During a Senate Armed Services Committee hearing on Tuesday, Sen. Jack Reed (D-RI) gave opening remarks about The Commission on the National Defense Strategy.
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NewsTranscript
00:00and the national defense strategy or NDS.
00:03The NDS commission was established
00:05in the fiscal year 2022 National Defense Authorization Act
00:09with the mandate of assessing the 2022 NDS
00:14and the department's efforts to successfully implement it.
00:18During today's hearing,
00:19the committee will receive the commission's evaluation
00:21of the national security challenges we face,
00:24whether the force planning construct
00:26in the 2022 NDS remains valid
00:29and the effectiveness of the defense department's
00:32implementation of the NDS.
00:34The commission was shared by the Honorable Jane Harmon,
00:37who served nine terms in Congress
00:39as the U.S. representative
00:40from California's 36th Congressional District
00:43and was ranking member of the Intelligence Committee
00:45for four years after 9-11.
00:48The commission's vice chair, Ambassador Eric Edelman,
00:51is currently counselor at the Center for Strategy
00:53and Budgetary Assessments
00:55and served previously as Undersecretary of Defense
00:57for Policy from 2005 to 2009
01:01and as U.S. Ambassador to Finland and Turkey.
01:05And really want to commend the commission
01:07for the extraordinary work you've done.
01:10Very, very proud of your effort
01:13and I know it was an intense work over many, many months.
01:16So thank you very, very much.
01:20I'm pleased, of course, to welcome the chair and vice chair,
01:26but I also want to congratulate their fellow commissioners,
01:31General Jack Keane, Thomas Mankin, Meryl Rudman,
01:36Maria Sixkiller, Elisa Sarsak, and Roger Zakheim.
01:40Together, you did a remarkable job.
01:43The 2022 National Defense Strategy
01:45was written prior to Russia's full-scale invasion
01:48of Ukraine and the evolution of the strategic partnership
01:51between China, Russia, Iran, and North Korea.
01:54Nonetheless, the 2022 NDS provides an important framework
01:59for America's national security.
02:01The NDS ranks China
02:03as the most consequential strategic competitor,
02:06identifies Russia as an acute threat,
02:08and addresses the persistent challenges
02:11from authoritarian regimes and violent extremists.
02:15Indeed, I believe that we currently face
02:17the most dangerous, complex security environment
02:21since World War II.
02:22To address these challenges,
02:24the NDS proposes four broad missions
02:26for the Department of Defense,
02:27which include defending the U.S. homeland,
02:30deterring strategic attacks against the United States
02:33and its allies and partners,
02:34deterring aggression while being prepared
02:37to prevail in a conflict,
02:39and building a resilient joint force and defense ecosystem.
02:43The NDS also outlined several priorities
02:45for building joint capabilities,
02:47including the concept of integrated deterrence,
02:50campaigning, and actions
02:52that will build enduring advantages.
02:54And these are well-reasoned priorities.
02:57I understand that the NDS Commission agrees broadly
02:59with these objectives,
03:00but has concluded that the Department of Defense
03:03is not adapting at the speed or scale necessary
03:07to achieve them or meet today's threats.
03:10The Commission recommends a fundamental change
03:13in the way we approach our national defense,
03:15including an overhaul of the Defense Department's
03:17relationships with the U.S. interagency and our allies,
03:22a significant investment in the defense industrial base,
03:25and a restructuring of the Department's acquisition
03:27and procurement process.
03:29I look forward to hearing
03:30the Commission's specific recommendations
03:32on how to make targeted investments
03:34and reforms in these areas.
03:36Notably, the Commission concludes that the 2022 NDS
03:40does not provide an adequate force structure
03:43to handle simultaneous conflicts in multiple theaters.
03:47The Commission proposes a multiple theater force construct
03:51that would resize and restructure the joint force
03:54to match regional threats and integrate with regional allies.
03:58I would appreciate our witnesses
03:59further explaining this construct
04:02and what challenges departments may face
04:04in implementing it.
04:06At its core, the 2022 NDS
04:08requires all elements of national power,
04:11including military, diplomatic, and economic,
04:14to maintain a stable and open international system.
04:17However, the Commission concludes
04:19that America's civil society must also be reinvigorated
04:23as a source of national power.
04:25The American public must be educated
04:27on the threats we face
04:28and encouraged to engage in national service,
04:31whether through the military or civil service.
04:34And I support the Commission's urgent call
04:36to engage more in this area.
04:39Ultimately, the 2022 NDS recognizes
04:42that the U.S. must modernize and strengthen our military.
04:46This will require smart investments
04:48in platforms and equipment,
04:50rapid development and integration
04:51of cutting-edge technologies,
04:53and steadfast support for our service members
04:56and national security workforce.
04:58I would welcome the Commission's insights
05:00on how the department is adapting
05:02to these complicated issues
05:03and the challenges of great power competition.
05:06In light of the wide-ranging global security challenges
05:09presented by Chinese aggression in the Indo-Pacific region,
05:12Russia's invasion of Ukraine,
05:14and the persistent terrorist threat
05:16posed by extremist groups and rogue regimes,
05:19the Committee would appreciate the Commission's assessment
05:21of the resources necessary to prevail
05:23in strategic competition,
05:25as well as its recommendations
05:26for strengthening U.S. global engagement and alliances.
05:30Let me again thank the members and staff of the Commission.
05:33We look forward to your testimony.
05:35Before recognizing Senator Worker,
05:39we have a quorum,
05:41and I would like to proceed with your permission.
05:46Since the quorum is not present,
05:48I ask the Committee to consider a list
05:49of 3,135 pending military nominations
05:52and two civilian nominations.
05:54First, I ask the Committee to consider a list
05:56of 3,135 pending military nominations.
06:00All of these nominations have been for the Committee
06:02the required length of time.
06:04Is there a motion to favorably report
06:05this list of 3,135 pending military nominations?
06:09So moved.
06:10Is there a second? All in favor, say aye.
06:12Aye. The motion carries.
06:14Finally, I ask the Committee to consider
06:16the following civilian nominations.
06:17Ms. Tonya P. Wilkinson,
06:19to be Undersecretary of Defense for Intelligence and Security,
06:22and Dr. Michael L. Solmeier,
06:24to be Assistant Secretary of Defense for Cyber Policy.
06:27Is there a motion to favorably report these two nominations?
06:29So moved. Is there a second?
06:31Second. All in favor, say aye.
06:32Aye. The motion carries.
06:34Thank you very, very much.