 33:10.660 Sadly, it's become increasingly common in Washington 33:10.660 --> 33:12.700 for people to try to destroy each other 33:12.700 --> 33:13.870 for their own political benefit 33:13.870 --> 33:16.730 or some other selfish purpose, with no regard for the truth 33:16.730 --> 33:19.580 or the lives damaged in the process. 33:19.580 --> 33:21.570 This committee has traditionally 33:21.570 --> 33:23.850 tried to stay above that fray, 33:23.850 --> 33:28.220 focusing on the national good and our collective duty. 33:28.220 --> 33:30.370 And we each have a choice now. 33:30.370 --> 33:32.290 That choice will determine whether we further 33:32.290 --> 33:35.220 encourage and incentivize politics of destruction 33:35.220 --> 33:37.370 or whether we make a clear stand 33:37.370 --> 33:40.773 for the principles of justice, decency and truth. 33:41.740 --> 33:44.120 I implore each of my colleagues, 33:44.120 --> 33:46.200 let's rise above the pressure of the moment 33:46.200 --> 33:50.160 and do the right thing for the country, our military, 33:50.160 --> 33:54.920 sexual assault survivors, this institution, our values 33:54.920 --> 33:56.583 and General Hyten and his family. 33:57.720 --> 33:59.730 If it were you or a loved one 33:59.730 --> 34:01.930 falsely accused of these crimes, 34:01.930 --> 34:04.940 you would hope that those of us called to serve 34:04.940 --> 34:06.560 would find the strength and courage 34:06.560 --> 34:08.593 to do what is right and what is just. 34:09.510 --> 34:13.200 The decision that we make here, hopefully this week, 34:13.200 --> 34:15.653 will reverberate for a long time to come. 34:16.850 --> 34:18.670 General Hyten, I look forward 34:18.670 --> 34:20.220 to supporting you and working with you 34:20.220 --> 34:22.080 as Vice Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, 34:22.080 --> 34:24.410 and I encourage all my colleagues to join me. 34:24.410 --> 34:26.310 Thank you. Mr. Chairman, I yield back. 34:28.440 --> 34:29.890 - Thank you, Senator McSally. 34:33.190 --> 34:35.070 Senator Shaheen. 34:35.070 --> 34:37.120 - Thank you, Mr. Chairman and thank you General Hyten 34:37.120 --> 34:40.810 for being here today, and to your family as well. 34:40.810 --> 34:43.381 Senator Reid outlined some of the responsibilities 34:43.381 --> 34:47.070 of the Vice Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff. 34:47.070 --> 34:48.910 If confirmed, you would be 34:48.910 --> 34:51.943 the second highest individual in the military. 34:53.160 --> 34:54.760 We've heard from Dr. Wilson, 34:54.760 --> 34:56.330 who was the Secretary of the Air Force 34:56.330 --> 34:58.050 who oversaw the investigation 34:58.050 --> 35:00.950 into the allegations of sexual assault. 35:00.950 --> 35:02.700 She reported that the investigation 35:02.700 --> 35:04.783 cleared you of any wrongdoing, 35:06.320 --> 35:09.630 but the allegations come at a time 35:09.630 --> 35:13.600 of increased instances of sexual assault in our military. 35:13.600 --> 35:17.210 50% increase in assaults on women, in the survey 35:17.210 --> 35:20.033 that was released in May by the Department of Defense. 35:21.020 --> 35:23.993 And despite the conclusion of the investigation, 35:25.110 --> 35:27.700 I'm sure and I'm sure you would agree with me, 35:27.700 --> 35:29.830 that there will be those in the public 35:29.830 --> 35:31.820 and those in the military 35:31.820 --> 35:35.610 who will say that your clearance 35:35.610 --> 35:37.800 was just the Department of Defense 35:37.800 --> 35:40.250 and the top military brass coming together 35:40.250 --> 35:42.630 behind one of their own 35:42.630 --> 35:45.580 over the survivors of sexual assault. 35:45.580 --> 35:47.810 So, how do you reassure those 35:47.810 --> 35:50.890 who are concerned about sexual assault in the military 35:50.890 --> 35:53.430 that you are committed to addressing this issue 35:53.430 --> 35:56.550 and will do everything you can, if you are confirmed, 35:56.550 --> 35:57.743 to address this issue? 35:58.980 --> 36:02.930 - So, Senator, one of my fundamental precepts 36:02.930 --> 36:04.920 of my life and career, it's actually 36:04.920 --> 36:06.820 one of my red lines that I announce 36:06.820 --> 36:08.930 at every change of command I've ever taken, 36:08.930 --> 36:11.400 all the way back to 1996 when I became a squadron commander, 36:11.400 --> 36:15.230 is that everybody that raises their right hand 36:15.230 --> 36:16.910 and swears to support and defend 36:16.910 --> 36:18.580 the Constitution of the United States of America 36:18.580 --> 36:20.820 deserves to be treated with respect. 36:20.820 --> 36:23.300 And I will continue to push for that. 36:23.300 --> 36:26.660 I know we have a serious problem with sexual assault. 36:26.660 --> 36:30.050 It became emotionally powerful for me 36:30.050 --> 36:33.290 when the problems at basic military training at Lackland 36:33.290 --> 36:35.500 happened about a decade ago. 36:35.500 --> 36:37.070 That's when I knew that we had a real problem. 36:37.070 --> 36:39.810 And we've been trying to get after that ever since. 36:39.810 --> 36:41.960 And we have not done a good job. 36:41.960 --> 36:44.303 It has not gone the right direction. 36:45.830 --> 36:48.223 It is a scourge on our military. 36:49.480 --> 36:51.653 I did read this last week, 36:52.670 --> 36:54.760 the 17 initiatives Senator McSally has 36:54.760 --> 36:56.860 in the National Defense Authorization Act, 36:57.760 --> 37:00.110 I fully support those, I think that's a good start. 37:00.110 --> 37:01.240 I think we have to work together 37:01.240 --> 37:03.500 to try to figure out how to do better with this. 37:03.500 --> 37:04.860 I think there's a role for the Congress, 37:04.860 --> 37:06.070 a role for the Department of Defense, 37:06.070 --> 37:07.730 a role for the Executive Branch. 37:07.730 --> 37:10.430 We all have to get after this problem. 37:10.430 --> 37:12.890 And I pledge that I will do that 37:12.890 --> 37:16.550 and I will do everything in my power 37:16.550 --> 37:19.460 to always do the right thing, so that everybody knows 37:19.460 --> 37:23.080 that we're watching that issue closely 37:23.080 --> 37:24.810 and doing everything we can. 37:24.810 --> 37:28.210 - Well, given that that's been a consistent response 37:28.210 --> 37:31.820 from the leadership of our military now for several decades 37:31.820 --> 37:35.060 and we still see the numbers going in the wrong direction, 37:35.060 --> 37:37.170 should we be thinking about taking this issue 37:37.170 --> 37:39.500 outside of the chain of command the military 37:39.500 --> 37:41.593 and dealing with it in a different way? 37:43.410 --> 37:46.310 - I don't believe that the chain of command can be removed 37:47.510 --> 37:49.970 from any problem in the military and solve it. 37:49.970 --> 37:52.543 I think there's other things that can be brought to bear. 37:53.720 --> 37:58.180 When I came into the military, I came in from Alabama 37:58.180 --> 38:01.223 into Alabama, and racism was a huge problem in the military. 38:02.610 --> 38:06.390 Overt racism. It's still a systemic problem in our society. 38:06.390 --> 38:09.180 But I watched commander after commander after commander 38:09.180 --> 38:12.560 take charge, own that and, any time they saw it, 38:12.560 --> 38:14.830 eliminated it from the formation. 38:14.830 --> 38:17.970 When that happens, huge improvement happens now. 38:17.970 --> 38:22.353 Now when I'm uniform, I feel colorblind, which is amazing. 38:23.260 --> 38:26.330 That hasn't happened with sexual assault yet. It has not. 38:26.330 --> 38:27.680 But the chain of command 38:27.680 --> 38:29.700 has to be involved for this problem to be fixed. 