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Pete Hegseth Questioned in Confirmation Hearing. Aired 12:30-1p ET

Aired January 14, 2025 - 12:30   ET

THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.

[12:30:00]

And I want you to know that I was a member of this Committee. I have voted in a bipartisan way for Secretaries of defense. I voted for two Secretaries of Defense when Donald Trump was previously president. We had those two. We had, I think five total Secretaries of defense during that four year period. So we want to keep that in mind as to what we might see in this coming administration.

But I voted and we voted by a big margin for those folks as well. But part of that was the process and having an opportunity to get to know the person and understand their qualifications and understand the standards. You know, I made repeated requests to meet with you prior to this meeting.

I know many of my other colleagues also wanted to meet with you. I did that with other nominees that I was happy to vote for. I thought they were highly qualified individuals and true professionals. And yet I could never get a meeting with you. Was there a reason you were afraid to have one on one meetings with some of my colleagues before the hearing?

HEGSETH: Senator, I know there was a great deal of outreach to multiple offices. Schedules get full. There's a lot going on...

PETERS: I was read...

HEGSETH: ... and I welcome the opportunity...

PETERS: I was ready...

HEGSETH: ... handing my schedule to have an opportunity to sit down.

PETERS: I was ready. It would have been so much better to have that opportunity to talk beforehand. I think that's a big mistake and it doesn't set us on a good course when you refuse to meet with people and have a professional conversation about the huge challenges that we face at the Department of Defense.

My colleagues, the folks who introduced you and others, the Chairman has mentioned about the management of the DOD as a concern. Cost overruns, delays on weapons systems. We need strong management at the Department of Defense. First and foremost.

We've got to have someone who's going to grab the reins and give the taxpayers value for having the most lethal fighting force in the world that defends freedoms. But we got to do it in an efficient way.

I've heard about the jobs you've had in the past. Let's just talk about qualifications. I know you had two previous positions. How many people reported to you in those positions?

HEGSETH: Senator, at Vets for Freedom, we were a small upstart. Our focus was...

PETERS: Just the number...

HEGSETH: ... working on Capitol Hill, going back to the battlefield...

PETERS: Just the number...

HEGSETH: War fighters.

PETERS: Just the number, please.

HEGSETH: We probably had eight to ten full time staff and lots of volunteers.

PETERS: So you had eight. Has there been any other -- we've heard about the two and certainly there's been a lot of talk about the mismanagement, et cetera, et cetera. I'm just -- I'm just curious. I won't go into that. Just curious. So you had eight there, have you -- what's the largest number of people you've ever supervised or had in an organization in your career?

HEGSETH: Not three million...

PETERS: No, I don't expect that. No one -- very few people have ever had that experience. But how many? It's a straight up question.

HEGSETH: I think we had over 100 full time staff of Concerned Vets for America, roughly, with thousands of volunteers.

PETERS: So 100 people...

HEGSETH: I was also a headquarters company commander, which would have been...

PETERS: That's fine.

HEGSETH: ... a couple of hundred. So nothing, nothing remotely near the size of the Defense Department...

PETERS: Right.

HEGSETH: ... I would acknowledge that.

PETERS: Actually not remotely near even a medium sized company in America, let alone a big company in America, especially a major corporation. And you're basically, we're hiring you to be the CEO of one of the most complex, largest organizations in the world.

We're the board of directors here. I don't know of any corporate board of directors that would hire a CEO for a major company. If they came and said, you know, I supervised 100 people before. They'd ask you, well, what kind of experiences you had, we need innovation. Can you give me an experience or your actual experience of driving innovation in an organization? Give me an example of where you have done that.

HEGSETH: Oh, my goodness, Senator, absolutely. At concern Veterans for America, we created the Fixing Veterans Health Care Task Force, a bipartisan task force that never been done before to create policy to drive policy change on Capitol Hill that organizations fought ferociously against.

We got the VA Accountability Act passed and the Mission Act passed in a way that a nonprofit...

PETERS: OK.

HEGSETH: ... of our size, veterans organization has never done.

PETERS: We appreciate it. Thank you.

HEGSETH: ... and testified in all the letters

PETERS: Thank you.

HEGSETH: ... you put forward to the committee which are on...

PETERS: OK. I have limited time. Thank you for that. Give me an example of where you've driven down cost. I've heard the examples that Senator Blumenthal gave. The cost was a real problem for you in your 50 person organization that you actually raised a lot less than what you actually spent. Did you drive costs down in a 50 person organization?

