Transcripts For CSPAN3 Secretary Of Defense Nomination Heari

Dollences to the family of the brave family killed by isil. Together with jordan we mourn the loss of a hero that that galvanized the nation and the world. I hope this heinous crime helps us put in place what thus far has been lacking, comprehensive strategy to achieve goal to degrade and destroy isil. Let there be no doubt we still do not have a viable strategy to counter isil. And if you are not winning in war, you are losing. America has no greater ally in the fight against terrorism than jordan. As we made clear to King Abdullah in our meeting yesterday, this committees concern is to ensure jordan has equipment and resources necessary to continue taking the fight directly to isil. Many of us on this committee will be sending a letter to the administration on this urgent issue of concern and we invite all of our fellow Committee Members to join us on that letter. I think there was a consensus on both sides after the meeting with King Abdullah that we would send a letter out this morning. That letter will be distributed to the members for your perusal and signature so we can get that letter out as soon as possible. I think all members of the committee for their cooperation. Id also like to add if legislation is required in order to achieve the goals that King Abdullah articulated to us yesterday as absolutely necessary to defend his nation we will be considering that legislation as well as soon as possible, and i thank all members. The Senate Armed Services Committee Meets today to consider nomination of ashton b. Carter to be secretary of defense. At the outset id like to express my sincere gratitude to chuck hagel for his years of service as infantry sergeant in vietnam and as our nations 24th secretary of defense. Chuck hagel is a mait and honorable Public Servant. During his time in the pentagon men and women of the armed forces had a true ally who always put their interest first. This committee wishes chuck the best in his future endeavors. Dr. Carter even in the best of time, the position youve been nominated is one of the most challenging in government. Id like to thank your wife and children for being here today and for loaning you to our nation and service again. Dr. Carter is one of the most respected defense professionals. Hes served as assistant secretary of defense for Global Strategic Affairs under secretary of defense for Acquisition Technology and logistics. Most recently as deputy secretary of defense. In these positions, i have known him and members of the committee have known him to be an honest hardworking and committed Public Servant. Ive had the opportunity to Work Together with dr. Carter on several issues of shared concern, especially trying to reform the defense acquisition system, improving Financial Management of the department and rolling back sequestration. On these and other issues facing the nation we all look forward to having you as our partner once more dr. Carter. I must candidly express concern about the task that awaits you if confirmed and the influence you would have on some of the most Critical National Security Issues facing our nation. Two of your predecessors secretary gates and secretary panetta, have severely criticized white house micromanagement of the Defense Department and over centralization of foreign and defense policy. According to numerous news reports secretary hagel expressed similar frustrations with insular and indecisive White House Security team over issues ranging from isil to ukraine, detention policy to sequestration. Dr. Carter, i sincerely hope the president who nominated you will empower you to lead to the the fulles extent of your ability. At a time America Needs a strong secretary of defense now more than ever. Americans are confronted today with a diverse and complex range of National Security challenges. Iran is on the march in iraq, syria, yemen. Other parts of the middle east, isil continues to expand its influence and territory. As new director of Central Intelligence agency recently testified to congress. A revisionist russia and rising china each seek in their own ways presents challenges to liberal International Order as weve known it since the end of world war ii a system that cher issues the rule of law, maintains free market and free trade and rely gates wars of aggression to their rightful place in the bloody past. Amid the present upheefl and conflict, america disengagement can only produce more turmoil and increase in the chance of large scale american interventions at greater cost in blood and treasure. Thats why we need a coherent National Security strategy incorporating all elements of Americas National power to defend International Order extended security, prosperity and liberty across the globe. Crafting a realitybased National Security strategy is simply impossible under the mindless mechanism of sequestration. Despite the growing array of complex threats to our security we are on track to cut 1 trillion out of americas Defense Budget by 2021. Readiness is falling across the services, and moral is falling right along with it. Army and marine corps end strength is dropping dangerously low. The air force is the oldest and smallest its ever seen. The navys fleet is shrinking to prewore 