38:29.700 --> 38:31.413 Every commander has to embrace it. 38:32.360 --> 38:34.630 If they do, with support from the Congress, 38:34.630 --> 38:37.830 support from laws, support from all those kinda pieces, 38:37.830 --> 38:39.130 we can get after this. 38:39.130 --> 38:41.110 But we have to do it together. 38:41.110 --> 38:43.150 - Well, clearly we need to do a much better job 38:43.150 --> 38:44.881 of holding people accountable. 38:44.881 --> 38:46.031 - [General] Yes, ma'am. 38:47.230 --> 38:50.250 - I wanna switch topics to Afghanistan, 38:50.250 --> 38:52.470 because recent reports have indicated 38:52.470 --> 38:56.050 that the Taliban and the U.S. 38:56.050 --> 38:59.320 have agreed to a road map for peace. 38:59.320 --> 39:03.030 And the statement calls for an end to civilian casualties 39:03.030 --> 39:04.410 and the protection of women's rights 39:04.410 --> 39:05.983 within an Islamic framework. 39:07.470 --> 39:09.990 And yet, when I visited Afghanistan in April, 39:09.990 --> 39:11.680 I met with Afghan women 39:11.680 --> 39:14.043 who were very concerned about being left out. 39:15.690 --> 39:20.690 So, what do you think we should be doing 39:20.820 --> 39:24.940 to ensure that any peace in Afghanistan 39:24.940 --> 39:28.540 continues to provide the human rights 39:28.540 --> 39:30.620 that all Afghans were guaranteed 39:30.620 --> 39:32.730 under the constitution that was adopted 39:32.730 --> 39:34.403 after the fall of the Taliban? 39:35.430 --> 39:38.410 - Senator, I haven't been in Afghanistan 39:38.410 --> 39:40.460 since I was deployed in 2006, 39:40.460 --> 39:45.035 so I'm not as current as I will be 39:45.035 --> 39:46.840 if I'm confirmed as vice chairman. 39:46.840 --> 39:48.400 But I certainly have watched that issue, 39:48.400 --> 39:50.210 I read the news of the meeting on 9 July, 39:50.210 --> 39:52.790 I read all the things that you talked about. 39:52.790 --> 39:55.210 The one thing I know is that the military right now 39:55.210 --> 39:56.640 is in a very important position 39:56.640 --> 39:59.610 of establishing the conditions for a diplomatic solution 39:59.610 --> 40:02.930 between the Taliban and the government of Afghanistan. 40:02.930 --> 40:04.740 That has to be the solution. 40:04.740 --> 40:08.970 And I think we have to continue to support the process 40:08.970 --> 40:11.420 and understand and make sure that terrorism 40:11.420 --> 40:14.593 does not raise its head again where, in Afghanistan, 40:16.010 --> 40:17.830 our country could be attacked again. 40:17.830 --> 40:19.240 So those are the things we have to balance 40:19.240 --> 40:21.160 as we go through, but I think we can. 40:21.160 --> 40:25.070 But we're clearly now supporting the diplomatic process 40:25.070 --> 40:27.890 and trying to encourage a proper solution 40:27.890 --> 40:30.570 that will take care of all the rights you discussed. 40:30.570 --> 40:31.403 - Thank you. 40:31.403 --> 40:32.713 - [Chairman] Thank you, Senator Shaheen. 40:32.713 --> 40:34.550 Senator Fischer. 40:34.550 --> 40:36.200 - Thank you, Mr. Chairman. 40:36.200 --> 40:38.690 Good morning, General Hyten. Good to see you. 40:38.690 --> 40:40.930 Welcome to your wife, Laura, your daughter, Katie 40:40.930 --> 40:43.130 and your family that's here with you today. 40:43.130 --> 40:43.963 - Thank you. 40:43.963 --> 40:45.630 - I think that you are especially 40:45.630 --> 40:48.845 well qualified for this role, and your experience 40:48.845 --> 40:52.360 as Stratcom commander for the last three years 40:52.360 --> 40:54.130 will be particularly valuable, 40:54.130 --> 40:57.230 since the Vice Chair of the Joint Chiefs 40:57.230 --> 40:59.300 sits on the Nuclear Weapons Council 40:59.300 --> 41:02.290 and usually functions as the Joint Staff's 41:02.290 --> 41:06.240 senior subject matter expert on nuclear deterrence. 41:06.240 --> 41:08.730 You and I have spoken a lot about 41:08.730 --> 41:13.730 low yield submarine-launched warhead on several occasions, 41:14.150 --> 41:17.760 and as we prepare for the NDAA conference with the house, 41:17.760 --> 41:21.230 I think it's important that we revisit this issue, 41:21.230 --> 41:23.240 since a number of what I say 41:23.240 --> 41:26.610 are misleading arguments have been put out there. 41:26.610 --> 41:29.640 First, do you believe deploying the warhead 41:29.640 --> 41:33.240 or any of the potential employment scenarios 41:33.240 --> 41:36.270 would put our submarines at greater risk? 41:36.270 --> 41:37.930 - I do not, ma'am. 41:37.930 --> 41:40.720 - Second, do you believe our current arsenal 41:40.720 --> 41:43.260 of a low yield is sufficient 41:43.260 --> 41:46.850 and this additional capability is not needed? 41:46.850 --> 41:49.090 - I strongly believe the capability is needed, 41:49.090 --> 41:51.460 in particular to deter Russia. 41:51.460 --> 41:53.550 - And third, can you give us a sense 41:53.550 --> 41:57.420 of the importance you attach to this program? 41:57.420 --> 42:00.260 - So when you have an adversary, 42:00.260 --> 42:02.390 and I think we have to look at Russia as an adversary, 42:02.390 --> 42:05.040 General Milley did the other day in his hearing, 42:05.040 --> 42:07.610 you have to look at what they say and what they do 42:07.610 --> 42:09.280 and watch them very closely. 42:09.280 --> 42:11.230 You don't want them to become an enemy. 42:12.430 --> 42:15.070 So when you look at what Russia has said and done, 42:15.930 --> 42:17.960 they have stated that they will reserve the right 42:17.960 --> 42:21.320 to employ a low-yield nuclear weapon 42:21.320 --> 42:23.810 on a battlefield someday, 42:23.810 --> 42:25.760 if their national security requires it. 42:27.600 --> 42:29.140 Right now we have low-yield nuclear weapons 42:29.140 --> 42:31.030 in our air leg of our Triad, 42:31.030 --> 42:34.190 which is the most flexible leg of the Triad, 42:34.190 --> 42:38.513 but nonetheless, takes a while to get to the target. 42:40.150 --> 42:42.830 When we looked at it in the nuclear posture review, 42:42.830 --> 42:44.850 I made a recommendation, 42:44.850 --> 42:47.380 and the recommendation was discussed broadly 42:47.380 --> 42:48.710 amongst the national security community 42:48.710 --> 42:50.300 and agreed that we should have 42:50.300 --> 42:52.780 a very small number of low-yield nuclear weapons 42:52.780 --> 42:55.210 on our submarines that can respond quickly 42:55.210 --> 42:58.900 to that kind of scenario by Russia, 42:58.900 --> 43:02.960 that will deter Russia, and I think it is doing that. 43:02.960 --> 43:04.350 I'm confident in that because 43:04.350 --> 43:05.950 President Putin doesn't like it. 43:09.360 --> 43:11.830 It's also important to note that we'll deploy that 43:11.830 --> 43:13.460 under the New Start Treaty. 43:13.460 --> 43:15.080 Russia's low-yield nuclear weapons 43:15.080 --> 43:17.220 are not inside the New Start Treaty. 43:17.220 --> 43:20.690 We'll still have 1,550 deployed strategic weapons. 43:20.690 --> 43:22.160 Some of them, a very small number, 43:22.160 --> 43:23.530 will be low-yield nuclear weapons. 43:23.530 --> 43:25.800 I think that's important understand too. 43:25.800 --> 43:28.180 - Turning to pit production. 43:28.180 --> 43:30.020 Somehow this notion has developed 43:30.020 --> 43:33.250 that we should focus solely on achieving 43:33.250 --> 43:36.800 a 30-pit-per-year production capability 43:36.800 --> 43:40.780 and not undertake any effort to develop additional capacity 43:40.780 --> 43:43.020 until that goal is accomplished. 43:43.020 --> 43:45.240 And it's been my understanding that, 43:45.240 --> 43:49.470 due to the scale and also the complexity of these projects, 43:49.470 --> 43:51.800 we need to be doing everything we can 43:51.800 --> 43:54.550 to reach that 80-pits-per-year production, 43:54.550 --> 43:55.870 and we need to do it right now 43:55.870 --> 43:58.920 in order to meet that 2030 deadline. 