Let me tell you, we've got to drive costs down dramatically in an organization of three million people and hundreds of billions of dollars. You don't have that experience that you can talk about. To me, this is -- our acquisition reform. Acquisition reform. You bring that up. Have you had experience in acquisition reform?

HEGSETH: I've written about and studied on acquisition reform...

PETERS: Have you actually done it?

HEGSETH: ... because what we need in the hands of our war fighters better change because we're not doing it well right now.

[12:35:00]

PETERS: It better. And we need people who have experience actually doing that. You know, you talk about standards again, I'm going to go back to CEO, the most complex organization in the world. I don't think there's a board of directors in America that would hire you as a CEO with the kind of experience you have on your resume. You talk about standards, you talk about raising or low that we have a problem of standards in the DOD and we have to raise standards for the men and women who serve. Do you think that the way to raise the minimum standards of the people who serve us is to lower the standards for the Secretary of Defense that we have someone who has never managed an organization, more than 100 people is going to come in and manage this incredibly important organization and do it with a professionalism and has no experience that they can tell us that they have actually done that?

PETERS: I have real problems with that. This is not about other issues that are brought up. They're all very important. I'm just about trying to get things done, managing efficiently, and having the best people who have demonstrated that in a large organization.

And I'm sorry, but I don't see that in your background. There are a lot of other things you can do very well. You're a capable person. I'm not -- I do not -- you have not convinced me that you're able to take on this tremendous responsibility with a complex organization and having little or no significant management experience.

HEGSETH: Senator, I'm grateful to be hired by one of the most successful CEOs in American history should I be confirmed.

WICKER: Mr. Hegseth that it -- it seems to me that you've supervised far more people than the average United States Senator supervises typically.

And...

HEGSETH: Except for -- except for former governors, Mr. Chairman.

WICKER: Senator Mullin, I understand you are yielding back your time and do not wish to ask questions. I was -- I was misinformed.

Senator Mullin (inaudible).

MULLIN: Caught me totally off guard there. I'd like to submit for the record signatures by 32 members of the House of Representatives who are veterans. The signatures call on the Senate to honor the constitutional duty of advising consent by conducting a fair, thorough confirmation process that evaluates his nomination solely on the substance and merits. His distinguished military service, academic credentials, and a bold vision for revitalizing the national fence.

I ask unanimous consent to enter into the record.

WICKER: Without objection.

MULLIN: You know, there's a lot of talk going about talking about qualifications and then about us hiring him if we are the board, but there's a lot of senators here I wouldn't have on my board, because there is no qualifications except your age and you got to be living in the state and you're a citizen of the United States to be a senator. Other than the fact that we got to convince a lot of people to vote for us.

And then when we start talking about qualifications for if you're qualified for it, could the chairman tell me what the qualifications are for the secretary of defense? Mr. Chairman, could you tell me what the qualifications are for the secretary of defense?

WICKER: I'd be happy for...

MULLIN: I'll read it.

WICKER: ... for you to -- to do that.

MULLIN: Let me -- let me read it for you because I...

WICKER: I was getting some advice from my second in command.

MULLIN: Yeah, but I'm just -- I'm just making a point because there's a lot about qualifications and I think it's so hypocritical of senators, especially on the other side, I'll be talking about his qualifications, not going to lead the Secretary, or be the Secretary of Defense, and yet your qualifications aren't any better.

You guys aren't any more qualified to be the Senator than I'm qualified to be the Senator, except we're lucky enough to be here. But let me read you what the qualifications of the Secretary of Defense is, because I Googled it, and I Googled it and went through a lot of different sites, and really it's hard to see, but in general the U.S. Secretary of Defense position is filled by a civilian. That's it.

If you have served in the U.S. Army forces and have been in the service for you have to be retired for at least seven years and Congress can -- can weigh that. And then there's questions that my that the that the senator from -- from Massachusetts brought up about serving on a -- on a board inside the military industry and yet your own secretary that you all voted for, Secretary Austin, we had to vote on a waiver because he stepped out the board of Raytheon. But I guess that's OK because that's a Democrat Secretary of Defense. But we so quickly forget about that.

