Hearings to examine the nominations of Hung Cao, of Virginia, to be Under Secretary of the Navy, Michael Dodd, of Indiana, to be an Assistant Secretary, Jules Hurst III, of Virginia, Brent Ingraham, of Virginia, and William Gillis, of Virginia, each to be an Assistant Secretary of the Army, all of the Department of Defense.

Armed Services Committee

2025-06-26

Source: Congress.gov

Summary

The Senate Armed Services Committee convened to consider several key military and civilian nominations within the Department of Defense, including those for Under Secretary of the Navy and Assistant Secretaries for the Army, alongside a batch of military promotions . The hearing featured introductions of the nominees, statements from committee members, and detailed questioning on critical issues facing the U.S. military .

Themes

Confirmation of Military Leaders and Nominees

The meeting began with the quick confirmation of 7,861 pending military nominations, including two high-ranking Admirals and Generals . The core of the session focused on the confirmation of five civilian nominees for critical defense roles, who were introduced with praise for their qualifications and willingness to serve during challenging times [ 00:27:21 ]

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Addressing Challenges in Naval Readiness and Acquisition

A significant portion of the discussion centered on the Navy's readiness, particularly issues with shipbuilding, maintenance, and acquisition processes . Nominee Hung Cao was pressed on his plans to revitalize shipbuilding, improve maintenance to meet readiness targets, and streamline the acquisition process, which has been hampered by bureaucracy [ 00:28:14-00:28:18 ]

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. Concerns were also raised regarding past controversial statements made by Mr. Cao .

Advancing Critical Technologies for National Security

The importance of maintaining a technological edge over adversaries like China and Russia was a recurring theme . Michael F. Dodd, nominated for the new role of Assistant Secretary of Defense for Critical Technologies, outlined his strategy to accelerate technology transition, improve defense acquisition, and strengthen the adoption of cutting-edge technologies such as artificial intelligence, hypersonics, and microelectronics . There was strong advocacy for directed energy systems as a cost-effective counter to drones .

Supporting Army Personnel, Infrastructure, and Industrial Base

Nominees for Army leadership roles discussed priorities for soldier welfare, installations, and acquisition [ 00:29:06 ]

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. Jules W. Hearst III emphasized improving talent management and quality of life for soldiers and families . William J. Gillis addressed the critical need for infrastructure investment and energy resilience, committing to uphold mandates for facilities funding despite budget diversions . Brent G. Ingraham highlighted the necessity of strengthening the defense industrial base, streamlining acquisition timelines, and leveraging private sector innovation .

Commitment to Congressional Oversight and Spending Guidance

All nominees affirmed their commitment to congressional oversight, agreeing to provide testimony, records, and witnesses without reprisal . They also unequivocally committed to following Congress's spending recommendations for the defense reconciliation bill .

Tone of the Meeting

The meeting maintained a largely formal and cooperative tone, characterized by mutual respect between committee members and nominees . Committee members expressed gratitude for the nominees' willingness to serve and for their families' sacrifices [ 00:27:35 ]

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. While there were pointed questions regarding past statements and departmental challenges, the exchanges remained professional, focusing on the nominees' prospective roles and solutions . A moment of emotional gravity was noted when Senator Kaine spoke passionately about the seriousness of war in response to a public social media post .

Participants

Transcript

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Thank you.
And we do have some business which we will proceed to in just a moment.  But the Speaker of the House has honored us with his presence today.  And I do believe he has a few words of introduction.  And then, Mr. Speaker, you are welcome to stay for the rest of the morning, if you like.   But if you need to attend to other duties, you are certainly encouraged to go do that with haste.  So you are now recognized, Mr. Speaker.   Thank you, Mr. Chairman, Chairman Wicker.  Really appreciate it, and I would love to be with you all for the rest of the day.  I know it.  I know it.  And I want to thank Ranking Member Reed and all the members of the committee.  It really is my honor to be here, and I came this morning with the privilege of introducing my former staffer, my trusted friend, and a great American patriot,   Jules J. Hearst III, who sits here to my left.  He is being considered, of course, for Assistant Secretary of the Army for Manpower and Reserve Affairs.  I wish I had brought a speech for some of the other distinguished gentlemen sitting at this table, because I'm a fan of all of them, and we're blessed as a nation to have such highly qualified people willing to serve in these fateful times that we're in.   It's great to see Jay's wife Beth sitting behind me and their children here today.  They have a large brood.  The Hurst family recently grew again.  And as Jay and Beth welcome their fifth child, young George, here.  He's the youngest person in attendance.  He was just born a few weeks ago.  And a good looking kid, just like his daddy.   Congratulations to the beautiful family.  This has been quite a month for the Hurst family.  Jay joined my congressional office in January of 2022 as a defense fellow.  And while he was only on loan for one year, he instantly became part of our family.  He's like family to us.  He worked long hours.  He engaged with my constituents and local businesses and   He simplified complex military issues for our staff.
My district is Louisiana's fourth congressional district, and it's one of the most important military districts in America because we're home to Barksdale Air Force Base, the home of the B-52s.  We've got the Global Strike Command there.  Two-thirds of the nuclear triad is commanded about 15 miles from my driveway.  We also have Fort Polk and the Joint Readiness Training Center.   And many other military assets like Camp Menden and others.  So having a qualified defense fellow is an essential component of what we do.  And Jay was the best we've ever had.  And for those who don't know, defense fellowships are only one-year posts.  And despite that, Jay planted deep roots in my office and with all of our personnel and everyone involved.   It was not uncommon for me to return to the office late after voting on many nights to find Jay there holding court with interns and staff.  He mentored the people in and around my group and all my employees about everything, personal responsibility, finances, whatever advice they may have needed at the time.  And he became the indispensable man for us.  And it's this type of man, this type of leader that Jay is.   He enriched our office with great camaraderie and valuable insight and willingness to go above and beyond every single day.  And while working in my office and afterwards, Jay published many scholarly articles on topics like great power competition, autonomous systems, artificial intelligence, and warfare.   in several respected publications.  I learned a lot reading what he wrote, and I don't know how he had time to do it.  I'm really not sure because he's very prolific, but he wrote and he published often.  His commitment to continuing education in his personal capacity should send a signal to this committee that Jay will bring the same level of dedication and the relentless quest for excellence to the US Army.

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