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Begin first . We will adjourn the 

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public portion of this hearing at one 

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o'clock and immediately move upstairs 

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for the classified portion . Second , 

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as we noticed last week , we will run 

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questions in reverse seniority for 

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those president , the gavel . Uh we try 

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to do this every year to give our 

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members at the bottom of the diets the 

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opportunity participate earlier in the 

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process . Yeah , that's 

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right . That's right . 

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I've heard many objections 

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today . We kick off our posture 

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hearings with North Common South com . 

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I want to thank our witnesses for being 

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here in their service to our country . 

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In recent weeks , the American people 

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saw firsthand that China's aggression 

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knows no geographic boundaries . 

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China's spy balloon violated U S 

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sovereignty and challenged us homeland 

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defense . Unfortunately , uh this 

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should come as no surprise . The 

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Chinese Communist Party has long been 

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expanding its influence in North and 

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South America . 25 of the 31 countries 

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in South com A O R have welcomed 

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infrastructure investment from the CCP . 

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21 have formally joined the CCPS Belt 

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and Road initiative . The CCP is 

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backing projects to build new or 

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operate existing seaports in Brazil , 

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Peru , Ecuador , Jamaica , Argentina 

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Panama , Mexico and the Bahamas . This 

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is concerning because the CCP is 

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leveraging these investments to gain 

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strategic footholds in our hemisphere . 

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Many of these countries host ports , 

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calls , host ports , calls by military 

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equipment and receive training from the 

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P L A . Sadly , the number of South and 

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Central American countries willing to 

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enter into partnerships with the CCP is 

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only growing . We need to take , take 

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action to reverse that trend . 

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Unfortunately , the CCP is not only 

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maligned , it's not the only malign 

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influence in the western hemisphere . 

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Russia recently deploys troops to 

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Nicaragua Venezuela and continues to 

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prop up Cuba's communist regime . Now 

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even Iran is gaining presence in South 

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America . Just two weeks after 

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President Biden welcomed Brazil's new 

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president to the White House . Two 

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Iranian warships were allowed to dock 

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in Rio . We must stop being so 

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complacent about our adversaries 

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growing influence in our hemisphere . 

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We need to do more to build and enhance 

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partnerships in the region . Beyond the 

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growing presence of our adversaries , 

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many areas of South and Central America 

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continue to be havens for transnational 

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criminal organizations . These brutal 

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criminal gangs gangs prey on thousands 

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of vulnerable men , women and Children , 

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they steal their money and endanger 

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their lives with perilous attempts to 

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gain illegal entry at our borders . 

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They also uh they are also the main 

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source of fentaNYL other dangerous 

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drugs smuggled across our border . 

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We're seeing the consequences on 

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streets across America . Over 100,000 

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are dying each year from fentaNYL 

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overdoses alone at our southern border . 

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A record 2.7 million migrants illegally 

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crossed into our country in 2022 that 

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blew away the previous record by over 

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one million individuals , communities 

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in our border states and throughout the 

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country are struggling as a result . 

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North common south com are doing their 

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best to provide support to civilian 

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authorities to address the border 

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crisis . But the real solution rests 

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with our president . He needs to stop 

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with the excuses and secure our border . 

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Finally , I'm very concerned about 

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secretary's decision to go along with 

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the Commerce Department's plan that 

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will lead to the auctioning off of 

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critical D O D spectrum . This spectrum 

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is used for the vast majority of our 

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military radar systems including our 

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early warning , homeland and ship borne 

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missile defense . Um Having a lot of 

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trouble understanding the rationale for 

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his decision , especially when Russia 

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has suspended new start treaty , North 

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Korea is launching more I C B M s and 

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China is sending hypersonic around the 

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globe . I expect the D O D to explain 

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this to this committee how it is in our 

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national security interest to auction 

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off this vital spectrum . I look 

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forward to hearing from our witnesses 

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and getting their best military advice 

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on how to overcome the security 

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challenges we face . And with that , I 

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yield to my friend , the ranking member , 

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Mr Smith . Thank you Mr Chairman . I 

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appreciate it . I want to welcome our 

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witnesses , General Van Herk , General 

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Richardson , Miss Dalton . Appreciate 

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your leadership and appreciate you 

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being before us today . I think the 

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chairman laid out a pretty good 

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analysis of the threats that we face 

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and you two A O R s . And I just want 

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to agree with that . Um , starting with 

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in the North American Domain as General 

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Van Herk put it , the domain awareness 

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issues are , are significant . We , we 

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need to know what's coming at us . We 

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need to be able to see um what the 

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threats are and certainly publicly , we 

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saw what the threats could be um at 

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high altitude from apparently balloons . 

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But some of the bigger threats are 

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cyber . Do we know how well protected 

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our systems are ? So when it comes to 

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protecting the homeland , that's where 

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it starts , are we aware of the threats 

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that are coming at us in all possible 

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domains ? And this is not an easy thing . 

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We certainly have radars , we have 

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systems to pick up on things coming at 

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us , but those radars can't see 

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everything all the time . How do we 

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prioritize or how do we improve the 

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system so that they can see more . It 

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seems like the Chinese became aware of 

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a vulnerability that slow moving 

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objects at high altitude with things 

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that we tended not to see . Well , now 

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we are seeing them , but we look 

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forward to a further explanation of how 

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we can make sure that we have a robust 

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domain awareness . And again , even 

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though it was very much in , in TV , 

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about the , the objects moving across 

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our airspace , the real threat is in 

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the cyber domain and the real threat is 

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whether or not we can make sure we 

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protect our system . So I would 

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appreciate an update on how we can make 

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sure we do that . And then certainly , 

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I think the chairman emphasized exactly 

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the point that , that we are becoming 

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aware of . And that is Russia , China 

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and Iran are incredibly active um in 

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the Western hemisphere . Um They are 

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building relationships throughout Latin 

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America . We need to better understand 

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that and figure out how to deal with it . 

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Um It is , it is a challenge that we 

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have not seen for , for a while but is 

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very much present that we need to be 

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aware of the need to be ready to deal 

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with . And I look forward to General 

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Richardson explaining to us a little 

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bit more about how we're doing that . 

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And then lastly , of course , the issue 

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of transnational criminal organizations 

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engaged in drug and human trafficking , 

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an enormous problem which we're all 

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very much aware of that . We need to 

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better understand how that threat is 

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coming again from your A O R and how we 

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can better deal with it . Again , I 

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look forward to the testimony and the 

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questions from our panel and I yield 

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back , I think the ranking member now 

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I'd like to introduce our witnesses . 

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The honorable Melissa Dalton is the 

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Assistant Secretary of Defense for 

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Homeland Defense and the Hemispheric 

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Affairs . She previously served as the 

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Principal Deputy Assistant Secretary of 

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Defense for Strategic for Strategy 

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plans and Capabilities . General 

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General Glenn Van Herk is the commander 

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of United States Northern Command and 

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Northern American Aerospace Defense 

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Command . He previously served as the 

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Director of the Joint Staff General . 

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Laura Richardson is the commander of 

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United States Southern Command and 

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previously served as the commanding 

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general U S Army . North , welcome our 

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witnesses and Miss Dalton will start 

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with you for five minutes . Chairman 

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Rogers , ranking member , Smith and 

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distinguished members of the committee . 

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Thank you for the opportunity to 

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testify . Today . I will highlight how 

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we are putting homeland defense and 

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other interests across this hemisphere . 

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Front and center to implement the 2022 

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national defense strategy per the NDS . 

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The People's Republic of China is the 

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pacing challenge for D O D while Russia 

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remains an acute threat . In addition 

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to building conventional and nuclear 

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capabilities , we are concerned that 

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the PRC in particular is using non 

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kinetic means to subvert our ability to 

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project power . The NDS also ensures 

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vigilance of other persistent threats . 

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North Korea is expanding its nuclear 

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and missile capability to threaten the 

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homeland . Iran is testing space launch 

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technologies and global terrorist 

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groups require continued monitoring . A 

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range of fast evolving technologies 

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could disrupt us supply chain and 

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logistics operations . For example , 

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small unproved aircraft systems could 

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pose a threat to domestic D O D 

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facilities . Last year . The homeland 

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endured 90 incidents caused by 

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hurricanes , severe storms , wildfires 

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and floods degrading our readiness in 

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the western hemisphere . These hazards 

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contribute to instability and migration , 

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creating conditions that state and non 

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state actors can exploit . We are doing 

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more than ever to deter , defend and 

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defeat aggression from competitors . 

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We're using an integrated deterrence 

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approach to harness conventional 

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cyberspace and information capabilities 

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to raise costs for our competitors 

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while reducing their expected benefits 

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of aggression . Per the 2022 missile 

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defense review , our missile defense 

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systems offer protection for the U S 

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population while reassuring others that 

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we will not be coerced by threats to 

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the homeland nested within our missile 

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defense approach . Integrated air and 

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missile defense enables freedom of 

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action by negating an adversary's 

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ability to create adverse effects with 

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air and missile capabilities . We also 

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rely on strategic deterrence for large 

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intercontinental range nuclear missile 

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threats from the PRC in Russia . 

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Investments in modern sensors and 

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infrastructure are vital to homeland 

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defense against airborne and maritime 

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threats and to our ability to project 

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force is we are grateful for the 

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committee's support of the over the 

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horizon radars . We are working with 

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Canada to maximize Norad's coverage of 

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the approaches to North America . It is 

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also vital to extend the secretary's 

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authority under section 1 30 I of title 

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10 to protect certain D O D facilities 

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and domestic assets from us by virtue 

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of us sovereign territory in Alaska . 

276
00:09:57,470 --> 00:09:59,581
The Arctic is an extension of the U S 

277
00:09:59,581 --> 00:10:01,748
homeland . We are working to implement 

278
00:10:01,748 --> 00:10:03,803
the national strategy for the Arctic 

279
00:10:03,803 --> 00:10:05,748
region . We are leveraging the Ted 

280
00:10:05,748 --> 00:10:07,970
Stevens Center for the Arctic Strategic 

281
00:10:07,970 --> 00:10:09,914
Studies in Alaska . We demonstrate 

282
00:10:09,914 --> 00:10:12,081
combat creditable forces in the Arctic 

283
00:10:12,081 --> 00:10:14,137
by training and exercising including 

284
00:10:14,137 --> 00:10:16,137
through Arctic edge with Canada and 

285
00:10:16,137 --> 00:10:15,870
through bomber task force deployments 

286
00:10:15,870 --> 00:10:17,981
with the United Kingdom and Norway to 

287
00:10:17,981 --> 00:10:20,092
support NATO . Our competitors . Gray 

288
00:10:20,092 --> 00:10:22,220
zone activities threaten key domestic 

289
00:10:22,230 --> 00:10:24,286
assets , networks and infrastructure 

290
00:10:24,286 --> 00:10:26,508
that D O D and the American people rely 

291
00:10:26,508 --> 00:10:28,730
on D O D is enhancing the resilience of 

292
00:10:28,730 --> 00:10:30,397
us systems working within the 

293
00:10:30,397 --> 00:10:32,563
interagency with federal state , local 

294
00:10:32,563 --> 00:10:34,563
tribal territorial partners and the 

295
00:10:34,563 --> 00:10:36,619
private sector . We work the defense 

296
00:10:36,619 --> 00:10:38,452
industrial base to enhance cyber 

297
00:10:38,452 --> 00:10:40,750
security and resilience to operate 

298
00:10:40,750 --> 00:10:42,917
through disruption . We are increasing 

299
00:10:42,917 --> 00:10:45,139
the body's ability to operate in a more 

300
00:10:45,139 --> 00:10:47,139
dispersed manner and from alternate 

301
00:10:47,139 --> 00:10:49,194
locations , defense support of civil 

302
00:10:49,194 --> 00:10:51,361
authorities or discuss is an important 

303
00:10:51,361 --> 00:10:53,583
activity supporting the American public 

304
00:10:53,583 --> 00:10:55,306
and our partners responding to 

305
00:10:55,306 --> 00:10:57,417
disasters , public health emergencies 

306
00:10:57,417 --> 00:10:59,386
and securing our borders . Today , 

307
00:10:59,396 --> 00:11:02,226
approximately 202,500 military 

308
00:11:02,226 --> 00:11:04,448
personnel are deployed to the Southwest 

309
00:11:04,448 --> 00:11:06,666
border duty has supported Dhs's border 

310
00:11:06,666 --> 00:11:08,966
security mission for 18 of the last 22 

311
00:11:08,966 --> 00:11:11,486
years for the N D S D O D is prepared 

312
00:11:11,486 --> 00:11:13,653
to support disk activities that do not 

313
00:11:13,653 --> 00:11:15,882
impair warfighting readiness . Our 

314
00:11:15,882 --> 00:11:17,993
domestic partners should be resourced 

315
00:11:17,993 --> 00:11:19,826
for their mission requirements , 

316
00:11:19,826 --> 00:11:21,604
preserving D O D s war fighting 

317
00:11:21,604 --> 00:11:23,826
capabilities . We're also strengthening 

318
00:11:23,826 --> 00:11:25,882
our ability to withstand and recover 

319
00:11:25,882 --> 00:11:27,993
from extreme environmental events and 

320
00:11:27,993 --> 00:11:30,104
to build a resilient joint force . We 

321
00:11:30,104 --> 00:11:31,771
intend to use the new defense 

322
00:11:31,771 --> 00:11:33,826
operational resilience International 

323
00:11:33,826 --> 00:11:35,660
Cooperation Program to build our 

324
00:11:35,660 --> 00:11:37,826
partners early warning capabilities to 

325
00:11:37,826 --> 00:11:39,882
reduce the need for D O D assets for 

326
00:11:39,882 --> 00:11:41,938
disasters and other emergencies . We 

327
00:11:41,938 --> 00:11:44,215
are deepening partnerships with Canada , 

328
00:11:44,215 --> 00:11:46,271
Mexico , Brazil , Colombia and Chile 

329
00:11:46,271 --> 00:11:47,882
while reinforcing democratic 

330
00:11:47,882 --> 00:11:50,049
institutions , civilian control of the 

331
00:11:50,049 --> 00:11:52,160
military and respect for human rights 

332
00:11:52,160 --> 00:11:54,326
and the rule of law . Secretary Austin 

333
00:11:54,326 --> 00:11:55,993
highlighted the importance of 

334
00:11:55,993 --> 00:11:58,049
integrated deterrence at last year's 

335
00:11:58,049 --> 00:12:00,160
conference of the Defense Minister of 

336
00:12:00,160 --> 00:12:02,160
the Americas in Brazil . Later this 

337
00:12:02,160 --> 00:12:04,049
week , I will travel to Mexico to 

338
00:12:04,049 --> 00:12:05,660
discuss defense issues . Our 

339
00:12:05,660 --> 00:12:07,771
relationships in this hemisphere help 

340
00:12:07,771 --> 00:12:09,438
ensure we are able to conduct 

341
00:12:09,438 --> 00:12:11,771
humanitarian assist and disaster relief . 

342
00:12:11,771 --> 00:12:13,604
Bolster cyber defenses , promote 

343
00:12:13,604 --> 00:12:15,826
climate resilience and conduct pandemic 

344
00:12:15,826 --> 00:12:17,993
response to conclude the department is 

345
00:12:17,993 --> 00:12:20,215
committed to defending the homeland and 

346
00:12:20,215 --> 00:12:22,104
pursuing us interests across this 

347
00:12:22,104 --> 00:12:24,326
hemisphere . Thank you for support your 

348
00:12:24,326 --> 00:12:26,382
support of the Department of Defense 

349
00:12:26,382 --> 00:12:26,324
and I look forward to your questions . 

350
00:12:26,414 --> 00:12:28,414
Thank you , Miss Dalton chair and I 

351
00:12:28,414 --> 00:12:30,636
recognize General Van Herk five minutes 

352
00:12:30,636 --> 00:12:32,858
to read a statement , Chairman Rogers , 

353
00:12:32,858 --> 00:12:32,494
ranking member , Smith and 

354
00:12:32,494 --> 00:12:34,772
distinguished members of the committee . 

355
00:12:34,772 --> 00:12:36,994
Thank you for the opportunity to appear 

356
00:12:36,994 --> 00:12:39,105
today And represent the men and women 

357
00:12:39,105 --> 00:12:41,216
of the United States Northern Command 

358
00:12:41,216 --> 00:12:43,050
and the North American Aerospace 

359
00:12:43,050 --> 00:12:45,105
Defense Command . North Common NORAD 

360
00:12:45,105 --> 00:12:46,994
are distinct commands United by a 

361
00:12:46,994 --> 00:12:48,994
common purpose to defend the United 

362
00:12:48,994 --> 00:12:51,105
States and Canadian homelands in what 

363
00:12:51,105 --> 00:12:51,010
is clearly the most complex and dynamic 

364
00:12:51,010 --> 00:12:52,899
strategic environment that I have 

365
00:12:52,899 --> 00:12:55,010
experienced during more than 35 years 

366
00:12:55,010 --> 00:12:56,800
in service . In my role as the 

367
00:12:56,800 --> 00:12:58,411
commander of North Com , I'm 

368
00:12:58,411 --> 00:13:00,244
responsible for homeland defense 

369
00:13:00,244 --> 00:13:02,467
defense support of civil authorities in 

370
00:13:02,467 --> 00:13:04,189
the United States and security 

371
00:13:04,189 --> 00:13:06,356
cooperation with our military partners 

372
00:13:06,356 --> 00:13:08,467
in Canada , Mexico and the Bahamas as 

373
00:13:08,467 --> 00:13:10,633
the commander of NORAD , the unique US 

374
00:13:10,633 --> 00:13:12,522
Canadian Binational Command . I'm 

375
00:13:12,522 --> 00:13:14,522
responsible for aerospace warning , 

376
00:13:14,522 --> 00:13:16,689
aerospace control and maritime warning 

377
00:13:16,689 --> 00:13:18,744
in the approaches to North America . 

378
00:13:18,770 --> 00:13:20,992
Despite the complexity of the strategic 

379
00:13:20,992 --> 00:13:22,990
environment and recent erosion of 

380
00:13:23,000 --> 00:13:25,167
military advantage , the United States 

381
00:13:25,167 --> 00:13:27,333
military remains the most powerful and 

382
00:13:27,333 --> 00:13:29,710
professional force in history . However , 

383
00:13:29,710 --> 00:13:31,710
we must take action now to stop the 

384
00:13:31,710 --> 00:13:34,220
erosion of our military advantage . Our 

385
00:13:34,220 --> 00:13:36,331
competitors actions and ambitions are 

386
00:13:36,331 --> 00:13:38,553
global and all domain in nature and our 

387
00:13:38,553 --> 00:13:40,720
competitors have the capability intent 

388
00:13:40,720 --> 00:13:42,887
to hold our homeland at risk above and 

389
00:13:42,887 --> 00:13:44,831
below the nuclear threshold and in 

390
00:13:44,831 --> 00:13:46,720
multiple domains to achieve their 

391
00:13:46,720 --> 00:13:48,710
strategic objectives . The PRC and 

392
00:13:48,710 --> 00:13:50,710
Russia have fielded cruise missiles 

393
00:13:50,710 --> 00:13:52,610
delivery platforms , non kinetic 

394
00:13:52,610 --> 00:13:54,443
capabilities that hold at risk , 

395
00:13:54,443 --> 00:13:56,650
critical infrastructure and civilian 

396
00:13:56,650 --> 00:13:58,872
infrastructure in the United States and 

397
00:13:58,872 --> 00:14:00,872
Canada . And with the capability to 

398
00:14:00,872 --> 00:14:02,706
strike with limited warning with 

399
00:14:02,706 --> 00:14:04,650
significant consequences including 

400
00:14:04,650 --> 00:14:06,594
reducing our capability to project 

401
00:14:06,594 --> 00:14:08,761
power from a secure homeland , limited 

402
00:14:08,761 --> 00:14:10,706
warning . Due due to a lack of all 

403
00:14:10,706 --> 00:14:12,872
domain awareness inherently limits the 

404
00:14:12,872 --> 00:14:14,706
risk and decisions based options 

405
00:14:14,706 --> 00:14:16,840
available to national leaders which 

406
00:14:16,850 --> 00:14:18,920
increases the risk of miscalculation 

407
00:14:18,930 --> 00:14:21,780
and escalation . Today , I assess as I 

408
00:14:21,780 --> 00:14:23,836
have for nearly three years that the 

409
00:14:23,836 --> 00:14:26,058
homeland is a potential limiting factor 

410
00:14:26,058 --> 00:14:27,836
to ensuring rapid and effective 

411
00:14:27,836 --> 00:14:30,380
implementation and execution of global 

412
00:14:30,380 --> 00:14:32,550
contingency plans . Due to my lack of 

413
00:14:32,550 --> 00:14:34,850
domain awareness , timely access to 

414
00:14:34,850 --> 00:14:36,683
forces that are ready to operate 

415
00:14:36,683 --> 00:14:38,739
throughout my area of responsibility 

416
00:14:38,739 --> 00:14:41,230
including in the Arctic and a lack of 

417
00:14:41,230 --> 00:14:43,452
resilient infrastructure , enabling the 

418
00:14:43,452 --> 00:14:45,508
joint force to fight in and from our 

419
00:14:45,508 --> 00:14:47,619
homeland while ensuring forward power 

420
00:14:47,619 --> 00:14:50,070
projection to address today strategic 

421
00:14:50,070 --> 00:14:52,237
environment . For nearly three years , 

422
00:14:52,237 --> 00:14:54,459
I have focused on four key priorities . 

423
00:14:54,459 --> 00:14:57,350
Domain awareness or the ability to see 

424
00:14:57,360 --> 00:14:59,360
and detect potential threats in all 

425
00:14:59,360 --> 00:15:01,780
domains information dominance , which 

426
00:15:01,780 --> 00:15:03,891
is the use of artificial intelligence 

427
00:15:03,891 --> 00:15:05,947
and machine learning to process data 

428
00:15:05,947 --> 00:15:08,240
more rapidly for strategic advantage , 

429
00:15:08,250 --> 00:15:10,830
decisions , superiority , which is the 

430
00:15:10,830 --> 00:15:12,941
dissemination of data and information 

431
00:15:12,941 --> 00:15:15,163
to the right leader at the right time . 

432
00:15:15,163 --> 00:15:17,108
From the tactical to the strategic 

433
00:15:17,108 --> 00:15:18,886
level and finally global global 

434
00:15:18,886 --> 00:15:20,719
integration , addressing today's 

435
00:15:20,719 --> 00:15:22,719
environment with the global and all 

436
00:15:22,719 --> 00:15:24,886
domain approach , vice legacy regional 

437
00:15:24,886 --> 00:15:26,719
approaches and practices . Those 

438
00:15:26,719 --> 00:15:28,941
priorities are critical to successfully 

439
00:15:28,941 --> 00:15:31,163
defending the homeland and to providing 

440
00:15:31,163 --> 00:15:33,108
our national leaders with the only 

441
00:15:33,108 --> 00:15:32,960
thing I can never give them enough of . 

442
00:15:32,960 --> 00:15:35,460
And that's time to create deterrence 

443
00:15:35,460 --> 00:15:37,516
options . And if required defend and 

444
00:15:37,516 --> 00:15:39,380
defeat options are competitors . 

445
00:15:39,380 --> 00:15:41,380
Actions over the last several years 

446
00:15:41,380 --> 00:15:43,491
have shown that regional crisis often 

447
00:15:43,491 --> 00:15:46,250
take the department to have global 

448
00:15:46,250 --> 00:15:48,472
implications implications which the and 

449
00:15:48,472 --> 00:15:50,694
also the potential for rapid escalation 

450
00:15:50,694 --> 00:15:53,460
and this vital that the department 

451
00:15:53,470 --> 00:15:55,470
adopt globally integrated plans and 

452
00:15:55,470 --> 00:15:57,748
policies that fully reflect competitor , 

453
00:15:57,748 --> 00:15:59,692
capability , capacity and intent , 

454
00:15:59,692 --> 00:16:01,748
including the intent to threaten our 

455
00:16:01,748 --> 00:16:03,859
homeland . While we have work to do , 

456
00:16:03,859 --> 00:16:05,914
there has been some notable progress 

457
00:16:05,914 --> 00:16:05,790
towards the key priorities . I'm 

458
00:16:05,790 --> 00:16:08,012
grateful to the Department and Congress 

459
00:16:08,012 --> 00:16:09,846
for your support of the over the 

460
00:16:09,846 --> 00:16:12,012
horizon radars that will significantly 

461
00:16:12,012 --> 00:16:13,846
improve domain awareness and the 

462
00:16:13,846 --> 00:16:15,846
ability to detect and track threats 

463
00:16:15,846 --> 00:16:18,012
well before they reach North America . 

464
00:16:18,012 --> 00:16:19,623
But we need to go faster and 

465
00:16:19,623 --> 00:16:21,846
acquisition plan based on over a decade 

466
00:16:21,846 --> 00:16:23,901
is too long . Both the Department of 

467
00:16:23,901 --> 00:16:26,068
Defense and the Canadian Department of 

468
00:16:26,068 --> 00:16:28,012
National Defense have committed to 

469
00:16:28,012 --> 00:16:30,179
funding over the rise in the radar and 

470
00:16:30,179 --> 00:16:32,401
I respectfully urge both governments to 

471
00:16:32,401 --> 00:16:34,623
ensure this vital and proven capability 

472
00:16:34,623 --> 00:16:36,679
has fielded as quickly as possible . 

473
00:16:36,679 --> 00:16:38,901
Likewise , the Space Force's investment 

474
00:16:38,901 --> 00:16:41,123
in advanced space based missile warning 

475
00:16:41,123 --> 00:16:43,068
sensor capabilities and the Navy's 

476
00:16:43,068 --> 00:16:45,123
commitment to modernizing integrated 

477
00:16:45,123 --> 00:16:47,234
undersea surveillance are vital to my 

478
00:16:47,234 --> 00:16:49,401
homeland defense mission . Yet again , 

479
00:16:49,401 --> 00:16:51,401
we can't wait a decade or longer to 

480
00:16:51,401 --> 00:16:53,457
feel these capabilities are commands 

481
00:16:53,457 --> 00:16:55,679
and the Department of Defense need your 

482
00:16:55,679 --> 00:16:55,630
continued support to outpace . The 

483
00:16:55,630 --> 00:16:57,741
rapid gains made by our competitors , 

484
00:16:57,741 --> 00:16:59,741
continued progress will require the 

485
00:16:59,741 --> 00:17:01,908
Department and Congress to accept some 

486
00:17:01,908 --> 00:17:03,510
risk by prioritizing rapid 

487
00:17:03,510 --> 00:17:05,770
modernization and innovation over 

488
00:17:05,770 --> 00:17:07,603
maintaining obsolete platforms , 

489
00:17:07,603 --> 00:17:09,760
organizations and infrastructure and 

490
00:17:09,760 --> 00:17:11,960
occasionally accept failure as part of 

491
00:17:11,960 --> 00:17:13,830
the process , the generational 

492
00:17:13,830 --> 00:17:16,052
challenges ahead of us will require the 

493
00:17:16,052 --> 00:17:18,108
best minds and expertise we can find 

494
00:17:18,108 --> 00:17:20,350
the department also must vest , invest 

495
00:17:20,350 --> 00:17:22,406
accordingly in civilian and military 

496
00:17:22,406 --> 00:17:24,406
personnel , recruiting , hiring and 

497
00:17:24,406 --> 00:17:26,406
retention , and we must continue to 

498
00:17:26,406 --> 00:17:28,239
build the enormous advantage and 

499
00:17:28,239 --> 00:17:29,961
working with our international 

500
00:17:29,961 --> 00:17:32,128
alliances and partnerships . I believe 

501
00:17:32,128 --> 00:17:34,350
the greatest risk that our nation faces 

502
00:17:34,350 --> 00:17:36,406
right now is our inability to change 

503
00:17:36,406 --> 00:17:38,406
and adapt at a pace required by the 

504
00:17:38,406 --> 00:17:38,210
strategic environment . Homeland 

505
00:17:38,210 --> 00:17:40,432
Defense must be recognized as essential 

506
00:17:40,432 --> 00:17:42,488
to contingency plans at home and for 

507
00:17:42,488 --> 00:17:44,488
power projection abroad . And it is 

508
00:17:44,488 --> 00:17:46,321
vital that all military planning 

509
00:17:46,321 --> 00:17:48,488
account for that reality in an area of 

510
00:17:48,488 --> 00:17:50,710
incredible innovation and technological 

511
00:17:50,710 --> 00:17:52,710
advancement , inflexible , outdated 

512
00:17:52,710 --> 00:17:54,821
processes are a greater impediment to 

513
00:17:54,821 --> 00:17:56,988
success than many of our competitors . 

514
00:17:56,988 --> 00:17:59,043
Advancements . Finally , I'd like to 

515
00:17:59,043 --> 00:18:01,210
comment on recent events including the 

516
00:18:01,210 --> 00:18:03,154
incursion of the PRC high altitude 

517
00:18:03,154 --> 00:18:05,210
balloon into our national airspace . 

518
00:18:05,210 --> 00:18:07,099
The PRC high altitude balloon was 

519
00:18:07,099 --> 00:18:07,010
obviously a significant event that 

520
00:18:07,010 --> 00:18:08,920
shine light on prc's brazen 

521
00:18:08,920 --> 00:18:10,920
intelligence collection against the 

522
00:18:10,920 --> 00:18:12,864
United States . And Canada was the 

523
00:18:12,864 --> 00:18:14,976
first time in North Coms history . We 

524
00:18:14,976 --> 00:18:17,198
conducted an engagement over the United 

525
00:18:17,198 --> 00:18:19,087
States and it made clear that our 

526
00:18:19,087 --> 00:18:21,087
competitors have the capability and 

527
00:18:21,087 --> 00:18:23,087
intent to reach our homeland . Also 

528
00:18:23,087 --> 00:18:25,309
clearly demonstrates the limitations of 

529
00:18:25,309 --> 00:18:24,220
our domain awareness and the 

530
00:18:24,220 --> 00:18:25,998
impediments we face and getting 

531
00:18:25,998 --> 00:18:28,164
information into the hands of decision 

532
00:18:28,164 --> 00:18:30,331
makers quickly candidly , the internal 

533
00:18:30,331 --> 00:18:32,250
discord of this event caused just 

534
00:18:32,250 --> 00:18:34,500
showed one of the ways our competitors 

535
00:18:34,500 --> 00:18:36,500
target us each and every day in the 

536
00:18:36,500 --> 00:18:38,278
information space . And they're 

537
00:18:38,278 --> 00:18:40,167
becoming li increasingly adept at 

538
00:18:40,167 --> 00:18:42,167
driving wedges between the American 

539
00:18:42,167 --> 00:18:44,333
people . As for Northern North com , I 

540
00:18:44,333 --> 00:18:46,222
commit to you that this event has 

541
00:18:46,222 --> 00:18:48,389
already generated critical lessons for 

542
00:18:48,389 --> 00:18:48,230
my commands and our mission partners . 

543
00:18:48,230 --> 00:18:50,452
And I can guarantee you that both NORAD 

544
00:18:50,452 --> 00:18:52,397
North Com are going to continue to 

545
00:18:52,397 --> 00:18:54,508
learn and do whatever is necessary to 

546
00:18:54,508 --> 00:18:56,563
keep our country safe . On behalf of 

547
00:18:56,563 --> 00:18:56,500
all the soldiers , sailors , airmen , 

548
00:18:56,500 --> 00:18:58,560
marines , guardians and civilians at 

549
00:18:58,560 --> 00:19:00,782
NORAD North com . I'd like to thank the 

550
00:19:00,782 --> 00:19:03,004
committee for your steadfast support as 

551
00:19:03,004 --> 00:19:05,116
we defend our nation . I look forward 

552
00:19:05,116 --> 00:19:07,338
to your questions . Thank you . General 

553
00:19:07,338 --> 00:19:09,560
Chair now recognizes General Richardson 

554
00:19:09,560 --> 00:19:09,150
for five minutes for her opening 

555
00:19:09,150 --> 00:19:13,030
statement , Chairman 

556
00:19:13,030 --> 00:19:15,030
Rogers , ranking member , Smith and 

557
00:19:15,030 --> 00:19:17,308
distinguished members of the committee . 

558
00:19:17,308 --> 00:19:19,530
Thank you for the opportunity to appear 

559
00:19:19,530 --> 00:19:21,308
before you today with assistant 

560
00:19:21,308 --> 00:19:23,530
Secretary Dalton General Van Herk , who 

561
00:19:23,530 --> 00:19:25,363
are my teammates in keeping this 

562
00:19:25,363 --> 00:19:27,474
western hemisphere safe . I'm honored 

563
00:19:27,474 --> 00:19:29,586
to represent the men and women of U S 

564
00:19:29,586 --> 00:19:31,363
Southern Command to discuss the 

565
00:19:31,363 --> 00:19:33,960
challenges we share and with our 

566
00:19:33,960 --> 00:19:35,904
neighbors in Latin America and the 

567
00:19:35,904 --> 00:19:38,070
Caribbean , as stated in the national 

568
00:19:38,070 --> 00:19:40,360
security strategy , no region impacts 

569
00:19:40,360 --> 00:19:42,600
the United States more directly than 

570
00:19:42,600 --> 00:19:45,110
the western hemisphere . Last year . I 

571
00:19:45,110 --> 00:19:47,054
testified before the committee and 

572
00:19:47,054 --> 00:19:48,832
stated this region , our shared 

573
00:19:48,832 --> 00:19:51,220
neighborhood is under assault from a 

574
00:19:51,220 --> 00:19:53,276
host of cross cutting trans boundary 

575
00:19:53,276 --> 00:19:55,400
challenges that directly threaten our 

576
00:19:55,400 --> 00:19:58,950
homeland . This is still true today and 

577
00:19:58,950 --> 00:20:01,400
is a call to action . In the last year , 

578
00:20:01,400 --> 00:20:03,456
I've spent traveling in the region , 

579
00:20:03,456 --> 00:20:05,178
meeting with leaders to better 

580
00:20:05,178 --> 00:20:07,178
understand these challenges and the 

581
00:20:07,178 --> 00:20:08,900
threat they pose to our mutual 

582
00:20:08,900 --> 00:20:10,622
interests . The world is at an 

583
00:20:10,622 --> 00:20:12,789
inflection point . Our partners in the 

584
00:20:12,789 --> 00:20:14,789
western hemisphere with whom we are 

585
00:20:14,789 --> 00:20:16,660
bonded by trade shared values , 

586
00:20:16,670 --> 00:20:19,720
democratic traditions , family ties are 

587
00:20:19,720 --> 00:20:21,560
feeling the impacts of external 

588
00:20:21,560 --> 00:20:24,620
interference and coercion . The 

589
00:20:24,620 --> 00:20:26,731
People's Republic of China are pacing 

590
00:20:26,731 --> 00:20:28,670
challenge continues to expand its 

591
00:20:28,670 --> 00:20:31,940
economic diplomatic , technological 

592
00:20:31,950 --> 00:20:34,172
informational and military influence in 

593
00:20:34,172 --> 00:20:37,060
Latin America and the Caribbean , the 

594
00:20:37,060 --> 00:20:39,610
PRC has the capability and intent to a 

595
00:20:39,610 --> 00:20:42,930
shoe international norms advance its 

596
00:20:42,940 --> 00:20:46,380
its brand of authoritarianism and amass 

597
00:20:46,380 --> 00:20:48,990
power and influence at the expense of 

598
00:20:48,990 --> 00:20:52,010
these democracies . The PRC has 

599
00:20:52,010 --> 00:20:54,120
expanded its ability to extract 

600
00:20:54,130 --> 00:20:56,970
resources , established ports , 

601
00:20:56,980 --> 00:20:58,740
manipulate governments through 

602
00:20:58,740 --> 00:21:01,450
predatory investment practices and 

603
00:21:01,450 --> 00:21:03,860
build potential dual use space 

604
00:21:03,860 --> 00:21:07,020
facilities , the most space facilities 

605
00:21:07,020 --> 00:21:09,240
in any combatant command region , 

606
00:21:10,130 --> 00:21:12,800
Russia , an acute threat bolsters 

607
00:21:12,800 --> 00:21:14,980
authoritarian regimes in Cuba , 

608
00:21:14,990 --> 00:21:18,240
Nicaragua and Venezuela and continues 

609
00:21:18,250 --> 00:21:21,320
its extensive disinformation campaign . 

610
00:21:22,060 --> 00:21:24,320
These activities undermine democracies 

611
00:21:24,320 --> 00:21:27,620
and challenge our credibility . Both 

612
00:21:27,620 --> 00:21:29,731
China and Russia exploit the presence 

613
00:21:29,731 --> 00:21:31,953
of transnational criminal organizations 

614
00:21:31,953 --> 00:21:34,750
and amplify their destabilizing impact 

615
00:21:34,760 --> 00:21:38,390
on democratic governments , T C O s 

616
00:21:38,410 --> 00:21:40,340
spread violence and corruption 

617
00:21:40,340 --> 00:21:43,340
throughout the region and beyond their 

618
00:21:43,340 --> 00:21:45,600
fentaNYL laced cocaine contributes to 

619
00:21:45,600 --> 00:21:47,910
the deaths of Americans in cities and 

620
00:21:47,910 --> 00:21:51,060
towns across the country . The good 

621
00:21:51,060 --> 00:21:53,340
news is is that working with our very 

622
00:21:53,340 --> 00:21:55,870
willing partners leads to the best 

623
00:21:55,870 --> 00:21:59,350
defense and we must use all available 

624
00:21:59,350 --> 00:22:01,790
lovers to strengthen our partnerships 

625
00:22:01,800 --> 00:22:04,610
with the 28 like minded democracies in 

626
00:22:04,610 --> 00:22:06,810
this hemisphere who understand the 

627
00:22:06,810 --> 00:22:09,390
power of working together to counter 

628
00:22:09,390 --> 00:22:13,050
these shared challenges . Our partners 

629
00:22:13,050 --> 00:22:15,640
look to us to lead in the hemisphere . 

