Hearings to examine United States Special Operations Command in review of the Defense Authorization Request for fiscal year 2026 and the Future Years Defense Program; to be immediately followed by a closed hearing in SVC-217.
Senate Subcommittee on Emerging Threats and Capabilities
2025-04-08
Source: Congress.gov
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Thank you, and I welcome our four witnesses and their families, and I thank them for being here this morning. and a guest or two. Mr. Brandon Williams has been nominated to be Under Secretary of Energy for Nuclear Security and the Administrator of the National Nuclear Security Administration in NSA. As the Administrator, Mr. Williams would be responsible for rebuilding and modernizing our long-neglected nuclear weapons stockpile. Failure here is not an option. Over the past several years, we've watched as Russia, China, and North Korea have rapidly expanded their nuclear arsenals and developed new types of weapons, weapons for which we are sorely unprepared. The committee is focused on ensuring that the Department of Defense and the NSA deliver results. As the Congressional Strategic Posture Commission made clear, modernizing our country's nuclear deterrent is a national imperative. I look forward to hearing how Mr. Williams intends to pursue this objective. Mr. Bradley Hansel has been nominated to be Under Secretary of Defense for Intelligence and Security. In addition to serving as the Secretary of Defense's principal advisor on intelligence, counterintelligence, security, and law enforcement matters, the Under Secretary is tasked with protecting the department's most sensitive information from our adversaries. This includes ensuring the provision of timely and accurate intelligence to our forces, overseeing the security clearance vetting process, guarding against insider threats, and protecting our industrial base from China's aggressive campaign of espionage and theft. Mr. Hansel served as a naval officer and an Army Green Beret during his distinguished career in uniform. He saw firsthand that quality intelligence is crucial to executing the mission.
Mr. Earl Matthews has been nominated to be the General Counsel of the Department of Defense. He has a distinguished career as a judge advocate in the Army Reserve and the Army National Guard, serving as the senior headquarters staff judge advocate for the D.C. National Guard. Mr. Matthews also brings extensive civilian government experience. He worked for Secretary Mattis in 2017 before moving over to the Army General Counsel Office, where he served as acting General Counsel of the Army.
President Trump and Secretary Hexeth have taken bold and necessary steps to reform the Department of Defense. As we all know, purposeful and thoughtful reform requires purposeful and thoughtful lawyers. I'm confident that Mr. Matthews possesses both qualities. I look forward to hearing his opinion about what the DOD Office of General Counsel is doing right. And I want to hear his ideas for how he would do things differently. Mr. Dale Marks has been nominated to be the Assistant Secretary of Defense for Energy, Installations, and Environment, a role which ensures the operational readiness and resiliency of the Department of Defense. If confirmed, Mr. Marks would oversee the management of military installations and infrastructure. the bedrock of the safety and well-being of service members and their families. This critical position will play a key part in the implementation of several reforms from last year's NDAA. Among them are the mandate requiring the minimum 4% plant replacement value for DoD facilities. Let me repeat that. Among them are the mandate in the NDAA requiring a minimum 4% plant replacement value for DOD facilities, leveraging of area-wide contract authorities and a review of Biden area green energy policies that focus more on climate change than on combat lethality. I look forward to hearing from Mr. Marks about how he intends to tackle these important issues. So we have a lot to talk about. Today and I turn to my friend and colleague ranking member Reid. Thank you very much. Mr. Chairman Welcome gentlemen.
Congratulations on your nominations I'd also like to Read and welcome your families and friends and we're here today in support of you as they have been throughout your life. I I also want to recognize Representative Fluger, who will introduce Mr. Marks and Mr. Matthews momentarily. Thank you, sir. Mr. Williams, you have been nominated to be the Under Secretary of Energy for Nuclear Security and Administrator of the National Nuclear Security Administration, or NNSA. If confirmed, you will be responsible for the programs and personnel responsible for modernizing and overseeing our nuclear stockpiles and production facilities. I am concerned that the Trump administration has already undermined this mission. Last month, nearly 200 NNSA nuclear engineers were abruptly fired, then hastily rehired.
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