Hearings to examine the nominations of Anthony Tata, of Florida, to be Under Secretary for Personnel and Readiness, and Katherine Sutton, of Illinois, to be an Assistant Secretary, both of the Department of Defense.

Armed Services Committee

2025-05-06

Source: Congress.gov

Summary

The Senate Armed Services Committee held a hearing to consider the nominations of Tony Tata for Undersecretary of Defense for Personnel and Readiness and Ms. Sutton for Assistant Secretary of Defense for Cyber Policy. The hearing focused on key policy issues including military personnel readiness, recruitment challenges, cyber threats from China and Russia, and the need for robust cyber defense and offensive capabilities. Testimony highlighted Tata's extensive background in military command, civilian leadership, and education, with a strong emphasis on ensuring service member well-being and operational readiness. Ms. Sutton, a veteran of cyber policy and technology, discussed the importance of advancing cyber capabilities through innovation, artificial intelligence, and interagency collaboration. The committee expressed concerns about political interference in military appointments, the administration's abrupt purges of senior officers, and the need to maintain civilian control and nonpartisan leadership in defense operations. The hearing underscored the urgent need to modernize military personnel systems, strengthen cyber defenses, and ensure transparency and accountability in national security decision-making.

Participants

Transcript

Chairman Wicker, Ranking Member Reid, and colleagues on the Senate Armed Services Committee, I miss a lot of you who I served with for eight great years on this committee.  It's good to be back.  It's an honor to introduce Tony Tata, President Trump's nominee for Undersecretary of Defense for Personnel and Readiness.  Retired Army Brigadier General Tony Tata has had a strong and distinguished record of public service.  His 28-year career in the Army included commanding 800 paratroopers in the 82nd Airborne of Fort Bragg.   4,000 air assault troops in the 101st Airborne, and thousands of service members in the 10th Mountain Division Joint Task Force 76 in Afghanistan.   Following his military service, Tony made a quick transition to civilian leadership when he was named chief operating officer of DC Public Schools in 2009, arguably one of the most political positions you could have.  A year later, he returned to North Carolina to serve as the superintendent of Wake Public School System, the largest public school system in the state, another highly political position.   Establishing himself as an effective manager in both military and civilian worlds, Tony was appointed by Governor McCrory, my friend, in 2013 to serve as North Carolina's Secretary of Transportation and lead its 12,000-person workforce.   That's the same time when I was North Carolina's Speaker of the House, and I saw firsthand how he dedicated himself to working with legislators and business leaders to modernize our state's infrastructure and pass what seemed at the time controversial policies that put North Carolina's infrastructure on the right track.   Tony's prior experience as senior Pentagon leader equips him to provide the steady leadership and strategic insight to advance the administration's defense priorities and initiatives.  His proven track record of managing complex organizations will be invaluable to ensuring our military's readiness.   Tony also brings unique experience as the leader of two of the largest public school systems in the country, experience that many military families will greatly appreciate.