43:58.920 --> 44:03.220 So if we decide to defer action on any additional capacity 44:03.220 --> 44:04.690 until we have achieved 44:04.690 --> 44:07.970 that 30-pits-per-year production level, 44:07.970 --> 44:12.540 do we have any hope of meeting that requirement of 80? 44:12.540 --> 44:14.030 - So, it will be a challenge. 44:14.030 --> 44:15.410 It's something that I work closely 44:15.410 --> 44:17.900 with the Department of Energy, 44:17.900 --> 44:20.650 the National Nuclear Security Administration. 44:20.650 --> 44:21.710 As a Stratcom commander, 44:21.710 --> 44:23.360 that's been a high priority of mine. 44:23.360 --> 44:24.390 I've been to Los Alamos, 44:24.390 --> 44:27.053 I've been to Savannah River in Carolina. 44:28.140 --> 44:30.320 I understand the challenges that are faced there. 44:30.320 --> 44:31.490 But I think the Department of Energy 44:31.490 --> 44:33.590 has put together the best plan we have 44:33.590 --> 44:37.020 to get to 30 by 2026 at Los Alamos, 44:37.020 --> 44:40.113 and 80 by 2030 across the entire enterprise. 44:41.170 --> 44:42.130 The one thing I know though, 44:42.130 --> 44:44.830 is that we have to get Los Alamos right, 44:44.830 --> 44:46.363 we have to get the 30 in 2026. 44:46.363 --> 44:48.260 Because we can't do that, 44:48.260 --> 44:51.150 there's no chance we can get to 80. 44:51.150 --> 44:54.430 And the requirement is 80 by 2030. 44:54.430 --> 44:56.330 We've done that analysis. 44:56.330 --> 44:58.760 - We've seen some renewed discussion 44:58.760 --> 45:01.330 on whether we even need to have 45:01.330 --> 45:03.270 pit production capacity at all. 45:03.270 --> 45:07.480 And it's my understanding that this long-standing goal 45:07.480 --> 45:09.830 has been repeatedly validated. 45:09.830 --> 45:11.270 And it was certainly the position 45:11.270 --> 45:13.330 of the Obama Administration 45:13.330 --> 45:16.303 as well as that of the current administration. 45:17.250 --> 45:18.350 Can you speak to that? 45:19.287 --> 45:21.040 - I think one of the most sobering things 45:21.040 --> 45:23.990 I've ever done in my life is hold a plutonium pit my hands. 45:25.550 --> 45:29.083 When you look at what that is, that is the nuclear weapon. 45:30.340 --> 45:32.950 And you think of what that small sphere 45:32.950 --> 45:35.530 can do when imploded. 45:35.530 --> 45:39.660 And then you think that we already have some of those pits 45:39.660 --> 45:44.000 that are 50, 60 and approach 70 years old. 45:44.000 --> 45:47.780 And we don't know exactly what's gonna happen. 45:47.780 --> 45:48.870 Now, we watch that closely. 45:48.870 --> 45:51.170 I look at it every year, I have to certify it. 45:52.020 --> 45:53.730 But when we look at those numbers, 45:53.730 --> 45:55.890 I don't wanna get to the point where we're counting 45:55.890 --> 45:59.380 on 100-year-old plutonium pits as the backbone of our. 45:59.380 --> 46:01.590 That's why we've gone through that detailed analysis 46:01.590 --> 46:03.730 that says we have to get to 30 by 2026, 46:03.730 --> 46:05.870 we have to get by 80 by 2030, 46:05.870 --> 46:08.860 critically important for our security as a nation. 46:08.860 --> 46:10.196 - [Senator] Thank you, sir. 46:10.196 --> 46:11.330 - [Chairman] Thank you, Senator Fischer. 46:11.330 --> 46:12.357 Senator Hirono. 46:14.120 --> 46:15.520 - Thank you, Mr. Chairman. 46:15.520 --> 46:19.440 As part of my responsibility as a member of this committee 46:19.440 --> 46:21.640 and to ensure the fitness of nominees, 46:21.640 --> 46:25.540 I asked all nominees the following two initial questions. 46:25.540 --> 46:27.800 First, since you became a legal adult, 46:27.800 --> 46:31.360 have you ever made unwanted requests for sexual favors 46:31.360 --> 46:33.810 or committed any verbal or physical harassment 46:33.810 --> 46:35.860 or assault of a sexual nature? 46:35.860 --> 46:37.210 - I have not, Senator. 46:37.210 --> 46:39.020 - Same question, have you ever faced discipline 46:39.020 --> 46:40.260 or entered into a settlement 46:40.260 --> 46:42.453 related to this kind of conduct? 46:43.470 --> 46:44.357 - I have not faced any discipline 46:44.357 --> 46:46.757 or entered into any settlement on this kind of contact. 46:46.757 --> 46:48.360 We've discussed the issue 46:48.360 --> 46:51.150 that I faced for the last four months here today. 46:51.150 --> 46:53.490 - So, General Hyten, although your answers 46:53.490 --> 46:55.110 to my standard questions are no, 46:55.110 --> 46:57.990 you have been accused of serious sexual misconduct 46:57.990 --> 47:00.960 and you have given your reactions already this morning. 47:00.960 --> 47:04.060 And for me, this has been, as for so many of us, 47:04.060 --> 47:05.230 I would say everyone on this committee, 47:05.230 --> 47:07.330 a very difficult process. 47:07.330 --> 47:09.410 The allegations against you are serious. 47:09.410 --> 47:11.520 And while we have not been presented 47:11.520 --> 47:13.320 with any corroborating evidence, 47:13.320 --> 47:15.630 the lack of it does not necessarily mean 47:15.630 --> 47:17.470 that the accusations aren't true. 47:17.470 --> 47:20.380 Women are assaulted all the time and don't tell anyone. 47:20.380 --> 47:21.880 Men assault women all the time 47:21.880 --> 47:23.900 and don't leave behind any evidence. 47:23.900 --> 47:25.550 Of course, you have denied the allegations, 47:25.550 --> 47:27.080 and between the military and this committee 47:27.080 --> 47:28.890 it appears that some very rigorous 47:28.890 --> 47:30.420 investigation has been done 47:30.420 --> 47:33.270 and women do sometimes make false accusations. 47:33.270 --> 47:35.610 Although, I'd say it is rare. 47:35.610 --> 47:37.930 Each of us has to weigh all the evidence and testimony 47:37.930 --> 47:39.090 and make our own judgment about 47:39.090 --> 47:41.370 whether or not you should get this promotion. 47:41.370 --> 47:42.610 So, in light of all of this, 47:42.610 --> 47:44.360 is there anything else you'd like to tell us 47:44.360 --> 47:48.023 that could help us make this decision regarding you? 47:48.860 --> 47:50.310 - Well, I think, Senator that 47:54.670 --> 47:57.490 the executive sessions you had with me last week 47:57.490 --> 48:00.650 is a very important piece to continue to look at. 48:00.650 --> 48:03.233 I stand by my testimony in executive session, 48:04.130 --> 48:08.640 much of which was very difficult to talk about. 48:08.640 --> 48:13.040 But I spoke openly, candidly, 48:13.040 --> 48:15.430 and I shared all the information 48:15.430 --> 48:16.980 that's applicable to this case. 48:17.940 --> 48:20.760 I would encourage the committee, if you have questions, 48:20.760 --> 48:22.690 to go back and look at that, 48:22.690 --> 48:24.820 to look at the evidence that is there, 48:24.820 --> 48:28.630 to look at the information I provided to the committee 48:28.630 --> 48:32.423 and make your judgment based on the evidence that you see. 48:34.174 --> 48:36.440 - The fear that men in command 48:36.440 --> 48:38.200 or men in positions of authority 48:38.200 --> 48:40.850 will be subjected to false accusations 48:40.850 --> 48:42.970 because of the fear that women spend time 48:42.970 --> 48:45.050 basically sitting around accusing men falsely 48:45.050 --> 48:48.170 is a dangerous view in my opinion. 48:48.170 --> 48:51.340 Because the fact is, women who are sexually assaulted 48:51.340 --> 48:54.090 more often do not report. 48:54.090 --> 48:57.060 Now, you testified this morning 48:57.060 --> 49:02.060 that it took you a significant amount of time to recognize 49:02.300 --> 49:05.800 that there was a toxic leadership issue in your command. 