630
00:22:15,650 --> 00:22:17,990
We have an obligation to meet them 

631
00:22:17,990 --> 00:22:20,030
where they are and commit to 

632
00:22:20,030 --> 00:22:21,808
aggressively address our common 

633
00:22:21,808 --> 00:22:25,320
security challenges . We must continue 

634
00:22:25,330 --> 00:22:27,340
to maximize the effectiveness of 

635
00:22:27,340 --> 00:22:29,060
important tools like security 

636
00:22:29,060 --> 00:22:32,870
cooperation programs to train and equip 

637
00:22:32,870 --> 00:22:34,759
our partner militaries and public 

638
00:22:34,759 --> 00:22:37,430
security forces and conduct 

639
00:22:37,430 --> 00:22:39,620
multilateral exercises to build 

640
00:22:39,620 --> 00:22:42,350
interoperability and to increase the 

641
00:22:42,350 --> 00:22:44,290
state Department's International 

642
00:22:44,290 --> 00:22:47,230
military education and training foreign 

643
00:22:47,230 --> 00:22:49,940
military financing and foreign military 

644
00:22:49,940 --> 00:22:52,990
sales programs to educate , train and 

645
00:22:52,990 --> 00:22:55,620
build the capacity that our partners 

646
00:22:55,620 --> 00:22:58,720
put to immediate use to stand shoulder 

647
00:22:58,720 --> 00:23:01,650
to shoulder with us . As the national 

648
00:23:01,650 --> 00:23:03,483
defense strategy states , the US 

649
00:23:03,483 --> 00:23:06,170
derives immense benefits from a stable 

650
00:23:06,180 --> 00:23:08,250
peaceful and democratic western 

651
00:23:08,250 --> 00:23:10,450
hemisphere that reduces security 

652
00:23:10,450 --> 00:23:13,530
threats to our homeland U S South . Com 

653
00:23:13,530 --> 00:23:15,700
is putting integrated deterrence into 

654
00:23:15,700 --> 00:23:18,230
action every day using innovative 

655
00:23:18,230 --> 00:23:20,910
methods to work seamlessly across all 

656
00:23:20,910 --> 00:23:23,020
domains with the other combatant 

657
00:23:23,020 --> 00:23:26,250
commands , the joint force , allies and 

658
00:23:26,250 --> 00:23:29,020
partners , Congress , the U S 

659
00:23:29,020 --> 00:23:32,610
Interagency , N G O s and the private 

660
00:23:32,610 --> 00:23:35,310
sector to help build a hemisphere 

661
00:23:35,310 --> 00:23:38,470
that's free , secure and prosperous for 

662
00:23:38,470 --> 00:23:41,150
our generation and generations to come . 

663
00:23:41,810 --> 00:23:44,330
I call this team democracy and we need 

664
00:23:44,330 --> 00:23:47,360
to build and field a resource team . 

665
00:23:47,510 --> 00:23:49,677
Thank you . And I look forward to your 

666
00:23:49,677 --> 00:23:51,350
questions . Thank you . Chair 

667
00:23:51,350 --> 00:23:53,572
recognizes himself , General Van Herk . 

668
00:23:53,572 --> 00:23:55,739
Can you speak to the importance of the 

669
00:23:55,739 --> 00:23:58,690
D O D s current spectrum to radar 

670
00:23:58,700 --> 00:24:00,920
sensor interceptor systems and the 

671
00:24:00,920 --> 00:24:03,340
risks of losing that spectrum would 

672
00:24:03,340 --> 00:24:05,562
pose to homeland defense capabilities . 

673
00:24:06,580 --> 00:24:09,620
Yeah , chairman . So uh the specific 

674
00:24:09,620 --> 00:24:11,453
frequencies you're talking about 

675
00:24:11,453 --> 00:24:13,453
multiple D O D platforms operate in 

676
00:24:13,453 --> 00:24:15,509
that to include some of our maritime 

677
00:24:15,509 --> 00:24:17,620
homeland defense capabilities and our 

678
00:24:17,620 --> 00:24:19,930
airborne capabilities to detect threats 

679
00:24:19,930 --> 00:24:21,986
here in the homeland . I think going 

680
00:24:21,986 --> 00:24:24,152
forward , the best way to look at this 

681
00:24:24,152 --> 00:24:26,374
is make sure that we understand exactly 

682
00:24:26,374 --> 00:24:28,374
the impact of national security and 

683
00:24:28,374 --> 00:24:30,597
homeland defense and the broader impact 

684
00:24:30,597 --> 00:24:32,708
of any sell off of those capabilities 

685
00:24:32,708 --> 00:24:34,910
or the frequencies going forward . So 

686
00:24:34,910 --> 00:24:37,190
if you lost access to those that 

687
00:24:37,190 --> 00:24:39,190
spectrum , would it have an adverse 

688
00:24:39,190 --> 00:24:41,412
impact on your capability to defend the 

689
00:24:41,412 --> 00:24:43,634
homeland chairman ? It absolutely could 

690
00:24:43,634 --> 00:24:45,801
have an impact to those capabilities , 

691
00:24:45,801 --> 00:24:47,579
maritime homeland defense radar 

692
00:24:47,579 --> 00:24:49,412
capabilities along with airborne 

693
00:24:49,412 --> 00:24:51,523
capabilities . Okay . General rich in 

694
00:24:51,523 --> 00:24:53,634
your testimony outlines the extent to 

695
00:24:53,634 --> 00:24:55,579
which China's pervasiveness in the 

696
00:24:55,579 --> 00:24:57,857
region has taken place in recent years . 

697
00:24:57,857 --> 00:24:59,912
What tools and resources do you need 

698
00:24:59,912 --> 00:24:59,640
from this committee to improve 

699
00:24:59,640 --> 00:25:01,807
partnerships and stop China's gains in 

700
00:25:01,807 --> 00:25:04,670
the territory ? So my main levers to 

701
00:25:04,670 --> 00:25:06,503
get after the problem set in the 

702
00:25:06,503 --> 00:25:08,726
challenges and help our partners in the 

703
00:25:08,726 --> 00:25:11,170
region uh is security cooperation . 

704
00:25:11,170 --> 00:25:13,570
That is my main lever . That's the 

705
00:25:13,570 --> 00:25:16,550
training , the equipping . Also our 

706
00:25:16,550 --> 00:25:19,170
exercise program , we have eight large 

707
00:25:19,170 --> 00:25:21,830
exercises . That's the ability to bring , 

708
00:25:21,830 --> 00:25:24,210
be able to bring over 20 partner 

709
00:25:24,210 --> 00:25:27,450
nations together uh to train to work 

710
00:25:27,450 --> 00:25:29,920
through challenges with translation , 

711
00:25:30,100 --> 00:25:33,090
interoperability , our doctrine , our 

712
00:25:33,090 --> 00:25:35,230
tactics , all those kinds of things . 

713
00:25:35,470 --> 00:25:37,940
That's one thing that PRC cannot do is 

714
00:25:37,940 --> 00:25:39,830
bring nations together to conduct 

715
00:25:39,830 --> 00:25:42,020
exercises so very , very powerful 

716
00:25:42,020 --> 00:25:44,580
program . But the security cooperation , 

717
00:25:44,590 --> 00:25:47,860
um we gotta be there with our partners 

718
00:25:47,860 --> 00:25:50,070
on the field , with our Jersey , on 

719
00:25:50,440 --> 00:25:53,250
with the training and the equipping 

720
00:25:53,250 --> 00:25:55,361
that we bring to make them stronger . 

721
00:25:55,361 --> 00:25:57,361
Their challenges and their security 

722
00:25:57,361 --> 00:25:59,850
challenges are our security challenges . 

723
00:25:59,860 --> 00:26:01,890
They turn right around and put the 

724
00:26:01,890 --> 00:26:04,810
security cooperation to use in order to , 

725
00:26:04,820 --> 00:26:06,931
to counter those challenges . So they 

726
00:26:06,931 --> 00:26:09,153
don't end up north and on our Southwest 

727
00:26:09,153 --> 00:26:11,980
border chair and I recognize the 

728
00:26:11,980 --> 00:26:14,036
ranking member for any questions you 

729
00:26:14,036 --> 00:26:16,258
may have . Thank you , General Van Herk 

730
00:26:16,258 --> 00:26:18,480
on the Domain Awareness issue , which I 

731
00:26:18,480 --> 00:26:20,591
did not explain as clearly as I would 

732
00:26:20,591 --> 00:26:22,813
have liked to in my opening statement . 

733
00:26:22,813 --> 00:26:24,813
But what , what do we need to do to 

734
00:26:24,813 --> 00:26:26,758
make sure that we are aware of the 

735
00:26:26,758 --> 00:26:28,813
threats that are coming at us in our 

736
00:26:28,813 --> 00:26:30,924
air space and in cyberspace . Uh what 

737
00:26:30,924 --> 00:26:33,091
are the most important steps ? And I'm 

738
00:26:33,091 --> 00:26:35,147
assuming that you believe there is a 

739
00:26:35,147 --> 00:26:35,110
vulnerability there and we need to do 

740
00:26:35,110 --> 00:26:37,920
more to protect ourselves from ranking 

741
00:26:37,920 --> 00:26:40,031
member Smith . Absolutely . There's a 

742
00:26:40,031 --> 00:26:42,253
vulnerability there . The first thing I 

743
00:26:42,253 --> 00:26:42,230
would say is field as soon as possible . 

744
00:26:42,230 --> 00:26:44,452
The over the horizon capabilities , the 

745
00:26:44,452 --> 00:26:46,620
department has already funded in last 

746
00:26:46,620 --> 00:26:48,953
year's budget . So we need to go faster . 

747
00:26:48,953 --> 00:26:51,287
Same thing with NORAD and the Canadians . 

748
00:26:51,287 --> 00:26:53,231
We need to feel those capabilities 

749
00:26:53,231 --> 00:26:55,120
right now . We employ a legacy 19 

750
00:26:55,120 --> 00:26:57,064
eighties , eighties , Cold War era 

751
00:26:57,064 --> 00:26:59,064
system , we need to ensure that the 

752
00:26:59,064 --> 00:27:01,810
radars besides over the horizon radar , 

753
00:27:01,810 --> 00:27:04,190
such as our FPs one seventeens that we 

754
00:27:04,190 --> 00:27:06,690
have are fully modernized and 

755
00:27:06,690 --> 00:27:08,746
integrated with the Federal Aviation 

756
00:27:08,746 --> 00:27:10,550
and also D O D and other Domain 

757
00:27:10,550 --> 00:27:12,950
Awareness Capabilities . I'm grateful 

758
00:27:12,950 --> 00:27:14,561
for the funding for undersea 

759
00:27:14,561 --> 00:27:17,370
surveillance with the I U S S . I think 

760
00:27:17,370 --> 00:27:19,537
we need to go forward modernizing that 

761
00:27:19,537 --> 00:27:21,481
though , in the Pacific , it'll be 

762
00:27:21,481 --> 00:27:23,314
different than what we do in the 

763
00:27:23,314 --> 00:27:25,481
Atlantic , do the vast reaches . So in 

764
00:27:25,481 --> 00:27:27,592
the Pacific , I think laying cable on 

765
00:27:27,592 --> 00:27:26,990
the Pacific will be a challenge . We 

766
00:27:26,990 --> 00:27:29,046
need to get more mobile capabilities 

767
00:27:29,046 --> 00:27:31,220
and also consider going to space based 

768
00:27:31,220 --> 00:27:33,220
kind of capabilities for that . And 

769
00:27:33,220 --> 00:27:34,998
finally , the cyber is the most 

770
00:27:34,998 --> 00:27:36,942
concerning for me , ranking member 

771
00:27:36,942 --> 00:27:39,109
Smith Candidly , we don't know what we 

772
00:27:39,109 --> 00:27:41,053
don't know . And many of the cyber 

773
00:27:41,053 --> 00:27:42,887
threats operate outside of D O D 

774
00:27:42,887 --> 00:27:45,053
authority and also federal authorities 

775
00:27:45,053 --> 00:27:47,220
such as sister with Jen Easterly . And 

776
00:27:47,220 --> 00:27:49,331
that creates a vulnerability . I rely 

777
00:27:49,331 --> 00:27:51,053
on municipalities , industry , 

778
00:27:51,053 --> 00:27:53,470
commercial capabilities to project 

779
00:27:53,470 --> 00:27:55,637
power from our homeland and defend our 

780
00:27:55,637 --> 00:27:57,581
homeland . We need to make sure we 

781
00:27:57,581 --> 00:27:59,914
understand those vulnerabilities . Yeah . 

782
00:27:59,914 --> 00:27:59,720
And I think that that's something this 

783
00:27:59,720 --> 00:28:01,831
committee really should prioritize as 

784
00:28:01,831 --> 00:28:03,887
we're looking at the authorities and 

785
00:28:03,887 --> 00:28:05,942
the systems that we need to fund . I 

786
00:28:05,942 --> 00:28:08,053
mean , a lot of it's just a matter of 

787
00:28:08,053 --> 00:28:10,387
upgrading what we have . I mean , we've , 

788
00:28:10,387 --> 00:28:09,450
we've had a lot of great systems that 

789
00:28:09,450 --> 00:28:11,339
have been around a long time . We 

790
00:28:11,339 --> 00:28:13,283
haven't upgraded as technology has 

791
00:28:13,283 --> 00:28:15,394
moved forward , enabling us to better 

792
00:28:15,394 --> 00:28:17,283
protect ourselves . So I think we 

793
00:28:17,283 --> 00:28:19,339
really need to focus on that . Can I 

794
00:28:19,339 --> 00:28:18,870
add one thing ? I think it's crucial to 

795
00:28:18,870 --> 00:28:21,300
point out that the 5702 authorities 

796
00:28:21,300 --> 00:28:23,200
expire later this year . Those 

797
00:28:23,200 --> 00:28:25,256
authorities have been crucial for us 

798
00:28:25,256 --> 00:28:27,200
maintaining awareness on potential 

799
00:28:27,200 --> 00:28:29,367
threats to our homeland and around the 

800
00:28:29,367 --> 00:28:31,256
globe . And I would tell you that 

801
00:28:31,256 --> 00:28:33,422
allowing that to expire could increase 

802
00:28:33,422 --> 00:28:35,533
the threat to the Homeland . That's a 

803
00:28:35,533 --> 00:28:37,478
very fair point . And the spectrum 

804
00:28:37,478 --> 00:28:39,311
issue is also a challenge as the 

805
00:28:39,311 --> 00:28:41,478
chairman alluded to , I mean , part of 

806
00:28:41,478 --> 00:28:41,220
the reason on the spectrum is we're 

807
00:28:41,220 --> 00:28:43,220
trying to keep up on the commercial 

808
00:28:43,220 --> 00:28:45,387
side . And I think everyone here would 

809
00:28:45,387 --> 00:28:47,387
agree that in terms of our national 

810
00:28:47,387 --> 00:28:49,553
security , the degree to which the U S 

811
00:28:49,553 --> 00:28:51,887
can be the leader um and communications , 

812
00:28:51,887 --> 00:28:53,942
technology and make sure the we have 

813
00:28:53,942 --> 00:28:56,053
access to that spectrum , even on the 

814
00:28:56,053 --> 00:28:58,164
private side , it's important we just 

815
00:28:58,164 --> 00:28:57,660
to figure out how to do it in a way 

816
00:28:57,660 --> 00:28:59,716
that doesn't jeopardize our national 

817
00:28:59,716 --> 00:29:01,938
security interests . And I've been been 

818
00:29:01,938 --> 00:29:04,271
flailing away at that issue for a while . 

819
00:29:04,271 --> 00:29:06,327
It's not an easy balance to strike , 

820
00:29:06,327 --> 00:29:05,860
but it is one . We need to pay 

821
00:29:05,860 --> 00:29:08,082
attention to General Richardson . We've 

822
00:29:08,082 --> 00:29:10,249
talked about China , Russia and Iran . 

823
00:29:10,249 --> 00:29:12,360
Um just in a nutshell . Why , why are 

824
00:29:12,360 --> 00:29:14,582
we struggling so much on that ? Some of 

825
00:29:14,582 --> 00:29:16,693
our Latin American countries when you 

826
00:29:16,693 --> 00:29:16,520
and I met , we talked a little bit 

827
00:29:16,520 --> 00:29:19,280
about how Brazil was basically cozying 

828
00:29:19,280 --> 00:29:21,224
up to Russia and a number of other 

829
00:29:21,224 --> 00:29:23,391
countries down there as well ? What is 

830
00:29:23,391 --> 00:29:25,502
it that Russia and China are bringing 

831
00:29:25,502 --> 00:29:27,502
to the game down there that is made 

832
00:29:27,502 --> 00:29:29,669
making these countries so willing to , 

833
00:29:29,669 --> 00:29:31,836
to , to embrace them ? And what can we 

834
00:29:31,836 --> 00:29:33,780
do to get a , get a better balance 

835
00:29:33,780 --> 00:29:33,270
there and understanding that we're not 

836
00:29:33,270 --> 00:29:36,330
gonna keep China or even Russia um out 

837
00:29:36,330 --> 00:29:38,497
of Latin America . But how can we make 

838
00:29:38,497 --> 00:29:40,719
sure it doesn't jeopardize our national 

839
00:29:40,719 --> 00:29:43,510
security interests ? Um Thank you for 

840
00:29:43,510 --> 00:29:46,330
the question . The I think the just to 

841
00:29:46,340 --> 00:29:48,740
go back a couple of years into COVID 

842
00:29:48,740 --> 00:29:51,590
and uh and create a picture of the 

843
00:29:51,590 --> 00:29:53,960
landscape , I think COVID has had had a 

844
00:29:53,960 --> 00:29:57,380
devastating impact . Um uh more 

845
00:29:57,380 --> 00:29:59,540
proportional than 8% of the world's 

846
00:29:59,540 --> 00:30:01,470
population in this region . They 

847
00:30:01,470 --> 00:30:03,640
suffered 29% of the world's COVID 

848
00:30:03,640 --> 00:30:07,590
deaths , 170 million put in a people in 

849
00:30:07,590 --> 00:30:09,790
this region , put into poverty , their 

850
00:30:09,790 --> 00:30:12,170
economies are struggling . And so as 

851
00:30:12,170 --> 00:30:14,392
they're trying to dig out of the hole , 

852
00:30:14,392 --> 00:30:17,340
all of them , uh and you have the PRC 

853
00:30:17,340 --> 00:30:19,229
showing up with the Belt and Road 

854
00:30:19,229 --> 00:30:22,320
initiative , the billions of dollars uh 

855
00:30:22,330 --> 00:30:25,740
that they advertise available for these 

856
00:30:25,740 --> 00:30:27,907
big projects , all these projects that 

857
00:30:27,907 --> 00:30:30,720
they do , highways , electrical dams um 

858
00:30:30,730 --> 00:30:32,952
and it looks like investment , but it's 

859
00:30:32,952 --> 00:30:34,710
all in critical infrastructure 

860
00:30:34,720 --> 00:30:37,650
amazingly enough in space and 

861
00:30:37,650 --> 00:30:40,440
telecommunications and deep water ports . 

862
00:30:40,450 --> 00:30:43,340
One has to ask themselves why , why 

863
00:30:43,340 --> 00:30:45,507
would the largest military build up on 

864
00:30:45,507 --> 00:30:47,770
conventional nuclear forces in mainland 

865
00:30:47,770 --> 00:30:50,180
China . Are they investing , investing 

866
00:30:50,190 --> 00:30:53,050
looks to be investing across the globe 

867
00:30:53,060 --> 00:30:55,116
in Latin America and the Caribbean . 

868
00:30:55,610 --> 00:30:57,750
And so this , this is very concerning 

869
00:30:57,750 --> 00:31:00,300
and I would say because of the status 

870
00:31:00,300 --> 00:31:02,720
and the of the economies of these 

871
00:31:02,720 --> 00:31:05,680
countries is that they have to look at 

872
00:31:05,680 --> 00:31:07,902
whatever they can get their hands on to 

873
00:31:07,902 --> 00:31:09,791
deliver for their people . Uh The 

874
00:31:09,791 --> 00:31:11,958
leaders in the region are in there for 

875
00:31:11,958 --> 00:31:14,124
a short period of time , generally one 

876
00:31:14,124 --> 00:31:16,069
term and that's about four years . 

877
00:31:16,069 --> 00:31:17,069
They've got 

878
00:31:24,900 --> 00:31:27,300
thank you , Mr Chairman , uh Assistant 

879
00:31:27,300 --> 00:31:29,880
Secretary Dalton , General Van Herk and 

880
00:31:29,890 --> 00:31:31,834
General Richardson . I have to say 

881
00:31:31,834 --> 00:31:33,890
General Richardson , you're probably 

882
00:31:33,890 --> 00:31:35,946
one of the first to actually , in my 

883
00:31:35,946 --> 00:31:38,450
opinion , properly address what China 

884
00:31:38,450 --> 00:31:40,870
and Russia's real desire is there in 

885
00:31:40,870 --> 00:31:43,240
Latin America for a long time . I've 

886
00:31:43,240 --> 00:31:45,296
been talking about this geopolitical 

887
00:31:45,296 --> 00:31:47,351
alignment for many years on Russia , 

888
00:31:47,351 --> 00:31:49,660
China , Iran and North Korea . This 

889
00:31:49,660 --> 00:31:51,771
Rodent Belt initiative chairman , she 

890
00:31:51,771 --> 00:31:54,150
has launched which was really an effort 

891
00:31:54,150 --> 00:31:56,094
to try and expand out the Eurasian 

892
00:31:56,094 --> 00:31:58,900
borders . Take Africa , take Oceania , 

893
00:31:58,910 --> 00:32:00,854
take over the ports and railways , 

894
00:32:00,854 --> 00:32:02,966
creating almost a maritime silk route 

895
00:32:02,966 --> 00:32:05,021
that would cut off and choke Western 

896
00:32:05,021 --> 00:32:06,966
hemisphere supply chain , but also 

897
00:32:06,966 --> 00:32:08,910
taking over and helping to try and 

898
00:32:08,910 --> 00:32:10,966
increase tariffs and other things to 

899
00:32:10,966 --> 00:32:12,743
the Panama Canal . And then the 

900
00:32:12,743 --> 00:32:14,743
Russians actually creating almost a 

901
00:32:14,743 --> 00:32:16,632
faux iron curtain , utilizing the 

902
00:32:16,632 --> 00:32:18,410
Chavez in Venezuela , Pedro and 

903
00:32:18,410 --> 00:32:20,632
Colombia , as well as for utilizing the 

904
00:32:20,632 --> 00:32:22,632
darien gap to print fentaNYL by the 

905
00:32:22,632 --> 00:32:24,743
mainland Chinese to utilize to poison 

906
00:32:24,743 --> 00:32:26,799
Americans . It nearly seems as if it 

907
00:32:26,799 --> 00:32:28,910
was an entrapment to try and go ahead 

908
00:32:28,910 --> 00:32:30,799
and encircle America to choke off 

909
00:32:30,799 --> 00:32:30,790
Western hemisphere supply chain . 

910
00:32:30,800 --> 00:32:33,050
Because what we're really facing is the 

911
00:32:33,050 --> 00:32:35,430
economic resource , cyber warfare 

912
00:32:35,440 --> 00:32:39,020
against China and his malign activities . 

913
00:32:39,700 --> 00:32:43,480
So in knowing this , what exactly 

914
00:32:43,490 --> 00:32:47,490
is north com and south com doing to 

915
00:32:47,490 --> 00:32:49,970
work on countering this additional 

916
00:32:49,970 --> 00:32:52,220
ground that China is gaining within 

917
00:32:52,220 --> 00:32:53,110
Latin America . 

918
00:32:55,870 --> 00:32:58,280
So the I'll go back to thank you for 

919
00:32:58,280 --> 00:33:00,336
the question , Congressman , I'll go 

920
00:33:00,336 --> 00:33:02,113
back to my main levers and that 

921
00:33:02,113 --> 00:33:04,740
security cooperation for South com also 

922
00:33:04,740 --> 00:33:07,020
the exercises . And then in my opening 

923
00:33:07,020 --> 00:33:09,353
statement , talking about the education , 

924
00:33:09,353 --> 00:33:11,187
the foreign military financing , 

925
00:33:11,187 --> 00:33:13,298
foreign military sales , it's crucial 

926
00:33:13,298 --> 00:33:16,630
uh to help them achieve and obtain 

927
00:33:16,640 --> 00:33:19,340
the hardware that they need . In order 

928
00:33:19,340 --> 00:33:22,860
to counter the line activity . The I S 

929
00:33:22,860 --> 00:33:24,780
are to be able to see the domain 

930
00:33:24,780 --> 00:33:26,669
awareness , to see the threats is 

931
00:33:26,669 --> 00:33:28,780
really important . There are a lot of 

932
00:33:28,780 --> 00:33:30,947
legacy systems that are out there that 

933
00:33:30,947 --> 00:33:32,947
are partners have radar systems and 

934
00:33:32,947 --> 00:33:34,891
they need to be advanced . But the 

935
00:33:34,891 --> 00:33:37,169
thing is as uh as uh as I said earlier , 

936
00:33:37,169 --> 00:33:39,450
our partners , our best defense and 

937
00:33:39,450 --> 00:33:41,617
working with them , everything that we 

938
00:33:41,617 --> 00:33:43,728
do with security cooperation is based 

939
00:33:43,728 --> 00:33:45,950
in the human rights , the rule of law , 

940
00:33:45,950 --> 00:33:47,783
the professionalization of their 

941
00:33:47,783 --> 00:33:50,006
militaries and we've seen over the past 

942
00:33:50,006 --> 00:33:52,228
few years , um the challenges that they 

943
00:33:52,228 --> 00:33:54,172
had but how they have maintained a 

944
00:33:54,172 --> 00:33:56,550
professional military , really , really 

945
00:33:56,550 --> 00:33:58,383
proud of them . But the security 

946
00:33:58,383 --> 00:34:00,550
cooperation is really important for us 

947
00:34:00,560 --> 00:34:02,670
and kind of staying on topic and 

948
00:34:02,670 --> 00:34:05,600
realizing that China has continued to 

949
00:34:05,600 --> 00:34:08,490
utilize economic coercion as opposed to 

950
00:34:08,490 --> 00:34:10,768
kind of the U S cash diplomacy efforts . 

951
00:34:10,768 --> 00:34:14,090
How do you see a way that we can combat 

952
00:34:14,100 --> 00:34:16,100
what they're doing from an economic 

953
00:34:16,100 --> 00:34:18,100
perspective that would enable us to 

954
00:34:18,100 --> 00:34:20,830
weaken them in that area . So uh in 

955
00:34:20,830 --> 00:34:22,997
terms of from the military side that's 

956
00:34:22,997 --> 00:34:24,997
being able to deliver in that short 

957
00:34:24,997 --> 00:34:27,108
period of time , those leaders are in 

958
00:34:27,108 --> 00:34:29,330
the seat for like four years there on a 

959
00:34:29,330 --> 00:34:31,663
stopwatch , they're not on the calendar , 

960
00:34:31,663 --> 00:34:33,997
they're trying to deliver in 3-6 months . 

961
00:34:33,997 --> 00:34:36,520
Our foreign military sales is really 

962
00:34:36,520 --> 00:34:38,631
built for long term . So we're really 

963
00:34:38,631 --> 00:34:41,020
trying hard . And Secretary Dalton has 

964
00:34:41,020 --> 00:34:43,760
been very helpful in that speeding up 

965
00:34:43,760 --> 00:34:45,927
those processes working with the inter 

966
00:34:45,927 --> 00:34:47,927
agency within our own department of 

967
00:34:47,927 --> 00:34:50,038
defense to speed those up because our 

968
00:34:50,038 --> 00:34:52,670
partners do see how quickly that we can 

969
00:34:52,670 --> 00:34:55,200
get equipment to Ukraine . So we've got 

970
00:34:55,200 --> 00:34:57,256
to be able to not take two and three 

971
00:34:57,256 --> 00:34:59,422
years to get one coastal patrol vessel 

972
00:34:59,422 --> 00:35:02,150
or one maritime patrol aircraft , a 

973
00:35:02,160 --> 00:35:04,640
King Air 2 50 to a country to help them 

974
00:35:04,640 --> 00:35:06,920
be able to see and counter the malign 

975
00:35:06,920 --> 00:35:08,960
activity and we can do it . We can 

976
00:35:08,960 --> 00:35:11,127
compete with the P R C . We don't have 

977
00:35:11,127 --> 00:35:13,349
to outspend them to compete with them , 

978
00:35:13,349 --> 00:35:15,460
but we got to meet our partners needs 

979
00:35:15,460 --> 00:35:17,627
where they need it . And a little goes 

980
00:35:17,627 --> 00:35:19,627
a long way in this region , we talk 

981
00:35:19,627 --> 00:35:21,793
about some of the older equipment that 

982
00:35:21,793 --> 00:35:24,016
we utilize in the importance of I S our 

983
00:35:24,016 --> 00:35:26,016
capabilities in these areas . And I 

984
00:35:26,016 --> 00:35:28,130
recently visited Florida Atlantic 

985
00:35:28,130 --> 00:35:30,200
University who's working a lot on 

986
00:35:30,210 --> 00:35:32,321
quantum linkage and as well as for ai 

987
00:35:32,321 --> 00:35:34,210
autonomous drone capabilities and 

988
00:35:34,210 --> 00:35:36,680
capacities . Do you feel that ? And 

989
00:35:36,680 --> 00:35:38,847
this is a concern Obviously , Chairman 

990
00:35:38,847 --> 00:35:41,069
Xi has as well because he has said that 

991
00:35:41,069 --> 00:35:42,902
he's outpacing us militarily and 

992
00:35:42,902 --> 00:35:45,013
economically innovation is really the 

993
00:35:45,013 --> 00:35:47,180
area that he needs to pick things up . 

994
00:35:47,180 --> 00:35:49,402
Do you ? I think getting those types of 

995
00:35:49,402 --> 00:35:51,624
innovations into the field and into the 

996
00:35:51,624 --> 00:35:51,190
hands of the military would actually 

997
00:35:51,190 --> 00:35:53,360
help us and being able to combat some 

998
00:35:53,360 --> 00:35:55,527
of these efforts . Absolutely . And so 

999
00:35:55,527 --> 00:35:58,240
I advertise the south com region as an 

1000
00:35:58,240 --> 00:36:01,760
area , bring your tools for innovation , 

1001
00:36:01,760 --> 00:36:03,982
laboratory tests , whatever you want to 

1002
00:36:03,982 --> 00:36:06,204
do , we'll put it to real world use and 

1003
00:36:06,204 --> 00:36:08,260
a real world mission get hands on in 

1004
00:36:08,260 --> 00:36:10,520
the military , be able to use it , test 

1005
00:36:10,520 --> 00:36:12,660
it , uh see what works , what doesn't 

1006
00:36:12,660 --> 00:36:14,438
work . Uh And we've been pretty 

1007
00:36:14,438 --> 00:36:16,604
successful with that , but I advertise 

1008
00:36:16,604 --> 00:36:18,960
that to all of the services . And uh 

1009
00:36:18,960 --> 00:36:20,960
and we have a lot of folks that are 

1010
00:36:20,960 --> 00:36:23,182
really taking advantage of that . Thank 

1011
00:36:23,182 --> 00:36:25,404
you so much with that . I yield my time 

1012
00:36:25,404 --> 00:36:27,571
back . Gentlemen from Texas . Mr Vesey 

1013
00:36:27,571 --> 00:36:29,571
is recognized for five minutes , Mr 

1014
00:36:29,571 --> 00:36:31,404
Chairman . Thank you . Very much 

1015
00:36:31,404 --> 00:36:33,071
Secretary Dalton , uh General 

1016
00:36:33,071 --> 00:36:35,127
Richardson noted in her testimony uh 

1017
00:36:35,127 --> 00:36:37,238
that China's trade footprint in Latin 

1018
00:36:37,238 --> 00:36:39,349
America and the Caribbean is going to 

1019
00:36:39,349 --> 00:36:43,110
increase by about 4000% by 2025 . I was 

1020
00:36:43,110 --> 00:36:46,810
curious how the department uh is part 

1021
00:36:46,810 --> 00:36:49,190
of the response to address prc's 

1022
00:36:49,190 --> 00:36:51,670
expanding uh influence in the region . 

1023
00:36:52,980 --> 00:36:55,091
Congressman ? Thank you for , for the 

1024
00:36:55,091 --> 00:36:57,000
question . And um it is deeply 

1025
00:36:57,000 --> 00:37:00,130
concerning the trend lines in the 

1026
00:37:00,130 --> 00:37:02,241
region and it reflects , I think this 

1027
00:37:02,241 --> 00:37:05,310
broader approach by , by the PRC um 

1028
00:37:05,320 --> 00:37:07,710
leveraging all tools of its national 

1029
00:37:07,710 --> 00:37:10,010
power to ext and its reach really 

1030
00:37:10,020 --> 00:37:12,076
globally and and to compete with the 

1031
00:37:12,076 --> 00:37:14,210
United States um that comes through 

1032
00:37:14,210 --> 00:37:16,266
gray zone tactics , it comes through 

1033
00:37:16,266 --> 00:37:18,432
economic linkages in the Caribbean and 

1034
00:37:18,432 --> 00:37:20,620
Latin America as , as you noted in 

1035
00:37:20,620 --> 00:37:22,750
terms of what D O D is doing . Um I 

1036
00:37:22,750 --> 00:37:25,780
think General Richardson's um lay down 

1037
00:37:25,790 --> 00:37:28,220
of the security cooperation lovers that , 

1038
00:37:28,220 --> 00:37:32,100
that we have um is quite right . Um Our 

1039
00:37:32,100 --> 00:37:34,530
ability to bolster our defense 

1040
00:37:34,530 --> 00:37:38,010
relationships , empower the leaders um 

1041
00:37:38,020 --> 00:37:40,242
that are aligned with our interests and 

1042
00:37:40,242 --> 00:37:43,150
values um in the region and accelerate 

1043
00:37:43,160 --> 00:37:44,882
our , our security cooperation 

1044
00:37:44,882 --> 00:37:47,540
activities to them um will enhance our 

1045
00:37:47,540 --> 00:37:49,850
relationships and crowd out the 

1046
00:37:49,850 --> 00:37:52,860
possibilities for for the PRC to make 

1047
00:37:52,860 --> 00:37:55,100
further inroads . I do think there's 

1048
00:37:55,100 --> 00:37:57,390
also more that we could be doing in the 

1049
00:37:57,390 --> 00:37:59,446
region building upon great work that 

1050
00:37:59,446 --> 00:38:01,990
South com is already doing to expose 

1051
00:38:02,000 --> 00:38:04,810
the predatory nature of some of the 

1052
00:38:04,810 --> 00:38:07,990
prc's activities um through information 

1053
00:38:07,990 --> 00:38:10,220
operations and , and public affairs . 

1054
00:38:10,230 --> 00:38:12,750
Thank you very much . Um I wanted to 

1055
00:38:12,750 --> 00:38:15,170
ask General Van Herk a question on 

1056
00:38:15,170 --> 00:38:18,270
China also uh when the previous 

1057
00:38:18,270 --> 00:38:20,440
administration put in trade 

1058
00:38:20,440 --> 00:38:23,400
restrictions on China , one of the 

1059
00:38:23,400 --> 00:38:25,456
things that the Chinese did was that 

1060
00:38:25,456 --> 00:38:27,456
they just upped their investment in 

1061
00:38:27,456 --> 00:38:29,344
Mexico , one of our NAFTA trading 

1062
00:38:29,344 --> 00:38:31,511
partners . As a matter of fact , uh we 

1063
00:38:31,511 --> 00:38:34,290
saw record high investment uh in Mexico 

1064
00:38:34,300 --> 00:38:38,020
around 24,021 

1065
00:38:38,020 --> 00:38:40,930
time period . And the D A is saying 

1066
00:38:40,930 --> 00:38:43,097
that China is still the primary source 

1067
00:38:43,097 --> 00:38:45,210
of fentaNYL and fentaNYL related 

1068
00:38:45,210 --> 00:38:47,370
substances that come into the United 

1069
00:38:47,370 --> 00:38:50,340
States . Uh Can you talk a little bit 

1070
00:38:50,350 --> 00:38:53,410
about as trade continues to increase 

1071
00:38:53,410 --> 00:38:55,243
with our partners in the South , 

1072
00:38:55,243 --> 00:38:57,410
particularly Mexico . How important it 

1073
00:38:57,410 --> 00:39:01,000
is that we get a hold of this ? So make 

1074
00:39:01,000 --> 00:39:03,222
sure I understand your question , get a 

1075
00:39:03,222 --> 00:39:05,278
hold of the Chinese investment , not 

1076
00:39:05,278 --> 00:39:07,500
that , how concerned should we be about 

1077
00:39:07,500 --> 00:39:10,210
the Chinese investment and , and there 

1078
00:39:10,210 --> 00:39:13,370
and being correlated with them being in 

1079
00:39:13,370 --> 00:39:15,592
control of so much fentaNYL coming into 

1080
00:39:15,592 --> 00:39:17,481
the United States . You know , we 

1081
00:39:17,481 --> 00:39:19,648
should be very concerned about Chinese 

1082
00:39:19,648 --> 00:39:19,340
investment in the entire western 

1083
00:39:19,340 --> 00:39:21,310
hemisphere . Not only in Mexico , 

1084
00:39:21,320 --> 00:39:23,750
there's significant Chinese investment 

1085
00:39:23,750 --> 00:39:25,600
in Mexico , about 80% of their 

1086
00:39:25,600 --> 00:39:27,630
telecommunications is provided by 

1087
00:39:27,630 --> 00:39:29,590
Chinese companies such as Huawei , 

1088
00:39:29,830 --> 00:39:31,663
their border detection and their 

1089
00:39:31,663 --> 00:39:33,886
security going back and forth . We work 

1090
00:39:33,886 --> 00:39:35,774
closely with Mexico to ensure the 

1091
00:39:35,774 --> 00:39:38,290
Chinese aren't allowed to uh provide uh 

1092
00:39:38,300 --> 00:39:40,470
you know , that the capabilities that 

1093
00:39:40,480 --> 00:39:43,130
uh look at vehicles and processing go 

1094
00:39:43,130 --> 00:39:45,352
across the border as well as far as the 

1095
00:39:45,352 --> 00:39:47,463
fentaNYL piece . Let's let's be clear 

1096
00:39:47,463 --> 00:39:49,352
when we say China , it comes from 

1097
00:39:49,352 --> 00:39:51,408
individuals and companies in China , 

1098
00:39:51,408 --> 00:39:53,408
but the PRC themselves is turning a 

1099
00:39:53,408 --> 00:39:55,408
blind eye . So it's crucial that we 

1100
00:39:55,408 --> 00:39:57,352
expose that we , we name and shame 

1101
00:39:57,352 --> 00:39:59,463
their activities , the fact that they 

1102
00:39:59,463 --> 00:40:01,463
aren't taking advantage of stopping 

1103
00:40:01,463 --> 00:40:03,630
that and we shouldn't expect them to , 

1104
00:40:03,630 --> 00:40:05,852
but we should do more . It's coming not 

1105
00:40:05,852 --> 00:40:07,852
only from China but other places in 

1106
00:40:07,852 --> 00:40:07,830
Asia as well . And we need to work 

1107
00:40:07,830 --> 00:40:10,052
closely . I'm working very closely with 

1108
00:40:10,052 --> 00:40:12,108
Samara . They've been charged , some 

1109
00:40:12,108 --> 00:40:14,274
are as the , the Secretary of the Navy 

1110
00:40:14,274 --> 00:40:16,740
uh in Mexico and providing information 

1111
00:40:16,740 --> 00:40:18,970
to enable them to basically go after 

1112
00:40:18,970 --> 00:40:20,803
some of these precursors as they 

1113
00:40:20,803 --> 00:40:22,692
provide ports security . I'd also 

1114
00:40:22,692 --> 00:40:24,914
expand that it's not just in Mexico and 

1115
00:40:24,914 --> 00:40:27,248
the western hemisphere in Latin America , 

1116
00:40:27,248 --> 00:40:29,303
it's in the Bahamas as well . And so 

1117
00:40:29,303 --> 00:40:31,248
they have the largest Megara Built 

1118
00:40:31,248 --> 00:40:33,770
right on top of our Navy's test and 

1119
00:40:33,770 --> 00:40:35,937
training range is and where our cables 

1120
00:40:35,937 --> 00:40:38,048
come ashore . So things that we could 

1121
00:40:38,048 --> 00:40:40,214
do is we have to continue to educate , 

1122
00:40:40,214 --> 00:40:42,270
declassify and let these nations see 

1123
00:40:42,270 --> 00:40:44,326
what's actually going on as well and 

1124
00:40:44,326 --> 00:40:46,548
continue building their relationships . 

