starts. at 10:00, the house of representatives comes in. switch over to toc3 -- switch over to c3 to continue the conversation hearing for pete hegseth. caller: if you are thinking we need pete hegseth to remove woke elements from the military, yc not able to come back on board as a consultant or have president trump enforce this culture from the top down? have someone qualified to manage the 3 million people at the dod and the billions of dollars of assets. why is pete hegseth supposed to be in charge that as a fox news host? guest: i will go back to his record as a war fighter. multiple deployments. these not just a fox news host. please run multiple nonprofit organizations and has quite the storied resume. i think he is the right person to go into the department of

defense. certainly donald trump will lead those efforts. he will be intimately involved in any change that comes to the department of defense. you need someone like pete to drive those changes will president trump is not able to do that because he's the president of the united states. his attention has to be diffused. host: ryan walker. you can find their work at heritageaction.com. he's executive vice president. guest: thanks for having me on. host: this hearing featuring pete hegseth just about to start. it will --we will let it play out as pete hegseth enters the armed services committee room. [captions copyright national cable satellite corp. 2025] [captioning performed by the national captioning institute, which is responsible for its caption content and accuracy. visit ncicap.org]

>> good morning. the hearing will come to order. the committee has convened to consider the nomination of mr. pete hegseth to be secretary of defense. in light of the continued suffering and death in and around los angeles california -- los angeles, california, i will ask my colleagues and those in the audience to observe a moment of silence. amen. . thank you.

i want to take this opportunity to thank my good friend, ranking member jack reed. this is my first opportunity to chair this committee and congress. i want to sank -- thank senator reed. he cares deeply about national security and about the united states of america. particularly, the men and women who stand watch here and around the world to protect united states. i want to thank you for the many courtesies you have extended to meet in the past and i look forward to working with you again in a bipartisan fashion in this congress. it is appropriate to recognize and welcome three senators attending their very first senate armed services committee hearing as members. senator banks of indiana,

senator sheehy of montana and senator slotkin of michigan. we are excited to have you as committee colleagues and look forward to many important contributions from each of you. senator slotkin, is a look at the end of the dais, it seems only a week or two ago i was sitting in that very chair being recognized by the chairman of the committee, the distinguished senator from michigan. time flies. let me say this. we had very appropriate expression of approval by the members -- members of the audience as are nominee and his family walked in. the distinguished ranking member and i sincerely hope that is the

last signal of approval or disapproval in today's hearing. people of the public are here. they are welcome to observe today's hearing. senator reed and i agree that no disruptions will be allowed. audience members may not verbally or physically distract from the hearing, to include shouting, standing or raising signage or gestures that block the view of the audience. we are very serious about this. aren't we, mr. reed? sen. reed: absolutely certain. -- sir. chair wicker: those that do will be escorted from the room. again, welcome to the witnesses, to his friends and to interested

members of the public. if confirmed, mr. pete hegseth would assume the role in a moment of consequence. the united states faces the most dangerous security environment since world war ii. we are witnessing the explosive growth and reach of china's hard power. we are observing the emergence of an axis of aggressors. that coalition is characterized by broadening and deepening military cooperation among the dictatorships ruling china, russia, iran and north korea. terrorism remains a threat, as israel wages war against hamas and hezbollah and as the assad regime collapses in syria. america has entered a window of maximum danger. the department needs energetic and focused civilian leadership.

those values begin at the top with the secretary of defense. many of my distinguished colleagues have served in a significant tenure on this committee. our meetings are fairly long. we should reflect over previous secretaries of defense and their hearings and ask ourselves a simple question. has the civilian leadership of the pentagon under the administration of both parties proven up to the challenge? often the answer has been no. the civilian leadership has not built the department of defense to meet the moment. this is our moment to correct that. a few examples illustrate how leaders in the past have fallen short. most of the department's signature programs run billions of dollars over cost. vital initiatives have suffered such as the f-35, the new sentinel icbm, the navy's shipbuilding program and the

constellation cass forget -- class frigate. they need leaders who listen to the advice of combat commanders, many of whom would benefit from innovative systems. yet a risk-averse dod culture has kept too many promising technologies on the wrong side of the so-called valley of death. that tenuous period between extreme rental prototypes and cut -- experiment of prototypes and contracts. as we all know, the pentagon cannot even pass an audit. the department must simplify and streamline its bureaucracy so we can respond to innovation. staffs have ballooned. organizations are top-heavy. civilian leaders have promised time and again to slim down the bureaucracy and generally hoped to. every day minute women in uniform a permit is contributions to u.s. security.