49:05.800 --> 49:07.660 Why did it take you so long 49:07.660 --> 49:11.023 to recognize this with regard to the lieutenant? 49:12.420 --> 49:14.280 - To be clear, I take full responsibility 49:14.280 --> 49:16.193 for everything in my command. 49:17.540 --> 49:19.890 But the nature of a toxic leader, 49:19.890 --> 49:24.870 is that they are brilliant to the boss. They absolutely are. 49:24.870 --> 49:26.530 That's how many toxic leaders 49:26.530 --> 49:28.780 have made it all the way to the general officer ranks 49:28.780 --> 49:30.460 and the flag officer ranks, 49:30.460 --> 49:32.280 because the bosses don't see those kind of things. 49:32.280 --> 49:34.420 You have to have people that come to you. 49:34.420 --> 49:36.270 And when people started coming to me, 49:37.460 --> 49:40.783 because she was so brilliant in her work, 49:43.030 --> 49:44.920 I thought that there was an issues 49:44.920 --> 49:47.750 with rough edges around an army officer. 49:47.750 --> 49:48.910 We talked about that. 49:48.910 --> 49:51.510 Rough issues about language, we talked about that. 49:51.510 --> 49:55.340 But it took me to do an actual inquiry, 49:55.340 --> 49:57.550 not into that specific behavior, 49:57.550 --> 50:00.920 but into the entire climate of my headquarters 50:00.920 --> 50:02.570 before I actually saw the evidence 50:02.570 --> 50:03.970 that there was a toxic leader there. 50:03.970 --> 50:05.872 And once I saw that, I took quick action. 50:05.872 --> 50:07.020 - General, when you indicated 50:07.020 --> 50:09.480 that it took a significant amount of time 50:09.480 --> 50:13.060 to recognize that there was a toxic leadership situation, 50:13.060 --> 50:15.450 it sounds as though that you had gotten 50:15.450 --> 50:18.450 some indications that there were concerns, 50:18.450 --> 50:21.950 and so it's not as though everyone came to you and said, 50:21.950 --> 50:24.320 this person is a toxic leader. 50:24.320 --> 50:28.780 So would you say that perhaps you had a blind spot 50:28.780 --> 50:30.020 with regard to the Colonel 50:30.020 --> 50:31.580 because you consider her brilliant 50:31.580 --> 50:33.610 and you kept giving her good reviews 50:33.610 --> 50:36.140 even during the course of the investigation, 50:36.140 --> 50:38.010 her 15-6 process? 50:38.010 --> 50:41.280 - So I had a small number of people come to me, 50:41.280 --> 50:42.270 and people that I trust. 50:42.270 --> 50:45.860 And I talked about those in detail in executive session, 50:45.860 --> 50:49.180 so I won't share their names 50:49.180 --> 50:52.600 and what they told me in the open hearing. 50:52.600 --> 50:57.360 But I think that, again, toxic leadership 50:57.360 --> 50:59.943 is a very difficult thing to identify. 51:01.894 --> 51:04.000 And once I did identify it, 51:04.000 --> 51:05.850 I moved quickly in order to deal with that. 51:05.850 --> 51:09.750 But it still took me a while to do that, I do not deny that. 51:09.750 --> 51:12.540 - General, you've been asked questions regarding the scourge 51:12.540 --> 51:14.450 and you yourself used the word scourge, I believe, 51:14.450 --> 51:16.840 of sexual trauma in the military. 51:16.840 --> 51:19.360 And most of the time everyone who comes before us says 51:19.360 --> 51:20.480 that they'll do something about it. 51:20.480 --> 51:22.180 I would be very interested to know, 51:22.180 --> 51:24.090 what specifically would you do 51:24.090 --> 51:27.460 to really end the scourge of sexual assault, 51:27.460 --> 51:30.340 both in the military as well as in our service academies. 51:30.340 --> 51:32.650 Do you have something specific that you would do? 51:32.650 --> 51:35.190 - If I'm confirmed as the vice chairman, 51:35.190 --> 51:38.480 that's something I'll have to look at very closely. 51:38.480 --> 51:41.430 We've only had a small number of those instance in Stratcom 51:42.970 --> 51:45.090 since the time I've been there, 51:45.090 --> 51:48.000 two issues of sexual harassment. 51:48.000 --> 51:49.690 We dealt with those quickly. 51:49.690 --> 51:52.350 I talk about those upfront, I published 51:54.020 --> 51:58.400 my policies on how to deal with that. 51:58.400 --> 52:00.560 But clearly, that hasn't been sufficient. 52:00.560 --> 52:02.120 So I'm gonna have to get with people 52:02.120 --> 52:04.570 that know more about this than I do. 52:04.570 --> 52:06.350 I think that's actually one of the challenges, 52:06.350 --> 52:11.350 is that I've had experiences with people close to me 52:12.390 --> 52:14.173 that have been victims. 52:17.000 --> 52:19.250 I mean, it's just a horrible, horrible thing. 52:20.150 --> 52:25.120 But I really don't feel like I'm an expert in that area 52:25.120 --> 52:27.210 and that I can tell you exactly what I should do. 52:27.210 --> 52:31.210 So we have to speak to the experts that know these issues, 52:31.210 --> 52:34.830 that know what to do, and then listen to them and implement 52:34.830 --> 52:36.620 improvements in order to make the process roll. 52:36.620 --> 52:39.320 And then all commanders have to be educated on that 52:39.320 --> 52:42.903 and then make changes, that's when change will happen. 52:42.903 --> 52:44.320 - Thank you, Senator Hirono. - Thank you, Mr. Chairman. 52:44.320 --> 52:45.503 - Senator Cotton. 52:47.380 --> 52:50.083 - General Hyten, thank you for your appearance today. 52:51.080 --> 52:52.660 I would associate myself with the comments 52:52.660 --> 52:55.190 about the threats we face that Senator Inhofe said 52:55.190 --> 52:58.850 or our nuclear deterrent forces of Senator Fischer, 52:58.850 --> 53:00.310 but I think we all know this hearing 53:00.310 --> 53:02.920 would not be nearly so widely covered. 53:02.920 --> 53:04.660 In fact, it would've happened weeks ago 53:04.660 --> 53:05.550 and you'd already be confirmed 53:05.550 --> 53:08.420 if it wasn't for the nature of the allegations against you. 53:08.420 --> 53:10.030 So, on those I wanna associate myself 53:10.030 --> 53:13.510 with secretary Wilson, former Secretary Wilson 53:13.510 --> 53:14.820 who's resigned from the administration 53:14.820 --> 53:17.250 and returned to the academy, 53:17.250 --> 53:20.270 who was under no compunction to appear here today, 53:20.270 --> 53:24.380 and Senator McSally who recognized that sexual assault 53:24.380 --> 53:26.820 and sexual harassment, sexual misconduct of any kind 53:26.820 --> 53:29.210 have no place in our military. 53:29.210 --> 53:31.610 But the facts do matter, and we should judge 53:31.610 --> 53:35.600 every case on its facts. 53:35.600 --> 53:37.780 This committee has spent dozens of hours, 53:37.780 --> 53:40.340 weeks really, reviewing your case. 53:40.340 --> 53:41.540 And a Senator Hirono said, 53:41.540 --> 53:43.750 there has been no corroborating evidence 53:43.750 --> 53:45.663 of the allegations against you. 53:47.150 --> 53:50.870 As Secretary Wilson said, you have been falsely accused. 53:50.870 --> 53:52.940 So I just wanna touch on a few of these details 53:52.940 --> 53:55.580 that I know are in your personal knowledge. 53:55.580 --> 53:57.860 As the commander of strategic command, 53:57.860 --> 54:00.503 you are in the nuclear chain of command, correct? 54:01.690 --> 54:02.740 - Yes, Senator, I am. 54:03.750 --> 54:06.400 - If Russia decided to go for the jugular 54:06.400 --> 54:09.860 and launch an all-out nuclear strike on the United States, 54:09.860 --> 54:12.300 how long from the time you warn 54:12.300 --> 54:14.600 the President of the United States of that strike 54:14.600 --> 54:17.270 to his decision to launch or lose our missiles 54:17.270 --> 54:18.573 would the president have? 54:19.674 --> 54:23.143 - In the worst case, it's a small number of minutes. 