1125
00:40:46,548 --> 00:40:46,530
It would vastly help to have a 

1126
00:40:46,540 --> 00:40:48,707
ambassador in the Bahamas . We haven't 

1127
00:40:48,707 --> 00:40:50,860
had one since 2011 . Yeah . Well , 

1128
00:40:50,860 --> 00:40:52,527
thank you very much , General 

1129
00:40:52,527 --> 00:40:54,820
Richardson in in short . Um but you 

1130
00:40:54,820 --> 00:40:57,070
know , based on that , what sort of 

1131
00:40:57,070 --> 00:40:59,970
platform should we be investing in for 

1132
00:40:59,970 --> 00:41:01,970
the future particularly now that we 

1133
00:41:01,970 --> 00:41:04,192
know that China is going to continue to 

1134
00:41:04,192 --> 00:41:06,414
uh want to have this large footprint in 

1135
00:41:06,414 --> 00:41:09,580
the in our southern hemisphere . So I 

1136
00:41:09,580 --> 00:41:12,520
think the the challenges that are , 

1137
00:41:12,530 --> 00:41:14,720
that are countries face in the region 

1138
00:41:14,730 --> 00:41:17,900
is the sybers at the top of their list 

1139
00:41:17,900 --> 00:41:20,067
of the challenges that they're dealing 

1140
00:41:20,067 --> 00:41:22,289
with ransomware attacks . Cyber attacks 

1141
00:41:22,289 --> 00:41:24,456
are very , very prevalent and building 

1142
00:41:24,456 --> 00:41:27,640
their capacity and capability to um one 

1143
00:41:27,640 --> 00:41:29,807
hardened their networks and be able to 

1144
00:41:29,807 --> 00:41:31,862
do that very , very quickly , uh and 

1145
00:41:31,862 --> 00:41:33,918
hardened critical infrastructure and 

1146
00:41:33,918 --> 00:41:36,840
having uh the ability to be able to do 

1147
00:41:36,840 --> 00:41:38,980
that . And again , I go back to the 

1148
00:41:38,990 --> 00:41:41,101
struggling economies of some of these 

1149
00:41:41,101 --> 00:41:43,268
countries are having a hard time doing 

1150
00:41:43,268 --> 00:41:45,490
that . So we're , we're helping them to 

1151
00:41:45,490 --> 00:41:48,800
identify the their vulnerabilities in 

1152
00:41:48,800 --> 00:41:51,200
order to put a focus on that and be 

1153
00:41:51,200 --> 00:41:53,200
able to , to fix that . Gentlemen , 

1154
00:41:53,200 --> 00:41:55,422
thank you , expired and I recognize the 

1155
00:41:55,422 --> 00:41:57,589
gentleman from Missouri Mr offered for 

1156
00:41:57,589 --> 00:41:59,589
five minutes . Thank you , Chairman 

1157
00:41:59,589 --> 00:42:01,811
Rogers , ranking member , Smith and our 

1158
00:42:01,811 --> 00:42:01,360
witnesses here today . Proud to say 

1159
00:42:01,360 --> 00:42:03,360
that both of our generals today are 

1160
00:42:03,360 --> 00:42:05,527
Missouri natives . Thank you for being 

1161
00:42:05,527 --> 00:42:07,471
here today . I too am increasingly 

1162
00:42:07,471 --> 00:42:09,638
concerned about the threat China poses 

1163
00:42:09,638 --> 00:42:11,860
not just in the Indo Pacific region but 

1164
00:42:11,860 --> 00:42:13,960
us here at home here in America with 

1165
00:42:13,960 --> 00:42:16,071
the recent Chinese spy balloon flying 

1166
00:42:16,071 --> 00:42:17,682
over the US homeland China's 

1167
00:42:17,682 --> 00:42:19,904
surveillance of American through tiktok 

1168
00:42:19,904 --> 00:42:21,904
on their , on their phones . Um New 

1169
00:42:21,904 --> 00:42:23,627
reports of Chinese made cranes 

1170
00:42:23,627 --> 00:42:25,738
operating at American ports including 

1171
00:42:25,738 --> 00:42:27,960
cranes used by our own military being 

1172
00:42:27,960 --> 00:42:30,680
used for surveillance by the CCP . It 

1173
00:42:30,680 --> 00:42:32,791
makes me wonder what part , what part 

1174
00:42:32,791 --> 00:42:35,013
of our society , what part of our , our 

1175
00:42:35,013 --> 00:42:37,236
country , our , our precious nation has 

1176
00:42:37,236 --> 00:42:39,236
not been infiltrated by the Chinese 

1177
00:42:39,236 --> 00:42:40,958
kindness government . I'm also 

1178
00:42:40,958 --> 00:42:42,847
concerned that we do not have the 

1179
00:42:42,847 --> 00:42:44,902
capabilities in place to protect our 

1180
00:42:44,902 --> 00:42:46,958
homeland from a non kinetic threat , 

1181
00:42:46,958 --> 00:42:49,124
for example , electromagnetic or cyber 

1182
00:42:49,124 --> 00:42:51,124
attack . And that leads to my first 

1183
00:42:51,124 --> 00:42:52,902
question for General Van Hurt , 

1184
00:42:52,902 --> 00:42:54,847
considering the recent Chinese spy 

1185
00:42:54,847 --> 00:42:56,958
balloon that flew unchecked over most 

1186
00:42:56,958 --> 00:42:56,570
of the continental United States , 

1187
00:42:56,580 --> 00:42:59,060
including near White Men Air Force Base . 

1188
00:42:59,060 --> 00:43:01,060
Can you talk a little bit about the 

1189
00:43:01,060 --> 00:43:03,210
resources and capabilities that we do 

1190
00:43:03,210 --> 00:43:05,390
have in place to defend our homeland 

1191
00:43:05,390 --> 00:43:07,223
from non kinetic attacks such as 

1192
00:43:07,223 --> 00:43:09,390
electromagnetic and cyber attacks ? 

1193
00:43:11,590 --> 00:43:13,590
So that , that's a great question , 

1194
00:43:13,590 --> 00:43:16,010
Congressman as far as uh resources in 

1195
00:43:16,010 --> 00:43:18,190
place , General Nakasone primarily has 

1196
00:43:18,190 --> 00:43:20,590
the responsibility for D O D and 

1197
00:43:20,590 --> 00:43:24,200
defense from uh the non kinetic effects 

1198
00:43:24,200 --> 00:43:26,200
that you're talking about and being 

1199
00:43:26,200 --> 00:43:29,100
aware as far as being aware of E M P . 

1200
00:43:29,110 --> 00:43:31,166
Uh I would say that's not a specific 

1201
00:43:31,166 --> 00:43:33,221
capability but more broadly , that's 

1202
00:43:33,221 --> 00:43:35,277
our strategic deterrent that defends 

1203
00:43:35,277 --> 00:43:35,090
against that any kind of an 

1204
00:43:35,090 --> 00:43:37,760
electromagnetic . And it's also my 

1205
00:43:37,760 --> 00:43:39,704
capabilities to defend against any 

1206
00:43:39,704 --> 00:43:41,871
platform that may deliver that such as 

1207
00:43:41,871 --> 00:43:43,927
an airborne platform a high altitude 

1208
00:43:43,927 --> 00:43:46,300
balloon which could effectively utilize 

1209
00:43:46,300 --> 00:43:48,467
an E M P attack on our homeland . So I 

1210
00:43:48,467 --> 00:43:50,467
think I have the capabilities to do 

1211
00:43:50,467 --> 00:43:52,633
that if I have the domain awareness to 

1212
00:43:52,633 --> 00:43:54,856
see that more broadly in defend against 

1213
00:43:54,856 --> 00:43:56,856
an E M P kind of threat . As far as 

1214
00:43:56,856 --> 00:43:59,080
specific E M P for D O D facilities and 

1215
00:43:59,080 --> 00:44:01,191
key critical infrastructure , much of 

1216
00:44:01,191 --> 00:44:03,191
that is already hardened from E M P 

1217
00:44:03,191 --> 00:44:06,530
attacks . So the way we uh deliver our 

1218
00:44:06,540 --> 00:44:08,707
emergency action message is the way we 

1219
00:44:08,707 --> 00:44:11,580
uh look at our commanding control that 

1220
00:44:11,580 --> 00:44:13,524
is critical to nuclear command and 

1221
00:44:13,524 --> 00:44:15,747
control . Much of that is already E M P 

1222
00:44:15,747 --> 00:44:17,802
hardened . Thank you , sir . Another 

1223
00:44:17,802 --> 00:44:19,858
concern I have is that we may not be 

1224
00:44:19,858 --> 00:44:22,024
focusing enough on the army's domestic 

1225
00:44:22,024 --> 00:44:24,136
role as it relates to north com . Can 

1226
00:44:24,136 --> 00:44:26,136
you talk about the army's role with 

1227
00:44:26,136 --> 00:44:28,136
north com ? Do you believe that the 

1228
00:44:28,136 --> 00:44:30,191
army has the resources , it needs to 

1229
00:44:30,191 --> 00:44:32,191
support our nation during a federal 

1230
00:44:32,191 --> 00:44:35,890
disaster ? Yes , I believe that 

1231
00:44:35,890 --> 00:44:37,890
question would be best asked by the 

1232
00:44:37,890 --> 00:44:40,410
army or to the army . But my concern is 

1233
00:44:40,410 --> 00:44:42,521
access to forces that are organized , 

1234
00:44:42,521 --> 00:44:44,743
trained and equipped in a timely manner 

1235
00:44:44,743 --> 00:44:46,688
to conduct both defense support to 

1236
00:44:46,688 --> 00:44:48,799
civil authorities and also defense of 

1237
00:44:48,799 --> 00:44:50,743
the homeland . I'm the only combat 

1238
00:44:50,743 --> 00:44:52,966
commander that doesn't have a threshold 

1239
00:44:52,966 --> 00:44:55,350
force day to day uh to defend my area 

1240
00:44:55,350 --> 00:44:57,294
of responsibility . I have to gain 

1241
00:44:57,294 --> 00:44:59,350
access to that through a request for 

1242
00:44:59,350 --> 00:45:01,350
forces for just in time . And those 

1243
00:45:01,350 --> 00:45:03,572
forces then have to come from somewhere 

1244
00:45:03,572 --> 00:45:05,683
else , either retained by the service 

1245
00:45:05,683 --> 00:45:07,906
or somebody else's . Oh , plan . Uh I'm 

1246
00:45:07,906 --> 00:45:10,017
confident the army has what they need 

1247
00:45:10,017 --> 00:45:12,239
from a capacity wise to get to it . And 

1248
00:45:12,239 --> 00:45:14,350
my question is access to it . I would 

1249
00:45:14,350 --> 00:45:16,517
also point out that I do have concerns 

1250
00:45:16,517 --> 00:45:18,628
about the Arctic . 52% of my A O R is 

1251
00:45:18,628 --> 00:45:20,739
in the Arctic . Okay . And we need to 

1252
00:45:20,739 --> 00:45:22,683
ensure that forces are organized , 

1253
00:45:22,683 --> 00:45:24,850
trained and equipped to operate day to 

1254
00:45:24,850 --> 00:45:26,683
day in the Arctic . And I'm less 

1255
00:45:26,683 --> 00:45:26,470
confident there that the services are 

1256
00:45:26,470 --> 00:45:28,637
organized . They all have strategies , 

1257
00:45:28,637 --> 00:45:30,859
they have not funded those strategies . 

1258
00:45:30,859 --> 00:45:33,081
I look forward to seeing the budget for 

1259
00:45:33,081 --> 00:45:34,914
24 . So do we thank you our last 

1260
00:45:34,914 --> 00:45:37,081
question for you . General . Could you 

1261
00:45:37,081 --> 00:45:39,303
please explain what North Commons doing 

1262
00:45:39,303 --> 00:45:41,526
to counter Huawei ? You mentioned their 

1263
00:45:41,526 --> 00:45:43,748
involvement uh in Mexico . We know that 

1264
00:45:43,748 --> 00:45:43,460
the Chinese Communist government has 

1265
00:45:43,460 --> 00:45:45,627
their tentacles spread throughout with 

1266
00:45:45,627 --> 00:45:47,710
Huawei and ZTE hardware uh in 

1267
00:45:47,710 --> 00:45:49,988
particular near military installations , 

1268
00:45:49,988 --> 00:45:52,210
please address that . So worked closely 

1269
00:45:52,210 --> 00:45:54,154
with General Marcus Tony and genie 

1270
00:45:54,154 --> 00:45:56,377
Easterly at CISA to address those . And 

1271
00:45:56,377 --> 00:45:58,432
this is uh an ongoing topic that you 

1272
00:45:58,432 --> 00:46:00,654
see in the media right now . It's about 

1273
00:46:00,654 --> 00:46:02,932
the investment of Chinese corporations , 

1274
00:46:02,932 --> 00:46:04,877
companies of the Chinese Communist 

1275
00:46:04,877 --> 00:46:07,043
Party itself into our nation . So this 

1276
00:46:07,043 --> 00:46:09,210
is an education aspect that we have to 

1277
00:46:09,210 --> 00:46:11,210
ensure folks understand the risk as 

1278
00:46:11,210 --> 00:46:13,620
they sell off properties around 

1279
00:46:13,620 --> 00:46:15,842
military installations . Primarily that 

1280
00:46:15,842 --> 00:46:18,064
responsibility would fall outside of my 

1281
00:46:18,064 --> 00:46:20,064
authorities . But I'm significantly 

1282
00:46:20,064 --> 00:46:22,510
working with those who have that 

1283
00:46:22,510 --> 00:46:24,677
responsibility , commerce and others . 

1284
00:46:25,590 --> 00:46:27,479
We had a good conversation in our 

1285
00:46:27,479 --> 00:46:29,534
office yesterday and we talked about 

1286
00:46:29,534 --> 00:46:31,646
the not just domain awareness but the 

1287
00:46:31,646 --> 00:46:33,812
awareness of the American people . How 

1288
00:46:33,812 --> 00:46:35,812
do we get America to wake up to the 

1289
00:46:35,812 --> 00:46:37,812
actual threat the Communist Chinese 

1290
00:46:37,812 --> 00:46:39,979
government poses ? Yeah , I think this 

1291
00:46:39,979 --> 00:46:41,979
is an education and understanding . 

1292
00:46:41,979 --> 00:46:44,034
We're so economically intertwined as 

1293
00:46:44,034 --> 00:46:46,146
well with China that it's hard to set 

1294
00:46:46,146 --> 00:46:48,201
policies in place that could have an 

1295
00:46:48,201 --> 00:46:50,423
impact on ourselves . And so we have to 

1296
00:46:50,423 --> 00:46:50,100
understand the threat . We have to be 

1297
00:46:50,100 --> 00:46:52,211
willing to declassify and expose that 

1298
00:46:52,211 --> 00:46:54,211
threat a little bit more . So folks 

1299
00:46:54,211 --> 00:46:56,433
fully understand what China is actually 

1300
00:46:56,433 --> 00:46:58,378
trying to do the P R C . Thank you 

1301
00:46:58,378 --> 00:46:57,820
General . Thank you to all of our 

1302
00:46:57,820 --> 00:47:00,098
witnesses , Mr Chairman , I yield back , 

1303
00:47:00,240 --> 00:47:02,462
recognized from California , Mr Panetta 

1304
00:47:02,462 --> 00:47:04,351
for five minutes . Thank you , Mr 

1305
00:47:04,351 --> 00:47:06,462
Chairman Mr ranking member , uh sir , 

1306
00:47:06,462 --> 00:47:08,790
gentle ladies . Good , good morning and 

1307
00:47:08,790 --> 00:47:10,901
thank you for being here . Um I think 

1308
00:47:10,901 --> 00:47:13,068
the chairman did a pretty good job and 

1309
00:47:13,068 --> 00:47:15,290
setting the scene , at least in regards 

1310
00:47:15,290 --> 00:47:17,401
to the question I'm about to oppose , 

1311
00:47:17,401 --> 00:47:19,457
I'm gonna hit you , Mr Dalton , Miss 

1312
00:47:19,457 --> 00:47:21,457
Dalton first . Um Obviously , we've 

1313
00:47:21,457 --> 00:47:23,623
heard about the horrific reports about 

1314
00:47:23,623 --> 00:47:26,480
the killing of two American uh people 

1315
00:47:26,480 --> 00:47:28,424
and the kidnapping of two more . I 

1316
00:47:28,424 --> 00:47:30,647
guess this group of four that was going 

1317
00:47:30,647 --> 00:47:32,869
down there for a medical procedure . Um 

1318
00:47:32,869 --> 00:47:34,813
You know , we're hearing about the 

1319
00:47:34,813 --> 00:47:36,924
explosion of illicit drug deaths here 

1320
00:47:36,924 --> 00:47:39,091
in our country . We were hearing about 

1321
00:47:39,091 --> 00:47:41,147
people , thousands upon thousands of 

1322
00:47:41,147 --> 00:47:43,202
people just disappearing in Mexico . 

1323
00:47:43,202 --> 00:47:45,258
The Washington Post did an excellent 

1324
00:47:45,258 --> 00:47:47,258
expose about the amount of fentaNYL 

1325
00:47:47,258 --> 00:47:49,369
that is coming into our country . And 

1326
00:47:49,369 --> 00:47:51,480
now you're obviously hearing more and 

1327
00:47:51,480 --> 00:47:53,570
more public officials , Attorney 

1328
00:47:53,570 --> 00:47:55,910
General's former A G Barr , you're 

1329
00:47:55,910 --> 00:47:57,854
seeing a house resolution . You're 

1330
00:47:57,854 --> 00:48:00,077
going to see a Senate bill , I think by 

1331
00:48:00,077 --> 00:48:02,440
Senator Graham about what we can do to 

1332
00:48:02,440 --> 00:48:05,270
designate cartels as terrorist groups 

1333
00:48:05,820 --> 00:48:08,220
and authorized quote unquote , select 

1334
00:48:08,230 --> 00:48:10,960
military capabilities . Obviously , 

1335
00:48:10,970 --> 00:48:13,081
Miss Dalton , there's a lot of policy 

1336
00:48:13,081 --> 00:48:15,610
challenges in regards to this . But I 

1337
00:48:15,610 --> 00:48:18,460
think we understand why people are 

1338
00:48:18,470 --> 00:48:20,470
asking for this based on what we're 

1339
00:48:20,470 --> 00:48:22,581
seeing . If you could go into some of 

1340
00:48:22,581 --> 00:48:24,748
the challenges that there could be for 

1341
00:48:24,748 --> 00:48:27,026
this type of policy to be put in place , 

1342
00:48:27,240 --> 00:48:29,184
especially when it comes to Mexico 

1343
00:48:29,560 --> 00:48:31,710
Congressman . Thank you very much for 

1344
00:48:31,710 --> 00:48:33,766
the question . And first of all , to 

1345
00:48:33,766 --> 00:48:36,820
acknowledge the tragedy of the killing 

1346
00:48:36,820 --> 00:48:39,560
of Americans over over the last week . 

1347
00:48:39,560 --> 00:48:42,060
And this is of course , a priority for 

1348
00:48:42,070 --> 00:48:44,630
this administration um to , to look out 

1349
00:48:44,630 --> 00:48:47,270
for , for the families and um to ensure 

1350
00:48:47,270 --> 00:48:49,980
that um the personal affected um are 

1351
00:48:49,980 --> 00:48:53,610
are returned home . Um And I would say , 

1352
00:48:53,620 --> 00:48:55,787
you know , from a policy perspective , 

1353
00:48:55,787 --> 00:48:57,731
certainly concerning the levels of 

1354
00:48:57,731 --> 00:48:59,731
violence , um the flow of irregular 

1355
00:48:59,731 --> 00:49:03,070
migrants to our southwest border . Um 

1356
00:49:03,080 --> 00:49:05,260
the prevalence of fentaNYL coming 

1357
00:49:05,260 --> 00:49:07,970
through our ports of entry . Um These 

1358
00:49:07,970 --> 00:49:10,820
are all deeply concerning trend lines 

1359
00:49:10,820 --> 00:49:13,250
and we need a holistic approach to 

1360
00:49:13,250 --> 00:49:16,500
address it . Um not only with , with 

1361
00:49:16,500 --> 00:49:19,320
Mexico but as discussed more upstream 

1362
00:49:19,320 --> 00:49:21,420
in terms of the sources , whether 

1363
00:49:21,430 --> 00:49:24,050
that's prc's connection to fentaNYL or 

1364
00:49:24,060 --> 00:49:26,740
um working closely with partners um 

1365
00:49:26,750 --> 00:49:30,140
upstream in the region . Um As well , I 

1366
00:49:30,140 --> 00:49:32,970
think to , to your question in terms of 

1367
00:49:32,970 --> 00:49:34,750
weighing the advantages and 

1368
00:49:34,750 --> 00:49:36,750
disadvantages of some , some of the 

1369
00:49:36,750 --> 00:49:38,950
steps that are under consideration um 

1370
00:49:38,960 --> 00:49:41,140
in terms of use of force or certain 

1371
00:49:41,140 --> 00:49:43,196
designations , I think we need to be 

1372
00:49:43,196 --> 00:49:45,490
clear eyed about what some of the 

1373
00:49:45,490 --> 00:49:48,720
implications might be . Um For the 

1374
00:49:48,730 --> 00:49:52,210
lines of cooperation we do have um with , 

1375
00:49:52,210 --> 00:49:54,099
with Mexico and I'll speak from a 

1376
00:49:54,099 --> 00:49:56,260
defense perspective is that's my , my 

1377
00:49:56,260 --> 00:49:59,650
primary line of oversight . Um So I'm , 

1378
00:49:59,660 --> 00:50:01,870
I'm going down to , to Mexico actually 

1379
00:50:01,870 --> 00:50:04,920
tonight um to engage Mexican partners 

1380
00:50:04,930 --> 00:50:08,080
on um intelligence cooperation , cyber 

1381
00:50:08,080 --> 00:50:11,580
cooperation , a whole host of critical 

1382
00:50:11,580 --> 00:50:13,580
defense cooperation activities . Um 

1383
00:50:13,580 --> 00:50:15,580
There are important from a national 

1384
00:50:15,580 --> 00:50:18,090
security perspective and I do worry um 

1385
00:50:18,090 --> 00:50:20,810
based on um you know , signals , very 

1386
00:50:20,810 --> 00:50:22,866
strong signals we've gotten from the 

1387
00:50:22,866 --> 00:50:24,810
Mexicans in the past . Um concerns 

1388
00:50:24,810 --> 00:50:26,977
about their sovereignty concerns about 

1389
00:50:26,977 --> 00:50:29,280
potential reciprocal steps that they 

1390
00:50:29,280 --> 00:50:32,600
might take to cut off our , our access . 

1391
00:50:32,610 --> 00:50:35,050
Um if we were to take some of the steps 

1392
00:50:35,050 --> 00:50:37,217
that are in consideration . So I think 

1393
00:50:37,217 --> 00:50:39,328
we need to be really clear eyed about 

1394
00:50:39,328 --> 00:50:41,550
weighing those , those trade offs and I 

1395
00:50:41,550 --> 00:50:43,606
at least it's a plan that I'll be in 

1396
00:50:43,606 --> 00:50:45,830
Mexico as well next week . Uh speaking 

1397
00:50:45,840 --> 00:50:48,640
with the President and obviously , you 

1398
00:50:48,640 --> 00:50:51,050
know , you had a Wall Street Journal 

1399
00:50:51,050 --> 00:50:53,880
editorial , excuse me , op ed uh 

1400
00:50:53,890 --> 00:50:56,090
recently that said basically the chief 

1401
00:50:56,090 --> 00:50:58,620
enabler is President Andres Manuel 

1402
00:50:58,630 --> 00:51:00,686
Lopez Obrador . Would you agree with 

1403
00:51:00,686 --> 00:51:04,580
that statement ? I believe these 

1404
00:51:04,580 --> 00:51:06,747
are really complex challenges that are 

1405
00:51:06,747 --> 00:51:09,910
gonna require engagement at all levels 

1406
00:51:09,920 --> 00:51:13,280
to include with the head of state . Um 

1407
00:51:13,290 --> 00:51:15,068
And you know , there , there is 

1408
00:51:15,068 --> 00:51:17,570
cooperation that we need to further um 

1409
00:51:17,570 --> 00:51:19,681
when it comes to counter drug efforts 

1410
00:51:19,681 --> 00:51:21,681
encountering a regular migration as 

1411
00:51:21,681 --> 00:51:24,320
well . Jack . Um in the last 40 seconds , 

1412
00:51:24,330 --> 00:51:28,000
uh General Van Herk , I realized that 

1413
00:51:28,010 --> 00:51:30,780
there's a lot of discussion about the 

1414
00:51:30,790 --> 00:51:33,210
Chinese surveillance balloon over 

1415
00:51:33,220 --> 00:51:35,980
America . There was also reported and 

1416
00:51:35,980 --> 00:51:38,550
to be assessed by the Pentagon , a 

1417
00:51:38,560 --> 00:51:40,782
surveillance balloon over Latin America 

1418
00:51:40,782 --> 00:51:43,210
at the same time , whatever happened to 

1419
00:51:43,210 --> 00:51:47,070
that . Well , I'll 

1420
00:51:47,070 --> 00:51:48,959
speak for what I know and General 

1421
00:51:48,959 --> 00:51:50,959
Richards can talk about it . What I 

1422
00:51:50,959 --> 00:51:54,250
understand is the P R C uh actually uh 

1423
00:51:54,260 --> 00:51:56,482
terminated that balloon in the Atlantic 

1424
00:51:56,482 --> 00:51:58,371
Ocean off the east coast of South 

1425
00:51:58,371 --> 00:52:00,538
America . That's what my understanding 

1426
00:52:00,538 --> 00:52:02,427
is , General Richardson . Is that 

1427
00:52:02,427 --> 00:52:05,180
correct ? That's what I understand as 

1428
00:52:05,180 --> 00:52:07,580
well . Yes . Okay . Thank you . I yield 

1429
00:52:07,580 --> 00:52:09,747
back , time's expired and I recognized 

1430
00:52:09,890 --> 00:52:11,779
from New York , Mr Loder for five 

1431
00:52:11,779 --> 00:52:13,668
minutes . Thank you , Mr Chairman 

1432
00:52:13,668 --> 00:52:15,668
Status of Forces Agreements are the 

1433
00:52:15,668 --> 00:52:17,723
compacts . The Department of Defense 

1434
00:52:17,723 --> 00:52:19,668
has in place with friendly foreign 

1435
00:52:19,668 --> 00:52:21,668
nations who host us troops overseas 

1436
00:52:21,668 --> 00:52:23,779
among other things . These agreements 

1437
00:52:23,779 --> 00:52:26,001
ensure that when deployed us forces are 

1438
00:52:26,001 --> 00:52:28,112
accused of crimes by our allies . Our 

1439
00:52:28,112 --> 00:52:29,834
troops are afforded the proper 

1440
00:52:29,834 --> 00:52:31,779
protocols and civil American civil 

1441
00:52:31,779 --> 00:52:33,946
rights such as the right to counsel of 

1442
00:52:33,946 --> 00:52:36,057
their choice , an interpreter , a bar 

1443
00:52:36,057 --> 00:52:37,946
against pretrial confinement when 

1444
00:52:37,946 --> 00:52:40,001
accused of a non violent crime . And 

1445
00:52:40,001 --> 00:52:42,223
for decades , United States forces have 

1446
00:52:42,223 --> 00:52:44,557
been stationed in the deployed to Japan , 

1447
00:52:44,557 --> 00:52:46,446
one of our greatest allies in the 

1448
00:52:46,446 --> 00:52:48,390
Western Pacific . And our nation's 

1449
00:52:48,390 --> 00:52:50,557
military cooperation has been a strong 

1450
00:52:50,557 --> 00:52:52,557
source of stability for the Western 

1451
00:52:52,557 --> 00:52:54,501
Pacific in the in the face of real 

1452
00:52:54,501 --> 00:52:56,557
threats from China and North Korea . 

1453
00:52:56,557 --> 00:52:58,557
Also for decades , military men and 

1454
00:52:58,557 --> 00:53:00,650
women stationed in and deployed to 

1455
00:53:00,650 --> 00:53:02,261
Japan have operated with the 

1456
00:53:02,261 --> 00:53:04,483
understanding that if they were accused 

1457
00:53:04,483 --> 00:53:06,650
of a non violent crime in Japan , they 

1458
00:53:06,650 --> 00:53:08,817
would be afforded basic civil rights . 

1459
00:53:08,817 --> 00:53:10,983
Contrary to that understanding , Ridge 

1460
00:53:10,983 --> 00:53:13,094
Alcon is a United States Navy surface 

1461
00:53:13,094 --> 00:53:15,039
warfare officer stationed in Japan 

1462
00:53:15,039 --> 00:53:16,928
subsequent to being involved in a 

1463
00:53:16,928 --> 00:53:18,872
vehicular accident where everybody 

1464
00:53:18,872 --> 00:53:21,206
agrees no drugs or alcohol was involved , 

1465
00:53:21,206 --> 00:53:23,150
was arrested , confined pretrial , 

1466
00:53:23,150 --> 00:53:25,560
denied access to his own attorney and 

1467
00:53:25,560 --> 00:53:27,850
denied access to a translator . And 

1468
00:53:27,850 --> 00:53:29,739
subsequent to the denial of these 

1469
00:53:29,739 --> 00:53:32,072
rights . And while sleep deprived Ridge , 

1470
00:53:32,072 --> 00:53:34,128
Al Connors was coerced to confessing 

1471
00:53:34,128 --> 00:53:36,400
and forced to personally pay about a 

1472
00:53:36,400 --> 00:53:38,233
million dollars in restitution . 

1473
00:53:38,990 --> 00:53:41,101
Balconies is now serving a three year 

1474
00:53:41,101 --> 00:53:43,720
sentence in a Japanese jail . General 

1475
00:53:43,720 --> 00:53:45,887
Richardson , you command forces in and 

1476
00:53:45,887 --> 00:53:48,580
around 32 different nations in General . 

1477
00:53:48,580 --> 00:53:50,750
Van Herk . Your command reaches three 

1478
00:53:50,750 --> 00:53:52,417
foreign nations . From what I 

1479
00:53:52,417 --> 00:53:54,583
understand , can you each describe the 

1480
00:53:54,583 --> 00:53:56,583
importance of valid and enforceable 

1481
00:53:56,583 --> 00:53:59,050
status of forces agreements and what 

1482
00:53:59,050 --> 00:54:01,490
does the lack of um them do , 

1483
00:54:01,490 --> 00:54:03,000
especially with respect to 

1484
00:54:03,000 --> 00:54:05,010
operationally and otherwise for our 

1485
00:54:05,010 --> 00:54:06,950
forces morale and effectiveness ? 

1486
00:54:10,350 --> 00:54:12,580
So , thank you for the question . Uh I 

1487
00:54:12,580 --> 00:54:15,530
think it's very important and for the 

1488
00:54:15,540 --> 00:54:17,762
few countries , would you put the mic a 

1489
00:54:17,762 --> 00:54:19,873
little bit closer ? We can't hear you 

1490
00:54:20,510 --> 00:54:23,280
so very important the uh in terms of 

1491
00:54:23,280 --> 00:54:25,391
the , the status of forces agreements 

1492
00:54:25,391 --> 00:54:27,502
and for the few countries that , that 

1493
00:54:27,502 --> 00:54:30,940
don't have the sofa in place yet , uh 

1494
00:54:30,950 --> 00:54:33,117
That is one of the first things that , 

1495
00:54:33,117 --> 00:54:35,172
that I bring up when I meet with the 

1496
00:54:35,172 --> 00:54:37,394
leaders when I traveled to the region . 

1497
00:54:37,394 --> 00:54:39,561
And so , and explaining the importance 

1498
00:54:39,561 --> 00:54:41,839
of it and what it really means , right ? 

1499
00:54:41,839 --> 00:54:44,006
I think that in some cases that is not 

1500
00:54:44,006 --> 00:54:46,117
fully understood and so being able to 

1501
00:54:46,117 --> 00:54:48,283
describe it and explain it helps a lot 

1502
00:54:48,283 --> 00:54:52,250
and uh uh so much so that that enables 

1503
00:54:52,260 --> 00:54:55,820
um then uh we've had a couple um 

1504
00:54:55,830 --> 00:54:58,052
cases where we've been able to get that 

1505
00:54:58,052 --> 00:55:00,370
across the goal line , as I would say , 

1506
00:55:00,380 --> 00:55:02,602
where we've been able to get a sofa put 

1507
00:55:02,602 --> 00:55:04,824
in place that wasn't there previously . 

1508
00:55:05,240 --> 00:55:08,290
Thank you . Yeah , it's crucial to have 

1509
00:55:08,290 --> 00:55:10,401
a good sofa in place . We just have a 

1510
00:55:10,401 --> 00:55:12,457
new one in Bahamas put in place . Uh 

1511
00:55:12,457 --> 00:55:14,512
without that , our folks are at risk 

1512
00:55:14,512 --> 00:55:16,623
serving there to what we would expect 

1513
00:55:16,623 --> 00:55:18,568
for due process here in the United 

1514
00:55:18,568 --> 00:55:20,734
States as well . And this puts us at a 

1515
00:55:20,734 --> 00:55:22,957
common place to negotiate when we start 

1516
00:55:22,957 --> 00:55:25,123
with any country where we're serving , 

1517
00:55:25,123 --> 00:55:27,290
have a foundation going forward . When 

1518
00:55:27,290 --> 00:55:29,457
there's instances as you described and 

1519
00:55:29,457 --> 00:55:31,512
General Richard of the 32 nations in 

1520
00:55:31,512 --> 00:55:33,734
your area are about how many do you not 

1521
00:55:33,734 --> 00:55:36,068
have a status of forces agreements with ? 

1522
00:55:36,068 --> 00:55:38,179
So the exact number I will get to you 

1523
00:55:38,179 --> 00:55:40,290
for sure , but it's we have more than 

1524
00:55:40,290 --> 00:55:42,790
we don't . And so , and as I said , we 

1525
00:55:42,790 --> 00:55:45,012
will continue to aggressively work that 

1526
00:55:45,012 --> 00:55:46,957
to protect our service members and 

1527
00:55:46,957 --> 00:55:49,068
ensure the countries that , that they 

1528
00:55:49,068 --> 00:55:52,180
know that this isn't just a way to uh 

1529
00:55:52,190 --> 00:55:55,100
you know , allow our service members to 

1530
00:55:55,100 --> 00:55:57,322
be able to do something and then not be 

1531
00:55:57,322 --> 00:55:59,378
held accountable . We hold our , our 

1532
00:55:59,378 --> 00:56:01,378
service members accountable uh when 

1533
00:56:01,378 --> 00:56:03,433
appropriate and we will take care of 

1534
00:56:03,433 --> 00:56:05,489
that , make sure that that happens . 

1535
00:56:05,489 --> 00:56:07,600
And so that education piece is really 

1536
00:56:07,600 --> 00:56:09,822
important . Thank you and Miss Dalton , 

1537
00:56:09,822 --> 00:56:12,044
what is the Department of Defense doing 

1538
00:56:12,044 --> 00:56:14,156
to get a valid and enforceable status 

1539
00:56:14,156 --> 00:56:16,378
of forces agreement in place with Japan 

1540
00:56:16,378 --> 00:56:18,600
so that our troops can operate with the 

1541
00:56:18,600 --> 00:56:20,822
confidence they deserve . Congressman . 

1542
00:56:20,822 --> 00:56:22,989
Thank you for the question . I'll have 

1543
00:56:22,989 --> 00:56:25,211
to take that back to our team that that 

1544
00:56:25,211 --> 00:56:27,840
works the into Pacific . Thank you , Mr 

1545
00:56:27,920 --> 00:56:30,087
Will you commit to bringing this issue 

1546
00:56:30,087 --> 00:56:32,253
to Secretary Austin and express to him 

1547
00:56:32,253 --> 00:56:34,420
how important this committee thinks it 

1548
00:56:34,420 --> 00:56:36,587
is ? I will Thank you . Are you back , 

1549
00:56:36,587 --> 00:56:38,642
Mr Chairman ? Sure . And I recognize 

1550
00:56:38,642 --> 00:56:40,864
the gentle lady from Alabama Sewell for 

1551
00:56:40,864 --> 00:56:43,142
five minutes . Thank you , Mr Chairman . 