they and the american people deserve a pentagon that does the same. today's department of defense is no longer prepared for great power competition. it is not a national defense institution ready to achieve and sustain technological supremacy across the range of operations. admittedly, the nomination is unconventional. the nominee is unconventional. just like that new york developer who wrote down the escalator in 2015 to announce -- rode down the escalator in 2015 to announce his candidacy for president. that could be what makes mr. hegseth an excellent choice to improve this on acceptable status quo i just described. he is a decorated post-9/11 combat veteran. he will inject a new warrior ethos, a spirit that can

cascade from the top down. people drink energy and fresh ideas to shake up the --mr. hegseth will inject energy and fresh ideas to shake up the department. deterring wars and winning the ones we must fight. he will bring a swift end to corrosive distractions such as dei. many of knowledge and live with these systemic problems i have mentioned earlier. acquisition, accountability, technology transition and organizational civil service reform. mr. hegseth will move to fix these issues decisively. i am confident he will get the job done. the secretary of defense is an incredibly important position but the secretary's span of control is limited. the pentagon is vast with 3 million plus personnel, uniformed, civilian and

contractor. a successful secretary means focusing his attention on priorities with exceptional subordinates who will run the day-to-day affairs of the office of the secretary of defense. the military services and the other dod components. i'm also confident as an infantryman mr. hegseth understands the military principle of commanders intent. communicate the clear objective, and power subordinates to use initiative and judgment, and hold everybody accountable. we must not underestimate the importance of having a top shelf communicator as secretary of defense. other than the president, no official plays a larger role in telling the men and women about the threats we face. i have no doubt mr. hegseth will

excel in the skill in which many of his predecessors have fallen short. much has been made about mr. hegseth's personal life and some of his policy pronouncements. regarding his personal conduct, mr. hegseth admitted to falling short, as we all do from time to time. it is noteworthy the vast majority of the accusations leveled that mr. hegseth have come from anonymous sources. contrast these anonymous accusations with the many public letters of support and commendation. we have seen letters from people who served with mr. hegseth. these individuals have worked with him professionally. they really know him and his character. these patriotic americans have been willing to put their names and reputations on the line to support mr. hegseth. i look forward to sharing these testimonials with the american people. one comes from david who earned

the medal of honor for heroic actions in combat in fallujah, iraq. he writes the following. "pete is fearless, unflappable and confronts conflict had on. he's a leader to the core. when pete is confirmed as the next secretary of defense of the united states of america, this country will finally know the privilege of having a true ambassador able to speak on behalf of of this generation and its two decade global war on terror. washington does not build men like pete. combat builds men like pete." as i said, there are more letters expressing the same endorsement. we will hear from the nominee rightly. i want to thank mr. hegseth, as well as his loved ones for being here today. i look forward to discussing his nomination and hearing from mr. hegseth about the ways he hopes to rebuild the american strength

that secures the piece. -- peace. i turned to ranking member reed for his opening remark. sen. reed: thank you very much, mr. chairman. i would like to congratulate you on your chairmanship. i look forward to continuing our committee's strong tradition of bipartisanship and collaboration. thank you for your thoughtful and conscious service over many years. i would like to take a moment to join chairman wicker in welcoming our new members, senator slotkin, senator banks and senator shaheen. welcome. we look forward to working with you. mr. hegseth, i welcome you and your family today. i'm glad to recognize my former colleague norm coleman and congressman mike walls. mr. hegseth, i want to say i respect and appreciate your military service in the army national guard. i know from experience there is no greater provigil then delete american soldiers.

i think -- than to lead american soldiers. i thank you. the secretary is responsible for leading 3.5 million service members and civilians, and annual budget of $900 billion, and hundreds of thousands of ships, combat vehicles, satellites and the nuclear arsenal. the secretary plays a powerful role with our allies, partners and avid series abroad. as we speak, china is seeking to undermine our interests, intimidate friends and challenge our standing in the world. russia's campaign against ukraine threatens not only europe but the entire global order. ongoing violence has teetered on the edge of all-out war in the middle east. the ideologies and actions of violent extremists endanger our citizens, even on our own soil, after the -- as the recent tragedy in orleans reminds

us. the secretary is expected to be a fair, nonpartisan and responsible leader, as well as a trustworthy advocate for the men and women they lead. mr. hegseth, i do not believe you are qualified to meet the overwhelming demands of this job. we must acknowledge the concerning public reports against you. a variety of sources, including your own writings, implicate you with disregarding the laws of war, financial mismanagement, racist and sexist remarks about men and women in uniform, alcohol abuse, sexual assault, sexual harassment and other troubling issues. i have reviewed many allegations and find them extremely alarming. the totality of your own writings and alleged conduct would disqualify any servicemember from holding any