54:24.220 --> 54:25.850 In most cases though, the president has 54:25.850 --> 54:26.940 a significant period of time. 54:26.940 --> 54:28.480 However, because the worst case 54:28.480 --> 54:30.320 is only a small number of minutes, 54:30.320 --> 54:32.313 we have to be connected all the time. 54:33.300 --> 54:34.990 - Minutes not hours, to be sure? 54:34.990 --> 54:36.030 - [General] Minutes. 54:36.030 --> 54:38.693 - So at no time can you be off the grid? 54:39.540 --> 54:40.950 - I cannot be off the grid. 54:40.950 --> 54:44.230 - In fact, I bet that you are prepared at this very moment 54:44.230 --> 54:46.760 in this hearing to step out to advise the president 54:46.760 --> 54:48.870 on just such a contingency, is that right? 54:48.870 --> 54:51.990 If something happened, my communications team 54:51.990 --> 54:54.040 is right there with the communications I'll have to have, 54:54.040 --> 54:56.870 and I would step out and get on the phone. 54:56.870 --> 55:00.860 - So you are guarded and tended to by your security detail 55:00.860 --> 55:03.800 and communications detail 24 hours a day? 55:03.800 --> 55:05.230 - [Senator] Unless I'm on leave. 55:05.230 --> 55:06.710 - In which case you have signed that authority 55:06.710 --> 55:07.852 over to another person? 55:07.852 --> 55:09.200 - I delegate that authority, 55:09.200 --> 55:10.410 it's called the vital four authority, 55:10.410 --> 55:11.970 to my deputy commander. 55:11.970 --> 55:15.750 - As secretary Wilson said, your details were interviewed 55:15.750 --> 55:18.410 in the process of this investigation. 55:18.410 --> 55:21.670 Are you aware of them giving any corroborating testimony 55:21.670 --> 55:23.730 to your accusers allegations? 55:23.730 --> 55:26.030 - No, I read all their testimony. 55:26.030 --> 55:29.550 I only got a copy of the investigation a week ago. 55:29.550 --> 55:32.450 So I've only had a chance to go through it once. 55:32.450 --> 55:35.550 But every member of the security detail that was interviewed 55:37.170 --> 55:38.710 saw nothing like that. 55:38.710 --> 55:40.960 - Second, as the commander of Strategic Command, 55:40.960 --> 55:44.170 you are a pretty juicy target for cyber attack 55:44.170 --> 55:46.893 and for hacking, by countries like China and Russia. 55:47.780 --> 55:50.630 Do you have a phone besides a government cell phone? 55:50.630 --> 55:52.890 - I do not have anything besides a government cell phone. 55:52.890 --> 55:54.480 - [Senator] Was that cell phone searched 55:54.480 --> 55:55.830 as a part of this investigation? 55:55.830 --> 55:56.900 - It was searched. 55:56.900 --> 55:57.733 - [Senator] To your knowledge, 55:57.733 --> 55:59.770 did it include any corroborating evidence 55:59.770 --> 56:01.360 of the accusations against you? 56:01.360 --> 56:02.640 - None. 56:02.640 --> 56:04.810 - Third, there have been some who have claimed 56:04.810 --> 56:06.860 the Air Force mishandled this investigation, 56:06.860 --> 56:10.130 that you should have been temporarily removed from your job 56:10.130 --> 56:13.160 or had your security clearance temporarily revoked. 56:13.160 --> 56:16.300 Would you temporarily remove from their job 56:16.300 --> 56:17.800 or revoke the security clearance 56:17.800 --> 56:20.570 of any subordinate who was accused of misconduct 56:20.570 --> 56:23.463 with no corroborating evidence in the interim? 56:25.290 --> 56:27.540 - So there's a two-part answer that question. 56:28.450 --> 56:31.600 Number one, I would not take any action 56:31.600 --> 56:35.310 unless the information was corroborated. 56:35.310 --> 56:38.120 Because I think that presumes guilt. 56:38.120 --> 56:42.240 But I would take action to remove an individual 56:42.240 --> 56:44.750 if they're in the same office space, temporarily, 56:44.750 --> 56:46.260 until we got to that point. 56:46.260 --> 56:47.240 - Okay. 56:47.240 --> 56:50.620 The nature of the sexual misconduct allegations against you 56:50.620 --> 56:52.310 have been widely reported in the media. 56:52.310 --> 56:53.480 I won't rehearse them. 56:53.480 --> 56:55.140 Has your accuser ever accused you 56:55.140 --> 56:58.320 of other kinds of non sexual misconduct? 56:58.320 --> 56:59.153 - Yes, sir. 56:59.153 --> 57:01.210 - [Senator] What was the nature of those accusations? 57:02.403 --> 57:07.403 - Since she was relieved against my command and me, 57:09.110 --> 57:10.940 before this investigation, 57:10.940 --> 57:14.640 I think there were 34 different accusations. 57:14.640 --> 57:18.080 24 against my chief of staff, six against me, 57:18.080 --> 57:19.680 two against my deputy commander, 57:22.100 --> 57:26.410 two against the investigating officer of the investigation. 57:26.410 --> 57:28.080 - [Senator] Were any of those accusations 57:28.080 --> 57:30.770 of a non-sexual nature against you or others in your command 57:30.770 --> 57:32.670 corroborated or substantiated? 57:32.670 --> 57:34.130 - None were substantiated. - Thank you. 57:34.130 --> 57:35.480 My time is almost up. 57:35.480 --> 57:37.500 I'll just say again, I wanna commend, 57:37.500 --> 57:39.930 in particular Senator Inhofe, Senator Reid, 57:39.930 --> 57:41.370 for the way they've conducted this review. 57:41.370 --> 57:44.350 We have, as said, spent dozens of hours, weeks really, 57:44.350 --> 57:46.990 reviewing the 1,400-page report, 57:46.990 --> 57:50.960 hearing for hours from your accuser and General Hyten. 57:50.960 --> 57:55.010 Yet there is zero, zero corroborating evidence 57:55.010 --> 57:57.760 of these accusations, as Senator Hirono acknowledged. 57:57.760 --> 57:58.780 In fact, every bit of evidence, 57:58.780 --> 58:00.770 just some of which we've touched upon today, 58:00.770 --> 58:02.790 more of which I hope will be released soon, 58:02.790 --> 58:05.440 in a redacted fashion as appropriate, 58:05.440 --> 58:07.970 tends to credit your denials. 58:07.970 --> 58:10.020 And I think it's very important that we confirm you 58:10.020 --> 58:11.580 because I think you'll be great for the job, 58:11.580 --> 58:13.500 but I think it's also very important 58:13.500 --> 58:15.910 that we maintain the basic American standard 58:15.910 --> 58:18.500 that the facts do matter. 58:18.500 --> 58:20.890 And when someone faces an accusation, 58:20.890 --> 58:23.190 whether it's General Hyten or the thousands 58:23.190 --> 58:25.630 of lieutenant and Sergeant Hytens out there 58:25.630 --> 58:27.200 who are watching this hearing today, 58:27.200 --> 58:30.373 they understand that the facts do matter. 58:32.690 --> 58:33.803 - [Chairman] Thank you, Senator Cotton. 58:33.803 --> 58:34.893 Senator King. 58:36.550 --> 58:38.090 - Thank you, Mr. Chairman. 58:38.090 --> 58:41.370 Secretary Wilson touched on this in her introduction. 58:41.370 --> 58:45.040 You've got a lot of responsibilities, or would have, 58:45.040 --> 58:48.990 where you to be confirmed as vice chair. 58:48.990 --> 58:50.970 But there's no more solemn responsibility 58:50.970 --> 58:54.010 than when you're in the Oval Office with the chair, 58:54.010 --> 58:56.390 talking about the military situation 58:56.390 --> 59:00.280 and the results of taking military action. 59:00.280 --> 59:03.670 Will you commit to this Senator and to this committee 59:03.670 --> 59:06.660 and to the American people, unequivocally that, 59:06.660 --> 59:08.640 in that situation, you will give 59:08.640 --> 59:13.090 nothing but your unvarnished, truthful analysis 59:13.090 --> 59:16.020 based upon your 38 years of experience 59:16.020 --> 59:20.650 and based upon your wisdom and knowledge 59:20.650 --> 59:24.713 of the circumstances that would result from military action? 59:25.790 --> 59:27.640 - I have the last two and a half years, Senator, 59:27.640 --> 59:31.500 with the president in some uncomfortable discussions. 