1552
00:56:43,142 --> 00:56:42,870
And I want to thank all of our 

1553
00:56:42,870 --> 00:56:45,037
witnesses . I'm particularly concerned 

1554
00:56:45,037 --> 00:56:47,203
about the People's Republic of China's 

1555
00:56:47,203 --> 00:56:49,300
Belt and Road initiative and their 

1556
00:56:49,300 --> 00:56:51,078
footprint in South America , in 

1557
00:56:51,078 --> 00:56:53,940
particular , 21 of the 31 countries 

1558
00:56:53,940 --> 00:56:55,440
within South calms area of 

1559
00:56:55,440 --> 00:56:57,750
responsibility have Belt and Road um 

1560
00:56:57,760 --> 00:57:00,750
projects in their countries . Moreover , 

1561
00:57:00,750 --> 00:57:03,390
China has become South America's top 

1562
00:57:03,400 --> 00:57:05,344
trading partner . While the United 

1563
00:57:05,344 --> 00:57:08,900
States spend our time to coupling 

1564
00:57:08,900 --> 00:57:12,130
our defense industrial supply chains 

1565
00:57:12,130 --> 00:57:14,186
from China . I think we also have to 

1566
00:57:14,186 --> 00:57:15,908
think about how our allies and 

1567
00:57:15,908 --> 00:57:18,130
neighbors in the western hemisphere are 

1568
00:57:18,130 --> 00:57:19,963
responding to this Belt and Road 

1569
00:57:19,963 --> 00:57:22,019
initiative . In fact , I have a bill 

1570
00:57:22,019 --> 00:57:24,130
called the Leveling The Playing Field 

1571
00:57:24,130 --> 00:57:26,460
Act , which would counter the prc's 

1572
00:57:26,470 --> 00:57:28,650
cross border subsidies and other anti 

1573
00:57:28,650 --> 00:57:31,210
free market economic tools which are at 

1574
00:57:31,210 --> 00:57:33,780
the core of the Belt and and Road 

1575
00:57:33,780 --> 00:57:35,947
initiative . Ultimately , I believe we 

1576
00:57:35,947 --> 00:57:37,947
have to take a holistic approach to 

1577
00:57:37,947 --> 00:57:40,058
deepening our military , economic and 

1578
00:57:40,058 --> 00:57:42,230
humanitarian ties in the western 

1579
00:57:42,230 --> 00:57:44,760
hemisphere . General Richardson . In 

1580
00:57:44,760 --> 00:57:46,927
your testimony , you discussed how the 

1581
00:57:46,927 --> 00:57:48,750
prc's use of the Belt and Road 

1582
00:57:48,750 --> 00:57:50,770
initiative to promote trade and 

1583
00:57:50,770 --> 00:57:52,881
investment in South America . Can you 

1584
00:57:52,881 --> 00:57:54,992
talk a little bit more about how that 

1585
00:57:54,992 --> 00:57:57,300
is being used to undermine existing um 

1586
00:57:57,310 --> 00:57:59,660
and emerging democracies in , in South 

1587
00:57:59,660 --> 00:58:01,910
America and what our , our approach 

1588
00:58:01,910 --> 00:58:04,400
should be um with respect to that and 

1589
00:58:04,410 --> 00:58:07,780
and how should we all as lawmakers view 

1590
00:58:07,790 --> 00:58:11,330
this threat ? So it's definitely a 

1591
00:58:11,330 --> 00:58:13,497
threat and it's all the instruments of 

1592
00:58:13,497 --> 00:58:15,663
national power that are coming to bear 

1593
00:58:15,663 --> 00:58:17,830
that the PRC brings to the table . And 

1594
00:58:17,830 --> 00:58:20,400
I think that uh with team USA , we have 

1595
00:58:20,400 --> 00:58:22,567
a lot of investment , we have a lot of 

1596
00:58:22,567 --> 00:58:24,550
things that are happening in this 

1597
00:58:24,550 --> 00:58:26,680
region and in this uh in this area of 

1598
00:58:26,680 --> 00:58:28,990
responsibility , the A O R . And I 

1599
00:58:28,990 --> 00:58:31,212
think that we've got to um we've got to 

1600
00:58:31,212 --> 00:58:33,700
show that we've got to showcase that 

1601
00:58:33,700 --> 00:58:35,811
because there's a lot happening , but 

1602
00:58:35,811 --> 00:58:38,180
we need to put team USA is flag on 

1603
00:58:38,180 --> 00:58:40,820
everything that we do . And we do you 

1604
00:58:40,820 --> 00:58:42,820
think that these countries actually 

1605
00:58:42,820 --> 00:58:45,540
understand ? Um like for example , in 

1606
00:58:45,540 --> 00:58:49,330
Africa , that the PRC is using their 

1607
00:58:49,340 --> 00:58:51,700
Belt and Road initiative to actually 

1608
00:58:51,710 --> 00:58:54,850
have state uh state owned enterprises 

1609
00:58:54,850 --> 00:58:56,683
and their ports running military 

1610
00:58:56,683 --> 00:58:59,450
operations . And so I wanna know , I 

1611
00:58:59,450 --> 00:59:01,506
wanna understand , I know that these 

1612
00:59:01,506 --> 00:59:04,420
countries have serious um economic 

1613
00:59:04,420 --> 00:59:07,960
problems um that the Chinese prey on . 

1614
00:59:07,970 --> 00:59:10,192
But do they understand the magnitude of 

1615
00:59:10,192 --> 00:59:12,303
allowing their , those projects to go 

1616
00:59:12,303 --> 00:59:14,526
on in their country ? I think that they 

1617
00:59:14,526 --> 00:59:16,581
understand , but they're desperate , 

1618
00:59:16,581 --> 00:59:19,280
they're desperate for their economies , 

1619
00:59:19,290 --> 00:59:21,240
they're struggling to deliver in a 

1620
00:59:21,240 --> 00:59:24,130
short period of time and uh they can't 

1621
00:59:24,130 --> 00:59:26,241
make up the difference and dig out of 

1622
00:59:26,241 --> 00:59:28,186
the hole fast enough . And so when 

1623
00:59:28,186 --> 00:59:30,230
there's nothing else available , we 

1624
00:59:30,230 --> 00:59:32,230
don't have Western or international 

1625
00:59:32,230 --> 00:59:35,020
investment or bidders on the tenders 

1626
00:59:35,020 --> 00:59:36,853
that come out when there are big 

1627
00:59:36,853 --> 00:59:38,298
projects for the critical 

1628
00:59:38,298 --> 00:59:41,100
infrastructure and they're only PRC and 

1629
00:59:41,100 --> 00:59:43,240
Chinese bidders for those tenders . 

1630
00:59:43,250 --> 00:59:45,480
They've got no choice . And so I think 

1631
00:59:45,480 --> 00:59:47,550
that we've got to , we've got to pay 

1632
00:59:47,550 --> 00:59:49,550
more attention to this region , the 

1633
00:59:49,550 --> 00:59:51,930
proximity matters . They are on the 20 

1634
00:59:51,930 --> 00:59:54,480
yard line of our homeland . We are in a 

1635
00:59:54,480 --> 00:59:56,647
neighborhood , these are our neighbors 

1636
00:59:56,647 --> 00:59:58,647
and we have got to pay attention to 

1637
00:59:58,647 --> 01:00:00,702
them . I know that we have America's 

1638
01:00:00,702 --> 01:00:02,813
partnership for economic prosperity . 

1639
01:00:02,813 --> 01:00:04,924
Um And it has a lot of initiatives on 

1640
01:00:04,924 --> 01:00:06,924
that and I fully support that in my 

1641
01:00:06,924 --> 01:00:08,980
time remaining . I wanted to talk to 

1642
01:00:08,980 --> 01:00:10,770
General Van Ark about the 702 

1643
01:00:10,770 --> 01:00:13,630
authorities . I sat on the , The 

1644
01:00:13,630 --> 01:00:15,297
permanent select committee on 

1645
01:00:15,297 --> 01:00:17,519
intelligence for eight years and I grew 

1646
01:00:17,519 --> 01:00:19,741
to understand the importance of the 702 

1647
01:00:19,741 --> 01:00:21,574
authorities . I do know that the 

1648
01:00:21,574 --> 01:00:23,186
average American hears about 

1649
01:00:23,186 --> 01:00:25,297
warrantless surveillance and they get 

1650
01:00:25,297 --> 01:00:27,130
quite concerned about it . But I 

1651
01:00:27,130 --> 01:00:29,352
understand that there are um you know , 

1652
01:00:29,352 --> 01:00:31,574
obviously guard wells that are in place 

1653
01:00:31,574 --> 01:00:33,741
to protect American citizens from such 

1654
01:00:33,741 --> 01:00:35,797
surveillance . Can you talk to us as 

1655
01:00:35,797 --> 01:00:38,150
we're embarking upon reauthorizing Fisa ? 

1656
01:00:39,600 --> 01:00:41,800
Yeah . So I'm I'm very confident that 

1657
01:00:41,800 --> 01:00:44,090
the the Americans uh society is 

1658
01:00:44,090 --> 01:00:47,600
protected under our right to not have 

1659
01:00:47,600 --> 01:00:49,656
our own people spying on us . Okay . 

1660
01:00:49,656 --> 01:00:52,090
And 702 gives us access to foreign 

1661
01:00:52,090 --> 01:00:55,450
entities utilizing us infrastructure 

1662
01:00:55,460 --> 01:00:58,100
for their benefit , which puts our 

1663
01:00:58,100 --> 01:01:00,211
homeland at risk , puts our people at 

1664
01:01:00,211 --> 01:01:03,210
risk . General Nakasone is very uh 

1665
01:01:03,570 --> 01:01:05,880
Uh you know , confident that he can 

1666
01:01:05,890 --> 01:01:08,340
maintain the separation of our people's 

1667
01:01:08,340 --> 01:01:10,590
rights along with our national security 

1668
01:01:10,600 --> 01:01:13,780
that fires a 702 gives us . Thank you . 

1669
01:01:13,780 --> 01:01:15,780
And can you talk a little bit about 

1670
01:01:15,780 --> 01:01:17,947
what we have discovered and how we use 

1671
01:01:17,947 --> 01:01:21,380
it to , to our own homeland defense of 

1672
01:01:21,380 --> 01:01:23,602
our own homeland . We should talk about 

1673
01:01:23,602 --> 01:01:25,658
that in a classified environment . I 

1674
01:01:25,658 --> 01:01:27,880
will just tell you that it has given us 

1675
01:01:27,880 --> 01:01:30,047
insights into potential attacks on our 

1676
01:01:30,047 --> 01:01:31,991
homeland or intent by personnel to 

1677
01:01:31,991 --> 01:01:34,047
attack our homeland . Thank you very 

1678
01:01:34,047 --> 01:01:36,324
much . You're back the rest of my time . 

1679
01:01:36,324 --> 01:01:38,547
I think the general here not recognized 

1680
01:01:38,547 --> 01:01:38,110
generally from Virginia , MS Kagan's 

1681
01:01:38,110 --> 01:01:40,332
for five minutes . Thank you , Mr Chair 

1682
01:01:40,332 --> 01:01:42,443
and thank you so much to the three of 

1683
01:01:42,443 --> 01:01:44,499
you for being here with us today and 

1684
01:01:44,499 --> 01:01:46,499
educating us over the past decade . 

1685
01:01:46,499 --> 01:01:48,721
We've seen our world become more unsafe 

1686
01:01:48,721 --> 01:01:50,777
in our adversaries are becoming more 

1687
01:01:50,777 --> 01:01:52,777
aggressive and assertive and we see 

1688
01:01:52,777 --> 01:01:54,943
Russia's actions in the Ukraine and we 

1689
01:01:54,943 --> 01:01:57,166
know that China is waiting and watching 

1690
01:01:57,166 --> 01:01:57,120
with Taiwan and we see China's behavior 

1691
01:01:57,120 --> 01:01:59,380
specifically be more aggressive like 

1692
01:01:59,380 --> 01:02:01,324
you all mentioned on , on creating 

1693
01:02:01,324 --> 01:02:03,213
civilian ports and not , not only 

1694
01:02:03,213 --> 01:02:05,380
growing their navy but on the economic 

1695
01:02:05,380 --> 01:02:07,602
and civilian side as well . Uh they are 

1696
01:02:07,602 --> 01:02:09,769
in places such as important Chokeholds 

1697
01:02:09,769 --> 01:02:12,047
and Djibouti and now we're seeing them , 

1698
01:02:12,047 --> 01:02:14,213
you know , spread to the Atlantic side 

1699
01:02:14,213 --> 01:02:16,269
of , of the Horn of Africa . So , so 

1700
01:02:16,269 --> 01:02:18,491
with your a O R specifically in general 

1701
01:02:18,491 --> 01:02:20,658
Richardson , if you could address , uh 

1702
01:02:20,658 --> 01:02:22,713
you know , I know there's deep water 

1703
01:02:22,713 --> 01:02:22,660
ports that have a potential for dual 

1704
01:02:22,660 --> 01:02:24,827
use for China with commercial military 

1705
01:02:24,827 --> 01:02:27,790
activities uh including uh the both 

1706
01:02:27,790 --> 01:02:29,846
ends of the Panama Canal . And we've 

1707
01:02:29,846 --> 01:02:31,679
seen recent attempts to , to for 

1708
01:02:31,679 --> 01:02:33,846
Chinese securing those rights to build 

1709
01:02:33,846 --> 01:02:35,790
maritime installations in Southern 

1710
01:02:35,790 --> 01:02:37,790
Argentina which would provide China 

1711
01:02:37,790 --> 01:02:39,846
with direct access to the straits of 

1712
01:02:39,846 --> 01:02:41,957
Magellan in Antarctica . So given the 

1713
01:02:41,957 --> 01:02:41,890
strategic location of those two sites , 

1714
01:02:41,890 --> 01:02:44,112
do you have any concerns in a potential 

1715
01:02:44,112 --> 01:02:46,334
conflict with China ? These sites could 

1716
01:02:46,334 --> 01:02:48,557
be militarized by the PRC and limit our 

1717
01:02:48,557 --> 01:02:50,668
ability to reinforce supply lines and 

1718
01:02:50,668 --> 01:02:53,410
move key assets to the Pacific . So the 

1719
01:02:53,420 --> 01:02:56,210
Belt and Road initiative and all of the 

1720
01:02:56,220 --> 01:02:58,700
companies you know , the that go in the 

1721
01:02:58,700 --> 01:03:00,970
state owned enterprises by the P R C 

1722
01:03:00,980 --> 01:03:03,036
that I worry about could become dual 

1723
01:03:03,036 --> 01:03:05,091
use and used for military purposes . 

1724
01:03:05,091 --> 01:03:07,620
And so the five Chinese companies along 

1725
01:03:07,620 --> 01:03:10,040
the Panama Canal , obviously , I need 

1726
01:03:10,040 --> 01:03:12,770
to keep the Panama Canal open as well 

1727
01:03:12,770 --> 01:03:14,992
as the Strait of Magellan and the Drake 

1728
01:03:14,992 --> 01:03:17,159
passage that connects the East and the 

1729
01:03:17,159 --> 01:03:19,214
West , not just for our militaries , 

1730
01:03:19,214 --> 01:03:21,326
but the global economy . We've got to 

1731
01:03:21,326 --> 01:03:23,548
keep those things open . And so yes , I 

1732
01:03:23,548 --> 01:03:25,714
absolutely worry about the state owned 

1733
01:03:25,714 --> 01:03:28,070
enterprises and the do dual use nature 

1734
01:03:28,070 --> 01:03:31,220
that they could be used for . And you 

1735
01:03:31,220 --> 01:03:33,990
spoke before about security cooperation 

1736
01:03:33,990 --> 01:03:36,101
and how important those relationships 

1737
01:03:36,101 --> 01:03:38,710
are with , especially the South com and 

1738
01:03:38,710 --> 01:03:40,766
within the South comes A O R and the 

1739
01:03:40,766 --> 01:03:42,654
training and equipment that we're 

1740
01:03:42,654 --> 01:03:44,488
providing aside from our defense 

1741
01:03:44,488 --> 01:03:46,766
relationships that we have in this A R , 

1742
01:03:46,766 --> 01:03:48,821
what else are we doing ? Or is there 

1743
01:03:48,821 --> 01:03:51,190
diplomacy exchanges , economic uh just 

1744
01:03:51,190 --> 01:03:53,190
partnerships that we're creating or 

1745
01:03:53,190 --> 01:03:55,357
what else are we doing ? And what else 

1746
01:03:55,357 --> 01:03:57,468
can we be doing to strengthen some of 

1747
01:03:57,468 --> 01:03:57,460
the , some of the security cooperation 

1748
01:03:57,460 --> 01:04:00,160
that you spoke of ? So I , as I spoke 

1749
01:04:00,160 --> 01:04:02,049
about earlier , the exercises are 

1750
01:04:02,049 --> 01:04:04,300
really important . I have eight uh 

1751
01:04:04,310 --> 01:04:06,610
exercises at the South com level . And 

1752
01:04:06,610 --> 01:04:08,870
then my five components underneath me 

1753
01:04:08,870 --> 01:04:10,981
from one from every service including 

1754
01:04:10,981 --> 01:04:13,190
special operations command also has 

1755
01:04:13,200 --> 01:04:15,920
several exercises that they do . And so 

1756
01:04:16,140 --> 01:04:18,320
the resourcing of those exercises is 

1757
01:04:18,320 --> 01:04:20,376
really important because that's what 

1758
01:04:20,376 --> 01:04:22,690
really brings the nations together . Uh 

1759
01:04:22,700 --> 01:04:25,470
that uh that the PRC can't do , they 

1760
01:04:25,470 --> 01:04:27,581
don't convene exercises , they're not 

1761
01:04:27,581 --> 01:04:30,430
able to bring those that , that number , 

1762
01:04:30,430 --> 01:04:32,319
that level from the entire region 

1763
01:04:32,319 --> 01:04:34,600
together to work together during 

1764
01:04:34,600 --> 01:04:37,100
exercises . Panamax defense of the 

1765
01:04:37,100 --> 01:04:39,156
Panama Canal . We just had that , we 

1766
01:04:39,156 --> 01:04:41,820
have that every other year and we have 

1767
01:04:41,820 --> 01:04:43,431
over 20 partner nations that 

1768
01:04:43,431 --> 01:04:45,550
participate in that the Chinese are 

1769
01:04:45,550 --> 01:04:47,960
using our playbook against us . They do 

1770
01:04:47,960 --> 01:04:50,500
all expense paid training to Beijing , 

1771
01:04:50,510 --> 01:04:52,800
professional military education , but 

1772
01:04:52,800 --> 01:04:54,856
they're not able to do the exercises 

1773
01:04:54,856 --> 01:04:56,744
yet . And that's why I think that 

1774
01:04:56,744 --> 01:04:58,633
that's such a crucial , important 

1775
01:04:58,633 --> 01:05:00,744
program for us . And so why are we so 

1776
01:05:00,744 --> 01:05:02,856
successful is that our reputation are 

1777
01:05:02,856 --> 01:05:04,911
we , uh , you know , that's , that's 

1778
01:05:04,911 --> 01:05:07,078
disheartening to hear that the Chinese 

1779
01:05:07,078 --> 01:05:09,244
are using our playbook , as you said , 

1780
01:05:09,244 --> 01:05:11,467
because I , I think that is a , that is 

1781
01:05:11,467 --> 01:05:13,356
a concern . Is it just we do well 

1782
01:05:13,356 --> 01:05:15,522
because we are or what is our strength 

1783
01:05:15,522 --> 01:05:17,744
there that , that we can do even better 

1784
01:05:17,744 --> 01:05:19,911
because we were owning that space of , 

1785
01:05:19,911 --> 01:05:22,022
of creating those partnerships and do 

1786
01:05:22,022 --> 01:05:21,510
they . It's a matter of trust , I'm 

1787
01:05:21,510 --> 01:05:23,800
assuming and , uh , and reputation . 

1788
01:05:23,800 --> 01:05:26,022
But what else can we do to , to kind of 

1789
01:05:26,022 --> 01:05:28,189
fortify what we're doing right there ? 

1790
01:05:28,189 --> 01:05:30,189
I would say also , uh , trust is an 

1791
01:05:30,189 --> 01:05:32,300
issue . Um , it becomes an issue when 

1792
01:05:32,300 --> 01:05:34,522
they feel like they've been ignored and 

1793
01:05:34,522 --> 01:05:36,578
we haven't , uh , paid attention and 

1794
01:05:36,578 --> 01:05:38,578
look south enough . I call it south 

1795
01:05:38,578 --> 01:05:40,744
blindness sometimes because we do , we 

1796
01:05:40,744 --> 01:05:42,911
have a lot of things going on east and 

1797
01:05:42,911 --> 01:05:44,800
west right now . And we have been 

1798
01:05:44,800 --> 01:05:47,022
however , they want to make sure that I 

1799
01:05:47,022 --> 01:05:49,356
don't want to be taken for granted very , 

1800
01:05:49,356 --> 01:05:51,411
very important countries , sovereign 

1801
01:05:51,411 --> 01:05:53,411
nations , but they are very willing 

1802
01:05:53,411 --> 01:05:55,522
partners . They are , are their first 

1803
01:05:55,522 --> 01:05:57,467
choice to work with as a partner . 

1804
01:05:57,467 --> 01:05:59,578
Nation is the United States . So it's 

1805
01:05:59,578 --> 01:06:01,710
ours to lose . And , uh , and so I 

1806
01:06:01,710 --> 01:06:03,766
really appreciate Congress's support 

1807
01:06:03,766 --> 01:06:05,321
for that . I appreciate the 

1808
01:06:05,321 --> 01:06:07,488
congressional delegations that go into 

1809
01:06:07,488 --> 01:06:09,321
the region uh to visit these key 

1810
01:06:09,321 --> 01:06:11,710
leaders when they come to washing that , 

1811
01:06:11,720 --> 01:06:13,831
that they , that you give them time . 

1812
01:06:13,831 --> 01:06:16,164
And I want to really thank you for that , 

1813
01:06:16,164 --> 01:06:18,331
that you see them when they ask for an 

1814
01:06:18,331 --> 01:06:20,164
office call and things like that 

1815
01:06:20,164 --> 01:06:22,331
because that really matters . A little 

1816
01:06:22,331 --> 01:06:24,220
goes a long way . And so I really 

1817
01:06:24,220 --> 01:06:26,331
appreciate the support . I agree with 

1818
01:06:26,331 --> 01:06:25,810
you that it's the little things that 

1819
01:06:25,810 --> 01:06:27,977
count . So please continue to , to let 

1820
01:06:27,977 --> 01:06:30,143
us help in that regard . And thank you 

1821
01:06:30,143 --> 01:06:32,254
for all you do yield deck chair and I 

1822
01:06:32,254 --> 01:06:34,310
recognize you from North Carolina Mr 

1823
01:06:34,310 --> 01:06:36,254
Davis for five minutes . Oh , good 

1824
01:06:36,254 --> 01:06:38,310
morning . And thank you so much , Mr 

1825
01:06:38,310 --> 01:06:40,532
Chair . Thank you to each and every one 

1826
01:06:40,532 --> 01:06:42,699
of you for being here today . And also 

1827
01:06:42,699 --> 01:06:44,810
want to personally thank you for your 

1828
01:06:44,810 --> 01:06:47,032
years of service to our country . Thank 

1829
01:06:47,032 --> 01:06:49,560
you . I'm General Richardson . Um First 

1830
01:06:49,560 --> 01:06:52,170
question , can you please just discuss 

1831
01:06:52,180 --> 01:06:54,630
a little further the prc's growing 

1832
01:06:54,630 --> 01:06:58,300
space footprint um in your region and 

1833
01:06:58,300 --> 01:07:00,189
the security implications for the 

1834
01:07:00,189 --> 01:07:03,190
United States . So , out of any 

1835
01:07:03,190 --> 01:07:05,357
geographic combatant command , we have 

1836
01:07:05,357 --> 01:07:07,523
the most space enabling infrastructure 

1837
01:07:07,523 --> 01:07:09,840
by the Chinese in this region and uh 

1838
01:07:09,840 --> 01:07:12,390
and the planned uh space facilities 

1839
01:07:12,390 --> 01:07:14,650
will continue to grow um from what we 

1840
01:07:14,650 --> 01:07:16,872
see and I'll be able to talk about that 

1841
01:07:16,872 --> 01:07:19,206
more in the , in the classified setting . 

1842
01:07:19,206 --> 01:07:21,590
But um out of the Chinese have three 

1843
01:07:21,590 --> 01:07:24,580
deep space stations too are in mainland 

1844
01:07:24,580 --> 01:07:27,590
China and one is in Argentina , the new 

1845
01:07:27,590 --> 01:07:30,950
Ken Space facility . And so um just the 

1846
01:07:30,950 --> 01:07:34,390
increase uh the very aggressive 

1847
01:07:34,390 --> 01:07:36,090
increase in space enabling 

1848
01:07:36,090 --> 01:07:38,390
infrastructure is , is very concerning 

1849
01:07:38,390 --> 01:07:40,501
the telemetry and tracking the uplink 

1850
01:07:40,501 --> 01:07:43,160
down links the ability for the P R C to 

1851
01:07:43,160 --> 01:07:45,271
track their own satellites . But then 

1852
01:07:45,271 --> 01:07:47,438
also the surveillance sites to be able 

1853
01:07:47,438 --> 01:07:50,950
to surveil uh other partner nations , 

1854
01:07:50,950 --> 01:07:54,570
allies , our own satellites as well and 

1855
01:07:54,570 --> 01:07:56,292
eventually be able to use that 

1856
01:07:56,292 --> 01:07:59,230
apparatus for targeting as what a 

1857
01:07:59,240 --> 01:08:02,160
concern is . Okay . Thank you . Let me 

1858
01:08:02,160 --> 01:08:04,880
ask this . You've shared so many 

1859
01:08:04,890 --> 01:08:07,001
different steps that you're currently 

1860
01:08:07,001 --> 01:08:09,223
taking right now within the region . Um 

1861
01:08:09,223 --> 01:08:11,450
My question would be right now broadly 

1862
01:08:11,450 --> 01:08:14,310
speaking , what's the greatest priority 

1863
01:08:14,320 --> 01:08:18,150
regarding any new ways that we 

1864
01:08:18,150 --> 01:08:20,890
should be partnering with our allies 

1865
01:08:20,890 --> 01:08:24,640
and partners um within the region um to 

1866
01:08:24,650 --> 01:08:27,630
out compete our strategic competitors 

1867
01:08:27,630 --> 01:08:30,360
and um to address these transnational 

1868
01:08:30,360 --> 01:08:34,310
challenges trans , right ? 

1869
01:08:34,310 --> 01:08:37,730
So they are um just continuing to some 

1870
01:08:37,730 --> 01:08:39,897
of the new things , all domain I would 

1871
01:08:39,897 --> 01:08:43,450
say being able to help them uh 

1872
01:08:43,460 --> 01:08:47,100
be uh increase their capability and 

1873
01:08:47,100 --> 01:08:49,890
capacity with cyber . Uh as we talk 

1874
01:08:49,890 --> 01:08:53,010
about space cyberspace , uh they're 

1875
01:08:53,010 --> 01:08:55,600
trying to tack tackle cyber issues . 

1876
01:08:55,600 --> 01:08:57,822
But then when you bring cyberspace into 

1877
01:08:57,822 --> 01:09:00,180
it , all domains , uh the exercise 

1878
01:09:00,180 --> 01:09:04,180
program to be able to uh to um exercise 

1879
01:09:04,180 --> 01:09:05,680
the interoperability , the 

1880
01:09:05,680 --> 01:09:08,120
communications , the ability to talk 

1881
01:09:08,130 --> 01:09:10,430
securely with our partner nations is 

1882
01:09:10,430 --> 01:09:13,340
very important . And so the sharing 

1883
01:09:13,340 --> 01:09:16,410
agreements , uh we talked about sofa 

1884
01:09:16,410 --> 01:09:18,410
before , but there are all kinds of 

1885
01:09:18,410 --> 01:09:20,632
intel sharing agreements . We've got to 

1886
01:09:20,632 --> 01:09:23,420
be able with the investment of the PRC 

1887
01:09:23,420 --> 01:09:26,070
into the telecommunications . Five G , 

1888
01:09:26,270 --> 01:09:28,580
uh five of our countries have the five 

1889
01:09:28,580 --> 01:09:32,470
G backbone . 24 have P R C three G 

1890
01:09:32,470 --> 01:09:34,692
or four G backbone and I'm sure they'll 

1891
01:09:34,692 --> 01:09:36,970
be offered a discount to upgrade to 

1892
01:09:36,970 --> 01:09:39,290
stay with the , with Huawei or ZTE . 

1893
01:09:39,290 --> 01:09:41,740
And so very concerning because we want 

1894
01:09:41,740 --> 01:09:43,518
to be able to continue to share 

1895
01:09:43,518 --> 01:09:45,740
intelligence and share information with 

1896
01:09:45,740 --> 01:09:47,573
our partner nations to make them 

1897
01:09:47,573 --> 01:09:49,740
stronger , to counter the threats that 

1898
01:09:49,740 --> 01:09:51,740
eventually end up in our homeland . 

1899
01:09:51,740 --> 01:09:53,930
Okay . Thank you , General Van Hurst . 

1900
01:09:54,070 --> 01:09:56,920
I'm concerned about the , I'm sorry . 

1901
01:09:57,220 --> 01:10:00,960
Um you noted in your testimony that the 

1902
01:10:00,960 --> 01:10:03,310
Democratic People's Republic of Korea 

1903
01:10:03,320 --> 01:10:06,870
testing more missiles in 2022 than any 

1904
01:10:06,870 --> 01:10:09,710
time in its history . Um prioritizing 

1905
01:10:09,710 --> 01:10:11,800
their military capabilities at the 

1906
01:10:11,800 --> 01:10:14,670
expense of other essential items . Can 

1907
01:10:14,670 --> 01:10:17,230
you please discuss the dangers this 

1908
01:10:17,240 --> 01:10:20,830
regime possesses ? And um , assistant 

1909
01:10:20,830 --> 01:10:23,640
secretary Dalton would also appreciate 

1910
01:10:23,650 --> 01:10:26,760
any insight as well . Thank you , 

1911
01:10:27,640 --> 01:10:30,100
DPRK or North Korea has absolutely 

1912
01:10:30,100 --> 01:10:31,920
continued to develop additional 

1913
01:10:31,920 --> 01:10:33,864
capacity and capability with their 

1914
01:10:33,864 --> 01:10:36,430
ballistic missile and their short range 

1915
01:10:36,430 --> 01:10:38,486
missile program as well . And we saw 

1916
01:10:38,486 --> 01:10:41,390
far more uh tests this year than , than 

1917
01:10:41,390 --> 01:10:44,630
any other year in the past . Um We 

1918
01:10:44,630 --> 01:10:46,852
should take them at their word . They , 

1919
01:10:46,852 --> 01:10:49,074
they say they will use them . We should 

1920
01:10:49,074 --> 01:10:51,186
ensure that we understand that and we 

1921
01:10:51,186 --> 01:10:53,019
operate as such today . I remain 

1922
01:10:53,019 --> 01:10:54,908
confident in my ability to defend 

1923
01:10:54,908 --> 01:10:57,074
against a limited attack from an I C B 

1924
01:10:57,074 --> 01:11:00,000
M from North Korea on the homeland . Uh 

1925
01:11:00,010 --> 01:11:02,121
I am concerned going forward based on 

1926
01:11:02,121 --> 01:11:04,066
what we saw in their parade on the 

1927
01:11:04,066 --> 01:11:06,232
eighth of February and what we've seen 

1928
01:11:06,232 --> 01:11:08,343
on their capacity and capability that 

1929
01:11:08,343 --> 01:11:10,510
they could exceed my ability to defend 

1930
01:11:10,510 --> 01:11:12,930
against a limited attack . Thank you 

1931
01:11:12,930 --> 01:11:15,041
and completely agree with General Van 

1932
01:11:15,041 --> 01:11:17,790
Herk assessment . Um You know , the NDS 

1933
01:11:17,790 --> 01:11:19,620
makes clear that North Korea is 

1934
01:11:19,620 --> 01:11:21,970
expanding its nuclear and missile 

1935
01:11:21,970 --> 01:11:24,081
capability to threaten the homeland . 

1936
01:11:24,081 --> 01:11:26,460
Um This is a space that we are watching 

1937
01:11:26,460 --> 01:11:29,380
quite closely and through a combination 

1938
01:11:29,390 --> 01:11:31,680
of our strategic nuclear deterrent and 

1939
01:11:31,680 --> 01:11:33,950
our missile defense systems through an 

1940
01:11:33,950 --> 01:11:36,310
integrated deterrence approach . Um We 

1941
01:11:36,310 --> 01:11:38,643
are looking to , to meet that challenge . 

1942
01:11:38,643 --> 01:11:42,080
Thank you , Chair now recognizes from 

1943
01:11:42,080 --> 01:11:44,080
Texas Mr Latrell for five minutes . 

1944
01:11:45,040 --> 01:11:47,320
Thank you , Mr Chairman and thank the 

1945
01:11:47,320 --> 01:11:49,487
panel for , for coming and speaking in 

1946
01:11:49,487 --> 01:11:51,431
front of us today and in general , 

1947
01:11:51,431 --> 01:11:51,120
thank you for your distinguished 

1948
01:11:51,120 --> 01:11:53,120
service , General Richard . Can you 

1949
01:11:53,120 --> 01:11:54,676
tell us about the I S I S R 

1950
01:11:54,676 --> 01:11:56,898
capabilities that you have and are they 

1951
01:11:56,898 --> 01:11:59,120
sufficient ? And if not , what upgrades 

1952
01:11:59,120 --> 01:12:01,820
can we can we help you with ? So I get 

1953
01:12:01,830 --> 01:12:05,760
about 2% of the D O D I s are in 

1954
01:12:05,760 --> 01:12:08,460
U S South com and um and it meets about 

1955
01:12:08,460 --> 01:12:11,780
17% of my requirement for the I S R . I 

1956
01:12:11,780 --> 01:12:14,370
wanna thank the department and thank 

1957
01:12:14,370 --> 01:12:17,480
Congress for the support of the 

1958
01:12:17,490 --> 01:12:19,730
government owned and contract operated 

1959
01:12:19,730 --> 01:12:21,740
and the contract own and contract 

1960
01:12:21,740 --> 01:12:24,160
operated I S R that I'm able to get as 

1961
01:12:24,160 --> 01:12:27,900
well . Um That helps build that 

1962
01:12:27,900 --> 01:12:30,780
requirement a little bit more . Uh 

1963
01:12:30,790 --> 01:12:32,957
Domain awareness is really important . 

1964
01:12:32,957 --> 01:12:34,901
For the region . It's a really big 

1965
01:12:34,901 --> 01:12:36,734
region and being able to see the 

1966
01:12:36,734 --> 01:12:39,290
threats , counter the threats . Um also 

1967
01:12:39,290 --> 01:12:41,179
expose the malign activity to our 

1968
01:12:41,179 --> 01:12:43,346
partner nations because when we expose 

1969
01:12:43,346 --> 01:12:45,680
it and say where it is , uh they go 

1970
01:12:45,690 --> 01:12:47,746
right after it , they'll go out with 

1971
01:12:47,746 --> 01:12:50,760
their coastal patrol vessels to um To 

1972
01:12:50,760 --> 01:12:53,560
the semi submersibles or go fast 

1973
01:12:53,560 --> 01:12:56,150
vessels that are in the maritime domain , 

1974
01:12:56,160 --> 01:12:59,570
excuse me to counter that . And 

1975
01:12:59,570 --> 01:13:01,710
so , but the ISR is critical and the 

1976
01:13:01,710 --> 01:13:04,000
domain awareness is critical . And so 

1977
01:13:04,010 --> 01:13:06,950
we don't have , as I said , 17% of the 

1978
01:13:06,950 --> 01:13:09,510
requirement , 17% , right . 

1979
01:13:10,810 --> 01:13:13,490
Where's your comfortable operating zone ? 

1980
01:13:13,500 --> 01:13:16,660
80 it would be more towards that end . 

1981
01:13:16,660 --> 01:13:19,150
Yes . Okay . 

1982
01:13:21,430 --> 01:13:23,450
What authorities do you have in 

1983
01:13:23,450 --> 01:13:25,283
combating transnational criminal 

1984
01:13:25,283 --> 01:13:27,590
organizations ? And what authorities 

1985
01:13:27,590 --> 01:13:29,812
would you like to have on top of that ? 

1986
01:13:29,812 --> 01:13:32,300
That you do not . So I say that I have 

1987
01:13:32,300 --> 01:13:34,356
a joint interagency task force South 

1988
01:13:34,356 --> 01:13:36,411
which is J out of South based out of 

1989
01:13:36,411 --> 01:13:39,470
Key West that does it has a detection 

1990
01:13:39,470 --> 01:13:42,670
and monitoring mission . And then we uh 

1991
01:13:42,680 --> 01:13:44,902
turn that information that intelligence 

1992
01:13:44,902 --> 01:13:47,190
over to law enforcement or to our 

1993
01:13:47,190 --> 01:13:49,520
partner nations uh depending on which 

1994
01:13:49,520 --> 01:13:51,720
is closest and who is able to go after 

1995
01:13:51,720 --> 01:13:54,190
it and , and be able to disrupt it or 

1996
01:13:54,190 --> 01:13:57,200
interdict it . And so , and in terms of 

1997
01:13:57,200 --> 01:13:58,811
the authorities , I have the 

1998
01:13:58,811 --> 01:14:00,867
authorities that I need right now in 

1999
01:14:00,867 --> 01:14:04,140
order to do uh what I need to do based 

2000
01:14:04,140 --> 01:14:06,362
on the missions that I'm given in South 

2001
01:14:06,362 --> 01:14:08,140
com looking forward just at the 

2002
01:14:08,140 --> 01:14:10,940
narrative of globally right now . Is 

2003
01:14:10,940 --> 01:14:13,710
there anything that's on your radar 

2004
01:14:13,710 --> 01:14:15,988
that we , we may need to be briefed on ? 

2005
01:14:16,440 --> 01:14:18,773
So , in the , in the classified session , 

2006
01:14:18,773 --> 01:14:20,496
I can expand more upon all the 

2007
01:14:20,496 --> 01:14:22,440
activities that we're doing in the 

2008
01:14:22,440 --> 01:14:24,607
region . Certainly , I'm very thankful 

2009
01:14:24,607 --> 01:14:26,720
for all of the exercise funding and 

2010
01:14:26,720 --> 01:14:28,831
resourcing that I do get , I could do 

2011
01:14:28,831 --> 01:14:30,887
more . I'd like to get more into the 

2012
01:14:30,887 --> 01:14:32,910
Southern Cone and have more , more 

2013
01:14:32,910 --> 01:14:35,000
persistence presence , not just 

2014
01:14:35,030 --> 01:14:37,590
episodic where we visit and you know , 

2015
01:14:37,590 --> 01:14:41,130
do uh maybe an exchange on Cyber for a 

2016
01:14:41,130 --> 01:14:43,300
week or two weeks or an exchange with 

2017
01:14:43,300 --> 01:14:45,540
our special forces . I'd like to change 

2018
01:14:45,540 --> 01:14:48,420
up acidic to uh to more persistent 

2019
01:14:49,180 --> 01:14:51,180
that my next question maybe for the 

2020
01:14:51,180 --> 01:14:53,236
classified setting as a former socom 

2021
01:14:53,236 --> 01:14:56,360
guy . Um is the socom footprint in 

2022
01:14:56,360 --> 01:14:59,510
South com , what you would like to see 

2023
01:14:59,510 --> 01:15:01,454
or is that something that we could 

2024
01:15:01,454 --> 01:15:03,399
increase and is their capabilities 

2025
01:15:03,399 --> 01:15:06,750
beneficial ? Absolutely beneficial . 