1 levels and last week each of our Service Chiefs testified before this committee that american lives are being put at risk due to sequestration. Sequestration represents a failure to meet our most basic constitutional responsibility to provide for the common defense. Americaed military can no longer be held hodge to political decides puts totally ly disputes totally separated from the reality we face. After the budget control act its time to put an end to this senseless policy. Rolling back sequestration is necessary to provide military strategy driven budget necessary to confront what we face but it will never be enough without reforming how the Department Secures major Weapons Systems. Many of our militarys challenges today are the results of years of mistakes and wasted resources. For example, over here the armys future combat system was initially estimated to be a 92 billion project to modernize into a Cohesive Network new Army Vehicles and radios. But it more than doubled its price to 200 billion without ever getting off the ground. Secretary gates and congress wisely canceled future combat systems but only after spending 20 billion with nothing to show for it. Between these four systems the next chart up there, please between these four systems, future combat systems, expedition fighting vehicle command helicopter and president ial helicopter we spent 40 billion with nothing to show for it. Thats 40 billion of training and equipment our military doesnt have today to confront the threats we face. The problem continues today. The cost of the evolved expendible launch vehicle has exploded from around 100 million per launch to 400 million per launch over the last 15 years after the air force allowed years of sole source contracts while especially over the last few months actively keeping out any other companies from competing. Hopefully this year we will see the air force certify a new entrant and this can bring down cost and end reliance on Russian Rocket engines. Like many programs that exceeded it, lcs cost overruns predictably from chronic lack of planning in three key areas, unrealistic initial cost estimates and unreliable assessments of technological and integrated risk. The Gerald Ford Class Nuclear Aircraft Carrier was originally supposed to cost 10. 5 billion. It will now cost 12. 9 billion, a 2. 4 billion increase and we have no assurance such increases will not plague the followon ships. This is unacceptable. F35 joint Strike Fighter was originally estimated to cost around 220 billion to research and engineer and build 2,800 airplanes. Now were going to spend more than 330 billion a 50 increase to buy 400 fewer airplanes, even worse the amount of money squandered and wasted is the fact each of the weapons system cases ive mentioned no individual has been held responsible for these massive cost overruns and egregious acquisition failures and the result has been the slow degradation of americas defense technological advantage which we lose all together if we persist with business as usual in acquisition policies. This must change. It will be a priority for this committee and me personally to change it. Dr. Carter i look to you as a partner in all of these endeavors. If confirmed, i hope you will provide independent leadership and work closely with congress on issues that matter most crafting a coherent National Security strategy to meet todays threats, rolling back sequestration, continuing to reform defense acquisition process, modernizing our military compensation system and many others. I thank you deeply for your willingness to serve once again, and i look forward to your testimony today. Senator reid. Thank you very much mr. Chairman. Let me join you extending our condolences to the brave jordanian pilot and the people of jordan. Let me welcome dr. Carter and thank him for his willingness to serve the nation. I also want to welcome stephanie and the children. Also my colleague Joe Lieberman for being here today. Dr. Carter as deputy secretary of defense and undersecretary for Acquisition Technology and logistics, you are uniquely qualified to lead department of defense at a time when Henry Kissinger said last week United States has not faced more diverse complex since the end of second world war. If confirmed youll advise the president , lead the Defense Department and leading a Staggering Number of challenges with our international interest. Iran, while secretary of defense is not a party to the negotiations to Irans Nuclear program, the secretary will undoubtedly be responsible for any number of potential contingencies relating to consequences of different outcomes of these negotiations. In the event of a breakdown in the negotiations the consequences could alter the face of the region for generations and generations. Isil. Isils depraved and Violent Campaign in iraq and syria to establish a religious caliphate threatens erase borders destabilize region create a breeding ground of fighters willing to return to the west and attack United States interest. The Department Must provide critical leadership, a Coalition Effort that includes arab and Muslim States to degrade and defeat isil while being careful to ensure the u. S. Doesnt end up owning the conflict in syria and elsewhere. Afghanistan. The hard won games