59:31.500 --> 59:34.820 And I commit that, if I'm confirmed as the vice chairman, 59:34.820 --> 59:35.750 I'll continue to provide 59:35.750 --> 59:38.950 best military advice as you describe. 59:38.950 --> 59:39.783 - Thank you. 59:39.783 --> 59:41.210 I think that's the most important 59:41.210 --> 59:42.360 responsibility that you have, 59:42.360 --> 59:45.230 aside from all those others that, 59:45.230 --> 59:47.920 the Oval Office can be an intimidating place 59:47.920 --> 59:49.550 and it's human nature to tell the boss 59:49.550 --> 59:51.600 what he or she wants to hear. 59:51.600 --> 59:56.410 But your willingness to tell the truth 59:56.410 --> 59:58.670 under whatever the circumstances are 59:58.670 --> 01:00:01.750 is at the heart of your responsibility 01:00:01.750 --> 01:00:04.113 to this president and to this country. 01:00:05.690 --> 01:00:07.040 Completely different topic. 01:00:09.820 --> 01:00:10.890 Do you believe that it would be 01:00:10.890 --> 01:00:13.240 in the national interest of the United States 01:00:13.240 --> 01:00:17.193 to accede to the UN Law of the Sea Treaty? 01:00:20.380 --> 01:00:23.560 - I'm not a legal expert on the Law of the Sea Treaty, 01:00:23.560 --> 01:00:25.900 so I don't know the pros and cons, Senator, 01:00:25.900 --> 01:00:28.060 of the benefits of that. 01:00:28.060 --> 01:00:29.560 I do know that the Law of the Sea 01:00:29.560 --> 01:00:34.560 is an appropriate standard that nations look at, 01:00:35.490 --> 01:00:36.970 and including the United States, 01:00:36.970 --> 01:00:38.790 when they consider freedom of navigation, 01:00:38.790 --> 01:00:40.440 when they consider borders, 01:00:40.440 --> 01:00:42.410 when they consider all those kind of pieces. 01:00:42.410 --> 01:00:44.340 But I don't have enough legal knowledge 01:00:44.340 --> 01:00:46.260 to talk about the issue about that treaty. 01:00:46.260 --> 01:00:47.770 I've not looked at that, Senator. 01:00:47.770 --> 01:00:48.603 - Thank you. 01:00:50.840 --> 01:00:54.170 - How do you define the national security interests 01:00:54.170 --> 01:00:56.660 of the United States in the Arctic, 01:00:56.660 --> 01:01:00.800 which is one of the most strategic areas in the world? 01:01:00.800 --> 01:01:02.920 I think the national security interest of Arctic 01:01:02.920 --> 01:01:05.223 have always been critical to North America. 01:01:06.070 --> 01:01:07.890 I've been a member of NORAD, 01:01:07.890 --> 01:01:10.390 the North American Aerospace Defense Command, 01:01:10.390 --> 01:01:11.820 I've watched General O'Shaughnessy 01:01:11.820 --> 01:01:13.180 talk about it this year in particular, 01:01:13.180 --> 01:01:15.060 and I think he talks about it very well 01:01:15.060 --> 01:01:17.283 as the commander of Northcom and NORAD. 01:01:18.189 --> 01:01:21.810 As the climate changes and that part of the world 01:01:21.810 --> 01:01:23.630 does open up to navigation, 01:01:23.630 --> 01:01:26.170 the threats up there will be much more significant. 01:01:26.170 --> 01:01:27.470 But you go all the way back to the 50s 01:01:27.470 --> 01:01:29.600 when we built the Distant Early Warning Line 01:01:29.600 --> 01:01:32.270 all the way up north, in order to watch 01:01:32.270 --> 01:01:34.010 the threats from the Soviet Union at the time, 01:01:34.010 --> 01:01:36.760 to make sure we could see the threats in time to respond. 01:01:36.760 --> 01:01:38.210 That has always been a critical piece. 01:01:38.210 --> 01:01:39.730 It's gonna become more critical though 01:01:39.730 --> 01:01:42.410 as the sea lanes open up. 01:01:42.410 --> 01:01:43.393 - I agree. 01:01:45.330 --> 01:01:46.597 I have friends in Maine who say, 01:01:46.597 --> 01:01:47.707 "Why are we paying all this money 01:01:47.707 --> 01:01:48.957 "to upgrade the nuclear forces? 01:01:48.957 --> 01:01:50.247 "We have missiles, we have bombs, 01:01:50.247 --> 01:01:52.097 "we have airplanes, we have submarines. 01:01:52.097 --> 01:01:56.710 "Why are we spending money to talk about upgrading them?" 01:01:56.710 --> 01:01:59.470 Give me the argument to take home. 01:01:59.470 --> 01:02:04.470 - So, in 2029, it's gonna become very, very difficult 01:02:05.170 --> 01:02:08.550 to maintain the Minuteman force in its current configuration 01:02:08.550 --> 01:02:10.330 just because of the nature of rockets. 01:02:10.330 --> 01:02:11.449 And I won't go into the details there. 01:02:11.449 --> 01:02:12.800 - [Senator] You mean, just because of their age? 01:02:12.800 --> 01:02:14.200 - Just because of their age. 01:02:15.990 --> 01:02:18.180 The same is gonna happen with the B-2, 01:02:18.180 --> 01:02:21.290 because of the stealth characteristics of the B-2 01:02:21.290 --> 01:02:22.650 it's gonna have to be replaced. 01:02:22.650 --> 01:02:25.670 It's interesting because at a certain date in the future, 01:02:25.670 --> 01:02:27.173 and I won't go into that here, 01:02:28.770 --> 01:02:30.640 the Ohio-class submarine that we currently operate 01:02:30.640 --> 01:02:32.840 will not able to go under the water anymore. 01:02:33.750 --> 01:02:34.630 And therefore, we have to have 01:02:34.630 --> 01:02:36.020 a new submarine to replace that. 01:02:36.020 --> 01:02:37.140 - But what's behind all of that? 01:02:37.140 --> 01:02:39.010 Why do we need all those things? 01:02:39.010 --> 01:02:40.590 - Because we have adversaries 01:02:40.590 --> 01:02:42.317 who are building a triad to challenge us, 01:02:42.317 --> 01:02:44.380 and in order for us to effectively deter them. 01:02:44.380 --> 01:02:48.610 Because remember, the primary use of our nuclear arsenal 01:02:48.610 --> 01:02:50.970 is to prevent the use from nuclear weapons 01:02:50.970 --> 01:02:52.100 on the United States of America. 01:02:52.100 --> 01:02:54.150 - Exactly, the purpose of having the weapons 01:02:54.150 --> 01:02:55.930 is to never use them, isn't that correct? 01:02:55.930 --> 01:02:57.060 - It is, and it's a dichotomy. 01:02:57.060 --> 01:02:58.980 It's also, we have to be ready to use them, 01:02:58.980 --> 01:03:00.290 and we have to have ready forces 01:03:00.290 --> 01:03:01.760 and our adversaries have to know that. 01:03:01.760 --> 01:03:04.300 - Because if they're not ready, if they're not capable 01:03:04.300 --> 01:03:05.880 then they're not an effective deterrent? 01:03:05.880 --> 01:03:06.940 - [General] They're not an effective deterrent. 01:03:06.940 --> 01:03:08.138 That's exactly right. 01:03:08.138 --> 01:03:09.660 - Thank you. Thank you, Mr. Chairman. 01:03:09.660 --> 01:03:11.625 - [Chairman] Thank you, Senator King. 01:03:11.625 --> 01:03:13.260 Senator Rounds. 01:03:13.260 --> 01:03:15.360 - Thank you, Mr. Chairman. 01:03:15.360 --> 01:03:18.490 General Hyten, first I wanna thank you and your family 01:03:18.490 --> 01:03:21.510 for 38 years of service to this nation. 01:03:21.510 --> 01:03:24.960 I know that the events of the last few months 01:03:24.960 --> 01:03:27.770 have been hard on you and on your family, 01:03:27.770 --> 01:03:30.320 but I also am certain that you understand 01:03:30.320 --> 01:03:32.710 the reason why you need to move forward. 01:03:32.710 --> 01:03:34.530 I just wanna say, first of all, 01:03:34.530 --> 01:03:37.360 thank you to Chairman Inhofe and Ranking Member Reid 01:03:37.360 --> 01:03:41.970 for conducting a very thorough and a very fair inquiry, 01:03:41.970 --> 01:03:44.120 and I've appreciated the hours 01:03:44.120 --> 01:03:47.200 which a lot of the members of this committee have put in 01:03:47.200 --> 01:03:49.890 and I appreciated your testimony as well 01:03:49.890 --> 01:03:52.500 before us in executive session. 