2026
01:15:06,760 --> 01:15:09,640
The sock that I have the special 

2027
01:15:09,640 --> 01:15:11,584
operations , the theater , special 

2028
01:15:11,584 --> 01:15:13,473
operations command socks South as 

2029
01:15:13,473 --> 01:15:15,362
they're called at a Homestead Air 

2030
01:15:15,362 --> 01:15:18,230
Reserve base in Florida . Um Fantastic 

2031
01:15:18,230 --> 01:15:20,720
huge enabler to what we do and the 

2032
01:15:20,720 --> 01:15:22,720
presence and the activities and the 

2033
01:15:22,720 --> 01:15:24,942
training and enabling that they do with 

2034
01:15:24,942 --> 01:15:26,831
our partner nations is absolutely 

2035
01:15:26,831 --> 01:15:29,320
essential and it really contributes to 

2036
01:15:29,320 --> 01:15:32,270
making our partner stronger . Um As a , 

2037
01:15:32,280 --> 01:15:35,350
as a border state , it does the South 

2038
01:15:35,350 --> 01:15:37,850
come footprint is that , how , how is 

2039
01:15:37,850 --> 01:15:39,906
that handling the drug trafficking ? 

2040
01:15:39,906 --> 01:15:42,072
And is there anything that we can do ? 

2041
01:15:42,072 --> 01:15:44,239
Is there any , again , any authorities 

2042
01:15:44,239 --> 01:15:43,980
that you might need in that , in that 

2043
01:15:43,980 --> 01:15:46,450
space ? So I haven't say in the , we're 

2044
01:15:46,450 --> 01:15:48,617
not gonna be able to interdict our way 

2045
01:15:48,617 --> 01:15:50,672
out of the drug trafficking . That's 

2046
01:15:50,672 --> 01:15:52,783
really , um , I think going after the 

2047
01:15:52,783 --> 01:15:54,506
labs and going after the money 

2048
01:15:54,506 --> 01:15:56,550
laundering and getting after that , 

2049
01:15:56,550 --> 01:15:58,717
follow the money piece of it is really 

2050
01:15:58,717 --> 01:16:00,939
the hard part , but that's really where 

2051
01:16:00,939 --> 01:16:02,994
we need to focus because by the time 

2052
01:16:02,994 --> 01:16:05,050
that we're interdicting it , whether 

2053
01:16:05,050 --> 01:16:07,580
it's in the maritime domain , um and uh 

2054
01:16:07,590 --> 01:16:09,780
it's already been broken down one or 

2055
01:16:09,780 --> 01:16:11,947
two times already . It would be better 

2056
01:16:11,947 --> 01:16:14,058
to get it at the lab where it's being 

2057
01:16:14,058 --> 01:16:16,058
made and cultivated and things like 

2058
01:16:16,058 --> 01:16:19,080
that . Uh But the interdiction is , is 

2059
01:16:19,080 --> 01:16:22,180
not going to solve the problem . I have 

2060
01:16:22,190 --> 01:16:24,190
30 seconds left . Is there anything 

2061
01:16:24,190 --> 01:16:26,246
that we haven't asked today that you 

2062
01:16:26,246 --> 01:16:28,357
might , that you can speak about that 

2063
01:16:28,357 --> 01:16:30,690
would help , help us , help us help you ? 

2064
01:16:30,690 --> 01:16:32,801
Well , thank you , Congressman . It's 

2065
01:16:32,801 --> 01:16:35,023
really just the attention and the focus 

2066
01:16:35,023 --> 01:16:34,720
on this region and show that this 

2067
01:16:34,720 --> 01:16:37,480
region matters . This region is full of 

2068
01:16:37,480 --> 01:16:40,170
resources and I worry about the malign 

2069
01:16:40,170 --> 01:16:42,420
activity of our adversaries taking 

2070
01:16:42,420 --> 01:16:44,587
advantage of that looking like they're 

2071
01:16:44,587 --> 01:16:46,253
investing when they're really 

2072
01:16:46,253 --> 01:16:48,087
extracting . We have the lithium 

2073
01:16:48,087 --> 01:16:50,142
triangle in this region . 60% of the 

2074
01:16:50,142 --> 01:16:52,142
world's lithium , Argentina Bolivia 

2075
01:16:52,142 --> 01:16:54,070
Chile have this and it's taking 

2076
01:16:54,070 --> 01:16:56,292
resources away from these countries and 

2077
01:16:56,292 --> 01:16:58,348
from there people that are trying to 

2078
01:16:58,348 --> 01:17:00,292
deliver these democracies that are 

2079
01:17:00,292 --> 01:17:02,459
trying to deliver for their people and 

2080
01:17:02,459 --> 01:17:04,459
they're having a hard time doing it 

2081
01:17:04,459 --> 01:17:06,348
because of the malign activity of 

2082
01:17:06,348 --> 01:17:08,514
transnational criminal organizations . 

2083
01:17:08,514 --> 01:17:10,514
Uh Gentlemen , time's expired and I 

2084
01:17:10,514 --> 01:17:10,450
recognized him from Pennsylvania . Mr 

2085
01:17:10,450 --> 01:17:13,000
De Lucio . Thank you , Mr Chairman and 

2086
01:17:13,000 --> 01:17:15,222
Good morning assistant Secretary Dalton 

2087
01:17:15,222 --> 01:17:17,444
General Van Herk , General Richardson . 

2088
01:17:17,444 --> 01:17:19,667
Hello . Uh I want to focus my questions 

2089
01:17:19,667 --> 01:17:21,833
as many of my colleagues on have today 

2090
01:17:21,833 --> 01:17:23,667
on how North Common South com uh 

2091
01:17:23,667 --> 01:17:25,611
playing in a strategic competition 

2092
01:17:25,611 --> 01:17:27,778
deterrence with China . Uh Frankly , I 

2093
01:17:27,778 --> 01:17:29,500
think , and I think most of my 

2094
01:17:29,500 --> 01:17:31,500
colleagues agree whether it's trade 

2095
01:17:31,500 --> 01:17:33,278
hollowing out of our industrial 

2096
01:17:33,278 --> 01:17:35,750
manufacturing base , theft of I P . So 

2097
01:17:35,750 --> 01:17:37,417
much of this conduct has been 

2098
01:17:37,417 --> 01:17:39,639
commonplace uh in the last however many 

2099
01:17:39,639 --> 01:17:41,750
decades with the People's Republic of 

2100
01:17:41,750 --> 01:17:43,694
China , the New York Times article 

2101
01:17:43,694 --> 01:17:45,750
released yesterday , the daring ruse 

2102
01:17:45,750 --> 01:17:47,917
that exposed China's campaign to steal 

2103
01:17:47,917 --> 01:17:50,139
American secrets , highlighting efforts 

2104
01:17:50,139 --> 01:17:53,600
uh among communist Chinese officials to 

2105
01:17:53,600 --> 01:17:55,544
undermine our country , preying on 

2106
01:17:55,544 --> 01:17:57,767
scientists , academics , engineers , uh 

2107
01:17:57,767 --> 01:17:59,822
and others . Of course , we have our 

2108
01:17:59,822 --> 01:18:02,044
own struggles as General Richardson's , 

2109
01:18:02,044 --> 01:18:01,980
you were just mentioning , you know , 

2110
01:18:01,980 --> 01:18:03,980
around critical materials and other 

2111
01:18:03,980 --> 01:18:06,202
pieces of our own things here at home . 

2112
01:18:06,202 --> 01:18:08,313
Uh I want to turn , you know , to the 

2113
01:18:08,313 --> 01:18:10,424
western hemisphere though and efforts 

2114
01:18:10,424 --> 01:18:12,424
from China closer to home , General 

2115
01:18:12,424 --> 01:18:14,369
Richardson , I'll start with you . 

2116
01:18:14,369 --> 01:18:16,313
Latin America has seen significant 

2117
01:18:16,313 --> 01:18:18,480
investment in diplomatic outreach from 

2118
01:18:18,480 --> 01:18:20,647
China . You've talked about it today . 

2119
01:18:20,647 --> 01:18:22,813
Uh And your , your written testimony , 

2120
01:18:22,813 --> 01:18:24,702
you highlighted Communist China's 

2121
01:18:24,702 --> 01:18:24,700
investment in critical infrastructure 

2122
01:18:24,700 --> 01:18:26,990
in the hemisphere . So tell me if you 

2123
01:18:26,990 --> 01:18:29,101
could , what are your concerns here ? 

2124
01:18:29,101 --> 01:18:31,323
And what do you propose that we in this 

2125
01:18:31,323 --> 01:18:33,434
committee or the government generally 

2126
01:18:33,434 --> 01:18:35,657
should and can do about it ? I think we 

2127
01:18:35,657 --> 01:18:38,590
need to um definitely concern with the , 

2128
01:18:38,600 --> 01:18:40,711
with the aggressiveness of that , the 

2129
01:18:40,711 --> 01:18:42,878
belt and road initiative with 21 of 31 

2130
01:18:42,878 --> 01:18:45,990
countries . Uh and we have four 

2131
01:18:45,990 --> 01:18:47,823
additional countries that aren't 

2132
01:18:47,823 --> 01:18:49,934
signatories of the BRI , but actually 

2133
01:18:49,934 --> 01:18:52,101
have PRC projects that are going on in 

2134
01:18:52,101 --> 01:18:54,680
their countries . And so um quite a bit 

2135
01:18:54,680 --> 01:18:56,791
so they're taking advantage of that , 

2136
01:18:56,791 --> 01:18:58,791
but then there's also the debt trap 

2137
01:18:58,791 --> 01:19:01,124
associated with it , the multiple loans . 

2138
01:19:01,124 --> 01:19:03,180
They don't invest , as I said , they 

2139
01:19:03,180 --> 01:19:05,124
don't invest in the country , they 

2140
01:19:05,124 --> 01:19:07,124
extract , they bring their own host 

2141
01:19:07,124 --> 01:19:06,810
nation workers , they've got an 

2142
01:19:06,810 --> 01:19:08,866
unemployment problem . So they bring 

2143
01:19:08,866 --> 01:19:11,088
their host nation , their own workers , 

2144
01:19:11,088 --> 01:19:13,730
Chinese laborers to the country and uh 

2145
01:19:13,740 --> 01:19:16,290
build these high rise apartments . Um 

2146
01:19:16,290 --> 01:19:18,512
And so , you know , the investing , you 

2147
01:19:18,512 --> 01:19:20,734
don't see the investment in the country 

2148
01:19:20,734 --> 01:19:22,623
and then sometimes those projects 

2149
01:19:22,623 --> 01:19:24,734
aren't done well . And so what we try 

2150
01:19:24,734 --> 01:19:26,846
to do is capitalize upon that again , 

2151
01:19:26,846 --> 01:19:29,123
meet the partners needs where they are , 

2152
01:19:29,123 --> 01:19:29,050
we will bring the corps of engineers in 

2153
01:19:29,050 --> 01:19:31,400
who's very prevalent in my , in my 

2154
01:19:31,410 --> 01:19:34,890
region and fix the project . But 

2155
01:19:34,890 --> 01:19:38,400
the capability of those funds um is a 

2156
01:19:38,400 --> 01:19:41,480
sliver compared to what the P R C has . 

2157
01:19:41,490 --> 01:19:43,900
Um But I would say in terms of our 

2158
01:19:43,900 --> 01:19:46,067
instruments of national power from our 

2159
01:19:46,067 --> 01:19:48,067
United States , we need to showcase 

2160
01:19:48,067 --> 01:19:50,289
that more . We have a lot of investment 

2161
01:19:50,289 --> 01:19:52,640
from our big companies that are in the 

2162
01:19:52,640 --> 01:19:55,100
Americas investing . We just don't ever 

2163
01:19:55,230 --> 01:19:57,800
ties . It were too modest and we don't 

2164
01:19:57,800 --> 01:19:59,967
need to be modest anymore . We need to 

2165
01:19:59,967 --> 01:20:02,189
put our American flag team USA on there 

2166
01:20:02,189 --> 01:20:04,411
and we need to , we need to speak about 

2167
01:20:04,411 --> 01:20:06,356
what we're doing and make sure the 

2168
01:20:06,356 --> 01:20:08,411
countries know how much actually the 

2169
01:20:08,411 --> 01:20:10,633
United States is involved . I would say 

2170
01:20:10,633 --> 01:20:12,689
trade is also very important . South 

2171
01:20:12,689 --> 01:20:14,744
America's number one trading partner 

2172
01:20:14,744 --> 01:20:18,280
now is the P R C . The region is still 

2173
01:20:18,280 --> 01:20:20,391
the United States is still the number 

2174
01:20:20,391 --> 01:20:22,669
one trading partner , but we're losing , 

2175
01:20:22,669 --> 01:20:24,724
we're starting to lose and we remain 

2176
01:20:24,724 --> 01:20:26,724
flat lined with our trade general . 

2177
01:20:26,724 --> 01:20:28,836
Thank you . I want to also talk a bit 

2178
01:20:28,836 --> 01:20:31,113
about domestic critical infrastructure . 

2179
01:20:31,113 --> 01:20:33,830
Uh Miss Dalton , assistant Secretary 

2180
01:20:33,830 --> 01:20:36,130
Dalton , excuse me , you mentioned gray 

2181
01:20:36,130 --> 01:20:38,010
zone activities in your written 

2182
01:20:38,010 --> 01:20:40,460
testimony , describing them as largely 

2183
01:20:40,460 --> 01:20:42,516
non attributable coercive means that 

2184
01:20:42,516 --> 01:20:44,516
fall below perceived thresholds for 

2185
01:20:44,516 --> 01:20:46,682
military action . Give us some sense , 

2186
01:20:46,682 --> 01:20:48,682
folks watching at home or you might 

2187
01:20:48,682 --> 01:20:50,682
hear about this later . What are we 

2188
01:20:50,682 --> 01:20:50,320
talking about ? What are those 

2189
01:20:50,320 --> 01:20:52,910
activities look like ? Absolutely . 

2190
01:20:52,920 --> 01:20:54,753
Thanks so much , Congressman for 

2191
01:20:54,753 --> 01:20:56,930
highlighting this . Um The NDS makes 

2192
01:20:56,930 --> 01:20:59,750
quite clear that central to the prc's 

2193
01:20:59,750 --> 01:21:01,940
theory of victory is coming after our 

2194
01:21:01,940 --> 01:21:04,160
critical infrastructure at home to 

2195
01:21:04,160 --> 01:21:06,440
subvert our ability to conduct four 

2196
01:21:06,440 --> 01:21:09,480
slow mobilization and project power in 

2197
01:21:09,480 --> 01:21:11,813
the event of crisis or contingency . So , 

2198
01:21:11,813 --> 01:21:14,460
what they are doing today is getting 

2199
01:21:14,460 --> 01:21:16,850
into our our systems , whether that's 

2200
01:21:16,850 --> 01:21:19,960
through cyber means um through um 

2201
01:21:19,970 --> 01:21:22,570
counterintelligence . Um and , and 

2202
01:21:22,580 --> 01:21:25,690
really across the gray zone spectrum um 

2203
01:21:25,690 --> 01:21:27,801
to get a better understanding the lay 

2204
01:21:27,801 --> 01:21:29,760
of the land of where potential 

2205
01:21:29,760 --> 01:21:31,760
vulnerabilities are from a critical 

2206
01:21:31,760 --> 01:21:33,982
infrastructure perspective . What makes 

2207
01:21:33,982 --> 01:21:36,149
this so complex ? And General Van Herk 

2208
01:21:36,149 --> 01:21:38,038
alluded to this earlier is um the 

2209
01:21:38,038 --> 01:21:40,680
interdependencies that defense critical 

2210
01:21:40,680 --> 01:21:42,940
infrastructure has with other sectors . 

2211
01:21:42,950 --> 01:21:45,200
Um You know , whether that's water , 

2212
01:21:45,200 --> 01:21:47,760
telecommunications or power , we're 

2213
01:21:47,760 --> 01:21:49,871
gonna have to work across our federal 

2214
01:21:49,871 --> 01:21:52,250
family . We're gonna have to work with 

2215
01:21:52,250 --> 01:21:54,417
state and local and tribal territorial 

2216
01:21:54,417 --> 01:21:56,417
governments and we're gonna have to 

2217
01:21:56,417 --> 01:21:58,361
work with the private sector um to 

2218
01:21:58,361 --> 01:22:00,417
understand where those risks lie and 

2219
01:22:00,417 --> 01:22:02,528
how we close them . Well , my time is 

2220
01:22:02,528 --> 01:22:04,528
just about in it , but I'm glad you 

2221
01:22:04,528 --> 01:22:04,260
mentioned the private sector piece of 

2222
01:22:04,260 --> 01:22:06,093
this too , given how much of our 

2223
01:22:06,093 --> 01:22:08,316
critical infrastructure is not publicly 

2224
01:22:08,316 --> 01:22:10,482
owned or controlled . So , thank you , 

2225
01:22:10,482 --> 01:22:12,482
you're back and I recognize General 

2226
01:22:12,482 --> 01:22:14,816
from Alabama Mr strong for five minutes . 

2227
01:22:14,816 --> 01:22:16,982
Thank you , Secretary Dalton , General 

2228
01:22:16,982 --> 01:22:19,093
Van Herk , General Richardson . Thank 

2229
01:22:19,093 --> 01:22:21,149
you for coming before us last year , 

2230
01:22:21,149 --> 01:22:23,316
General Van Herk last year during your 

2231
01:22:23,316 --> 01:22:25,316
Senate posture here , you testified 

2232
01:22:25,316 --> 01:22:27,204
that you were concerned about the 

2233
01:22:27,204 --> 01:22:29,260
ability to pace North Korean missile 

2234
01:22:29,260 --> 01:22:31,630
production capacity and capabilities . 

2235
01:22:31,630 --> 01:22:34,380
Just yesterday . We saw Kim Jong Un's 

2236
01:22:34,380 --> 01:22:36,491
sister warned that any attempt by the 

2237
01:22:36,491 --> 01:22:38,547
United States to intercept a missile 

2238
01:22:38,547 --> 01:22:40,713
test would be considered a declaration 

2239
01:22:40,713 --> 01:22:42,824
of war as I've shared before Redstone 

2240
01:22:42,824 --> 01:22:44,880
Arsenal is the center of gravity for 

2241
01:22:44,880 --> 01:22:46,713
missile defense agency's testing 

2242
01:22:46,713 --> 01:22:48,900
integration and field activity . Uh 

2243
01:22:48,910 --> 01:22:51,220
There are also a key player in fielding 

2244
01:22:51,220 --> 01:22:53,700
the next generation interceptor general . 

2245
01:22:53,700 --> 01:22:55,811
Can you share why it's important that 

2246
01:22:55,811 --> 01:22:58,033
the next generation interceptor reaches 

2247
01:22:58,033 --> 01:23:00,144
initial operating capacity as soon as 

2248
01:23:00,144 --> 01:23:03,280
possible ? Absolutely . Congressman . 

2249
01:23:03,280 --> 01:23:05,502
So the next generation interceptor will 

2250
01:23:05,502 --> 01:23:07,790
give us 20 additional uh ground based 

2251
01:23:07,790 --> 01:23:09,734
interceptors , gives me additional 

2252
01:23:09,734 --> 01:23:13,120
capable or capacity uh to pace with the 

2253
01:23:13,120 --> 01:23:15,176
DPRK that you're talking about . But 

2254
01:23:15,176 --> 01:23:16,953
more importantly , it gives you 

2255
01:23:16,953 --> 01:23:19,009
capability , gives you capability to 

2256
01:23:19,009 --> 01:23:21,750
distinguish between there 

2257
01:23:22,860 --> 01:23:25,800
capabilities to deceive our systems . 

2258
01:23:25,800 --> 01:23:28,022
If you will , we should talk more about 

2259
01:23:28,022 --> 01:23:30,244
that in the classified environment that 

2260
01:23:30,244 --> 01:23:32,300
that's crucial . Also crucial is the 

2261
01:23:32,300 --> 01:23:34,467
service service life extension program 

2262
01:23:34,467 --> 01:23:36,578
for the G B I S that's ongoing . That 

2263
01:23:36,578 --> 01:23:38,689
creates additional reliability for me 

2264
01:23:38,689 --> 01:23:40,800
and gives me the ability to adjust my 

2265
01:23:40,800 --> 01:23:40,690
shot doctrine , which gives me 

2266
01:23:40,690 --> 01:23:43,130
additional capability or capacity as 

2267
01:23:43,130 --> 01:23:45,320
well . Thank you . How can the program 

2268
01:23:45,320 --> 01:23:47,760
be accelerated to meet IOC faster ? 

2269
01:23:48,400 --> 01:23:50,567
Yeah , that's a great question for M D 

2270
01:23:50,567 --> 01:23:52,789
A . I think they have a great structure 

2271
01:23:52,789 --> 01:23:54,900
in place , the two companies that are 

2272
01:23:54,900 --> 01:23:56,900
competing and the structure for the 

2273
01:23:56,900 --> 01:23:59,122
contract rewards going faster . We just 

2274
01:23:59,122 --> 01:24:01,178
need to make sure that we don't have 

2275
01:24:01,178 --> 01:24:03,289
bureaucratic mechanisms in place that 

2276
01:24:03,289 --> 01:24:05,490
slow down . Uh the testing , the 

2277
01:24:05,500 --> 01:24:07,611
fielding those kind of capabilities . 

2278
01:24:07,611 --> 01:24:09,620
Thank you , General Van Herk . I've 

2279
01:24:09,620 --> 01:24:11,620
noticed that you've been requesting 

2280
01:24:11,620 --> 01:24:13,453
greater sensor coverage over the 

2281
01:24:13,453 --> 01:24:15,820
homeland for a while . Now , please 

2282
01:24:15,820 --> 01:24:17,987
know I support you in this effort . Uh 

2283
01:24:17,987 --> 01:24:20,098
It is clear that in addition to being 

2284
01:24:20,098 --> 01:24:22,400
able to see various threats , we need 

2285
01:24:22,410 --> 01:24:24,840
the ability to defend against them . 

2286
01:24:24,840 --> 01:24:26,980
Also , would you assess that the US 

2287
01:24:26,980 --> 01:24:29,147
should provide better homeland defense 

2288
01:24:29,147 --> 01:24:31,490
against most pressing missile threats , 

2289
01:24:31,490 --> 01:24:35,400
cruise and ballistic ? I 

2290
01:24:35,400 --> 01:24:37,790
would assess that based on the Taskings , 

2291
01:24:37,790 --> 01:24:39,846
I'm given that we do need additional 

2292
01:24:39,846 --> 01:24:42,280
capability for cruise missiles . Uh and 

2293
01:24:42,280 --> 01:24:44,650
also uh the ballistic missiles that you 

2294
01:24:44,650 --> 01:24:46,594
referenced there . Thank you . The 

2295
01:24:46,594 --> 01:24:48,817
missile defense agency doesn't have the 

2296
01:24:48,817 --> 01:24:51,039
cruise missile responsibility . The air 

2297
01:24:51,039 --> 01:24:52,872
force does . Uh isn't that right 

2298
01:24:52,872 --> 01:24:54,928
general ? That is right the way it's 

2299
01:24:54,928 --> 01:24:56,928
structured right now . Thank you as 

2300
01:24:56,928 --> 01:24:58,872
part of the reason for that is the 

2301
01:24:58,872 --> 01:25:01,039
threats of the US homeland or many and 

2302
01:25:01,039 --> 01:25:03,261
they are growing yet , we have kept the 

2303
01:25:03,261 --> 01:25:05,039
missile defense agency's budget 

2304
01:25:05,039 --> 01:25:07,250
essentially capped at about eight 

2305
01:25:07,250 --> 01:25:09,750
billion uh for year . This is 

2306
01:25:09,750 --> 01:25:11,972
concerning to me . I hope my colleagues 

2307
01:25:11,972 --> 01:25:14,139
will join me in uh enacting the proper 

2308
01:25:14,139 --> 01:25:16,361
budget and policy investments this year 

2309
01:25:16,361 --> 01:25:18,840
to properly address what capabilities 

2310
01:25:18,840 --> 01:25:20,673
are armed forces need to protect 

2311
01:25:20,673 --> 01:25:22,840
America's people abroad , but also at 

2312
01:25:22,840 --> 01:25:26,000
home , Mr Chairman , I yield back chair 

2313
01:25:26,000 --> 01:25:28,056
and I recognize the gentle lady from 

2314
01:25:28,056 --> 01:25:30,056
Texas MS Escobar for five minutes . 

2315
01:25:30,056 --> 01:25:32,278
Thank you , Mr Chairman and many thanks 

2316
01:25:32,278 --> 01:25:34,444
to you and the ranking member for this 

2317
01:25:34,444 --> 01:25:36,611
very important hearing . Thanks to our 

2318
01:25:36,611 --> 01:25:38,790
witnesses and General Richardson . 

2319
01:25:38,790 --> 01:25:41,310
Thanks so much uh for ongoing 

2320
01:25:41,310 --> 01:25:43,366
conversations . Um You know , I've , 

2321
01:25:43,366 --> 01:25:46,000
I've long been a believer . I represent 

2322
01:25:46,010 --> 01:25:49,340
El Paso Texas , a community uh that is 

2323
01:25:49,340 --> 01:25:52,280
home to Fort Bliss , a key military 

2324
01:25:52,280 --> 01:25:55,560
installation . But also we are the 

2325
01:25:55,570 --> 01:25:57,860
community that's at our nation's front 

2326
01:25:57,860 --> 01:26:01,010
door . And so we frequently see and we 

2327
01:26:01,010 --> 01:26:04,450
have seen for decades that what happens 

2328
01:26:04,450 --> 01:26:06,506
through our , throughout the western 

2329
01:26:06,506 --> 01:26:08,561
hemisphere ultimately ends up at our 

2330
01:26:08,561 --> 01:26:11,640
doorstep . And I'm a big believer that 

2331
01:26:11,650 --> 01:26:15,350
we can't continue to just obsess 

2332
01:26:15,360 --> 01:26:17,527
about the border . We've got to obsess 

2333
01:26:17,527 --> 01:26:20,710
about the hemisphere . And so the work 

2334
01:26:20,710 --> 01:26:23,660
that is being done , especially around 

2335
01:26:23,830 --> 01:26:27,140
targeting criminal organizations 

2336
01:26:27,150 --> 01:26:30,740
that prey upon communities 

2337
01:26:30,770 --> 01:26:34,190
south of us and prey upon vulnerable 

2338
01:26:34,190 --> 01:26:36,910
migrants who are fleeing their homeland . 

2339
01:26:36,930 --> 01:26:38,960
It's really critical that we do 

2340
01:26:38,970 --> 01:26:42,560
everything possible to attack 

2341
01:26:42,570 --> 01:26:45,530
the , the challenge south of us . Um 

2342
01:26:45,540 --> 01:26:47,470
And that we provide the resources 

2343
01:26:47,480 --> 01:26:50,540
necessary , especially at the same time , 

2344
01:26:50,540 --> 01:26:53,140
we have to realize what we do living on 

2345
01:26:53,140 --> 01:26:55,640
the southern border and seeing the long 

2346
01:26:55,640 --> 01:26:58,930
lines for southbound checks for all of 

2347
01:26:58,930 --> 01:27:02,220
the weapons from the United States that 

2348
01:27:02,220 --> 01:27:04,470
are going South . We have to 

2349
01:27:04,470 --> 01:27:06,470
acknowledge as a country , the role 

2350
01:27:06,470 --> 01:27:08,410
that we are playing in creating 

2351
01:27:08,420 --> 01:27:11,650
instability um and access to weaponry 

2352
01:27:11,650 --> 01:27:13,560
that creates more violence and 

2353
01:27:13,560 --> 01:27:15,760
instability south of us . So I want to 

2354
01:27:15,760 --> 01:27:18,340
thank you all so much for consistently 

2355
01:27:18,340 --> 01:27:20,610
shedding a light on all of that . But 

2356
01:27:20,610 --> 01:27:23,620
also for using um what I consider not 

2357
01:27:23,620 --> 01:27:26,180
enough resources um and trying to make 

2358
01:27:26,180 --> 01:27:28,180
them stretch and go a long way . It 

2359
01:27:28,180 --> 01:27:30,720
really is on Congress and on all of us , 

2360
01:27:30,730 --> 01:27:34,450
if we want to address much of what we 

2361
01:27:34,450 --> 01:27:36,672
are seeing as a country at our southern 

2362
01:27:36,672 --> 01:27:38,450
border , we have to provide the 

2363
01:27:38,450 --> 01:27:41,810
resources to all agencies and groups 

2364
01:27:41,810 --> 01:27:43,810
that are doing the , the incredibly 

2365
01:27:43,810 --> 01:27:46,800
hard work um in our hemisphere . Um 

2366
01:27:46,800 --> 01:27:49,140
With that , I would like um for 

2367
01:27:49,140 --> 01:27:51,196
Secretary Dalton and actually all of 

2368
01:27:51,196 --> 01:27:54,610
our witnesses um to respond if you can 

2369
01:27:54,810 --> 01:27:57,310
um a critical aspect of addressing and 

2370
01:27:57,310 --> 01:27:59,143
combating the threats across the 

2371
01:27:59,143 --> 01:28:01,940
Northern and Southern Command . Kors is 

2372
01:28:01,940 --> 01:28:04,380
acknowledging the infrastructure and 

2373
01:28:04,380 --> 01:28:07,020
networks that T C O s are using the 

2374
01:28:07,020 --> 01:28:09,630
traffic persons weapons and narcotics 

2375
01:28:09,640 --> 01:28:11,790
that make their way in and out of our 

2376
01:28:11,790 --> 01:28:14,250
country . Can you all speak to the 

2377
01:28:14,250 --> 01:28:16,790
efforts in support of the inter agency 

2378
01:28:16,940 --> 01:28:19,830
and our partners and allies to assess 

2379
01:28:19,830 --> 01:28:22,350
the size and complexity of these 

2380
01:28:22,350 --> 01:28:24,920
networks ? And how are you working to 

2381
01:28:24,920 --> 01:28:28,470
dismantle them ? Congresswoman ? Thank 

2382
01:28:28,470 --> 01:28:30,600
you so much for , for the question . 

2383
01:28:30,600 --> 01:28:32,433
And I completely agree with your 

2384
01:28:32,433 --> 01:28:34,489
framing in terms of the need to look 

2385
01:28:34,489 --> 01:28:36,489
holistically and leveraging all the 

2386
01:28:36,489 --> 01:28:38,960
tools of , of national state and local 

2387
01:28:38,970 --> 01:28:41,490
power to , to get after this challenge 

2388
01:28:41,490 --> 01:28:43,657
and with partners in , in the region . 

2389
01:28:43,657 --> 01:28:45,879
And um I actually had an opportunity to 

2390
01:28:45,879 --> 01:28:47,934
visit El Paso just a couple of weeks 

2391
01:28:47,934 --> 01:28:50,740
ago to meet with some of our local D H 

2392
01:28:50,740 --> 01:28:52,962
S and , and D O D officials . I'm doing 

2393
01:28:52,962 --> 01:28:55,129
some great work on , on this challenge 

2394
01:28:55,129 --> 01:28:57,400
set . Um to answer your question . 

2395
01:28:57,400 --> 01:29:00,740
Congresswoman , um Do you d provides a 

2396
01:29:00,740 --> 01:29:02,796
detection and monitoring support and 

2397
01:29:02,796 --> 01:29:04,880
intelligence support um through our 

2398
01:29:04,880 --> 01:29:07,730
counternarcotics , authorities to key 

2399
01:29:07,730 --> 01:29:10,250
partners in the region . And this fits 

2400
01:29:10,250 --> 01:29:12,139
into the administration's broader 

2401
01:29:12,139 --> 01:29:14,460
approach of addressing the root causes 

2402
01:29:14,470 --> 01:29:17,600
of migration and challenges in the 

2403
01:29:17,600 --> 01:29:20,240
region um that have a bit of a Venn 

2404
01:29:20,240 --> 01:29:23,480
diagram overlap um with the challenge 

2405
01:29:23,490 --> 01:29:26,220
of , of T C O s . Um you know , they're , 

2406
01:29:26,220 --> 01:29:28,498
they're not one in the same challenges . 

2407
01:29:28,498 --> 01:29:30,850
Um But certainly the T C O s are 

2408
01:29:30,850 --> 01:29:33,370
creating conditions that , that fuel 

2409
01:29:33,380 --> 01:29:36,450
migration . Um And the broader context 

2410
01:29:36,460 --> 01:29:38,480
of governance and development 

2411
01:29:38,490 --> 01:29:41,510
challenges are , are stressing to um 

2412
01:29:41,520 --> 01:29:44,000
economies in the region and compelling 

2413
01:29:44,010 --> 01:29:46,740
um not only the flow of irregular 

2414
01:29:46,740 --> 01:29:48,796
migration but creating opportunities 

2415
01:29:48,796 --> 01:29:50,820
for the T C O s to thrive . Um So 

2416
01:29:50,820 --> 01:29:53,280
that's the D O D piece um in this 

2417
01:29:53,280 --> 01:29:55,447
broader framework . But I know General 

2418
01:29:55,447 --> 01:29:57,391
Richardson will have um more great 

2419
01:29:57,391 --> 01:30:00,850
amplification on this . Thanks , 

2420
01:30:00,850 --> 01:30:03,490
congresswoman and uh JTF North , which 

2421
01:30:03,490 --> 01:30:06,080
is in your district as well . Has a big 

2422
01:30:06,090 --> 01:30:08,146
role here . First , I couldn't agree 

2423
01:30:08,146 --> 01:30:10,312
more . It's not about the board , it's 

2424
01:30:10,312 --> 01:30:10,030
about the Western Hemisphere and we 

2425
01:30:10,030 --> 01:30:12,252
need to think much broader . Uh T C O s 

2426
01:30:12,252 --> 01:30:14,419
are a global problem as well . General 

2427
01:30:14,419 --> 01:30:17,060
Sandoval and Admiral o'hara from Mexico 

2428
01:30:17,060 --> 01:30:19,420
often tell me that we also should focus 

2429
01:30:19,420 --> 01:30:21,364
on what comes South not what comes 

2430
01:30:21,364 --> 01:30:23,340
North . And so JTF North has been 

2431
01:30:23,340 --> 01:30:25,750
instrumental in developing support to 

2432
01:30:25,750 --> 01:30:27,861
the interagency partners that we work 

2433
01:30:27,861 --> 01:30:30,028
with providing intel to go after money 

2434
01:30:30,028 --> 01:30:32,028
that's going south weapons that are 

2435
01:30:32,028 --> 01:30:34,361
going south , which are just as crucial . 

2436
01:30:34,361 --> 01:30:36,472
We're not gonna interdict our way out 

2437
01:30:36,472 --> 01:30:36,370
of this problem . We need a broader 

2438
01:30:36,370 --> 01:30:38,648
holistic strategy that gets after that . 

2439
01:30:38,648 --> 01:30:40,648
And so I look forward to continuing 

2440
01:30:40,648 --> 01:30:43,520
doing that . So as you said , 

2441
01:30:43,520 --> 01:30:46,020
Congresswoman , the TCOS bring violence 

2442
01:30:46,020 --> 01:30:48,930
and corruption and then uh and the PRC 

2443
01:30:48,930 --> 01:30:51,400
comes in and is able to exploit that . 

2444
01:30:51,410 --> 01:30:53,900
So it all connects together . But the 

2445
01:30:53,900 --> 01:30:56,940
violence is uh it's off the charts . Uh 

2446
01:30:56,950 --> 01:30:59,006
these organizations are getting more 

2447
01:30:59,006 --> 01:31:02,200
powerful $310 billion dollars 

2448
01:31:02,210 --> 01:31:05,210
revenue annually . They've diversified 

2449
01:31:05,210 --> 01:31:06,877
the portfolio . It's not just 

2450
01:31:06,877 --> 01:31:08,543
counternarcotics , it's human 

2451
01:31:08,543 --> 01:31:10,543
trafficking , it's illegal mining , 

2452
01:31:10,543 --> 01:31:12,710
it's eagle , eagle logging , fishing , 

2453
01:31:12,710 --> 01:31:14,877
whatever they can get their hands on . 

2454
01:31:14,877 --> 01:31:16,988
And then the Chinese money laundering 

2455
01:31:16,988 --> 01:31:19,280
that with the seven PRC banks , 275 

2456
01:31:19,280 --> 01:31:21,600
branches in the region . It's just a 

2457
01:31:21,610 --> 01:31:24,530
vicious cycle that continues . So the 

2458
01:31:24,530 --> 01:31:26,419
work that we do with the security 

2459
01:31:26,419 --> 01:31:28,697
cooperation to help our partner nation , 

2460
01:31:28,697 --> 01:31:30,863
militaries and certain public security 

2461
01:31:30,863 --> 01:31:32,752
forces deal with these challenges 

2462
01:31:32,752 --> 01:31:34,919
internally and be able to secure their 

2463
01:31:34,919 --> 01:31:36,863
borders and work cross border with 

2464
01:31:36,863 --> 01:31:38,919
their neighbors , uh enables them to 

2465
01:31:38,919 --> 01:31:41,840
handle these situations . So it doesn't 

2466
01:31:41,850 --> 01:31:44,880
again uh expired and I recognize 

2467
01:31:44,880 --> 01:31:46,991
gentleman in Florida , Mr Jimenez for 

2468
01:31:46,991 --> 01:31:49,047
five minutes . Thank you very much . 

2469
01:31:49,047 --> 01:31:51,213
And um want to expand on , on what you 

2470
01:31:51,213 --> 01:31:53,480
just said General Richardson about the 

2471
01:31:53,480 --> 01:31:55,760
banks , the Chinese banks and the and 

2472
01:31:55,760 --> 01:31:57,816
the branches that they have in South 

2473
01:31:57,816 --> 01:32:00,149
America . Do any of these Chinese banks ? 