[12:40:00]

And then Senator Kaine, or I guess I better use the Senator from Virginia starts bringing up the fact that what if you showed up drunk to your job? How many senators have showed up drunk to vote at night? Have any of you guys asked them to step down and resign for their job? And don't tell me you haven't seen it because I know you have. And then how many senators do you know have got a divorce before cheating on their wives? Did you ask them to step down? No, but it's for show. You guys make sure you make a big show and point out the hypocrisy because the man's made a mistake and you want to sit there and say that he's not qualified. Give me a joke.

It is so ridiculous that you guys hold yourself as this higher standard and you forget you got a big plank in your eye. We've all made mistakes. I've made mistakes. And Jennifer, thank you for loving him through that mistake. Because the only reason why I'm here and not in prison is because my wife loved me too.

I have changed, but I'm not perfect. But I found somebody that thought I was perfect. And for whatever reason, you love Pete, and I don't know why. But just like our Lord and Savior forgave me, my wife said to forgive me more than once too, and I'm sure you've had to forgive him. And so thank you.

So, before I go down this rabbit hole again, tell me something about your wife that you love.

HEGSETH: She's the smartest, most capable, loving, humble, honest person I've ever met. In addition to being incredibly beautiful.

MULLIN: Don't forget about your kids.

HEGSETH: I'm supposed to talk about my kids?

MULLIN: No -- no, well, she's also the mother.

HEGSETH: Oh, an amazing mother.

MULLIN: Yes.

HEGSETH: Of our blended family of seven kids (inaudible)...

MULLIN: Brother, I'm pulling you, I'm trying to help you here. You know do you believe that you're going to be running the secretary or the Department of Defense by yourself?

HEGSETH: Senator, absolutely not. Just as President Trump is assembling his cabinet, I look forward and already am in the process of building one of the best possible teams you can imagine with decades and decades of experience outside of the Pentagon, driving innovation and excellence and also inside the building, knowing how to make it happen.

Yes, sir.

MULLIN: So, and your organizations that you did have the privilege of running, did you have a board that you?

HEGSETH: In both organizations we had a board. Yes.

MULLIN: OK, and what -- what did you do with that board? What kind of decisions did you make with them?

HEGSETH: Those boards provided oversight and insight into decision making.

MULLIN: They all have special unique sets that maybe filled gaps that you're not the expertise in?

HEGSETH: Yes, sir.

MULLIN: So, do you believe you're capable of surrounding yourself with capable individuals that you're going to be able to run those same ideas by and surround yourself with people that are smarter and better equipped and maybe areas that you don't, you don't necessarily carry those expertise with? HEGSETH: Senator, the only reason I've had success in life, to include my wonderful wife, is because of people more capable around me and having the self-confidence to empower them and say, hey, run with the ball, run with the football, take it down the field. We'll do this together. I don't care who gets the credit. And in this case, that's how the Pentagon will be run.

MULLIN: Let me, let's end with this, Mr. Chairman, about the qualifications. You got a man who has literally put his butt on the line. He served 20 years in the service, multiple deployments. Has heard the bullets crack over the top of his head. Has been willing to go into combat. Been willing to see friends die for this country. And he's willing to still put himself through this. His wife is willing to still stand beside him, knowing he wasn't perfect, knowing that all this was going to be brought up and he's still willing to serve the country.

What other qualifications does he need? That I yield back.

WICKER: Thank you, Senator Mullin. Senator Duckworth.

And again, we -- we really are going to strictly enforce the -- the rule about no -- no demonstrations or noise. The distinguished Ranking Member.

REED: Just a point of personal privilege to make a correction. The reason that General Austin required a waiver was not because of his participation in a corporate enterprise. It was because he did not have seven years of interruption between his service and his appointment.

Second point is that if any of us were appointed as Secretary of Defense, we would be subject to the same types of questions. And the case in point is Senator (inaudible) was nominated for Secretary of Defense. It was discovered by his colleagues that his behavior was not commensurate with the responsibilities despite his service, and he was voted down.

[12:45:00]

Thank you.

DUCKWORTH: Thank you, Mr. Chairman.

WICKER: Senator Duckworth, you are recognized.

DUCKWORTH: Thank you, Mr. Chairman, and also Secretary Mattis had to have this waiver as well.

Mr. Hegseth, this hearing is about whether you are qualified to be Secretary of Defense, and one of the qualifications to answer my colleague's question is to actually win the votes of every member of this committee, and to be confirmed by the United States Senate. And you need to convince us that you're worthy of that vote because the people of the state of Illinois voted for me to be their senator so that I could cast that vote when it comes to picking who is going to be the next Secretary of Defense.