leadership position in the military, much less being confirmed as the secretary of defense. nonetheless, i understand you reject many of these reports as they involve whistleblowers, nondisclosure agreements and anonymous although numerous sources, including those who have faced political intimidation for sharing their experiences. i hope you'll address the these allegations during your testimony. i hope you will pledge to prevent any repercussions for whistleblowers, both civilian and military if confirmed. mr. hegseth, during our meeting last week he said that if confirmed, your top priority would be "restoring a warrior culture to the department of defense." you believe the u.s. military has been weakened by political correctness. over the years you have made clear in your opinion of the military's diversity initiatives. as you said, "diversity is not our strength. unity is."

on a recent podcast he said, "i'm straight up saying we should not have women in combat roles." i joined the army in the u.s. military was rife with racial tension, women were prohibited from serving in both roles, gay service numbers were banned and we relied on the national draft. the soldiers i served with were proud to do so but it was not the nation's most capable military by any standard. we have made great progress since then. the department of defense is fully integrated today. every race and religion is accepted. women served in all combat rules and leadership positions. sexual orientation is irrelevant to service and the all volunteer force visibly reflects the nation it protects. our military is more diverse than it has ever been but more importantly, it is more lethal than it has ever been. this is not a coincidence. mr. hegseth, i hope you will explain why you believe such

diversity is making the military week and how -- weak and how you propose to undo that without undermining military leadership in harming readiness, recruitment and retention. mr. hegseth, another reason i concerned about your nomination is your disregard for the law of armed conflict and support for service members who have been convicted of war crimes. you have championed a pardoning of military members who were turned in by their fellow soldiers and seals. they were not discovered by reporters. they were turned in by fellow soldiers and fellow seals. also, pardoning of military contractors convicted of killing 14 iraqi citizens without course. you have advocated for the restitution of interrogation methods like waterboarding that have been defined as torture. you have belittled the advice and counsel of the judge advocates general while on the planet. in your book, "the war on warriors," you right, "-- write,

"if i warriors are forced to follow rules so international tribunals feel better about themselves, aren't we better off winning our wars according to our own rules?" mr. hegseth, i ask you define how you would maintain good order and discipline with armed forces and the support of our allies and partners by rejecting international law and the law of war. i'm concerned about your abilities as a competent manager of organizations far less complex than the department of defense. from 2008 to 2010, he led the organization veterans for freedom. it had annual budget of less than $10 million. in each here you were in charge expenses far exceeded revenues until the organization teetered on bankruptcy and had to be merged with another group. in fact, according to public reporting, an independent

forensic accountant reviewed the organization's finances in discovered evidence of gross financial mismanagement. i would note this report has not been made available to any government agency. which is i think alarming. a republican advisor to you during your tenure at the organization who read the report stated, "i watched him run an organization poorly, lose the confidence of donors. the organization ultimately folded and was forced to merge with another organization who individuals felt would run and manage funds on behalf of donors more responsibly than he could. i don't know how he will run an organization with $857 billion budget and 3 million individuals." that is the only comment we have had and the only axis we have had to the forensic report. a similar thing happened with the concerned veterans for america, a second group you lead

from 2011 until 2016. during those five years, tax records show the organization spent more than a raised. just as troubling reports that a significant amount of debt was incurred from social events and parties filled with excessive drinking and questionable personal behavior. mr. hegseth, i hope you ask lane what actions you will take it confirmed to be a better steward of defense department's large budget. while i appreciate our meeting last week, tunick settable you did not meet with any other democratic members of this committee before the hearing -- it is undetectable. it has been our bipartisan tradition. i have voted for and worked closely with secretaries of defense appointed by republican president. while we may disagree politically, there was always an understanding that rank partisanship should have no place when it comes to providing for the men and women who serve in uniform. mr. hegseth, i'm troubled by the comments you have made both as a

commentator and in your published writings. in your book, you wrote, "modern leftists who represent the soul of the modern democratic party literally hate the foundational ideas of america." "the left is not our friend. we are not esteemed colleagues, norm your political opponents. we are foes. either we win or they went. we agree on nothing else." mr. hegseth, if confirmed, you would lead an organization that like the country it represents is composed of democrats and republicans. yet your language suggests you regard many of these men and women as foes. i would ask you to explain why service and civilians who do not share your political opinions can trust they will not be targeted during your tenure. the challenge of the secretary of defense is to remove partisan politics from the military.