2474
01:32:00,149 --> 01:32:02,038
Do they do business in the United 

2475
01:32:02,038 --> 01:32:04,920
States ? Congressman ? I'm not , I'm 

2476
01:32:04,920 --> 01:32:07,400
not for sure . I can't answer that and 

2477
01:32:07,410 --> 01:32:09,710
find out if they do okay so we can take 

2478
01:32:09,710 --> 01:32:11,880
some steps against them . Okay . And 

2479
01:32:11,880 --> 01:32:13,991
these activities because they they're 

2480
01:32:13,991 --> 01:32:15,713
they seem to be what the money 

2481
01:32:15,713 --> 01:32:17,991
laundering arm of these enterprises is , 

2482
01:32:17,991 --> 01:32:20,158
are these Chinese banks ? Is that what 

2483
01:32:20,158 --> 01:32:22,660
you're saying ? Okay . Alright , fair 

2484
01:32:22,660 --> 01:32:26,560
enough . Um and and thank you again for 

2485
01:32:26,570 --> 01:32:28,792
for the briefing that you gave me in uh 

2486
01:32:28,792 --> 01:32:30,737
in South com um for those who know 

2487
01:32:30,737 --> 01:32:32,959
South comes about a mile away from my , 

2488
01:32:32,959 --> 01:32:34,681
from my district and it's very 

2489
01:32:34,681 --> 01:32:37,770
important part of my my district and um 

2490
01:32:37,780 --> 01:32:40,002
it some of the things you told me , you 

2491
01:32:40,002 --> 01:32:42,113
know where you you've said here , but 

2492
01:32:42,113 --> 01:32:44,410
you said that 60% of the lithium uh in 

2493
01:32:44,410 --> 01:32:46,632
the world , the world supply of lithium 

2494
01:32:46,632 --> 01:32:48,410
comes from South America . What 

2495
01:32:48,410 --> 01:32:50,466
percentage of that ? 60% is actually 

2496
01:32:50,466 --> 01:32:52,580
controlled by the PRC ? I don't have 

2497
01:32:52,580 --> 01:32:54,691
the answer to that , but I could uh I 

2498
01:32:54,691 --> 01:32:56,858
could try to get that for you from one 

2499
01:32:56,858 --> 01:33:00,290
of our interagency partners , but it's 

2500
01:33:00,300 --> 01:33:03,480
uh the the when you talk to the U S 

2501
01:33:03,480 --> 01:33:06,550
ambassadors for Chile and Argentina and 

2502
01:33:06,550 --> 01:33:09,670
then the companies that are there , uh 

2503
01:33:09,680 --> 01:33:12,350
the aggressiveness of the P R C and the 

2504
01:33:12,350 --> 01:33:14,350
ground game that they have with the 

2505
01:33:14,350 --> 01:33:18,100
lithium is , um , uh , is very advanced 

2506
01:33:18,100 --> 01:33:21,060
and very aggressive . Yeah . Look , I 

2507
01:33:21,070 --> 01:33:23,126
don't think that combating China , I 

2508
01:33:23,126 --> 01:33:25,014
mean , combating the PRC in South 

2509
01:33:25,014 --> 01:33:27,126
America is , I do believe that that's 

2510
01:33:27,126 --> 01:33:29,237
our greatest threat . It's just gonna 

2511
01:33:29,237 --> 01:33:28,620
take military , it's gonna be a 

2512
01:33:28,620 --> 01:33:30,787
military . Although you all do a great 

2513
01:33:30,787 --> 01:33:32,564
job in the partnership . That's 

2514
01:33:32,564 --> 01:33:34,787
actually an economic and I believe that 

2515
01:33:34,787 --> 01:33:36,953
for far too long , we have ignored our 

2516
01:33:36,953 --> 01:33:40,560
own backyard . Uh and allowed Russia 

2517
01:33:40,570 --> 01:33:43,730
China , Iran adversary of the United 

2518
01:33:43,730 --> 01:33:45,952
States to actually make great footholds 

2519
01:33:45,952 --> 01:33:48,130
in into our region and we need to do 

2520
01:33:48,130 --> 01:33:50,241
something about it . Uh And it has to 

2521
01:33:50,241 --> 01:33:52,350
be a holistic approach , economic 

2522
01:33:52,350 --> 01:33:54,683
approach . How do we help our neighbors ? 

2523
01:33:54,683 --> 01:33:56,739
Because the P R C is not helping our 

2524
01:33:56,739 --> 01:33:58,572
neighbors . They're building the 

2525
01:33:58,572 --> 01:34:00,628
infrastructure with our own people , 

2526
01:34:00,628 --> 01:34:02,794
their own material . Uh And then , and 

2527
01:34:02,794 --> 01:34:04,572
then getting those countries to 

2528
01:34:04,572 --> 01:34:06,739
actually pay for their own people . So 

2529
01:34:06,739 --> 01:34:09,017
it's actually a pretty good gig , okay . 

2530
01:34:09,017 --> 01:34:10,961
Uh It's , it's a great racket what 

2531
01:34:10,961 --> 01:34:13,183
they're doing right now . Um uh General 

2532
01:34:13,183 --> 01:34:15,540
Van Herk , we talked about uh your 

2533
01:34:15,540 --> 01:34:17,790
cooperation with Mexican authorities . 

2534
01:34:17,800 --> 01:34:21,540
Um uh dealing with the cartels . You 

2535
01:34:21,540 --> 01:34:25,000
think they're doing enough ? Do I think 

2536
01:34:25,000 --> 01:34:27,480
the Mexicans are doing enough ? I think 

2537
01:34:27,490 --> 01:34:29,712
everybody can do more than we are right 

2538
01:34:29,712 --> 01:34:31,879
now to look at this problem . They are 

2539
01:34:31,879 --> 01:34:34,046
doing a significant amount . They have 

2540
01:34:34,046 --> 01:34:36,212
tens of thousands of forces applied to 

2541
01:34:36,212 --> 01:34:36,140
the problem . The problem just 

2542
01:34:36,140 --> 01:34:38,251
continues to grow though . So I think 

2543
01:34:38,251 --> 01:34:40,473
that's a better policy question than it 

2544
01:34:40,473 --> 01:34:42,529
is for a military . I stand ready to 

2545
01:34:42,529 --> 01:34:44,362
support if directed to do more , 

2546
01:34:44,362 --> 01:34:46,362
directed to plan more etcetera . It 

2547
01:34:46,362 --> 01:34:48,362
wasn't a policy question . It was a 

2548
01:34:48,362 --> 01:34:50,473
question . Are they doing it enough ? 

2549
01:34:50,473 --> 01:34:52,751
Are they , do you think that if we had , 

2550
01:34:52,751 --> 01:34:54,529
if we in the United States were 

2551
01:34:54,529 --> 01:34:57,360
allowing our organizations to flood 

2552
01:34:57,370 --> 01:35:00,260
Mexico and kill 100,000 Mexicans a year ? 

2553
01:35:00,260 --> 01:35:02,482
Do you think that they'd be happy about 

2554
01:35:02,482 --> 01:35:04,649
it ? I don't think they would be happy 

2555
01:35:04,649 --> 01:35:04,550
about that . Congressman . Would they 

2556
01:35:04,550 --> 01:35:07,510
be asking us to do more ? Uh I would 

2557
01:35:07,510 --> 01:35:09,677
ask them , I would assume they would . 

2558
01:35:09,677 --> 01:35:12,010
Okay . Do you think they should do more ? 

2559
01:35:12,010 --> 01:35:15,240
I think we all can do more . Okay . 

2560
01:35:15,250 --> 01:35:17,472
Fair enough . One other question I have 

2561
01:35:17,472 --> 01:35:19,694
about a minute and 30 . I live in Miami 

2562
01:35:19,694 --> 01:35:21,861
and I have a bunch of friends in Miami 

2563
01:35:21,861 --> 01:35:24,028
and they're a bunch of them coming and 

2564
01:35:24,028 --> 01:35:23,330
saying , hey , you need to see what's 

2565
01:35:23,330 --> 01:35:26,230
going on in the Bahamas with , with the 

2566
01:35:26,230 --> 01:35:29,190
PRC . So what's going on in the Bahamas ? 

2567
01:35:29,200 --> 01:35:31,200
And by the way , the Bahamas are 15 

2568
01:35:31,200 --> 01:35:33,200
miles away . Yeah . Congressman , I 

2569
01:35:33,200 --> 01:35:35,367
couldn't agree with you more . The PRC 

2570
01:35:35,367 --> 01:35:37,589
is aggressively pursuing their economic 

2571
01:35:37,589 --> 01:35:39,756
coercion in , in the Bahamas . They've 

2572
01:35:39,756 --> 01:35:41,811
built the biggest embassy around the 

2573
01:35:41,811 --> 01:35:44,033
globe in the Bahamas . They have a very 

2574
01:35:44,033 --> 01:35:45,756
aggressive ambassador uses the 

2575
01:35:45,756 --> 01:35:47,922
information space to undermine us each 

2576
01:35:47,922 --> 01:35:49,978
and every day . The resort that they 

2577
01:35:49,978 --> 01:35:52,200
built on top of our uh cables that come 

2578
01:35:52,200 --> 01:35:54,256
ashore there , which are crucial for 

2579
01:35:54,256 --> 01:35:56,478
command and control , which are crucial 

2580
01:35:56,478 --> 01:35:58,589
for economic prosperity , those kinds 

2581
01:35:58,589 --> 01:36:00,756
of things as well . They're right over 

2582
01:36:00,756 --> 01:36:02,922
that as they gain additional access to 

2583
01:36:02,922 --> 01:36:04,922
land and right on top of the navy's 

2584
01:36:04,922 --> 01:36:04,820
test and training facilities in the 

2585
01:36:04,820 --> 01:36:06,860
Atlantic as well . So they're very 

2586
01:36:06,860 --> 01:36:09,193
aggressive in the Bahamas . They , they , 

2587
01:36:09,193 --> 01:36:11,304
after the hurricane in Abaco Island , 

2588
01:36:11,390 --> 01:36:14,410
Uh the Chinese financed and uh ensured 

2589
01:36:14,410 --> 01:36:16,632
they built a ports there that ports not 

2590
01:36:16,632 --> 01:36:18,799
being used for military purposes right 

2591
01:36:18,799 --> 01:36:20,799
now . But it's another indicator of 

2592
01:36:20,799 --> 01:36:22,910
their aggressive nature to coerce and 

2593
01:36:22,910 --> 01:36:25,132
use their economic influence around the 

2594
01:36:25,132 --> 01:36:27,354
globe . And we don't have an ambassador 

2595
01:36:27,354 --> 01:36:29,354
since 2011 to the Bahamas . There's 

2596
01:36:29,354 --> 01:36:31,077
currently an ambassador that's 

2597
01:36:31,077 --> 01:36:33,190
nominated but not uh confirmed . And 

2598
01:36:33,190 --> 01:36:35,246
it's been since 2011 since we've had 

2599
01:36:35,246 --> 01:36:37,412
ambassador . Fair enough . That's very 

2600
01:36:37,412 --> 01:36:39,468
concerning to me because obviously , 

2601
01:36:39,468 --> 01:36:41,579
you know , I live in Miami and that's 

2602
01:36:41,579 --> 01:36:43,746
only 15 miles away . So thank you very 

2603
01:36:43,746 --> 01:36:43,480
much for and my , my time is up by your 

2604
01:36:43,480 --> 01:36:45,424
my time back chair and I recognize 

2605
01:36:45,424 --> 01:36:47,591
generate from Pennsylvania MS Hoolahan 

2606
01:36:47,591 --> 01:36:50,700
for five minutes . Oops , thank you and 

2607
01:36:50,700 --> 01:36:52,811
thank you to the panel for coming and 

2608
01:36:52,811 --> 01:36:54,922
speaking to us , General Richardson . 

2609
01:36:54,922 --> 01:36:58,130
My questions are for you for at first , 

2610
01:36:58,130 --> 01:37:00,297
the T C O s are very much a large part 

2611
01:37:00,297 --> 01:37:02,241
of the reason why we have concerns 

2612
01:37:02,241 --> 01:37:04,186
about the security of the southern 

2613
01:37:04,186 --> 01:37:06,241
border and you spoke about that here 

2614
01:37:06,241 --> 01:37:08,297
and also in your testimony about the 

2615
01:37:08,297 --> 01:37:08,270
flow of drugs that they are , are 

2616
01:37:08,280 --> 01:37:10,530
generating . These guys are super well 

2617
01:37:10,530 --> 01:37:13,580
funded $310 billion annually . As you 

2618
01:37:13,580 --> 01:37:15,750
also noted in your testimony , can you 

2619
01:37:15,750 --> 01:37:17,917
talk a little bit about if you're able 

2620
01:37:17,917 --> 01:37:19,750
in this setting , these criminal 

2621
01:37:19,750 --> 01:37:21,972
organizations and how they're receiving 

2622
01:37:21,972 --> 01:37:24,194
support from the PRC connected criminal 

2623
01:37:24,194 --> 01:37:26,194
organizations and what South com is 

2624
01:37:26,194 --> 01:37:29,600
doing to prevent that . So the 

2625
01:37:29,610 --> 01:37:33,500
the connection um that the what the T C 

2626
01:37:33,500 --> 01:37:35,333
O s do with the violence and the 

2627
01:37:35,333 --> 01:37:38,960
corruption and it it cracks the 

2628
01:37:38,970 --> 01:37:41,640
fragile fragility . You know , these 

2629
01:37:41,640 --> 01:37:43,862
democracies again are trying to deliver 

2630
01:37:43,862 --> 01:37:45,970
for their people . It creates a ncic 

2631
01:37:45,970 --> 01:37:48,980
your itty and unstable environments . 

2632
01:37:48,980 --> 01:37:51,280
It causes people to have to move and 

2633
01:37:51,280 --> 01:37:53,336
get on the move . It , it feeds into 

2634
01:37:53,336 --> 01:37:55,391
this irregular migration when people 

2635
01:37:55,391 --> 01:37:57,613
and families don't feel safe . But what 

2636
01:37:57,613 --> 01:37:59,669
are the mechanisms that the P R C is 

2637
01:37:59,669 --> 01:38:02,450
exercising to deliver funding or 

2638
01:38:02,450 --> 01:38:04,870
support to the to these organizations 

2639
01:38:04,870 --> 01:38:07,092
to these criminal organizations through 

2640
01:38:07,092 --> 01:38:09,203
the , through the money laundering in 

2641
01:38:09,203 --> 01:38:12,170
terms of the uh the transnational 

2642
01:38:12,170 --> 01:38:14,226
criminal organizations being able to 

2643
01:38:14,226 --> 01:38:16,890
provide the money to the PRC who then 

2644
01:38:16,900 --> 01:38:19,860
sell it back to the countries through 

2645
01:38:19,870 --> 01:38:23,870
um through the goods . Uh is one way to 

2646
01:38:23,870 --> 01:38:27,210
do it . Uh We have law enforcement 

2647
01:38:27,210 --> 01:38:29,420
agencies within that work as part of 

2648
01:38:29,420 --> 01:38:31,587
liaison officers within South com . We 

2649
01:38:31,587 --> 01:38:33,587
try to connect those dots work very 

2650
01:38:33,587 --> 01:38:35,587
closely with Department of Treasury 

2651
01:38:35,587 --> 01:38:38,120
justice commerce on following this 

2652
01:38:38,120 --> 01:38:40,009
money . Because I think as I said 

2653
01:38:40,009 --> 01:38:42,470
earlier , getting after how you follow 

2654
01:38:42,470 --> 01:38:45,000
the money and what is actually uh you 

2655
01:38:45,000 --> 01:38:47,360
know , enabling this piece to clean the 

2656
01:38:47,360 --> 01:38:49,370
money and be able for these 

2657
01:38:49,370 --> 01:38:51,750
organizations to flourish is uh we've 

2658
01:38:51,750 --> 01:38:53,639
got to get after that in order to 

2659
01:38:53,639 --> 01:38:55,694
counter it . And then real quickly , 

2660
01:38:55,694 --> 01:38:57,806
you mentioned , you felt like you had 

2661
01:38:57,806 --> 01:38:56,890
the authorities that you needed in 

2662
01:38:56,890 --> 01:38:58,779
those particular areas . You also 

2663
01:38:58,779 --> 01:39:00,890
mentioned twice today that we are too 

2664
01:39:00,890 --> 01:39:03,001
modest that we should put our flag on 

2665
01:39:03,001 --> 01:39:05,223
more things that us companies are doing 

2666
01:39:05,223 --> 01:39:07,334
things that we hear , you know , with 

2667
01:39:07,334 --> 01:39:09,610
federal um money and taxpayer money are 

2668
01:39:09,610 --> 01:39:11,810
doing things . What do you mean by 

2669
01:39:11,810 --> 01:39:13,960
putting your flag on it more when 

2670
01:39:13,960 --> 01:39:15,849
you're speaking about industry or 

2671
01:39:15,849 --> 01:39:18,530
private industry , how can we advertise 

2672
01:39:18,530 --> 01:39:20,700
more explicitly ? What are , what's 

2673
01:39:20,700 --> 01:39:22,533
your idea ? And I'm gaining this 

2674
01:39:22,533 --> 01:39:24,756
perspective when I meet with leaders in 

2675
01:39:24,756 --> 01:39:28,700
the countries and um and they don't , 

2676
01:39:28,710 --> 01:39:30,932
they're not , don't seem to be aware of 

2677
01:39:30,932 --> 01:39:33,154
a lot of the United States investment , 

2678
01:39:33,154 --> 01:39:35,460
the tenders that come out the project 

2679
01:39:35,470 --> 01:39:37,900
bids for big projects within these 

2680
01:39:37,900 --> 01:39:40,011
countries only have Chinese bidders . 

2681
01:39:40,011 --> 01:39:41,844
So it's all this information I'm 

2682
01:39:41,844 --> 01:39:43,900
receiving from them that we're not . 

2683
01:39:43,900 --> 01:39:46,233
And then when I meet with the companies , 

2684
01:39:46,233 --> 01:39:48,289
I've met with the Atlantic Council , 

2685
01:39:48,289 --> 01:39:50,400
the Council of the Americas and these 

2686
01:39:50,400 --> 01:39:52,511
companies have an opportunity to tell 

2687
01:39:52,511 --> 01:39:54,511
me what they're doing and there's a 

2688
01:39:54,511 --> 01:39:56,678
mismatch and what the country sees and 

2689
01:39:56,678 --> 01:39:58,844
what our companies say they're doing . 

2690
01:39:58,844 --> 01:40:01,067
And so that's why I said we uh it seems 

2691
01:40:01,067 --> 01:40:03,233
to me that we need to bring all of our 

2692
01:40:03,233 --> 01:40:05,344
strengths together and advertise it , 

2693
01:40:05,344 --> 01:40:07,660
say what we're doing uh to talk about 

2694
01:40:07,660 --> 01:40:09,771
team U S A and the investment in this 

2695
01:40:09,771 --> 01:40:11,938
region and how important it is because 

2696
01:40:11,938 --> 01:40:14,104
it absolutely is . Thank you and , and 

2697
01:40:14,104 --> 01:40:16,438
General Van Herk with my remaining time , 

2698
01:40:16,438 --> 01:40:18,438
I wanted to drill down on something 

2699
01:40:18,438 --> 01:40:20,660
that you talked about . I just recently 

2700
01:40:20,660 --> 01:40:22,604
led a delegation to Finland and to 

2701
01:40:22,604 --> 01:40:24,716
Norway bipartisan delegation . And we 

2702
01:40:24,716 --> 01:40:26,938
spoke a lot about the Arctic and I know 

2703
01:40:26,938 --> 01:40:29,049
this hearing is not necessarily about 

2704
01:40:29,049 --> 01:40:31,216
that , but , but you brought it into , 

2705
01:40:31,216 --> 01:40:33,327
into play . Can you talk a little bit 

2706
01:40:33,327 --> 01:40:35,327
about your insights into the impact 

2707
01:40:35,327 --> 01:40:37,382
that climate change is having in the 

2708
01:40:37,382 --> 01:40:37,260
Arctic ? What it means for national 

2709
01:40:37,260 --> 01:40:39,620
security , visa , the uh Russia and 

2710
01:40:39,620 --> 01:40:41,860
even China as well . You also mentioned 

2711
01:40:41,860 --> 01:40:44,082
that you were worried about being ready 

2712
01:40:44,082 --> 01:40:45,804
to train and , and wanted more 

2713
01:40:45,804 --> 01:40:47,916
resources in that area . We're hoping 

2714
01:40:47,916 --> 01:40:47,890
that the budget would reflect that if 

2715
01:40:47,890 --> 01:40:50,001
you could be more specific about what 

2716
01:40:50,001 --> 01:40:52,223
you're looking for when the president's 

2717
01:40:52,223 --> 01:40:52,070
budget is released , that would be 

2718
01:40:52,070 --> 01:40:54,890
great . Thanks , environmental changes , 

2719
01:40:54,890 --> 01:40:57,057
absolutely . Having significant impact 

2720
01:40:57,057 --> 01:40:59,001
in the Arctic , it gives access to 

2721
01:40:59,001 --> 01:41:01,168
resources which is going to definitely 

2722
01:41:01,168 --> 01:41:03,480
challenge uh nations , there will be 

2723
01:41:03,480 --> 01:41:05,758
friction . So competition is important . 

2724
01:41:05,758 --> 01:41:07,980
That's what the uh the national defense 

2725
01:41:07,980 --> 01:41:09,980
strategy tells us to do is go after 

2726
01:41:09,980 --> 01:41:12,036
competing in the Arctic as far as uh 

2727
01:41:12,036 --> 01:41:14,147
the importance in the capabilities we 

2728
01:41:14,147 --> 01:41:16,313
need . So , persistence is one thing . 

2729
01:41:16,313 --> 01:41:18,313
So the jobs and infrastructure bill 

2730
01:41:18,313 --> 01:41:20,480
provided $250 million for the porch of 

2731
01:41:20,480 --> 01:41:22,202
Nome , which will help me with 

2732
01:41:22,202 --> 01:41:23,647
persistence in the Arctic 

2733
01:41:23,647 --> 01:41:25,758
communications capabilities as well . 

2734
01:41:25,758 --> 01:41:28,091
When you get north of about 65 latitude , 

2735
01:41:28,091 --> 01:41:30,258
it's very challenging environment . So 

2736
01:41:30,258 --> 01:41:32,369
the commercial such as SpaceX through 

2737
01:41:32,369 --> 01:41:34,536
Starlink has given the opportunity for 

2738
01:41:34,536 --> 01:41:36,647
us to take advantage of that . I need 

2739
01:41:36,647 --> 01:41:38,813
more funding for terminals to use that 

2740
01:41:38,813 --> 01:41:40,702
allow us to access those kinds of 

2741
01:41:40,702 --> 01:41:42,536
capabilities . Infrastructure is 

2742
01:41:42,536 --> 01:41:44,536
crucial for campaigning . It's also 

2743
01:41:44,536 --> 01:41:46,758
crucial for crisis . And when we defend 

2744
01:41:46,758 --> 01:41:48,980
our homeland infrastructure is severely 

2745
01:41:48,980 --> 01:41:51,036
limited , both in Canada and the U S 

2746
01:41:51,036 --> 01:41:53,258
and access to infrastructure such as in 

2747
01:41:53,258 --> 01:41:55,313
Tuli Greenland as well . So when you 

2748
01:41:55,313 --> 01:41:57,536
only have a day's worth of fuel or , or 

2749
01:41:57,536 --> 01:41:59,536
limited ability , those things will 

2750
01:41:59,536 --> 01:42:01,758
prevent me from doing what I need to do 

2751
01:42:01,758 --> 01:42:03,813
to defend the homeland . Thank you . 

2752
01:42:03,813 --> 01:42:05,924
I've run out of time . I yield back . 

2753
01:42:06,060 --> 01:42:08,171
Recognizes the gentleman from Texas , 

2754
01:42:08,171 --> 01:42:11,410
Mr Fallon . Thank you , Mr Chairman and 

2755
01:42:11,410 --> 01:42:13,410
thank you for having this hearing . 

2756
01:42:13,410 --> 01:42:15,466
It's very , it's vitally important , 

2757
01:42:15,466 --> 01:42:18,570
General Van Herk in January . Um 

2758
01:42:20,100 --> 01:42:23,220
There were 1400 lb of fentaNYL seized 

2759
01:42:23,220 --> 01:42:25,220
at the southern border . I mean , I 

2760
01:42:25,220 --> 01:42:27,387
found that to be startling . And uh so 

2761
01:42:27,387 --> 01:42:29,387
I'd like to start if we can dial it 

2762
01:42:29,387 --> 01:42:31,442
back a minute . And Miss Dalton , do 

2763
01:42:31,442 --> 01:42:33,540
you believe that national security , 

2764
01:42:33,610 --> 01:42:35,499
the border security is a national 

2765
01:42:35,499 --> 01:42:37,930
security issue . It's a homeland 

2766
01:42:37,930 --> 01:42:39,986
security issue . Do you think it's a 

2767
01:42:39,986 --> 01:42:42,152
national security issue ? We , we have 

2768
01:42:42,152 --> 01:42:44,690
national security . It's a question . 

2769
01:42:44,690 --> 01:42:46,579
Yes or no . We , we have national 

2770
01:42:46,579 --> 01:42:48,912
security interest in the security . Yes . 

2771
01:42:48,912 --> 01:42:51,079
You're not going to answer yes or no . 

2772
01:42:51,230 --> 01:42:54,780
Okay . So , General Van Herk , same 

2773
01:42:54,780 --> 01:42:57,560
question is real simple . Is border 

2774
01:42:57,560 --> 01:42:59,727
security and national security issue . 

2775
01:42:59,727 --> 01:43:01,727
I'm on record of saying that border 

2776
01:43:01,727 --> 01:43:03,838
security is national security . See , 

2777
01:43:03,838 --> 01:43:06,004
it's not that hard . Yes , thank you . 

2778
01:43:06,280 --> 01:43:08,558
You know , it's interesting because we , 

2779
01:43:08,558 --> 01:43:10,669
I had an amendment to the NDA in 2021 

2780
01:43:10,669 --> 01:43:13,100
and it simply said that and I was very 

2781
01:43:13,100 --> 01:43:15,322
careful in crafting and it was one page 

2782
01:43:15,322 --> 01:43:17,433
because I wanted it to be a unanimous 

2783
01:43:17,433 --> 01:43:20,170
vote And it did pass and we were in the 

2784
01:43:20,170 --> 01:43:22,337
Republican were in the minority at the 

2785
01:43:22,337 --> 01:43:24,950
time was 31-28 and it passed 33 , which 

2786
01:43:24,950 --> 01:43:27,250
meant that five Democrats voted for 

2787
01:43:27,250 --> 01:43:29,472
that and agreed with the statement that 

2788
01:43:29,472 --> 01:43:31,583
general just made and I made . But 26 

2789
01:43:31,583 --> 01:43:33,583
Democrats said no , they voted no , 

2790
01:43:33,583 --> 01:43:35,900
which was shocking to me . So as you 

2791
01:43:35,900 --> 01:43:37,980
know , we laid out that securing our 

2792
01:43:37,980 --> 01:43:40,091
southern border against transnational 

2793
01:43:40,091 --> 01:43:42,313
criminal organizations and drug dealers 

2794
01:43:42,313 --> 01:43:44,091
and human traffickers , weapons 

2795
01:43:44,091 --> 01:43:46,036
smugglers , terrorists and various 

2796
01:43:46,036 --> 01:43:48,258
other criminals is a matter of national 

2797
01:43:48,258 --> 01:43:49,924
security . And what we really 

2798
01:43:49,924 --> 01:43:52,036
ultimately have to decide is , is the 

2799
01:43:52,036 --> 01:43:54,202
United States federal government gonna 

2800
01:43:54,202 --> 01:43:54,050
control our southern border . Are we 

2801
01:43:54,050 --> 01:43:56,161
gonna let the Mexican drug cartels do 

2802
01:43:56,161 --> 01:43:58,510
it Because we've seen in the last 

2803
01:43:58,520 --> 01:44:00,740
couple of years , we have never had a 

2804
01:44:00,740 --> 01:44:02,907
month that we had over 200,000 illegal 

2805
01:44:02,907 --> 01:44:05,220
border crossings . And then we had 10 

2806
01:44:05,220 --> 01:44:07,442
months in a row of over 200,000 illegal 

2807
01:44:07,442 --> 01:44:09,553
border crossings . We had caught over 

2808
01:44:09,553 --> 01:44:11,664
100 people that were on the terrorist 

2809
01:44:11,664 --> 01:44:13,553
watch list . We had 160 countries 

2810
01:44:13,553 --> 01:44:15,980
represented by folks that were crossing 

2811
01:44:15,980 --> 01:44:18,850
the border illegally . £25,000 of 

2812
01:44:18,850 --> 01:44:21,017
fentaNYL has been seized even more now 

2813
01:44:21,017 --> 01:44:23,128
over the last couple of years , which 

2814
01:44:23,128 --> 01:44:25,350
is enough to kill every man , woman and 

2815
01:44:25,350 --> 01:44:27,350
child , dozens of times over And we 

2816
01:44:27,350 --> 01:44:29,406
lost 108,000 Americans defending all 

2817
01:44:29,406 --> 01:44:31,760
overdoses last year . And as we 

2818
01:44:31,760 --> 01:44:34,250
mentioned , General about the £1400 . 

2819
01:44:34,260 --> 01:44:36,371
So earlier this year , I co sponsored 

2820
01:44:36,371 --> 01:44:38,427
legislation to author legislation to 

2821
01:44:38,427 --> 01:44:40,410
author military force against any 

2822
01:44:40,410 --> 01:44:42,521
foreign nation organization or person 

2823
01:44:42,521 --> 01:44:44,743
responsible for trafficking fentaNYL in 

2824
01:44:44,743 --> 01:44:46,854
the United States . Specifically , it 

2825
01:44:46,854 --> 01:44:48,743
names nine cartels that have used 

2826
01:44:48,743 --> 01:44:50,688
violence and intimidation to wreak 

2827
01:44:50,688 --> 01:44:52,743
havoc in our country . And in Mexico 

2828
01:44:52,743 --> 01:44:54,854
and Central America . So general , do 

2829
01:44:54,854 --> 01:44:56,966
you believe that Mexican drug cartels 

2830
01:44:56,966 --> 01:44:59,230
present a clear and present danger to 

2831
01:44:59,230 --> 01:45:02,900
the United States ? I I believe 

2832
01:45:02,900 --> 01:45:05,090
that transnational criminal 

2833
01:45:05,090 --> 01:45:07,540
organizations are a global security 

2834
01:45:07,540 --> 01:45:09,762
problem which would include here in the 

2835
01:45:09,762 --> 01:45:11,762
homeland . And , and sir , what are 

2836
01:45:11,762 --> 01:45:13,873
your thoughts on authorizing military 

2837
01:45:13,873 --> 01:45:15,984
force against the cartels to stop the 

2838
01:45:15,984 --> 01:45:17,873
deadly flow of narcotics into our 

2839
01:45:17,873 --> 01:45:19,762
country . I think that's a policy 

2840
01:45:19,762 --> 01:45:21,596
decision if directed to plan and 

2841
01:45:21,596 --> 01:45:23,596
execute uh and use military force , 

2842
01:45:23,596 --> 01:45:25,762
then I would do that . Posse comitatus 

2843
01:45:25,762 --> 01:45:27,984
prevents me from enforcing our laws . I 

2844
01:45:27,984 --> 01:45:30,207
believe that inside the United States , 

2845
01:45:30,207 --> 01:45:32,207
this problem is a Homeland Security 

2846
01:45:32,207 --> 01:45:34,429
Department of Justice problem , not a D 

2847
01:45:34,429 --> 01:45:36,651
O D problem . And they need to be fully 

2848
01:45:36,651 --> 01:45:36,320
resourced to execute their missions . 

2849
01:45:36,330 --> 01:45:38,386
And what else do you think ? In your 

2850
01:45:38,386 --> 01:45:40,497
opinion , we could use to effectively 

2851
01:45:40,497 --> 01:45:42,719
confront the cartels and to protect the 

2852
01:45:42,719 --> 01:45:46,290
country ? I think information 

2853
01:45:46,290 --> 01:45:49,000
sharing , helping our interagency 

2854
01:45:49,000 --> 01:45:51,222
partners , which is what we're doing is 

2855
01:45:51,222 --> 01:45:53,333
crucial . I think information sharing 

2856
01:45:53,333 --> 01:45:55,680
with Mexico and other uh Western 

2857
01:45:55,680 --> 01:45:57,347
hemisphere nations as General 

2858
01:45:57,347 --> 01:45:59,513
Richardson has discussed is crucial to 

2859
01:45:59,513 --> 01:46:01,458
enable them uh to , to address the 

2860
01:46:01,458 --> 01:46:03,680
problems that they have on their soil , 

2861
01:46:03,680 --> 01:46:05,624
their problems on their soil are a 

2862
01:46:05,624 --> 01:46:07,847
problem in our soil as well . And so we 

2863
01:46:07,847 --> 01:46:07,810
need to work together . And so I really 

2864
01:46:07,810 --> 01:46:10,032
quickly to want to get to the fact that 

2865
01:46:10,032 --> 01:46:12,143
you stated in your testimony in front 

2866
01:46:12,143 --> 01:46:14,254
of the United States Senate . I found 

2867
01:46:14,254 --> 01:46:16,310
this fascinating that most G are you 

2868
01:46:16,310 --> 01:46:15,870
members ? We would probably know 

2869
01:46:16,130 --> 01:46:19,180
locally as KGB that the um their 

2870
01:46:19,180 --> 01:46:22,820
predecessors that most of the G R U 

2871
01:46:22,820 --> 01:46:24,931
members in the world are in Mexico at 

2872
01:46:24,931 --> 01:46:26,987
the moment , which I found startling 

2873
01:46:26,987 --> 01:46:28,764
that those Russian intelligence 

2874
01:46:28,764 --> 01:46:30,709
personnel , you know , and they're 

2875
01:46:30,709 --> 01:46:30,350
keeping a close eye on their 

2876
01:46:30,350 --> 01:46:32,517
opportunities for influence the United 

2877
01:46:32,517 --> 01:46:34,572
States . And then in Fy 2022 customs 

2878
01:46:34,572 --> 01:46:36,739
and border patrol officers encountered 

2879
01:46:36,739 --> 01:46:40,690
21,763 illegal aliens from Russia . 

2880
01:46:40,690 --> 01:46:42,690
And then in this fiscal year , it's 

2881
01:46:42,690 --> 01:46:45,500
been 17,000 already . And you know , 

2882
01:46:45,500 --> 01:46:48,110
you think about that and even if 1% of 

2883
01:46:48,110 --> 01:46:51,000
those are Russian intelligence agents , 

2884
01:46:51,010 --> 01:46:53,150
uh and that's the ones we caught . 

2885
01:46:53,150 --> 01:46:55,428
Never mind the ones we didn't . I mean , 

2886
01:46:55,428 --> 01:46:57,539
we could be looking at a battalion of 

2887
01:46:57,620 --> 01:46:59,953
essentially KGB officers in our country . 

2888
01:46:59,953 --> 01:47:02,176
So , is it a reasonable assumption that 

2889
01:47:02,176 --> 01:47:04,342
adversarial intelligence services such 

2890
01:47:04,342 --> 01:47:06,640
as the Russians and hostile non state 

2891
01:47:06,640 --> 01:47:08,584
actors would take advantage of the 

2892
01:47:08,584 --> 01:47:10,751
vulnerabilities of the southern border 

2893
01:47:10,751 --> 01:47:13,029
to serve their interests . Congressman . 

2894
01:47:13,029 --> 01:47:15,196
I would say that potential adversaries 

2895
01:47:15,196 --> 01:47:17,418
would take advantage of any opportunity 

2896
01:47:17,418 --> 01:47:19,473
to gain access here , whether it's a 

2897
01:47:19,473 --> 01:47:21,696
southern border , whether it be through 

2898
01:47:21,696 --> 01:47:23,807
cyberspace , the information space as 

2899
01:47:23,807 --> 01:47:25,973
well , they're going to take advantage 

2900
01:47:25,973 --> 01:47:25,830
of any loops or gaps . Gentlemen , 

2901
01:47:25,830 --> 01:47:27,830
time's expired here and I recognize 

2902
01:47:27,830 --> 01:47:29,997
them from California , Mr Carvajal for 

2903
01:47:29,997 --> 01:47:32,163
five minutes . Thank you , Mr Chairman 

2904
01:47:32,163 --> 01:47:34,330
and thank you to all the witnesses for 

2905
01:47:34,330 --> 01:47:36,552
being here today . General Richardson , 

2906
01:47:36,552 --> 01:47:38,774
you highlighted significant investments 

2907
01:47:38,774 --> 01:47:40,774
from the People's Republic of China 

2908
01:47:40,774 --> 01:47:43,660
into the South South . Com A R I agree 

2909
01:47:43,660 --> 01:47:45,216
with you that strengthening 

2910
01:47:45,216 --> 01:47:46,827
partnerships to help partner 

2911
01:47:46,827 --> 01:47:48,493
democracies deliver for their 

2912
01:47:48,493 --> 01:47:50,850
population is imperative in helping 

2913
01:47:50,850 --> 01:47:53,610
counter the prc's influence . Do you 

2914
01:47:53,610 --> 01:47:55,721
think we can strengthen relationships 

2915
01:47:55,721 --> 01:47:57,832
with countries who are sympathetic to 

2916
01:47:57,832 --> 01:48:00,930
the PRC through this strategy ? And 

2917
01:48:00,940 --> 01:48:02,718
what other strategies are being 

2918
01:48:02,718 --> 01:48:05,010
implemented ? To encourage alternatives 

2919
01:48:05,020 --> 01:48:07,820
to cooperation with the P R C and how 

2920
01:48:07,820 --> 01:48:11,160
can Congress help to further uh that 

2921
01:48:11,160 --> 01:48:14,610
support ? So , thank you , Congressman . 

2922
01:48:14,610 --> 01:48:16,721
I think that the work that we do with 

2923
01:48:16,721 --> 01:48:19,260
the answer is yes . And uh the , the 

2924
01:48:19,270 --> 01:48:20,937
work that we do with security 

2925
01:48:20,937 --> 01:48:22,548
cooperation , building those 

2926
01:48:22,548 --> 01:48:24,270
relationships . Uh I'd like to 

2927
01:48:24,270 --> 01:48:28,210
highlight the , this , the uh I met the 

2928
01:48:28,220 --> 01:48:30,276
international military education and 

2929
01:48:30,276 --> 01:48:32,220
training as well as a professional 

2930
01:48:32,220 --> 01:48:34,387
military education When you're talking 

2931
01:48:34,387 --> 01:48:36,609
about building that trust , uh not just 

2932
01:48:36,609 --> 01:48:38,720
at the leader level , but all the way 

2933
01:48:38,720 --> 01:48:40,942
down at uh leaders because they grow up 

2934
01:48:40,942 --> 01:48:43,164
to be in charge of their militaries and 

2935
01:48:43,164 --> 01:48:45,550
their services and the investment that 

2936
01:48:45,550 --> 01:48:47,730
we make in that program . I would say 

2937
01:48:47,730 --> 01:48:49,897
that we really need to look hard at it 

2938
01:48:49,897 --> 01:48:51,897
and continue to fund that and maybe 

2939
01:48:51,897 --> 01:48:54,063
even a little bit more because it's so 

2940
01:48:54,063 --> 01:48:56,230
important when I can pick up the phone 

2941
01:48:56,230 --> 01:48:58,397
and , and we can have a conversation , 

2942
01:48:58,397 --> 01:49:00,508
the folks that have been the military 

2943
01:49:00,508 --> 01:49:02,730
leaders that have been to school in the 

2944
01:49:02,730 --> 01:49:04,841
United States speak English . There's 

2945
01:49:04,841 --> 01:49:04,810
no translating . We've already built 

2946
01:49:04,810 --> 01:49:07,370
the trust , we are already crossed the 

2947
01:49:07,370 --> 01:49:09,037
bridge and we're building the 

2948
01:49:09,037 --> 01:49:11,360
relationship already as opposed to not . 