01:03:52.500 --> 01:03:57.060 I'd like to focus right now on some issues that I think 01:03:57.060 --> 01:04:00.490 we don't talk enough about, and that is with regard 01:04:00.490 --> 01:04:03.990 to the readiness of the armed forces today 01:04:03.990 --> 01:04:06.280 and what needs to be done about it. 01:04:06.280 --> 01:04:09.550 I'm just gonna describe a couple of issues that I'm aware of 01:04:09.550 --> 01:04:12.893 that I think have to be resolved in the near future. 01:04:14.030 --> 01:04:15.770 Let me just give some examples. 01:04:15.770 --> 01:04:18.500 We have B-1B bombers, this is the workhorse 01:04:18.500 --> 01:04:20.300 of the Air Force today. 01:04:20.300 --> 01:04:22.570 Right now, of all of our B-1 bombers, 01:04:22.570 --> 01:04:25.820 we have six of them that are fully mission capable. 01:04:25.820 --> 01:04:27.860 Five split between Ellsworth Air Force Base 01:04:27.860 --> 01:04:32.303 and Dyess Air Force Base, one is a test aircraft. 01:04:32.303 --> 01:04:35.033 15 B-1s are in depot. 01:04:36.040 --> 01:04:40.680 The remaining 39 of 44 B-1s at Ellsworth and at Dyess 01:04:40.680 --> 01:04:45.110 are down for a variety of discrepancies and inspections. 01:04:45.110 --> 01:04:48.056 That's the workhorse of the Air Force. 01:04:48.056 --> 01:04:51.330 And when it comes to the Navy, we have F/A-18s which, 01:04:51.330 --> 01:04:55.073 at one point, only 40% of them were mission capable, 01:04:56.020 --> 01:04:58.100 60% were not. 01:04:58.100 --> 01:04:59.130 We've moved up from that. 01:04:59.130 --> 01:05:02.130 We're perhaps closing in on the 60% range now, 01:05:02.130 --> 01:05:03.710 we're making progress. 01:05:03.710 --> 01:05:07.173 But certainly, sequestration was devastating. 01:05:08.110 --> 01:05:11.850 Within the Navy itself, just on nuclear attack submarines, 01:05:11.850 --> 01:05:14.650 the USS Boise is an example of what happens 01:05:14.650 --> 01:05:16.940 when you don't have the resources or the capabilities. 01:05:16.940 --> 01:05:19.940 The Boise, a USS attack submarine, 01:05:19.940 --> 01:05:23.400 a nuclear-powered submarine, paid for by taxpayers, 01:05:23.400 --> 01:05:26.250 was at dry dock or was at dock, 01:05:26.250 --> 01:05:28.870 not even in dry dock for a period of years. 01:05:28.870 --> 01:05:32.420 It will have been at dry dock or at dock, 01:05:32.420 --> 01:05:37.420 not even capable of submerging for six years. 01:05:37.420 --> 01:05:40.084 Three other nuclear attack submarines 01:05:40.084 --> 01:05:43.070 that we find in the exactly the same predicament. 01:05:43.070 --> 01:05:46.270 It means that our depots simply are not ready for them. 01:05:46.270 --> 01:05:48.910 When it comes to the F-15s, we've had F-15s 01:05:48.910 --> 01:05:50.140 that have been held down 01:05:50.140 --> 01:05:53.710 because they haven't met structural requirements. 01:05:53.710 --> 01:05:55.360 We've got F-22s right now 01:05:55.360 --> 01:05:59.400 that are the premier fighter aircraft in the world today, 01:05:59.400 --> 01:06:01.510 and yet their age is showing. 01:06:01.510 --> 01:06:04.170 Time and again, it's not just been sequestration, 01:06:04.170 --> 01:06:07.910 but it's a matter of depot and the capability to put 01:06:09.430 --> 01:06:12.603 equipment into depot and get it out in a timely fashion. 01:06:15.390 --> 01:06:17.210 This year our committee is recommending, 01:06:17.210 --> 01:06:18.620 or at least we're prepared to vote on 01:06:18.620 --> 01:06:22.653 a $738 billion defense budget. 01:06:23.970 --> 01:06:27.160 I'd like you to just very, and if you could, 01:06:27.160 --> 01:06:28.020 in two different areas. 01:06:28.020 --> 01:06:32.160 Number one, what do we gotta do to get the depot systems 01:06:32.160 --> 01:06:34.200 so that they actually work the way they're supposed to? 01:06:34.200 --> 01:06:37.470 And second of all, can you imagine a scenario 01:06:37.470 --> 01:06:39.610 in which we could do any justice at all 01:06:39.610 --> 01:06:41.670 to these men and women who wear the uniform 01:06:41.670 --> 01:06:44.560 and need absolutely good equipment, 01:06:44.560 --> 01:06:49.560 if we end up with a $576 billion defense budget 01:06:49.770 --> 01:06:52.730 rather than a 738 billion defense budget 01:06:52.730 --> 01:06:56.100 as required by sequestration, if we're not able to move 01:06:56.100 --> 01:06:58.540 the existing defense proposal forward 01:06:58.540 --> 01:07:00.053 found in the BBA this year? 01:07:02.300 --> 01:07:05.050 - Actually, I think the big answer to question, Senator, 01:07:05.050 --> 01:07:08.943 is the same for both questions, and that is stable funding. 01:07:11.020 --> 01:07:13.290 When you look at the challenges with the depot 01:07:13.290 --> 01:07:15.330 and you look at our readiness problems. 01:07:15.330 --> 01:07:16.280 Many of the readiness problems 01:07:16.280 --> 01:07:19.190 date back to the first year of sequestration. 01:07:19.190 --> 01:07:21.880 That's when we impacted readiness across the board, 01:07:21.880 --> 01:07:23.340 that combined with continuous 01:07:23.340 --> 01:07:26.500 at-war capabilities for the last 18 years. 01:07:26.500 --> 01:07:27.590 You put those things together 01:07:27.590 --> 01:07:29.750 and it puts a huge stress on the force. 01:07:29.750 --> 01:07:31.280 So having stable funding is critical. 01:07:31.280 --> 01:07:33.660 That's why, when I saw the agreement 01:07:33.660 --> 01:07:36.690 on the 738 billion in the bipartisan budget act. 01:07:36.690 --> 01:07:38.910 'Cause my biggest fear was a return 01:07:38.910 --> 01:07:40.260 to continuing sequestration 01:07:41.820 --> 01:07:45.290 or a long-term continuing resolution. 01:07:45.290 --> 01:07:47.940 Both those scared me, first from a readiness perspective. 01:07:47.940 --> 01:07:49.970 Certainly from a modernization, but readiness. 01:07:49.970 --> 01:07:52.340 Because we're just now starting to come out. 01:07:52.340 --> 01:07:54.490 You raised the B-1 issues, that is in my portfolio 01:07:54.490 --> 01:07:56.450 my rec component watches that close. 01:07:56.450 --> 01:07:57.470 We took a hard look at that 01:07:57.470 --> 01:07:58.920 after the problem with the Fitzgerald 01:07:58.920 --> 01:08:00.670 and John S. McCain in the Pacific 01:08:00.670 --> 01:08:02.750 to see if, across our force, we saw anything. 01:08:02.750 --> 01:08:04.500 We saw issues in the B-1. 01:08:04.500 --> 01:08:06.640 Because we were just beating the heck out of them, 01:08:06.640 --> 01:08:07.830 deploying them, deploying them. 01:08:07.830 --> 01:08:09.790 And so, we had to pull back a little bit 01:08:09.790 --> 01:08:11.210 and get after fixing those issues. 01:08:11.210 --> 01:08:13.980 And the depots can do that if they have stable funding. 01:08:13.980 --> 01:08:15.540 So this is a critical issue, Senator, 01:08:15.540 --> 01:08:17.906 and I appreciate you raising it. 01:08:17.906 --> 01:08:20.540 - Thank you, General. Thank you, Mr. Chairman. 01:08:20.540 --> 01:08:21.520 - [Chairman] Thank you, Senator Rounds. 01:08:21.520 --> 01:08:23.830 Senator Heinrich. 01:08:23.830 --> 01:08:26.270 - General Hyten, as you know, 01:08:26.270 --> 01:08:29.060 I'm concerned about the risk that NSA is taking 01:08:29.060 --> 01:08:31.920 by splitting the production of plutonium pits 01:08:31.920 --> 01:08:36.920 between Los Alamos and the MOX facility, 01:08:37.130 --> 01:08:40.520 the Mixed Oxide Fuel facility in South Carolina. 01:08:40.520 --> 01:08:43.450 I wanna ask you if you're concerned about that risk, 01:08:43.450 --> 01:08:45.020 especially with respect to meeting 01:08:45.020 --> 01:08:48.220 the timelines for our LAP, which you've touched on, 01:08:48.220 --> 01:08:51.740 but also with respect to the potential 01:08:51.740 --> 01:08:53.580 for splitting the expertise 01:08:53.580 --> 01:08:56.120 and potentially creating a brain drain 01:08:56.120 --> 01:08:59.820 between the Center for Excellence at Los Alamos 01:08:59.820 --> 01:09:02.793 and a facility that has yet to be stood up at MOX? 01:09:04.427 --> 01:09:06.610 - One of the things that Administrator 01:09:06.610 --> 01:09:09.820 Lisa Gordon Haggard and I have discussed is that, 01:09:09.820 --> 01:09:11.800 it's the Stratcom position, my position, 01:09:11.800 --> 01:09:16.800 that we can't split the expertise from Los Alamos. 