This hearing now seems to be a hearing about whether or not women are qualified to serve in combat and not about whether or not you are qualified to be Secretary of Defense. And let me just say that the American people need a SecDef who's ready to lead on day one. You are not that person. Our adversaries watch closely during times of transition and any sense that the Department of Defense that keeps us safe is being steered by someone who's wholly unprepared for the job puts America at risk, and I am not willing to do that.

With that in mind, Mr. Hegseth, I want you to try to explain to the American people, this committee who have to vote for you, and to our troops who are deployed around the world, why you are qualified to lead the Department of Defense. We already know that you've only led the largest of 200-person organization. We already know that you so badly mangled a budget that after you left, they had to bring in a forensic accountant to figure out what went wrong. And that, the largest budget you ever managed was about $18 billion.

You know, that is about 51,560 times fewer, lower than the Department of Defense budget of $825 billion. Sixteen million dollar is 51,568 times smaller than the defense budget. Please describe to me, Mr. Hegseth, you talk about DOD passing an audit. Please describe to me a time or an organization when you, that you led, underwent an audit. Because you say you're going to hire smarter people than you to run this audit. I'm not asking you to be an accountant. I want you to be able to tell me what kind of guidance will be given to those employees. What will happen if, whether or not you pass that audit. Have you led an audit of any organization? Yes or no. I don't want a long answer. Yes or no. Have you led an audit of any organization of which you were in charge?

HEGSETH: Senator, in both of the organizations I ran, we were always completely fiscally responsible...

DUCKWORTH: Yes or no. Did you lead an audit?

HEGSETH: ... (inaudible) for the money that we had. And the way my leadership...

DUCKWORTH: Yes or no. Did you lead an audit?

HEGSETH: ... has been stated...

DUCKWORTH: Yes or no. Did you lead an audit? Yes or no?

HEGSETH: ... has been completely mischaracterized.

DUCKWORTH: What are you afraid of? You can't answer this question. Yes or no, did you lead an audit? Do you not know this answer?

HEGSETH: Senator...

DUCKWORTH: Yes, or no?

HEGSETH: ... every part of my leadership... DUCKWORTH: Yes, or no?

HEGSETH: ... of these organizations has been misrepresented and (inaudible)...

DUCKWORTH: Yes, or no? I will take that as a no. What were the findings? Though there were no findings because you've never led an audit. What guidance did you give the auditors? None. Because you've never led an audit.

Nobody expects you to be an accountant Mr. Hegseth, what we expect is for you to understand the complexity of this Pentagon budget process that is absolutely necessary to outfit our war fighters.

Look, the Secretary of Defense is required to make quick decisions every single day that, well, with high level information that's being provided for them. A Secretary of Defense has to have breadth and depth of knowledge. Right now, I am concerned that you have neither.

Mr. Hegseth, what is the highest level of international negotiations that you have engaged in, that you have led in? Because the Secretary of Defense does lead international security negotiations. There are three main ones that the Secretary of Defense leads and signs. Can you name at least one of them?

HEGSETH: Could you repeat the question, Senator?

DUCKWORTH: Sure. What is the highest level of international security agreement that you have led and can you name some that the Secretary of Defense would lead? There's three main ones. Do you know?

HEGSETH: I have not been involved in international security arrangements because I have not been in government...

DUCKWORTH: OK.

HEGSETH: ... other than serving in the military. So, my job has been...

DUCKWORTH: So, no?

HEGSETH: ... these men and women...

DUCKWORTH: The answer. Can you name one of the three main ones that the (inaudible)...

HEGSETH: You're talking about defense arrangements? I mean NATO might be one of one that you're referring to.

DUCKWORTH: Status of forces agreement would be one of them.

HEGSETH: Status of forces agreement. I've been a part of teaching about status of forces agreement inside...

[12:50:00] DUCKWORTH: But you don't remember to mention it? You're not qualified, Mr. Hegseth. You're not qualified. You talk about repairing our defense industrial complex. You're not qualified to that. You could do the acquisition and cross servicing agreements, which essentially are security agreements. You can't even mention that. You've done none of those.

You talked about the Indo-Pacific a little bit, and I'm glad that you mention it all -- mention it. Can you name the importance of at least one of the nations in the ASEAN -- in ASEAN? And what type of agreement we have with at least one of those nations and how many nations are in ASEAN, by the way?