2949
01:49:11,370 --> 01:49:14,130
And so just a shout out for that 

2950
01:49:14,130 --> 01:49:16,860
education training program because it's 

2951
01:49:16,860 --> 01:49:19,300
just huge , just a huge enabler for us . 

2952
01:49:19,360 --> 01:49:21,380
But the security cooperation , the 

2953
01:49:21,380 --> 01:49:23,510
train and equip understanding the 

2954
01:49:23,510 --> 01:49:25,510
challenges from their perspective , 

2955
01:49:25,510 --> 01:49:27,910
being able to link the leaders together 

2956
01:49:27,910 --> 01:49:30,220
from the different nations , we've been 

2957
01:49:30,220 --> 01:49:32,800
very successful at that . Uh And they 

2958
01:49:32,800 --> 01:49:34,967
can do cross border operations because 

2959
01:49:34,967 --> 01:49:37,022
the borders , a lot of times between 

2960
01:49:37,022 --> 01:49:39,133
our partner nations are very porous . 

2961
01:49:39,133 --> 01:49:41,300
Uh and they're not wanting to cause an 

2962
01:49:41,300 --> 01:49:44,180
international incident . So uh there 

2963
01:49:44,180 --> 01:49:46,450
might be some scenes and gaps , they're 

2964
01:49:46,460 --> 01:49:48,460
closing those gaps and having those 

2965
01:49:48,460 --> 01:49:50,682
leaders work together . And I have many 

2966
01:49:50,682 --> 01:49:52,682
cases where they've been able to do 

2967
01:49:52,682 --> 01:49:55,120
that over the past years . But uh those 

2968
01:49:55,120 --> 01:49:57,250
levers that , that I have in order to 

2969
01:49:57,250 --> 01:49:59,410
make our partner nations stronger are 

2970
01:49:59,410 --> 01:50:02,260
really where we um where we succeed as 

2971
01:50:02,260 --> 01:50:04,093
partners and our partner nations 

2972
01:50:04,093 --> 01:50:06,204
succeed . We succeed as a team , team 

2973
01:50:06,204 --> 01:50:09,580
democracy . Thank you , General 

2974
01:50:09,590 --> 01:50:12,380
General Van Herk . As you noted , the 

2975
01:50:12,380 --> 01:50:14,580
administration funded over the horizon 

2976
01:50:14,580 --> 01:50:17,460
radars allowing us to better detect 

2977
01:50:17,470 --> 01:50:20,760
potential threats to the homeland . Can 

2978
01:50:20,760 --> 01:50:22,960
you elaborate on how this enhanced 

2979
01:50:22,960 --> 01:50:25,490
detection capability will create more 

2980
01:50:25,490 --> 01:50:28,490
time for military leaders allowing for 

2981
01:50:28,490 --> 01:50:30,379
the creation of better deterrence 

2982
01:50:30,379 --> 01:50:33,400
options and on how the over the horizon 

2983
01:50:33,400 --> 01:50:35,930
radar will affect Norad's capabilities ? 

2984
01:50:37,470 --> 01:50:39,710
Yes , thank you . So today's radar 

2985
01:50:39,710 --> 01:50:41,432
systems designed basically and 

2986
01:50:41,432 --> 01:50:43,654
implemented in the 80s only allow me to 

2987
01:50:43,654 --> 01:50:45,330
see uh based on the 

2988
01:50:49,580 --> 01:50:51,636
horizon capabilities will bounce off 

2989
01:50:51,636 --> 01:50:54,810
the ionosphere and give me the ability 

2990
01:50:54,810 --> 01:50:56,980
to see potentially a cousin miles or 

2991
01:50:56,980 --> 01:50:58,813
beyond and not not only that for 

2992
01:50:58,813 --> 01:51:01,610
airborne objects but maritime objects 

2993
01:51:01,610 --> 01:51:03,920
as well as space objects and depending 

2994
01:51:03,920 --> 01:51:05,976
on how you prioritize though . So it 

2995
01:51:05,976 --> 01:51:08,142
gives me the ability to see further in 

2996
01:51:08,142 --> 01:51:10,490
the future to anticipate what may come 

2997
01:51:10,490 --> 01:51:12,870
our way and create options for me as an 

2998
01:51:12,870 --> 01:51:14,926
operational commander by positioning 

2999
01:51:14,926 --> 01:51:17,100
forces or at the strategic level with 

3000
01:51:17,100 --> 01:51:19,156
the president or the secretary , the 

3001
01:51:19,156 --> 01:51:21,322
option to pick up the phone and have a 

3002
01:51:21,322 --> 01:51:23,544
discussion with the nation and create a 

3003
01:51:23,544 --> 01:51:25,544
deterrent types of options ahead of 

3004
01:51:25,544 --> 01:51:27,656
time . As far as NORAD , it's crucial 

3005
01:51:27,656 --> 01:51:29,489
to field these uh to give us the 

3006
01:51:29,489 --> 01:51:31,656
ability to not only see like we said , 

3007
01:51:31,656 --> 01:51:33,711
airborne objects , but to be able to 

3008
01:51:33,711 --> 01:51:35,822
provide my threat warning for NORAD , 

3009
01:51:35,822 --> 01:51:38,156
which is crucial to strategic stability , 

3010
01:51:38,156 --> 01:51:37,940
to be able to see hypersonic , to be 

3011
01:51:37,940 --> 01:51:39,910
able to see objects that could 

3012
01:51:39,910 --> 01:51:42,188
potentially emanate from space as well . 

3013
01:51:42,660 --> 01:51:44,660
Thank you , General Mr Chairman . I 

3014
01:51:44,660 --> 01:51:46,960
yield back Here . Now , recognize the 

3015
01:51:46,960 --> 01:51:49,182
gentle lady from Michigan , Miss McLean 

3016
01:51:49,182 --> 01:51:51,320
for five minutes . Thank you , Mr 

3017
01:51:51,320 --> 01:51:53,330
Chairman . Um And thank you all for 

3018
01:51:53,330 --> 01:51:55,552
being here today , General Richardson , 

3019
01:51:55,552 --> 01:51:57,608
you've warned about China's constant 

3020
01:51:57,608 --> 01:52:00,110
attempts to invest further in the South 

3021
01:52:00,110 --> 01:52:03,210
com A R um General , would you agree 

3022
01:52:03,210 --> 01:52:05,570
that several of the countries in your A 

3023
01:52:05,570 --> 01:52:07,920
O R adapt socialist or communist 

3024
01:52:07,920 --> 01:52:11,040
regimes ? Um It is even more important 

3025
01:52:11,040 --> 01:52:13,151
than ever for the United States to be 

3026
01:52:13,151 --> 01:52:16,560
involved in South America ? Absolutely , 

3027
01:52:16,560 --> 01:52:18,393
Congressman , we need to be more 

3028
01:52:18,393 --> 01:52:20,504
involved . Pay more attention to what 

3029
01:52:20,504 --> 01:52:22,616
is so close to our homeland . This is 

3030
01:52:22,616 --> 01:52:24,616
our neighborhood , this is a shared 

3031
01:52:24,616 --> 01:52:26,671
neighborhood and neighbors watch out 

3032
01:52:26,671 --> 01:52:28,671
for each other . We're good to each 

3033
01:52:28,671 --> 01:52:30,838
other . We help each other . Um And uh 

3034
01:52:30,838 --> 01:52:32,949
and so , absolutely , but I would say 

3035
01:52:32,949 --> 01:52:35,004
that they're paying attention to the 

3036
01:52:35,004 --> 01:52:37,116
PRC , not because they want to , it's 

3037
01:52:37,116 --> 01:52:39,282
because they have to . And in the past 

3038
01:52:39,282 --> 01:52:41,504
you've raised the specific issue of the 

3039
01:52:41,504 --> 01:52:43,616
Port of Cartagena . In Colombia , the 

3040
01:52:43,616 --> 01:52:45,782
Chinese have been attempting to gain a 

3041
01:52:45,782 --> 01:52:48,004
majority stake at this vital ports . Um 

3042
01:52:48,004 --> 01:52:49,727
in South America , if they are 

3043
01:52:49,727 --> 01:52:51,893
successful , they would have access to 

3044
01:52:51,893 --> 01:52:53,560
a deep water ports . But more 

3045
01:52:53,560 --> 01:52:55,393
importantly , China would have a 

3046
01:52:55,393 --> 01:52:59,260
significant I S R asset . I want to 

3047
01:52:59,260 --> 01:53:02,280
know specifically what tools do you 

3048
01:53:02,280 --> 01:53:04,580
have to counter Chinese investments in 

3049
01:53:04,580 --> 01:53:08,460
South come . So in order to 

3050
01:53:08,460 --> 01:53:10,571
counter the investment that they have 

3051
01:53:10,571 --> 01:53:13,110
is to uh talk about it , which is what 

3052
01:53:13,110 --> 01:53:15,332
I'm doing and bringing awareness to the 

3053
01:53:15,332 --> 01:53:17,900
fact that uh when there are tenders and 

3054
01:53:17,900 --> 01:53:20,590
projects uh that come out from the 

3055
01:53:20,590 --> 01:53:22,646
countries and there are only Chinese 

3056
01:53:22,646 --> 01:53:24,757
bidders on there . We have got to get 

3057
01:53:24,757 --> 01:53:26,800
our international community , our 

3058
01:53:26,810 --> 01:53:29,040
Western investment , our team usa 

3059
01:53:29,040 --> 01:53:31,280
investment focused on what these 

3060
01:53:31,280 --> 01:53:33,690
countries when these bids come out . Uh 

3061
01:53:33,700 --> 01:53:35,756
so that they have a choice . Uh it's 

3062
01:53:35,756 --> 01:53:37,720
not just all Chinese state owned 

3063
01:53:37,720 --> 01:53:39,942
enterprises and we got to pay attention 

3064
01:53:39,942 --> 01:53:42,164
to that . Would you agree that we could 

3065
01:53:42,164 --> 01:53:44,164
use a little more help in this , in 

3066
01:53:44,164 --> 01:53:46,190
this task ? I do , I think it's the 

3067
01:53:46,200 --> 01:53:48,256
awareness and talking about it and , 

3068
01:53:48,256 --> 01:53:50,640
and making it uh making it well known 

3069
01:53:50,640 --> 01:53:53,100
that we're , we're not competing as we 

3070
01:53:53,100 --> 01:53:55,270
should and we can and we can now 

3071
01:53:55,270 --> 01:53:57,380
compete , we can in Congress 

3072
01:53:57,380 --> 01:53:59,180
established the development the 

3073
01:53:59,180 --> 01:54:02,470
Development Finance Corporation in 2018 , 

3074
01:54:02,470 --> 01:54:04,810
build act . The DFC was supposed to 

3075
01:54:04,810 --> 01:54:07,130
facilitate private sector investments 

3076
01:54:07,130 --> 01:54:10,120
that specifically um complimented and 

3077
01:54:10,120 --> 01:54:12,200
are guided by overall United States 

3078
01:54:12,200 --> 01:54:14,700
foreign policy development and national 

3079
01:54:14,700 --> 01:54:18,340
security objectives . Has DFC been 

3080
01:54:18,340 --> 01:54:20,380
working with south com to establish 

3081
01:54:20,380 --> 01:54:23,770
investments in South com kor to achieve 

3082
01:54:23,780 --> 01:54:27,050
our national security objectives . So I 

3083
01:54:27,050 --> 01:54:29,217
would want , I would want to come back 

3084
01:54:29,217 --> 01:54:31,272
to you Congresswoman on that to make 

3085
01:54:31,272 --> 01:54:33,606
sure that I give you the correct answer . 

3086
01:54:33,606 --> 01:54:35,900
I think that um as I've said , we can 

3087
01:54:35,910 --> 01:54:38,470
uh continually , we gotta uh shine the 

3088
01:54:38,470 --> 01:54:40,920
light on it and make that , that 

3089
01:54:40,920 --> 01:54:43,450
investment and uh coordinated , 

3090
01:54:43,450 --> 01:54:46,110
consolidated and more aggressive 

3091
01:54:47,000 --> 01:54:50,160
point blank . Do you ? What tools if 

3092
01:54:50,160 --> 01:54:51,716
you can articulate ? Do you 

3093
01:54:51,716 --> 01:54:54,060
specifically need that ? You don't have ? 

3094
01:54:54,070 --> 01:54:56,660
I would say just the continued re 

3095
01:54:56,660 --> 01:54:58,438
sourcing of my requirements for 

3096
01:54:58,438 --> 01:55:00,590
security cooperation , my exercise 

3097
01:55:00,590 --> 01:55:03,360
program , the state department's 

3098
01:55:03,370 --> 01:55:06,110
foreign military sales , financing , 

3099
01:55:06,120 --> 01:55:08,870
excess defense articles . And we make 

3100
01:55:08,870 --> 01:55:10,981
those processes which are really more 

3101
01:55:10,981 --> 01:55:13,290
long term . We've got to pressurize 

3102
01:55:13,290 --> 01:55:15,123
them and make them to where they 

3103
01:55:15,123 --> 01:55:17,450
deliver within months , not years . And 

3104
01:55:17,450 --> 01:55:19,900
I want to go back to this D the D F C 

3105
01:55:20,580 --> 01:55:23,360
is , you will get back with me on my 

3106
01:55:23,360 --> 01:55:26,250
question on have they been working with 

3107
01:55:26,250 --> 01:55:28,790
you ? And to what end because we give 

3108
01:55:28,790 --> 01:55:30,957
them a lot of taxpayer dollars . And I 

3109
01:55:30,957 --> 01:55:33,068
want to make sure that those taxpayer 

3110
01:55:33,068 --> 01:55:36,730
dollars are being spent . Um We're 

3111
01:55:36,730 --> 01:55:38,841
getting good value for our money , so 

3112
01:55:38,841 --> 01:55:40,452
to speak . I mean , Congress 

3113
01:55:40,452 --> 01:55:42,674
established the DFC to help counter the 

3114
01:55:42,674 --> 01:55:44,786
Belt and Road initiative . Right from 

3115
01:55:44,786 --> 01:55:47,580
the C C P D F C was supposed to be 

3116
01:55:47,580 --> 01:55:50,230
coordinating private sector investments 

3117
01:55:50,240 --> 01:55:52,240
in projects that benefit the United 

3118
01:55:52,240 --> 01:55:55,740
States um that benefit our interests . 

3119
01:55:56,320 --> 01:55:59,030
Instead , what I'm seeing is DFC has 

3120
01:55:59,030 --> 01:56:01,390
dozens of product projects in the 

3121
01:56:01,390 --> 01:56:04,600
western hemisphere that provide not , 

3122
01:56:04,610 --> 01:56:07,130
not no real value to the national 

3123
01:56:07,130 --> 01:56:09,130
security . While at the same time , 

3124
01:56:09,130 --> 01:56:11,190
China is investing in critical 

3125
01:56:11,190 --> 01:56:13,210
infrastructure , I mean , mineral 

3126
01:56:13,210 --> 01:56:15,377
mining for their military and , and to 

3127
01:56:15,377 --> 01:56:17,599
provide greater I R I S are in , in the 

3128
01:56:17,599 --> 01:56:21,310
A R . So what's a little concerning ? I 

3129
01:56:21,310 --> 01:56:23,532
don't mean this disrespectfully but you 

3130
01:56:23,532 --> 01:56:25,532
can't rattle this off at the top of 

3131
01:56:25,532 --> 01:56:27,588
your head yet . I'm sure if we asked 

3132
01:56:27,588 --> 01:56:29,254
China they have direct mining 

3133
01:56:29,254 --> 01:56:31,477
initiatives . Belt . I mean , they have 

3134
01:56:31,477 --> 01:56:33,588
clear and precise initiatives . In my 

3135
01:56:33,588 --> 01:56:35,810
opinion , Congress needs to take a hard 

3136
01:56:35,810 --> 01:56:38,180
look at the DFC , the DFCS mandates 

3137
01:56:38,190 --> 01:56:40,790
when , when there's legislation to 

3138
01:56:40,790 --> 01:56:43,012
reauthorize this agency , when it comes 

3139
01:56:43,012 --> 01:56:45,068
up for reauthorization this year , I 

3140
01:56:45,068 --> 01:56:47,290
mean , we need to take a good hard look 

3141
01:56:47,290 --> 01:56:49,660
at what are those dollars getting spent 

3142
01:56:49,990 --> 01:56:52,120
for ? And are they being spent 

3143
01:56:52,130 --> 01:56:54,408
appropriately generation times expired ? 

3144
01:56:54,408 --> 01:56:56,574
And I recognize General from Nevada Mr 

3145
01:56:56,574 --> 01:56:58,797
Horse for five minutes . Thank you very 

3146
01:56:58,797 --> 01:57:00,741
much , Chairman Rogers and ranking 

3147
01:57:00,741 --> 01:57:02,963
member Smith for holding this important 

3148
01:57:02,963 --> 01:57:05,186
hearing . Assistant Secretary Dalton in 

3149
01:57:05,186 --> 01:57:07,186
your testimony . You mentioned that 

3150
01:57:07,186 --> 01:57:09,408
rising temperatures , droughts and more 

3151
01:57:09,408 --> 01:57:11,463
frequent , intense and unpredictable 

3152
01:57:11,463 --> 01:57:13,800
storms and floods have already begun to 

3153
01:57:13,800 --> 01:57:16,110
affect military readiness and impose 

3154
01:57:16,110 --> 01:57:18,460
significant costs on the department . I 

3155
01:57:18,460 --> 01:57:20,682
agree with you that these environmental 

3156
01:57:20,682 --> 01:57:23,280
hazards are degrading readiness , 

3157
01:57:23,290 --> 01:57:25,020
critical infrastructure and 

3158
01:57:25,020 --> 01:57:27,270
capabilities . In my home state of 

3159
01:57:27,270 --> 01:57:29,810
Nevada , the vast majority of the state 

3160
01:57:29,820 --> 01:57:31,910
is currently experiencing a severe 

3161
01:57:31,920 --> 01:57:35,270
drought . That means that 2.6 million 

3162
01:57:35,270 --> 01:57:37,492
people are affected by the drought with 

3163
01:57:37,492 --> 01:57:41,460
6.13% of Nevadans experiencing 

3164
01:57:41,470 --> 01:57:44,280
extreme drought . The Colorado River 

3165
01:57:44,280 --> 01:57:47,060
basin has racked up such dramatic 

3166
01:57:47,070 --> 01:57:49,640
deficits that a single season can't 

3167
01:57:49,650 --> 01:57:52,440
foretell the dire water supply concerns . 

3168
01:57:52,450 --> 01:57:54,670
And Lake Mead , the nation's largest 

3169
01:57:54,680 --> 01:57:58,070
reservoir has fallen by about 170 

3170
01:57:58,070 --> 01:58:00,360
ft since the current drought began in 

3171
01:58:00,360 --> 01:58:04,310
2000 and currently sits at 27% 

3172
01:58:04,320 --> 01:58:07,690
capacity . In fact , if Lake Mead falls 

3173
01:58:07,700 --> 01:58:11,660
below 950 ft , it will go to Deadpool 

3174
01:58:11,660 --> 01:58:13,930
status which will prevent it from 

3175
01:58:13,930 --> 01:58:16,870
generating power that serves 40 million 

3176
01:58:16,870 --> 01:58:19,180
people throughout the West . This 

3177
01:58:19,180 --> 01:58:21,347
clearly has an impact on our readiness 

3178
01:58:21,347 --> 01:58:23,500
including the bases in my district at 

3179
01:58:23,500 --> 01:58:25,860
Nellis Air Force Base , Creature Force 

3180
01:58:25,860 --> 01:58:28,000
Base , the National Test and Training 

3181
01:58:28,000 --> 01:58:31,090
Range and the Hawthorne Army Depot . So 

3182
01:58:31,090 --> 01:58:33,500
could you explain how extreme weather 

3183
01:58:33,500 --> 01:58:35,840
is affecting our military readiness 

3184
01:58:35,840 --> 01:58:37,729
further and how the department is 

3185
01:58:37,729 --> 01:58:39,770
addressing climate resiliency 

3186
01:58:40,690 --> 01:58:42,246
congressman ? Thank you for 

3187
01:58:42,246 --> 01:58:44,280
highlighting this really important 

3188
01:58:44,280 --> 01:58:46,660
issue . The NDS captures it as a 

3189
01:58:46,670 --> 01:58:49,520
critical trans boundary challenge um 

3190
01:58:49,530 --> 01:58:51,820
facing not just the United states but 

3191
01:58:51,820 --> 01:58:53,987
also our global network of , of allies 

3192
01:58:53,987 --> 01:58:56,100
and partners . The department is 

3193
01:58:56,100 --> 01:58:57,933
seeking to make our systems more 

3194
01:58:57,933 --> 01:58:59,989
resilient to a range of threats that 

3195
01:58:59,989 --> 01:59:02,510
result from our or are exacerbated by 

3196
01:59:02,520 --> 01:59:04,820
extreme weather events which are being 

3197
01:59:04,820 --> 01:59:07,420
reshaped by climate change , increasing 

3198
01:59:07,430 --> 01:59:09,597
the resilience of our bases making our 

3199
01:59:09,597 --> 01:59:11,410
structures , power grids , fuel 

3200
01:59:11,410 --> 01:59:13,600
distribution systems and water lines 

3201
01:59:13,600 --> 01:59:15,790
more survivable , not only gives us a 

3202
01:59:15,790 --> 01:59:18,250
strategic advantage , particularly in 

3203
01:59:18,250 --> 01:59:20,520
contested logistics um but also 

3204
01:59:20,520 --> 01:59:22,900
improves our operational effectiveness . 

3205
01:59:22,910 --> 01:59:24,966
The military's mission is to provide 

3206
01:59:24,966 --> 01:59:27,210
the most lethal , effective and capable 

3207
01:59:27,210 --> 01:59:29,377
fight fighting force and that requires 

3208
01:59:29,377 --> 01:59:31,154
adapting to a changing security 

3209
01:59:31,154 --> 01:59:33,210
environment including the effects of 

3210
01:59:33,210 --> 01:59:35,432
climate change . Additionally , working 

3211
01:59:35,432 --> 01:59:37,654
to build the resiliency of our partners 

3212
01:59:37,654 --> 01:59:39,821
to respond to climate related disaster 

3213
01:59:39,821 --> 01:59:42,043
response efforts through both D O D and 

3214
01:59:42,043 --> 01:59:44,154
non D O D programming will help D O D 

3215
01:59:44,154 --> 01:59:46,210
sustain focus on our key warfighting 

3216
01:59:46,210 --> 01:59:48,210
mission , for example , um South 

3217
01:59:48,210 --> 01:59:49,988
Commons working with allies and 

3218
01:59:49,988 --> 01:59:52,043
partners in the Caribbean to enhance 

3219
01:59:52,043 --> 01:59:54,210
their planning capabilities and better 

3220
01:59:54,210 --> 01:59:56,377
prepare for the anticipated impacts of 

3221
01:59:56,377 --> 01:59:58,377
extreme weather events and regional 

3222
01:59:58,377 --> 02:00:00,321
climate related hazards through an 

3223
02:00:00,321 --> 02:00:02,488
upcoming tabletop exercise . And we're 

3224
02:00:02,488 --> 02:00:04,543
grateful for Congress's support of a 

3225
02:00:04,543 --> 02:00:06,766
new authority , the defense operational 

3226
02:00:06,766 --> 02:00:08,988
um resilience International Cooperation 

3227
02:00:08,988 --> 02:00:12,050
Fund that will enable us to help build 

3228
02:00:12,050 --> 02:00:14,250
the resiliency of of our allies and 

3229
02:00:14,250 --> 02:00:16,417
partners abroad . But we're looking at 

3230
02:00:16,417 --> 02:00:19,610
this both domestically and abroad to 

3231
02:00:19,610 --> 02:00:21,990
tackle the effects of climate change . 

3232
02:00:22,000 --> 02:00:25,270
And what happens if we fail to build 

3233
02:00:25,280 --> 02:00:27,420
resilience against these effects of 

3234
02:00:27,420 --> 02:00:30,220
climate change and its effect on the 

3235
02:00:30,220 --> 02:00:33,760
loss of military capability . Thank you , 

3236
02:00:33,760 --> 02:00:35,982
Carson . Let me give you a pretty stark 

3237
02:00:35,982 --> 02:00:38,260
example . Um The nds makes clear the 

3238
02:00:38,260 --> 02:00:40,670
PRC is our pacing challenge priority 

3239
02:00:40,670 --> 02:00:42,892
theater theater is the end of Pacific . 

3240
02:00:42,892 --> 02:00:45,600
When we look at Pacific Islands that we 

3241
02:00:45,600 --> 02:00:47,790
rely upon for access basing and 

3242
02:00:47,800 --> 02:00:50,890
overflight for priority war plans for 

3243
02:00:50,890 --> 02:00:53,510
PRC contingency . Those are the very 

3244
02:00:53,510 --> 02:00:57,060
islands that are subject to uh storm 

3245
02:00:57,060 --> 02:01:00,190
surge and sea level rise um over the 

3246
02:01:00,190 --> 02:01:03,500
next 10 to 20 years . Um And so if we 

3247
02:01:03,500 --> 02:01:06,330
failed to build climate resiliency , um 

3248
02:01:06,330 --> 02:01:08,750
in the Pacific Islands , key locations 

3249
02:01:08,750 --> 02:01:12,150
like the quality Jolene a toll um that 

3250
02:01:12,150 --> 02:01:13,761
has critical missile defense 

3251
02:01:13,761 --> 02:01:16,880
capabilities . Um We're gonna be at 

3252
02:01:16,880 --> 02:01:19,190
risk of being able to , to perform our 

3253
02:01:19,190 --> 02:01:21,270
warfighting missions full stop . I 

3254
02:01:21,270 --> 02:01:24,000
appreciate very much the department 

3255
02:01:24,000 --> 02:01:26,590
taking these challenges seriously for 

3256
02:01:26,590 --> 02:01:28,701
you answering my questions and I look 

3257
02:01:28,701 --> 02:01:30,868
forward to continuing to work with the 

3258
02:01:30,868 --> 02:01:32,701
department and this committee to 

3259
02:01:32,701 --> 02:01:34,923
address the threats facing our national 

3260
02:01:34,923 --> 02:01:37,080
security , including those related to 

3261
02:01:37,080 --> 02:01:39,413
climate . Thank you , I yield back here . 

3262
02:01:39,413 --> 02:01:41,550
Now , recognize you from Texas , Mr 

3263
02:01:41,550 --> 02:01:43,717
Jackson for five minutes . Thank you , 

3264
02:01:43,717 --> 02:01:45,828
Mr Chairman . I appreciate it . And I 

3265
02:01:45,828 --> 02:01:47,883
also want to thank our witnesses for 

3266
02:01:47,883 --> 02:01:47,110
taking time out of your schedule to be 

3267
02:01:47,110 --> 02:01:49,110
here today . Much appreciated . The 

3268
02:01:49,120 --> 02:01:51,176
past 5 to 10 years have brought with 

3269
02:01:51,176 --> 02:01:53,342
them unprecedented challenges in North 

3270
02:01:53,342 --> 02:01:55,342
and South America including natural 

3271
02:01:55,342 --> 02:01:57,453
disasters , political upheaval border 

3272
02:01:57,453 --> 02:01:59,453
and migration crisis and pandemic , 

3273
02:01:59,453 --> 02:02:01,564
overshadowing all of these challenges 

3274
02:02:01,564 --> 02:02:03,620
are the ever growing attempts of the 

3275
02:02:03,620 --> 02:02:05,564
Chinese Communist Party to achieve 

3276
02:02:05,564 --> 02:02:07,676
influence in a foothold right here in 

3277
02:02:07,676 --> 02:02:09,898
the western hemisphere in the last five 

3278
02:02:09,898 --> 02:02:09,840
years . And I know this has been 

3279
02:02:09,840 --> 02:02:11,840
touched on a little bit in the last 

3280
02:02:11,840 --> 02:02:13,729
five years . Taiwan has lost four 

3281
02:02:13,729 --> 02:02:15,729
allies in Central America Panama in 

3282
02:02:15,729 --> 02:02:17,896
2017 , El Salvador in 2018 , Dominican 

3283
02:02:17,896 --> 02:02:20,690
Republic in 2018 , and Nicaragua in 

3284
02:02:20,690 --> 02:02:23,010
2021 . In all cases , the seven of 

3285
02:02:23,010 --> 02:02:25,066
these relationships with Taiwan came 

3286
02:02:25,066 --> 02:02:27,066
hand in hand with Chinese predatory 

3287
02:02:27,066 --> 02:02:29,180
economic tactics uh in the form of 

3288
02:02:29,180 --> 02:02:31,180
investments and loans for the small 

3289
02:02:31,180 --> 02:02:33,347
countries . Something Beijing has been 

3290
02:02:33,347 --> 02:02:35,402
able to exploit all over the world . 

3291
02:02:35,402 --> 02:02:37,624
Quite frankly , the majority of Chinese 

3292
02:02:37,624 --> 02:02:39,736
enticements to these small vulnerable 

3293
02:02:39,736 --> 02:02:39,120
countries have come in the form of 

3294
02:02:39,120 --> 02:02:40,910
significant financial aid and 

3295
02:02:40,910 --> 02:02:42,910
investment in exchange for severing 

3296
02:02:42,910 --> 02:02:45,270
ties with Taiwan General Richardson to 

3297
02:02:45,270 --> 02:02:47,159
your knowledge , have any Chinese 

3298
02:02:47,159 --> 02:02:49,640
offers involved military assistance ? 

3299
02:02:49,650 --> 02:02:51,706
And have there been any requirements 

3300
02:02:51,706 --> 02:02:54,130
from the PRC to allow access to Chinese 

3301
02:02:54,130 --> 02:02:56,840
forces on any territories here in the 

3302
02:02:56,840 --> 02:03:00,830
Western hemisphere ? So in terms of the 

3303
02:03:00,840 --> 02:03:04,780
hardware and the ability so that the 

3304
02:03:04,790 --> 02:03:08,460
PRC does compete uh in terms of 

3305
02:03:08,460 --> 02:03:12,450
the um whether a country is looking for 

3306
02:03:12,460 --> 02:03:15,230
vehicles or aircraft or things like 

3307
02:03:15,230 --> 02:03:17,880
that . And so , um certainly with our 

3308
02:03:17,880 --> 02:03:20,910
processes and and the the countries now 

3309
02:03:20,910 --> 02:03:23,520
partner nations are looking at because 

3310
02:03:23,520 --> 02:03:27,310
of the economies and , and the the 

3311
02:03:27,310 --> 02:03:29,421
issues with their economies , they're 

3312
02:03:29,421 --> 02:03:31,366
looking at what's the best finance 

3313
02:03:31,366 --> 02:03:34,820
package to uh to also be able to , 

3314
02:03:34,830 --> 02:03:37,000
before they make the big decision on , 

3315
02:03:37,010 --> 02:03:40,630
on buying uh aircraft or um or 

3316
02:03:40,630 --> 02:03:42,797
vehicles and things like that . And so 

3317
02:03:42,797 --> 02:03:45,019
the PRC is definitely competing in that 

3318
02:03:45,019 --> 02:03:47,600
space in the military space as well . 

3319
02:03:47,610 --> 02:03:50,060
And in terms of the , they're more in 

3320
02:03:50,060 --> 02:03:52,520
the terms of training and education , 

3321
02:03:52,520 --> 02:03:54,750
all expense paid training and education 

3322
02:03:54,760 --> 02:03:58,510
to Beijing and to China for one 

3323
02:03:58,510 --> 02:04:01,620
year to year and even recently found 

3324
02:04:01,620 --> 02:04:03,620
out about a four year program , but 

3325
02:04:03,620 --> 02:04:05,287
today really no big plans for 

3326
02:04:05,287 --> 02:04:07,453
installations , ports , things of that 

3327
02:04:07,453 --> 02:04:09,564
nature that we see going on right now 

3328
02:04:09,564 --> 02:04:09,130
in Africa . And I would say what the 

3329
02:04:09,130 --> 02:04:11,280
PRC is doing now , sir is setting the 

3330
02:04:11,280 --> 02:04:13,336
theater is what I call it or setting 

3331
02:04:13,336 --> 02:04:16,250
the table uh for the state owned 

3332
02:04:16,250 --> 02:04:18,361
enterprises that come in and could be 

3333
02:04:18,361 --> 02:04:20,417
used for dual use capability for the 

3334
02:04:20,417 --> 02:04:22,694
military in the future . So while they , 

3335
02:04:22,694 --> 02:04:24,694
we don't have any bases right now , 

3336
02:04:24,694 --> 02:04:26,917
from the PRC , I would say that that is 

3337
02:04:26,917 --> 02:04:29,028
something that will eventually happen 

3338
02:04:29,028 --> 02:04:31,390
possibly 7 , 10 , 15 years from now . 

3339
02:04:31,460 --> 02:04:33,516
Yes , ma'am . Thank you . That makes 

3340
02:04:33,516 --> 02:04:35,571
that makes sense . Thank you . Um As 

3341
02:04:35,571 --> 02:04:37,571
we've discussed today , some of our 

3342
02:04:37,571 --> 02:04:37,400
most sensitive vital and advanced 

3343
02:04:37,400 --> 02:04:39,233
defense platforms are heavily on 

3344
02:04:39,233 --> 02:04:41,400
certain ranges of the spectrum . China 

3345
02:04:41,400 --> 02:04:43,400
also relies on the spectrum for its 

3346
02:04:43,400 --> 02:04:45,511
defense apparatus . However , here in 

3347
02:04:45,511 --> 02:04:47,567
the United States are spectrum usage 

3348
02:04:47,567 --> 02:04:49,511
and allocation system is currently 

3349
02:04:49,511 --> 02:04:51,622
somewhat in flux and there's a lot of 

3350
02:04:51,622 --> 02:04:53,844
debate on how we're going to ultimately 

3351
02:04:53,844 --> 02:04:56,011
resolve this general man hurt . Do you 

3352
02:04:56,011 --> 02:04:58,067
believe that China is exploiting our 

3353
02:04:58,067 --> 02:04:57,900
spectra allocation in the , in the 

3354
02:04:57,900 --> 02:04:59,844
dilemma that we're currently going 

3355
02:04:59,844 --> 02:05:02,178
through regarding this uh this spectrum ? 

3356
02:05:02,178 --> 02:05:03,956
And are they making significant 

3357
02:05:03,956 --> 02:05:06,122
advances beyond our own capabilities ? 

3358
02:05:06,122 --> 02:05:08,344
If so , do you believe that we can make 

3359
02:05:08,344 --> 02:05:10,456
up our losses on this issue ? And how 

3360
02:05:10,456 --> 02:05:12,511
do you suggest we recapture the high 

3361
02:05:12,511 --> 02:05:14,567
ground on spectrum ? Congressman ? I 

3362
02:05:14,567 --> 02:05:16,567
don't have any direct evidence that 

3363
02:05:16,567 --> 02:05:20,350
China is exploiting the electromagnetic 

3364
02:05:20,350 --> 02:05:22,520
spectrum . I would say that that would 

3365
02:05:22,520 --> 02:05:24,631
be their intent if they could the way 

3366
02:05:24,631 --> 02:05:26,631
they exploit everything else . Uh I 

3367
02:05:26,631 --> 02:05:28,687
believe that what we need to do with 

3368
02:05:28,687 --> 02:05:30,798
regards to spectrum is not look at it 

3369
02:05:30,798 --> 02:05:33,076
from only a commercial aspect , a sale , 

3370
02:05:33,076 --> 02:05:35,020
but a national security aspect and 

3371
02:05:35,020 --> 02:05:37,187
ensure that all decisions with regards 

3372
02:05:37,187 --> 02:05:39,650
to spectrum , look and assess the 

3373
02:05:39,660 --> 02:05:41,549
impact of national security , the 

3374
02:05:41,549 --> 02:05:43,327
ability , accomplish all of our 

3375
02:05:43,327 --> 02:05:45,604
national security missions . Yes , sir . 

3376
02:05:45,604 --> 02:05:47,549
Thank you . One last question . In 

3377
02:05:47,549 --> 02:05:49,660
Europe , we operate in a theater with 

3378
02:05:49,660 --> 02:05:51,438
many allies possessing military 

3379
02:05:51,438 --> 02:05:53,549
capabilities and technologies . Uh We 

3380
02:05:53,549 --> 02:05:55,549
rely on knowing that when deterring 

3381
02:05:55,549 --> 02:05:57,882
aggression or stopping bad actors there , 

3382
02:05:57,882 --> 02:05:59,771
we have capable competent trained 

3383
02:05:59,771 --> 02:05:59,520
forces with whom we can work side by 

3384
02:05:59,520 --> 02:06:02,200
side with South . Com by contrast , 

3385
02:06:02,210 --> 02:06:04,377
operates in an area of the world where 

3386
02:06:04,377 --> 02:06:06,543
we just kind of discuss to some extent 

3387
02:06:06,543 --> 02:06:08,488
that is often still developing and 

3388
02:06:08,488 --> 02:06:10,377
lacks institutional knowledge and 

3389
02:06:10,377 --> 02:06:12,599
defense means and re sourcing that many 

3390
02:06:12,599 --> 02:06:14,710
of our European allies have . General 

3391
02:06:14,710 --> 02:06:14,540
Richardson . How does South com manage 

3392
02:06:14,550 --> 02:06:16,328
the distinct power and resource 

3393
02:06:16,328 --> 02:06:18,730
imbalance between the US and our South 

3394
02:06:18,730 --> 02:06:20,700
com a our allies when it comes to 

3395
02:06:20,710 --> 02:06:22,710
ensuring U S strategic interests in 

3396
02:06:22,710 --> 02:06:25,390
South America and the Yukon NATO model 

3397
02:06:25,400 --> 02:06:27,790
are different from what we we we face 

3398
02:06:27,790 --> 02:06:30,012
in , in this command . So Congressman , 

3399
02:06:30,012 --> 02:06:32,123
I'm happy to report that we just last 

3400
02:06:32,123 --> 02:06:34,610
spring . Um myself and the other allies 

3401
02:06:34,610 --> 02:06:36,832
that operate within the region signed a 

3402
02:06:36,832 --> 02:06:38,777
western hemisphere framework . And 

3403
02:06:38,777 --> 02:06:40,999
that's really a non binding agreement . 

3404
02:06:40,999 --> 02:06:43,166
But it's a , it's a commitment to work 

3405
02:06:43,166 --> 02:06:45,332
better together to share information . 