you propose to inject it. this would be an insult to the minute women who have sworn to uphold their own a political duty to the constitution. mr. hegseth, your the ninth nominee for secretary defense i've had the honor to consider as a member of the senate armed services committee. i have voted in favor of all of your predecessors, including those in the first trumpet administration. unfortunately, you lack character and composure and confidence to hold the position of secretary of defense. thank you. chair wicker: thank you, senator reed. it is my privilege and honor and pleasure to recognize two witnesses who have come forward to introduce our nominee. first i recognize my former colleague and former senator norm coleman of minnesota for the purpose of an introduction.

we are glad to see you and glad to have you back. you are recognized. >> thank you, mr. chairman. ranking member red, members of the -- reed, members of the committee. as a senator from minnesota i spent hours with this young man as he walked the halls of congress advocating on behalf of of america's veterans. he is young in the best sense of the word. he is strong, focused, intelligent, incisive, a great listener and almost supernaturally energetic, what we need in a secretary of defense in times of massive change. he is the real deal. f scott fitzgerald was a writer in my city of st. paul. he said the problem with america is there are no second acts. he was wrong. pete was a brave soldier, and he will communicator, and i believe people begin a great second act as our secretary of defense. he has struggled and overcome

great personal challenges. please don't give into the senechal notion that people can't change -- synical notion that people can change. grace can lead us home. four years ago, president biden's nominee, lloyd austin, a good and honorable man, received 97 votes and we went through the debacle of the afghanistan withdrawal, putin invading ukraine, houthis endangering shipping lanes, israeli miracles with united states more of an impediment that help. i recruitment numbers have some dramatically -- sunk genetically. the southern border -- sunk dramatically. i say it is high time to get out of the box. one more thought. accompl -- the country long for respect and dignity.

my hope is this committee hearing provides what they are asking for. disagree, yes. strongly of necessary. but come together to support the nominee, this nominee, pete hegseth, of the one president we have at a time. laying aside politic -- partisan politics. mr. chairman, yield. -- i yield. chair wicker: a free she ate your presence today. -- i appreciate your presence today. i have the honor of introducing congress and walls -- congressman walls. >> thank you, chairman wicker. chairman has a very nice ring to

it. congratulations. ranking member reed, it is a privilege to appear and urge the members to confirm pete hegseth as the next secretary of defense. i'm not here today to advocate on behalf of a future colic, -- future colleague, but to speak about someone i have considered a friend for a decade now. i'm a veteran. we deployed to afghanistan and all over the world at the height of the war on terror, which is the war of our generation. like thousands of other war fighters we have witnessed the hardships of war. we have experienced the loss of friends in combat. we have endured too much time away from family and friends. no one -- i can promise you this

-- no one hates war more than those who had to go fight. no one does. pete's story is not that much different from millions of veterans. they appreciate him for the experiences he has gone through. after our country was brutally attacked on 9/11, pete hegseth answered the call of duty like so many others. he put the interests of this country ahead of his own. i can tell you firsthand, as can the heroes sitting in this audience behind me, pete's character of country, selflessness, his duty, these are the key tenets that have shaped them into the leader that he is today. these are the traits that president trump recognized when making the decision to nominate pete for this critical role. he will bring the perspective of being the first secretary of defense to have served as a junior officer on the front

lines, not in the headquarters. on the front lines in the war on terror and recognizes the human costs, the financial costs in the policy drift that was discussed often in this very room that led us to decades and decades of war. not only does he understand the threats he faces, but as the chairman mentioned, he is brilliant at communicating those to the american people in a way that is often not communicated in washington, d.c. to reach the american people so they understand why the military needs to do what he needs to do. -- it needs to do. i have no doubt he will get the pentagon back to its primary mission, lethal readiness. that warrior ethos is what enemies respect. that warrior ethos is what enemies will fear and will keep the peace.

ladies and gentlemen, in my humble opinion, our military deserves better than it's getting. our country faces a devastating recruitment crisis. men and women are not volunteering to serve the levels required. our readiness is down, costs are up and it seems like nearly every major weapons system -- often discussed in this very room -- is costing too much, delivering too little and taking way too long. the bottom line is the status quo is on acceptable. it is not working. the members of this committee, you will know it. you know it is not working. the members of the house armed services know it is not working. we have hearing after hearing, year after year. here we are -- >> you can continue watching on c-span3. more on the c-span now video