of the past decade are significant but remain fragile. With afghan security, our forces are taking over the Afghan Forces are taking over responsibility for combating taliban and securing afghanistan. However, the United States forces with our Coalition Partners must transition to a more limited mission of training and assisting forces and counterterrorism operations. Yet it remains to be seen whether conditions on the ground in afghanistan will improve sufficiently by the end of 2016 to warrant the pace of further reductions under the current plan. Ukraine. Russias aggression against ukraine challenges order and progress in europe. In the past few days separate ises in Eastern Ukraine with substantial russian equipment training and leadership abandoned any pretext of a ceasefire and launched a broad offensive against forces. United states must determine how to best support iranian people in defending their country. Cyber. For years weve devoted attention to looming and complex challenge of cyber warfare. The attack on Sony Corporation in america was in respects a watershed event that should stimulate fresh critical thinking. This attack demonstrates a relatively small and rogue nation can reach across the ocean and cause extensive destruction of u. S. Based economic target and very nearly succeed in freedom of expression through cyberspace. The the real and manifest advantage of offense and defense of cyber warfare that enabled military inferior nations to strike against homeland is a new and worrisome factor for National Security. These issues are only a few of the challenges facing the Defense Department but there are also significant internal challenge that must be addressed. Sequestration. Last week before this committee general maddux said no foe in the field can wreak such havoc that mindless can be achieved today. Brigades willing to fight. General wells testified less than 50 of our squadron fighters are combat ready. Sequestration threatens not only National Security but risks damage to Public Safety health education, transportation and environment. While the department manages these difficult fiscal realities Congress Must find balance and bipartisan solution and repeal sequestration. Rising course chairman alluded to this succinctly and correctly. Even without sequestration defense has to tackle rising costs, including personnel costs which consume onethird of the bunl. Yesterday heard testimony of compensation and retirement committee. Their recommendations are far reaching and would fundamentally change military personnel benefits. These recommend ailings must be carefully considered. Changes must occur between ensure properly fighting men and women. Other in Defense Department acquisition, whether significant acquisition reforms many under your leadership defense acquisition takes too long and costs too much. We can and should do more to streamline and improve the system. Finally, but most importantly if confirmed as secretary of defense, you will be leading 1. 3 million active duty military, 820,000 reserve and guard and 773,000 civilians. They are tired and overtaxed from a decade of war in years of fiscal uncertainty. They are wrestling with the same issues as civilian society issues like Sexual Assault and suicide. Yet they are committed to protecting this nation and remain the finest force if the world. Dr. Carter, i look forward to discussing these and other issues with you and thank you for your service. Thank you senator reid i note the presence of our beloved friend and former colleague, a member of this committee since Coolidge Administration and were very happy to have him here this morning our beloved friend Joe Lieberman. Senator lieberman. Thanks, mr. Chairman. It was a great comfort to me when i arrived during the Coolidge Administration to find you had already been here several years. [ laughter ] i must say im delighted to be here. Its really somewhat sentimental for me to be here. I appreciate very much the opportunity. Its a privilege for me to appear before the Senate Armed Services committee today to introduce dr. Ash carter. This is not the first time i have had this privilege. In fact, it is the third time. The first was on march 26th 2009, when ash was nominated to be underisnt of defense for Acquisition Technology and logistics. Second was on september 13th 2011, when he was nominated to be deputy secretary of defense. So today i suppose i could say i dont think ive ever been so pleased to be asked to repeat myself as i am honored to have been by ash carter to introduce him to you as president obamas nominee to be the 25th secretary of defense of the United States of america. Ash carter graduated from yale College Summa Cum Laude with a unique combination of majors physics and medieval history. During his time as a Rhodes Scholar at oxford he temporarily resolved the question which was on everyones mind, im sure about whether he was primarily a historian or a physicist. He earned a doctorate in theoretical physicist. Nonetheless to profound prognosticators he went object to become chair of Global Affairs faculty at harvard and codirector of the project at kennedys school bellfor senator. Mr. Chairman senator reid, it would really be hard to find someone to serve as secretary of defense who com