HEGSETH: I couldn't tell you the exact amount of nations...

DUCKWORTH: No, you couldn't, because you're not (inaudible)...

HEGSETH: ... but I know we have allies in South Korea and Japan and in AUKUS with Australia and trying to work on...

DUCKWORTH: OK.

HEGSETH: ... submarines with them.

DUCKWORTH: Mr. Hegseth...

HEGSETH: (Inaudible).

DUCKWORTH: ... none of those countries are in ASEAN.

HEGSETH: That allies across.

DUCKWORTH: None of those three countries that you've mentioned are in ASEAN. I suggest you do a little homework before you prepare for these types of negotiations.

Listen, Mr. Hegseth, this is -- we ask our troops to go into harm's way all the time. We ask them to go into harm's way. And this behind me is a copy of the Soldier's Creed, a copy that usually hangs over my desk here in the Senate. And you should be familiar with it. It's the same copy that hung over my desk at Walter Reed every single day that I woke up and fought my way back because I wanted to go back and serve next to my buddies who saved my life.

These same -- this same copy, these words are repeated over and over and over again. And let me read out two things to you, two sentences. I will always place the mission first, and I am disciplined, physically and mentally tough, trained and proficient in my warrior task.

Mr. Hegseth, our troops follow these words every single day. And they man up, and they pack their rucksacks, and they go to war, and they deserve a leader who can lead them. Not a leader who wants to lower the standards for himself, but raising the standards for other people. And by the way, our troops already meet the standards. We ask troops man that ship, fight that fire, fly that helicopter until their very last breath. And they do that every single day. They cannot be led by someone who's not competent to do the job.

How can we ask these warriors to train and perform the absolute highest standards when you are asking us to lower the standards to make you the Secretary of Defense simply because you are buddies with our President elect?

And by the way, he has filed for bankruptcy six times. I'm not quite sure he's the kind of CEO you want to refer to as a successful businessman.

Let me make it clear: You can't seem to grasp that there is no U.S. military as we know it without the incredible women that we serve (sic). Women earned their place in their units. You have not earned your place as secretary of defense. You say you care about keeping our Armed Forces strong and that you like that our Armed Forces are mer- -- meritocracy. Then let's not lower those standards for you. You, sir, are a no-go at this station.

WICKER: Thank you, Senator Duckworth.

I would like to submit for the record a -- a letter submitted by Mr. Brian Marriott (ph) that says "Anyone who would claim that Pete mismanaged funds at Vets For Freedom is ignorant of the facts." Without objection, it will be admitted to the record.

Senator Budd?

BUDD: Thank you, Chairman Wicker, and congrats on your chairmanship of this committee. I want to thank you for your leadership and your handling of this today. I think you're doing a great job.

So I wanted to also submit for the record a letter submitted by Mr. Daniel Catlin (ph), the former operations manager at Vets For Freedom. Mr. Catlin's (ph) letter states that Mr. Hegseth and Mr. Catlin (ph) conducted weekly meetings to meticulously review every dollar that the organization spent. Pete's hands-on approach and dedication to financial responsibility ensured that Vets For Freedom operated within budget. Mr. Catlin's (ph) letter also states that Pete treated his staff with the utmost respect regardless of race or gender. So I ask unanimous consent to enter this into the record, Mr. Chairman.

WICKER: Without objection, so ordered.

BUDD: Thank you.

Mr. Hegseth, congratulations on your nomination. Thanks for appearing before the committee today. I enjoyed meeting you in my office before Christmas, and I've enjoyed our friendship before that.

You know, you stated in your advanced policy questions that the American people need to be informed, engaged and inspired to join our military. I wholeheartedly agree with that. And we also have a problem, though, with obesity and falling academic standards. It's very concerning, and we've talked about that before. So if confirmed, how would you approach increasing the number of Americans eligible to serve in the military, but without lowering standards? HEGSETH: Well, Senator, I think there are already, to the credit of, I believe, the Army -- and -- and other services have now caught up to that -- which have piloted programs that have had some success that have allowed young Americans who want to serve in the military, but can't necessarily pass the ASVAB or pass the APFT to get into basic training an opportunity to get caught up -- a preparatory class.

BUDD: Sure.