01:09:16.800 --> 01:09:20.223 We have to focus on Los Alamos, get to 30 at Los Alamos. 01:09:21.080 --> 01:09:24.030 When we looked at the long-term plan, however, 01:09:24.030 --> 01:09:26.260 it was gonna be difficult at Los Alamos to get to 80, 01:09:26.260 --> 01:09:28.800 it would still be difficult to get to 80 at Los Alamos. 01:09:28.800 --> 01:09:30.360 But the key to everything is getting to 30. 01:09:30.360 --> 01:09:32.250 And what we can't do, in order to get to 30, 01:09:32.250 --> 01:09:34.850 is pull people out of Los Alamos 01:09:34.850 --> 01:09:36.940 and send them to Savannah River 01:09:36.940 --> 01:09:38.910 in order to build up that capability, we can't do that. 01:09:38.910 --> 01:09:41.050 And so, as a Stratcom commander, 01:09:41.050 --> 01:09:43.830 I've had my staff continually go out there, 01:09:43.830 --> 01:09:47.410 and I'm sure that bugs the DOE folks a little bit, 01:09:47.410 --> 01:09:49.610 but I just wanna make sure we're watching that 01:09:49.610 --> 01:09:51.440 and understand what that is. 01:09:51.440 --> 01:09:54.210 I think I have a great relationship with the administrator, 01:09:54.210 --> 01:09:56.880 a great relationship with the secretary of energy. 01:09:56.880 --> 01:09:58.460 We're not gonna make that mistake 01:09:58.460 --> 01:09:59.320 and we're gonna watch it closely. 01:09:59.320 --> 01:10:00.660 So if I'm confirmed as the vice chairman, 01:10:00.660 --> 01:10:01.950 I'll still get to watch it 01:10:01.950 --> 01:10:04.560 from the Nuclear Weapons Council perspective. 01:10:04.560 --> 01:10:05.940 - I appreciate you're bugging. 01:10:05.940 --> 01:10:07.920 I think that's my concern exactly, 01:10:07.920 --> 01:10:10.220 and I appreciate your focus on that. 01:10:10.220 --> 01:10:12.080 We've had some conversations in the past 01:10:12.080 --> 01:10:15.763 about the modernization of our space assets, 01:10:17.615 --> 01:10:19.430 and in particular on the importance 01:10:19.430 --> 01:10:22.180 of preserving our successful investments, 01:10:22.180 --> 01:10:24.460 the things that are working well, 01:10:24.460 --> 01:10:26.340 and not reinventing the wheel 01:10:26.340 --> 01:10:29.130 as we stand up new capabilities. 01:10:29.130 --> 01:10:32.090 So as you well know, the Space Rapid Capabilities Office, 01:10:32.090 --> 01:10:34.950 Space Vehicles Directorate, Advanced System Directorate, 01:10:34.950 --> 01:10:36.970 all play a critical role 01:10:36.970 --> 01:10:40.210 in researching and developing our nation's space systems. 01:10:40.210 --> 01:10:42.480 I just wanna ask you if I have your commitment 01:10:42.480 --> 01:10:44.830 that you will push for the full utilization 01:10:44.830 --> 01:10:46.630 of those existing assets, 01:10:46.630 --> 01:10:50.120 even as we modernize our overall space capabilities? 01:10:50.120 --> 01:10:51.190 - I commit to that, Senator, 01:10:51.190 --> 01:10:53.323 they're an important piece of the answer. 01:10:54.270 --> 01:10:56.970 - One of the things I was pleased with this year 01:10:56.970 --> 01:11:01.190 is the growing interest and investment in hypersonic R&D. 01:11:01.190 --> 01:11:02.450 Over the last several months, 01:11:02.450 --> 01:11:06.280 the Pentagon actually requested a transfer of $50 million 01:11:06.280 --> 01:11:08.780 to cover the cost of the design and development 01:11:08.780 --> 01:11:10.990 of a prototype mobile launcher 01:11:10.990 --> 01:11:13.270 for a long-range hypersonic weapon. 01:11:13.270 --> 01:11:16.180 Can you talk a little bit, from your perspective, 01:11:16.180 --> 01:11:18.720 about this reprogramming, and more broadly, 01:11:18.720 --> 01:11:19.980 where you see the future 01:11:19.980 --> 01:11:22.610 of hypersonic development going for DOD? 01:11:22.610 --> 01:11:23.770 - Yes, sir. As a combatant commander 01:11:23.770 --> 01:11:26.810 I'm not involved in the details of moving the money around. 01:11:26.810 --> 01:11:31.640 But I'm a huge advocate for pursuing hypersonic technology. 01:11:31.640 --> 01:11:34.610 I'm also a huge advocate for looking at hypersonic defenses 01:11:34.610 --> 01:11:37.060 and hypersonic sensing, that's what I can do 01:11:37.060 --> 01:11:38.000 as the combatant commander. 01:11:38.000 --> 01:11:39.690 'Cause this is critical to our nation's future. 01:11:39.690 --> 01:11:41.250 We have adversaries that are going 01:11:41.250 --> 01:11:43.470 extremely rapidly in this area. 01:11:43.470 --> 01:11:46.170 And we have had fits and starts over the years 01:11:46.170 --> 01:11:49.480 on that hypersonic technology, which I believe is a mistake. 01:11:49.480 --> 01:11:51.240 We should've been going after that technology 01:11:51.240 --> 01:11:54.080 consistently and rapidly over the years, and we have not. 01:11:54.080 --> 01:11:56.330 So if I'm confirmed as vice chairman, 01:11:56.330 --> 01:11:58.650 I guarantee you that we will advocate inside 01:11:58.650 --> 01:12:01.680 the Joint Requirements Oversight Council, the JROC 01:12:01.680 --> 01:12:03.600 and other places, in order to ensure 01:12:03.600 --> 01:12:05.890 we continue to focus on hypersonics. 01:12:05.890 --> 01:12:07.910 - It seems to me that there are a handful 01:12:07.910 --> 01:12:12.080 of these capabilities like hypersonics, like directed energy 01:12:12.080 --> 01:12:15.470 that really are gonna define the nature of the relationship 01:12:15.470 --> 01:12:18.930 between us and our near-peer adversaries 01:12:18.930 --> 01:12:19.770 in the coming years. 01:12:19.770 --> 01:12:23.420 Another one of them is artificial intelligence. 01:12:23.420 --> 01:12:27.360 Secretary Esper explained his belief 01:12:27.360 --> 01:12:29.020 that artificial intelligence 01:12:29.020 --> 01:12:31.370 will likely change the character of warfare, 01:12:31.370 --> 01:12:33.490 and whoever masters it first 01:12:33.490 --> 01:12:38.050 will dominate on the battlefield for many, many, many years. 01:12:38.050 --> 01:12:40.220 I tend to agree with that estimation, 01:12:40.220 --> 01:12:43.993 and we'd just like your thoughts on the importance of AI. 01:12:44.900 --> 01:12:46.380 - I've got this speak on that 01:12:46.380 --> 01:12:48.163 a few times in the past in public, 01:12:49.370 --> 01:12:53.640 once in Halifax with Eric Schmidt of Alphabet Google, 01:12:53.640 --> 01:12:55.163 talking about that impact. 01:12:56.410 --> 01:12:58.270 It is gonna be significant, there's no doubt. 01:12:58.270 --> 01:13:00.520 I believe the United States has got to 01:13:00.520 --> 01:13:02.583 have a leadership position in that area. 01:13:03.570 --> 01:13:05.390 But we also have to have a leadership position 01:13:05.390 --> 01:13:07.390 in understanding how you integrate that capability 01:13:07.390 --> 01:13:09.400 into our concept of operations, 01:13:09.400 --> 01:13:10.760 and we haven't really done that yet. 01:13:10.760 --> 01:13:12.700 And if we don't get that right, 01:13:12.700 --> 01:13:14.630 we could make some big mistakes in terms of 01:13:14.630 --> 01:13:17.400 giving command authority to a computer, those kinda things. 01:13:17.400 --> 01:13:18.560 We can't let that happen. 01:13:18.560 --> 01:13:20.940 The way I look at it is, artificial intelligence 01:13:20.940 --> 01:13:23.410 has got to help us do the job better, 01:13:23.410 --> 01:13:25.403 but it cannot tell us what to do. 01:13:26.660 --> 01:13:27.493 - [Senator] Thank you, Mr. Chair. 01:13:27.493 --> 01:13:28.500 - [Chairman] Thank you, Senator Heinrich. 01:13:28.500 --> 01:13:29.493 Senator Ernst.