HEGSETH: Unfortunately, yes, we do have a problem at o- -- of obesity in our country, not necessarily something that the, if I'm confirmed, secretary of defense is able to address. But I do think leading from the front matters. I do think having a secretary of defense that will go out and do P.T. with the troops matters, that has been out there and done that before, and hopefully, that's a motivating factor for young people.

[12:55:00]

But it -- the reality of obesity and criminal backgrounds and medical problems have long been an issue of recruitment in America, unfortunately. What changed is the perception of military service because of the condition of the services, and frankly, because of, in some ways, the way our schools don't teach young people to love the country anymore, and if you don't love the country, why do you want to serve that country? That's a deeper problem. But all of those things need to be addressed to revive recruiting, and obesity's certainly a part of it.

BUDD: Thank you for that. So I've had multiple conversations -- young folks back in North Carolina, young men, young women, and we get to meet a lot of them. But you know, I hear from some of these folks who I encouraged to join the military. They say that they're concerned that it's become politicized. And if confirmed, would you commit to working with my office to address the military recruiting crisis and ensuring the military is focused on warfighting?

HEGSETH: Senator, absolutely. A-number-one, from day one with a mandate from the commander-in-chief who received that mandate when Americans spoke out loudly and said, "We want peace through strength. We want America-first foreign policy, and we don't want political ideology driving decisions inside our Defense Department." That was clear. It's an inf- -- it's an infection that the American people are acutely aware of, which the men and women in this room have lived firsthand. I've lived it firsthand, and that's why it will be a priority.

And I -- I truly believe -- and I'm humbled by this. The response we've already seen from young men and women who have decided to join the military when they had said, "I wasn't going to," but seeing a commander-in-chief, Donald Trump, reassured them. Seeing the possibility, if confirmed, of a secretary of defense that would have their back reassured them.

And so in the first couple of months under -- after President Trump's election, we have already seen -- the numbers are there -- a recruiting surge in all the services that I would welcome the opportunity to continue, and it's humbling to think that families across this country would have confidence in us to deliver for their young men and women. There's no -- no more important task.

BUDD: Thank you for that.

So shifting gears a bit, I want to hear some of your thoughts on the growing fighter aircraft capacity gap with China, and what this means for a potential fight in the Indo-Pacific. So if confirmed, what policy recommendations will you make to the president on procurement and maintenance of fourth- and fifth-generation fighters, while we continue to research and develop sixth-generation in collaborative combat aircraft?

HEGSETH: Senator, that's a very important conversation, one that I've been looking at a great deal. A lot of it, just to be clear, involves classifications and understanding precisely cost and capabilities, including capabilities of enemy systems, both not just fourth- and fifth-, but potential sixth-generation, which you've already seen a prototype released from the Chinese. That's a -- a dangerous development, considering at least the publicly-understood condition of (inaudible), which I look forward to the opportunity to looking underneath the hood on that. But ensuring fourth- and fifth- are capable, and -- and upgraded as necessary will be a part of our contingency.

But when you look at what's happening in the Indo-Pacific, say, operability, range is going to matter because it's such a large battlespace, that would all -- will all factor in decisions that are made. And that's where I -- I feel, frankly, a little bit liberated that I didn't work at Lockheed or any number of -- pick a defense contractor. I didn't mean to point one out in particular. Pick any. I haven't. I don't have a special interest in any particular system or any particular company or any particular narrative.

I want to know what works. I want to know what defeats our enemies, what keeps us safe, what deters them, what keeps our enemies up at night. Whatever that is, I want more of it and I want to invest in it, and I know that's the view that President Trump has, as well.

BUDD: Thank you. You know, some have commented recently about the need to eliminate immediately a man -- manned aircraft. So I'd say maybe one day, but that day's not now, and certainly not before 2027, especially in the Indo-Pacific. So if confirmed, will you commit to work with my office and this committee to ensure the proper mix of fighters, manned and unmanned?

HEGSETH: I look forward to working with you on that, Senator, because unmanned will be a very important part of the way future wars are fought. Just -- just the idea of survivability for a human being drives cost and time in ways that unmanned systems do not. But I -- I look forward to that conversation, Senator.

WICKER: Thank you, Senator Budd.

I now recognize Senator Reed for a unanimous consent request. REED: Mr. Chairman, I would ask unanimous consent that two letters be submitted for the record. One letter is signed by numerous organizations, including the Government Accountability Project, the other signed by several organizations including the Truman National Security Project.

WICKER: Without objection, so ordered.

[13:00:00]