3406
02:06:45,332 --> 02:06:47,700
And as we are getting after integrated 

3407
02:06:47,700 --> 02:06:49,756
deterrence and team democracy in the 

3408
02:06:49,756 --> 02:06:51,978
western hemisphere , that's really what 

3409
02:06:51,978 --> 02:06:53,922
that's about . And I'm recognizing 

3410
02:06:53,922 --> 02:06:55,756
gentlemen from Nebraska for five 

3411
02:06:55,756 --> 02:06:57,978
minutes . Thank you to all three of you 

3412
02:06:57,978 --> 02:07:00,033
for being here today . It's great to 

3413
02:07:00,033 --> 02:06:59,610
see Gerald Van Herk . I've had the 

3414
02:06:59,610 --> 02:07:01,721
honor of working with in the past and 

3415
02:07:01,721 --> 02:07:03,777
thank you General Richard Richardson 

3416
02:07:03,777 --> 02:07:05,721
for visiting yesterday . I want to 

3417
02:07:05,721 --> 02:07:07,888
clarify with Jeroen Van Herk , some of 

3418
02:07:07,888 --> 02:07:09,777
the news reporting on the Chinese 

3419
02:07:09,777 --> 02:07:11,832
reconnaissance balloon . Some of the 

3420
02:07:11,832 --> 02:07:14,054
news reports claim that the citizens of 

3421
02:07:14,054 --> 02:07:16,277
Montana detected the balloon which then 

3422
02:07:16,277 --> 02:07:18,499
led the military to brief the president 

3423
02:07:18,499 --> 02:07:20,554
on what on the location of it , what 

3424
02:07:20,554 --> 02:07:22,666
was going on and the reporting of the 

3425
02:07:22,666 --> 02:07:24,777
case that was the first the president 

3426
02:07:24,777 --> 02:07:26,943
had heard of it is that the case where 

3427
02:07:26,943 --> 02:07:29,110
do we wait until citizens detected the 

3428
02:07:29,110 --> 02:07:31,332
balloon before we briefed the president 

3429
02:07:31,332 --> 02:07:33,443
on the balloon status congressman . I 

3430
02:07:33,443 --> 02:07:35,499
can't answer that question because I 

3431
02:07:35,499 --> 02:07:37,610
didn't specifically discuss that with 

3432
02:07:37,610 --> 02:07:39,721
the White House . I can tell you that 

3433
02:07:39,721 --> 02:07:41,554
on 27 January , I made the , the 

3434
02:07:41,554 --> 02:07:43,666
department aware and when we detected 

3435
02:07:43,666 --> 02:07:45,890
it with radar on the 28th of January 

3436
02:07:45,890 --> 02:07:47,946
again , I made him aware and made my 

3437
02:07:47,946 --> 02:07:50,001
assessment that there was no hostile 

3438
02:07:50,001 --> 02:07:52,112
intent that being maneuvering to seek 

3439
02:07:52,112 --> 02:07:54,340
an offensive advantage or hostile acts 

3440
02:07:54,340 --> 02:07:56,340
such as dropping weapons . Uh And I 

3441
02:07:56,340 --> 02:07:58,960
provided that to the department , I 

3442
02:07:58,960 --> 02:08:01,520
just a little worrisome that it sounds 

3443
02:08:01,520 --> 02:08:03,687
like in some of the reporting that the 

3444
02:08:03,687 --> 02:08:05,853
president wasn't going to be briefed , 

3445
02:08:05,853 --> 02:08:07,742
but the fact that citizens saw it 

3446
02:08:07,742 --> 02:08:09,798
triggered , you know , the briefs to 

3447
02:08:09,798 --> 02:08:11,964
the president that those that would be 

3448
02:08:11,964 --> 02:08:14,076
my concern . I'd like to follow to on 

3449
02:08:14,076 --> 02:08:16,076
your comment on the uh the mid band 

3450
02:08:16,076 --> 02:08:17,909
frequency spectrum you mentioned 

3451
02:08:17,909 --> 02:08:19,964
earlier that the auction of the , of 

3452
02:08:19,964 --> 02:08:21,853
the part of the spectrum that our 

3453
02:08:21,853 --> 02:08:24,020
radars operate in that area would have 

3454
02:08:24,020 --> 02:08:26,187
a significant impact on your mission . 

3455
02:08:26,187 --> 02:08:28,131
If the science indicates that it's 

3456
02:08:28,131 --> 02:08:28,040
possible to effectively share the 

3457
02:08:28,040 --> 02:08:30,040
spectrum and these frequency ranges 

3458
02:08:30,040 --> 02:08:32,207
ranges . Would that reduce the risk to 

3459
02:08:32,207 --> 02:08:34,210
your mission ? Or , or should we be 

3460
02:08:34,220 --> 02:08:36,442
even more cautious and not go down that 

3461
02:08:36,442 --> 02:08:38,387
path at all ? Yeah , Congressman , 

3462
02:08:38,387 --> 02:08:40,650
ultimately , it's a policy decision uh 

3463
02:08:40,660 --> 02:08:43,890
with regards to sharing , I'm agnostic 

3464
02:08:43,890 --> 02:08:45,779
to the solution , we just need to 

3465
02:08:45,779 --> 02:08:48,270
understand the impacts of any selloff 

3466
02:08:48,280 --> 02:08:50,447
on national security and defending our 

3467
02:08:50,447 --> 02:08:52,391
homeland . Thank you . And General 

3468
02:08:52,391 --> 02:08:54,710
Richardson Brazil's a rising power . 

3469
02:08:54,720 --> 02:08:56,740
How do you characterize our two 

3470
02:08:56,740 --> 02:08:58,840
countries relationships ? How's it 

3471
02:08:58,840 --> 02:09:01,007
trending and what can we do to involve 

3472
02:09:01,007 --> 02:09:03,300
Brazil more in the world's leadership 

3473
02:09:03,310 --> 02:09:05,532
of standing up to authoritarian regimes 

3474
02:09:05,532 --> 02:09:07,477
and being part of the free nations 

3475
02:09:07,477 --> 02:09:10,460
continue to engage congressman . Um We 

3476
02:09:10,460 --> 02:09:12,571
have a foreign liaison officer at the 

3477
02:09:12,571 --> 02:09:14,627
United States Southern Command . The 

3478
02:09:14,627 --> 02:09:16,627
second one from Brazil , we need to 

3479
02:09:16,627 --> 02:09:18,738
keep that relationship and build upon 

3480
02:09:18,738 --> 02:09:20,682
that and it's through our exercise 

3481
02:09:20,682 --> 02:09:22,682
program . I really think that we're 

3482
02:09:22,682 --> 02:09:24,682
able to continue to build that . We 

3483
02:09:24,682 --> 02:09:26,738
have a very good mil to Mil . I have 

3484
02:09:26,738 --> 02:09:26,570
the Chief of Defense that's visiting 

3485
02:09:26,570 --> 02:09:28,737
the south com headquarters this , this 

3486
02:09:28,737 --> 02:09:31,014
coming Monday and Tuesday of next week . 

3487
02:09:31,014 --> 02:09:33,160
And um and then I will go to Brazil 

3488
02:09:33,160 --> 02:09:35,327
next month and visit with the Minister 

3489
02:09:35,327 --> 02:09:37,271
of Defense as well as the Chief of 

3490
02:09:37,271 --> 02:09:39,438
Defense again . But it's to build that 

3491
02:09:39,438 --> 02:09:40,993
trust . We have a brand new 

3492
02:09:40,993 --> 02:09:43,104
administration that's in the seat and 

3493
02:09:43,104 --> 02:09:45,271
so clean slate and we gotta move out . 

3494
02:09:45,271 --> 02:09:47,216
Thank you . Would you benefit from 

3495
02:09:47,216 --> 02:09:49,438
having more Navy and Air Force presence 

3496
02:09:49,438 --> 02:09:51,980
in the southern part of South America ? 

3497
02:09:51,990 --> 02:09:54,370
I would say our presence from , from 

3498
02:09:54,370 --> 02:09:56,640
team USA in the region , as I said 

3499
02:09:56,640 --> 02:09:58,418
earlier , getting down into the 

3500
02:09:58,418 --> 02:10:00,529
Southern cone because it is , it is a 

3501
02:10:00,529 --> 02:10:02,584
little bit further and it takes , uh 

3502
02:10:02,584 --> 02:10:04,362
you know , we need to visit our 

3503
02:10:04,362 --> 02:10:06,362
partners there . We need to be with 

3504
02:10:06,362 --> 02:10:08,362
them on the field . We need to meet 

3505
02:10:08,362 --> 02:10:07,780
with them in person . We need to do 

3506
02:10:07,780 --> 02:10:10,250
exercises in that region and be present 

3507
02:10:10,280 --> 02:10:12,280
because there's a lot of uh I think 

3508
02:10:12,280 --> 02:10:14,502
that that's why the P R C has been able 

3509
02:10:14,502 --> 02:10:17,810
to gain inroads in the Southern Cone of 

3510
02:10:17,810 --> 02:10:20,032
Latin America because we're not there , 

3511
02:10:20,070 --> 02:10:22,292
we're not there to compete with them on 

3512
02:10:22,292 --> 02:10:24,820
the field . Thank you . One last 

3513
02:10:24,820 --> 02:10:27,153
question since I got a little more time . 

3514
02:10:27,153 --> 02:10:29,264
One of the things that concerns me is 

3515
02:10:29,264 --> 02:10:31,431
the nuclear command control and having 

3516
02:10:31,431 --> 02:10:31,270
the survivability of it . You know , 

3517
02:10:31,270 --> 02:10:34,820
it's more in the stratcom stratcom Rome . 

3518
02:10:34,830 --> 02:10:38,040
What's your take ? What's our , what's 

3519
02:10:38,040 --> 02:10:40,540
your assessment of our ability to track 

3520
02:10:40,550 --> 02:10:42,910
hypersonic weapons and the warning 

3521
02:10:42,910 --> 02:10:45,260
times that , that , that we would have 

3522
02:10:45,270 --> 02:10:49,120
to respond . I'll give you more in a 

3523
02:10:49,120 --> 02:10:50,898
classified setting , but I have 

3524
02:10:50,898 --> 02:10:53,009
significant concerns about my ability 

3525
02:10:53,009 --> 02:10:55,760
to track hypersonic and cruise missiles 

3526
02:10:55,760 --> 02:10:58,610
for that matter and track undersea 

3527
02:10:58,610 --> 02:11:00,777
capabilities for submarines that could 

3528
02:11:00,777 --> 02:11:02,666
potentially threaten us and cyber 

3529
02:11:02,666 --> 02:11:04,888
threats to our homeland . I've , I'm on 

3530
02:11:04,888 --> 02:11:07,054
record . I've been saying it for three 

3531
02:11:07,054 --> 02:11:08,999
years . So significantly concerned 

3532
02:11:08,999 --> 02:11:10,943
about that . With that in mind , I 

3533
02:11:10,943 --> 02:11:12,499
think we need to do more on 

3534
02:11:12,499 --> 02:11:14,388
strengthening our command control 

3535
02:11:14,388 --> 02:11:16,780
survivability . I want to point out why 

3536
02:11:16,780 --> 02:11:18,890
this is crucial , okay . This is 

3537
02:11:18,890 --> 02:11:21,370
decision space for our national 

3538
02:11:21,370 --> 02:11:23,537
security apparatus , for continuity of 

3539
02:11:23,537 --> 02:11:25,370
government , for survival of our 

3540
02:11:25,370 --> 02:11:27,370
nuclear forces . And when you can't 

3541
02:11:27,370 --> 02:11:29,203
provide threat warning or attack 

3542
02:11:29,203 --> 02:11:31,259
assessment in a timely manner , then 

3543
02:11:31,259 --> 02:11:33,203
strategic stability erodes and the 

3544
02:11:33,203 --> 02:11:35,370
potential risk of strategic deterrence 

3545
02:11:35,370 --> 02:11:37,481
failure goes up . So I couldn't agree 

3546
02:11:37,481 --> 02:11:37,360
more . We need to be very concerned 

3547
02:11:37,360 --> 02:11:39,249
about that . The Russians and the 

3548
02:11:39,249 --> 02:11:41,471
Chinese must know that we can respond . 

3549
02:11:41,471 --> 02:11:43,416
We have to ensure that we have the 

3550
02:11:43,416 --> 02:11:45,416
capabilities of place to do it . We 

3551
02:11:45,416 --> 02:11:47,471
absolutely can respond . And I would 

3552
02:11:47,471 --> 02:11:49,360
remind you that the foundation of 

3553
02:11:49,360 --> 02:11:51,138
homeland defense is the nuclear 

3554
02:11:51,138 --> 02:11:53,082
deterrent . It's a safe , secure , 

3555
02:11:53,082 --> 02:11:52,940
reliable , nuclear deterrent that we 

3556
02:11:52,940 --> 02:11:54,996
have today . Thank you , Mr Chairman 

3557
02:11:55,150 --> 02:11:57,261
back . Thank the gentleman here and I 

3558
02:11:57,261 --> 02:11:59,372
recognize gentleman from Georgia , Mr 

3559
02:11:59,372 --> 02:12:01,594
Scott for five minutes . Thank you , Mr 

3560
02:12:01,594 --> 02:12:03,761
Chairman . And I'd like to take just a 

3561
02:12:03,761 --> 02:12:05,539
minute to read from each of our 

3562
02:12:05,539 --> 02:12:07,317
witnesses testimony and General 

3563
02:12:07,317 --> 02:12:09,390
Richardson on page two , uh give a 

3564
02:12:09,390 --> 02:12:11,668
pretty bold and direct statement today . 

3565
02:12:11,668 --> 02:12:13,668
The PRC has both the capability and 

3566
02:12:13,668 --> 02:12:15,779
intent to issue international norms , 

3567
02:12:15,779 --> 02:12:17,890
advance its brand of authoritarianism 

3568
02:12:17,890 --> 02:12:19,946
and amass power and influence at the 

3569
02:12:19,946 --> 02:12:22,001
expense of the existing and emerging 

3570
02:12:22,001 --> 02:12:24,223
democracies in our hemisphere . This is 

3571
02:12:24,223 --> 02:12:26,279
a decisive decade and our actions or 

3572
02:12:26,279 --> 02:12:28,390
inactions regarding the PRC will have 

3573
02:12:28,390 --> 02:12:30,501
ramifications for decades to come . I 

3574
02:12:30,501 --> 02:12:32,557
agree with you 100% and I appreciate 

3575
02:12:32,557 --> 02:12:34,723
you being as bold as you are with that 

3576
02:12:34,723 --> 02:12:37,130
statement , General Van Herk . In your 

3577
02:12:37,130 --> 02:12:39,400
statement on page four 

3578
02:12:41,360 --> 02:12:44,530
In May of 2022 , the PRC and Russia 

3579
02:12:45,420 --> 02:12:48,040
conducted a combined bomber patrol over 

3580
02:12:48,040 --> 02:12:50,096
the sea of Japan coinciding with the 

3581
02:12:50,096 --> 02:12:53,190
quad leaders summit in Tokyo . The May 

3582
02:12:53,190 --> 02:12:55,412
20 22nd bomber patrol was followed by a 

3583
02:12:55,412 --> 02:12:57,634
second bomber patrol in November 2022 . 

3584
02:12:57,634 --> 02:12:59,801
The cooperation is not confined to the 

3585
02:12:59,801 --> 02:13:02,023
air domain PRC and Russian naval forces 

3586
02:13:02,023 --> 02:13:04,134
conducted combined patrol in the fall 

3587
02:13:04,134 --> 02:13:07,770
of 2022 Miss 

3588
02:13:07,770 --> 02:13:10,040
Dalton . In your testimony , 

3589
02:13:15,210 --> 02:13:18,700
in the N D S , the secretary director 

3590
02:13:18,700 --> 02:13:20,756
of the department to act urgently to 

3591
02:13:20,756 --> 02:13:22,811
sustain and strengthen us determines 

3592
02:13:22,811 --> 02:13:24,978
with the People's Republic of China as 

3593
02:13:24,978 --> 02:13:27,200
the pacing challenge for the department 

3594
02:13:27,200 --> 02:13:30,320
in Russia , a stark example of these 

3595
02:13:30,320 --> 02:13:32,780
challenges pushing them forward was 

3596
02:13:32,780 --> 02:13:34,836
recently brought to the attention of 

3597
02:13:34,836 --> 02:13:37,058
the American people in the world . When 

3598
02:13:37,058 --> 02:13:39,300
the PRC irresponsibly entered our 

3599
02:13:39,300 --> 02:13:41,522
sovereign airspace with a high altitude 

3600
02:13:41,522 --> 02:13:43,633
balloon , we know with certainty they 

3601
02:13:43,633 --> 02:13:45,522
intended to surveil sensitive U S 

3602
02:13:45,522 --> 02:13:47,578
military and critical infrastructure 

3603
02:13:47,578 --> 02:13:51,320
sites . I would have changed one word 

3604
02:13:51,320 --> 02:13:54,230
and put intentionally maybe instead of 

3605
02:13:54,240 --> 02:13:56,073
irresponsibly . But I think your 

3606
02:13:56,073 --> 02:13:58,510
statement is very direct as well . And 

3607
02:13:58,510 --> 02:14:00,510
General Van Herk , I appreciate you 

3608
02:14:00,510 --> 02:14:02,288
giving specific examples of the 

3609
02:14:02,288 --> 02:14:04,590
alliance between China in Russia . 

3610
02:14:06,520 --> 02:14:09,880
Mr Alfred , I believe it was earlier . 

3611
02:14:10,830 --> 02:14:14,740
Um or Alfred said , how do we 

3612
02:14:14,740 --> 02:14:18,640
get America to wake up less 

3613
02:14:18,640 --> 02:14:21,960
than 14 days after China flu that 

3614
02:14:21,960 --> 02:14:23,960
balloon across the United States of 

3615
02:14:23,960 --> 02:14:25,960
America Ford Motor Company , one of 

3616
02:14:25,960 --> 02:14:28,127
America's most iconic brands announced 

3617
02:14:28,127 --> 02:14:30,610
a multi billion dollar partnership with 

3618
02:14:30,610 --> 02:14:33,200
Communist China's C A T L for battery 

3619
02:14:33,200 --> 02:14:35,256
technology . Are you aware of this ? 

3620
02:14:37,560 --> 02:14:41,140
Are you all aware of this ? I'm not 

3621
02:14:41,140 --> 02:14:43,362
aware of that . Congressman . Less than 

3622
02:14:43,362 --> 02:14:45,529
Okay . I hope you'll look at that less 

3623
02:14:45,529 --> 02:14:48,360
than 15 days . Now , I've thought about 

3624
02:14:48,360 --> 02:14:50,780
whether or not this was the right 

3625
02:14:50,780 --> 02:14:52,947
action or not because I don't like the 

3626
02:14:52,947 --> 02:14:55,002
heavy hand of government , but every 

3627
02:14:55,002 --> 02:14:54,680
now and then it needs to be used . And 

3628
02:14:54,680 --> 02:14:56,736
I'll tell you something , someone at 

3629
02:14:56,736 --> 02:14:58,958
the Pentagon needs to have enough brass 

3630
02:14:58,958 --> 02:15:00,902
to pick up the phone and call Ford 

3631
02:15:00,902 --> 02:15:03,069
Motor Company and tell them that the D 

3632
02:15:03,069 --> 02:15:06,000
O D will not purchase any 

3633
02:15:06,000 --> 02:15:08,440
vehicle that , that , that has that 

3634
02:15:08,440 --> 02:15:11,040
communist Chinese technology in it . 

3635
02:15:12,410 --> 02:15:14,243
Now , I don't have a choice as a 

3636
02:15:14,243 --> 02:15:16,410
consumer when I go to Home Depot and I 

3637
02:15:16,410 --> 02:15:18,577
want to buy a power tool . Every tools 

3638
02:15:18,577 --> 02:15:21,350
made in China , the American citizens 

3639
02:15:21,350 --> 02:15:23,517
can either can either walk out of that 

3640
02:15:23,517 --> 02:15:25,683
store without a power tool or they can 

3641
02:15:25,683 --> 02:15:27,794
buy one made in China . But I'm gonna 

3642
02:15:27,794 --> 02:15:29,906
tell you something , the D O D budget 

3643
02:15:29,906 --> 02:15:32,072
is big enough that we can correct this 

3644
02:15:32,072 --> 02:15:31,860
action . We should have started 

3645
02:15:31,860 --> 02:15:34,290
correcting this a long time ago . 

3646
02:15:35,360 --> 02:15:37,780
Now , Vietnam , 

3647
02:15:39,520 --> 02:15:42,460
Vietnam , we lost 58,000 Americans in 

3648
02:15:42,460 --> 02:15:44,571
almost 20 years . If I'm not mistaken 

3649
02:15:46,400 --> 02:15:49,700
Over 100,000 overdoses this last year 

3650
02:15:50,000 --> 02:15:53,270
in the United States of America . You 

3651
02:15:53,270 --> 02:15:56,690
have all testified that China is 

3652
02:15:56,700 --> 02:15:59,510
indifferent and not willing to help us 

3653
02:15:59,510 --> 02:16:01,177
with this . Is that correct ? 

3654
02:16:02,660 --> 02:16:04,716
Congressman ? I did say that they're 

3655
02:16:04,716 --> 02:16:06,938
turning a blind eye to the precursors , 

3656
02:16:06,938 --> 02:16:09,160
turning a blind eye to the desk that we 

3657
02:16:09,160 --> 02:16:11,271
have , I apologize if the rest of you 

3658
02:16:11,271 --> 02:16:13,327
didn't say it , but it's pretty much 

3659
02:16:13,327 --> 02:16:15,216
the consensus of our intelligence 

3660
02:16:15,216 --> 02:16:17,160
community and military communities 

3661
02:16:17,160 --> 02:16:19,049
China could help but they won't . 

3662
02:16:20,380 --> 02:16:22,602
Corporate America has got to step up to 

3663
02:16:22,602 --> 02:16:25,320
the plate and help us stop this . And I 

3664
02:16:25,320 --> 02:16:27,760
will tell you it's time for the heavy 

3665
02:16:27,760 --> 02:16:30,630
hand of government to , to pick up the 

3666
02:16:30,630 --> 02:16:32,741
phone and call Ford Motor Company and 

3667
02:16:32,741 --> 02:16:35,250
say you develop those batteries with 

3668
02:16:35,250 --> 02:16:37,620
China and we're not buying any of your 

3669
02:16:37,620 --> 02:16:39,676
battery powered vehicles through the 

3670
02:16:39,676 --> 02:16:41,787
Department of Defense . With that , I 

3671
02:16:41,787 --> 02:16:44,490
yield the remainder of my time . We can 

3672
02:16:44,490 --> 02:16:47,130
do that . Statutorily think I'll help 

3673
02:16:47,130 --> 02:16:49,352
you with that . I'll help you with it . 

3674
02:16:49,620 --> 02:16:53,180
Now , chairman I plan to now we've got 

3675
02:16:53,180 --> 02:16:55,291
the gentleman from Indiana , Mr Banks 

3676
02:16:55,291 --> 02:16:57,180
for five minutes . Thank you , Mr 

3677
02:16:57,180 --> 02:16:59,236
Chairman General Van Herk . How many 

3678
02:16:59,236 --> 02:17:01,630
times have you briefed specifically 

3679
02:17:01,630 --> 02:17:03,630
briefed the president of the United 

3680
02:17:03,630 --> 02:17:05,519
States about the situation at the 

3681
02:17:05,519 --> 02:17:08,050
border congressman ? I have not 

3682
02:17:08,050 --> 02:17:10,272
personally briefed the president of the 

3683
02:17:10,272 --> 02:17:12,328
United States . Has the president of 

3684
02:17:12,328 --> 02:17:14,494
the United States requested a briefing 

3685
02:17:14,494 --> 02:17:16,494
from you about the situation at the 

3686
02:17:16,494 --> 02:17:18,550
border . Not that I'm aware of . Are 

3687
02:17:18,550 --> 02:17:20,717
you surprised by that ? No , not , not 

3688
02:17:20,717 --> 02:17:23,610
necessarily . Um He works closely with 

3689
02:17:23,610 --> 02:17:25,554
obviously the secretary and senior 

3690
02:17:25,554 --> 02:17:28,180
leaders , but I'm not necessarily 

3691
02:17:28,180 --> 02:17:30,291
surprised . It's been said many times 

3692
02:17:30,291 --> 02:17:33,800
already . 107,375 Americans 

3693
02:17:34,360 --> 02:17:36,260
have died from drug overdoses , 

3694
02:17:36,270 --> 02:17:39,040
overdoses specifically related to 

3695
02:17:39,040 --> 02:17:41,096
fentaNYL , leading cause of death of 

3696
02:17:41,096 --> 02:17:43,262
Americans my age in this country today 

3697
02:17:43,262 --> 02:17:45,670
and we know that the vast majority of 

3698
02:17:45,670 --> 02:17:48,060
the fentaNYL is coming across the 

3699
02:17:48,060 --> 02:17:49,949
southern border . It surprises me 

3700
02:17:49,949 --> 02:17:52,171
greatly frankly . It angers me that the 

3701
02:17:52,171 --> 02:17:54,060
president of the United States of 

3702
02:17:54,060 --> 02:17:56,227
America is so tone deaf and has turned 

3703
02:17:56,227 --> 02:17:58,282
a blind eye that he's not asking the 

3704
02:17:58,282 --> 02:18:00,282
top general in the United States of 

3705
02:18:00,282 --> 02:18:03,380
America task with overseeing drug 

3706
02:18:03,390 --> 02:18:05,557
interdiction at our southern border to 

3707
02:18:05,557 --> 02:18:07,779
come and brief him on the leading cause 

3708
02:18:07,779 --> 02:18:09,834
of the death of Americans of working 

3709
02:18:09,834 --> 02:18:11,723
age in this country . What is the 

3710
02:18:11,723 --> 02:18:13,834
specific role that you are playing at 

3711
02:18:13,834 --> 02:18:15,890
the border to stop drugs from coming 

3712
02:18:15,890 --> 02:18:17,946
into this country ? So to be clear , 

3713
02:18:17,946 --> 02:18:20,440
I'm in support of homeland security . I 

3714
02:18:20,440 --> 02:18:22,384
don't have a direct role . I can't 

3715
02:18:22,384 --> 02:18:24,607
enforce the law because posse comitatus 

3716
02:18:24,607 --> 02:18:26,884
prevents me from doing that day to day . 

3717
02:18:26,884 --> 02:18:29,051
So my direct role is providing support 

3718
02:18:29,051 --> 02:18:31,860
such as intel analysis , uh detection 

3719
02:18:31,860 --> 02:18:34,027
and monitoring those types of things , 

3720
02:18:34,027 --> 02:18:36,138
but I'm not authorized to provide the 

3721
02:18:36,138 --> 02:18:36,100
support that you're talking about . 

3722
02:18:36,100 --> 02:18:38,322
What is North com doing at the southern 

3723
02:18:38,322 --> 02:18:40,267
border . We are doing two things . 

3724
02:18:40,267 --> 02:18:42,489
Number one , we provide support through 

3725
02:18:42,489 --> 02:18:44,267
the request for assistance from 

3726
02:18:44,267 --> 02:18:46,080
homeland security detection and 

3727
02:18:46,080 --> 02:18:48,670
monitoring , which we have about 100 

3728
02:18:48,670 --> 02:18:50,900
and six locations where we provide 

3729
02:18:50,900 --> 02:18:52,900
support . We provide aerial support 

3730
02:18:52,900 --> 02:18:54,733
about 12,000 hours for detection 

3731
02:18:54,733 --> 02:18:56,511
monitoring and we provide intel 

3732
02:18:56,511 --> 02:18:58,570
analysis . JTF North . My joint task 

3733
02:18:58,570 --> 02:19:01,100
force North provides direct support to 

3734
02:19:01,100 --> 02:19:03,460
enable law enforcement agencies to 

3735
02:19:03,460 --> 02:19:05,627
conduct their mission to include intel 

3736
02:19:05,627 --> 02:19:07,860
assessments in Mexico . Pointing out 

3737
02:19:07,860 --> 02:19:10,160
where the Mexicans can utilize intel 

3738
02:19:10,160 --> 02:19:12,140
assessment to collect precursors 

3739
02:19:12,170 --> 02:19:14,590
interdict precursors . Uh and also 

3740
02:19:14,590 --> 02:19:17,570
provide support to enable our folks , 

3741
02:19:17,580 --> 02:19:19,302
folks here in the homeland law 

3742
02:19:19,302 --> 02:19:21,413
enforcement agencies to get after the 

3743
02:19:21,413 --> 02:19:23,469
problems north to South flow such as 

3744
02:19:23,469 --> 02:19:25,120
interdicting money and also 

3745
02:19:25,120 --> 02:19:27,231
interdicting weapons . But I can't do 

3746
02:19:27,231 --> 02:19:29,176
that directly because that's a law 

3747
02:19:29,176 --> 02:19:31,120
enforcement action . But could the 

3748
02:19:31,120 --> 02:19:33,176
president asked you to do that ? The 

3749
02:19:33,176 --> 02:19:32,880
president could ask under special 

3750
02:19:32,880 --> 02:19:35,830
authorities for the military to do more ? 

3751
02:19:35,830 --> 02:19:38,052
Yes . Yeah . I mean , this is , this is 

3752
02:19:38,052 --> 02:19:40,170
pure insanity and a testament to the 

3753
02:19:40,170 --> 02:19:42,226
lack of leadership of this president 

3754
02:19:42,226 --> 02:19:44,448
that he's not asking you to do whatever 

3755
02:19:44,448 --> 02:19:46,614
you can to stop fentaNYL from flooding 

3756
02:19:46,614 --> 02:19:48,670
into this country . In fact , let me 

3757
02:19:48,670 --> 02:19:50,800
point out that in 2020 20 President 

3758
02:19:50,800 --> 02:19:53,910
Trump visited South com for a briefing 

3759
02:19:53,910 --> 02:19:56,132
specifically , he went to South Com for 

3760
02:19:56,132 --> 02:19:58,350
a briefing to talk about the campaign 

3761
02:19:58,350 --> 02:20:00,461
against drug trafficking . That's the 

3762
02:20:00,461 --> 02:20:02,628
type of leadership that he provided in 

3763
02:20:02,628 --> 02:20:04,628
this country . The opposite of what 

3764
02:20:04,628 --> 02:20:06,572
we're seeing coming from President 

3765
02:20:06,572 --> 02:20:09,220
Biden . Um It's just , it's , it's Mr 

3766
02:20:09,220 --> 02:20:11,490
Chairman just it's unbelievable to me 

3767
02:20:11,490 --> 02:20:13,434
that this president has completely 

3768
02:20:13,434 --> 02:20:15,490
ignored the situation that I'm , I'm 

3769
02:20:15,490 --> 02:20:17,546
baffled by it , that the general has 

3770
02:20:17,546 --> 02:20:19,546
not briefed the President of United 

3771
02:20:19,546 --> 02:20:21,657
States directly and showing that kind 

3772
02:20:21,657 --> 02:20:23,768
of leadership knowing that he could , 

3773
02:20:23,768 --> 02:20:25,934
as you just said , he could ask you to 

3774
02:20:25,934 --> 02:20:28,157
do more at the border . He's not asking 

3775
02:20:28,157 --> 02:20:30,323
you to do it . There's not a family in 

3776
02:20:30,323 --> 02:20:29,770
my district in northeast Indiana 

3777
02:20:29,770 --> 02:20:31,714
anymore that I talked to who isn't 

3778
02:20:31,714 --> 02:20:33,881
directly affected by the drug epidemic 

3779
02:20:33,881 --> 02:20:36,048
in this country and that the president 

3780
02:20:36,048 --> 02:20:38,103
of the United States won't go to his 

3781
02:20:38,103 --> 02:20:40,326
top general in charge of protecting our 

3782
02:20:40,326 --> 02:20:42,492
southern border and stopping direction 

3783
02:20:42,492 --> 02:20:42,400
coming in here when you could . It's 

3784
02:20:42,400 --> 02:20:45,490
just , it's , it's , uh , just 

3785
02:20:45,490 --> 02:20:48,510
absolutely , um , it's shameful and 

3786
02:20:48,510 --> 02:20:50,780
uh I'm gonna continue to do whatever I 

3787
02:20:50,780 --> 02:20:52,502
can to make sure that we get a 

3788
02:20:52,502 --> 02:20:54,920
president uh in the White House who was 

3789
02:20:54,920 --> 02:20:57,253
paying attention to the southern border . 

3790
02:20:57,253 --> 02:20:59,587
So with that Mr Chairman , I yield back , 

3791
02:21:00,820 --> 02:21:03,153
Uh the gentleman from Florida , in fact , 

3792
02:21:03,153 --> 02:21:04,987
is recognized for five minutes . 

3793
02:21:05,320 --> 02:21:07,542
General Van Herk . Ever heard of Rice's 

3794
02:21:07,542 --> 02:21:10,600
Whale Congressman ? I have not , I 

3795
02:21:10,600 --> 02:21:12,990
don't blame you . There are only 51 of 

3796
02:21:12,990 --> 02:21:16,230
them and until 2021 , even the rice's 

3797
02:21:16,230 --> 02:21:18,397
whale didn't know that it was a rice's 

3798
02:21:18,397 --> 02:21:20,563
whale . People thought it was a bird's 

3799
02:21:20,563 --> 02:21:23,010
whale . But now because in 2021 , some 

3800
02:21:23,010 --> 02:21:26,740
scientist believes they found 51 rice's 

3801
02:21:26,740 --> 02:21:29,310
whales off the coast of Florida , right 

3802
02:21:29,310 --> 02:21:31,477
off the continental shelf . There's no 

3803
02:21:31,477 --> 02:21:33,970
live fire testing going on right now in 

3804
02:21:33,970 --> 02:21:36,830
the Gulf test range because uh the 

3805
02:21:36,840 --> 02:21:39,520
renewal process that is required has 

3806
02:21:39,520 --> 02:21:42,350
been cleared by the Department of 

3807
02:21:42,350 --> 02:21:44,910
Commerce . Uh as you well know , the 

3808
02:21:44,910 --> 02:21:47,132
Gulf test range is the only place where 

3809
02:21:47,132 --> 02:21:49,243
we do certain types of exquisite live 

3810
02:21:49,243 --> 02:21:52,200
fire testing . Um , doesn't it seem odd 

3811
02:21:52,200 --> 02:21:54,311
that our country would suspend all of 

3812
02:21:54,311 --> 02:21:56,850
that for 51 whales that are a 

3813
02:21:56,850 --> 02:21:58,870
subspecies of a different whale ? 

3814
02:22:00,960 --> 02:22:03,071
Certainly a policy decision . I'm not 

3815
02:22:03,071 --> 02:22:05,127
aware of the specifics behind that , 

3816
02:22:05,127 --> 02:22:08,140
but certainly I think the stopping of 

3817
02:22:08,150 --> 02:22:10,910
military testing capabilities to test 

3818
02:22:10,910 --> 02:22:13,132
our weapons could have an impact on our 

3819
02:22:13,132 --> 02:22:15,299
readiness . Yeah , cascading effect on 

3820
02:22:15,299 --> 02:22:17,354
our readiness as a matter of fact is 

3821
02:22:17,354 --> 02:22:19,354
what's happening at Eglin Air Force 

3822
02:22:19,354 --> 02:22:19,140
Base . Now is that the live fire 

3823
02:22:19,140 --> 02:22:21,170
testing is having to occur over the 

3824
02:22:21,180 --> 02:22:23,090
land range which is impacting the 

3825
02:22:23,090 --> 02:22:25,146
mission of Sixth Ranger Battalion of 

3826
02:22:25,146 --> 02:22:27,312
seven Special Forces group of the Navy 

3827
02:22:27,312 --> 02:22:29,580
E O D school . It will potentially lead 

3828
02:22:29,580 --> 02:22:32,580
to evacuations of Several highways that 

3829
02:22:32,580 --> 02:22:34,940
my constituents used by the thousands 

3830
02:22:34,940 --> 02:22:37,150
every single day . And so what I'm 

3831
02:22:37,150 --> 02:22:39,261
hoping to do is bring a little sanity 

3832
02:22:39,261 --> 02:22:41,240
to this process because a serious 

3833
02:22:41,240 --> 02:22:43,410
nation would not impair live fire 

3834
02:22:43,410 --> 02:22:45,521
testing and other critical testing of 

3835
02:22:45,521 --> 02:22:47,577
hypersonic component parts over this 

3836
02:22:47,577 --> 02:22:49,743
range that this committee has invested 

3837
02:22:49,743 --> 02:22:53,580
at $170 million 51 whales that we 

3838
02:22:53,580 --> 02:22:57,180
didn't know existed before 2021 Because 

3839
02:22:57,180 --> 02:23:00,070
we share a vision to ensure that we 

3840
02:23:00,080 --> 02:23:02,302
have that high level readiness and that 

3841
02:23:02,302 --> 02:23:04,820
we have the areas necessary to plan for 

3842
02:23:04,820 --> 02:23:07,030
a China scenario . Will , will your 

3843
02:23:07,030 --> 02:23:09,500
staff work with me to try to see how we 

3844
02:23:09,500 --> 02:23:12,140
can supercharge the voice of the 

3845
02:23:12,140 --> 02:23:13,980
Department of Defense in this 

3846
02:23:13,990 --> 02:23:16,550
interagency process where some people 

3847
02:23:16,550 --> 02:23:18,772
appear to be stopping critical military 

3848
02:23:18,772 --> 02:23:21,840
mission . Over 51 Wales Congressman , 

3849
02:23:21,840 --> 02:23:23,951
that's not what my staff would do . I 

3850
02:23:23,951 --> 02:23:25,800
would say the Air Force and the 

3851
02:23:25,800 --> 02:23:27,967
department should work with you on the 

3852
02:23:27,967 --> 02:23:30,189
way forward on that . I'm a consumer of 

3853
02:23:30,189 --> 02:23:32,356
that radius . I do have concerns about 

3854
02:23:32,356 --> 02:23:34,522
ensuring our forces already , but that 

3855
02:23:34,522 --> 02:23:36,522
would not be my responsibility as a 

3856
02:23:36,522 --> 02:23:38,244
combatant commander . Will the 

3857
02:23:38,244 --> 02:23:40,022
department work with me on that 

3858
02:23:40,022 --> 02:23:41,578
congressman ? Thank you for 

3859
02:23:41,578 --> 02:23:43,689
highlighting this issue . We're happy 

3860
02:23:43,689 --> 02:23:45,967
to take that question back . Thank you . 

3861
02:23:45,967 --> 02:23:45,560
I really appreciate cause I don't , I 

3862
02:23:45,560 --> 02:23:47,560
don't think a serious country would 

3863
02:23:47,560 --> 02:23:49,504
behave this way . And by the way , 

3864
02:23:49,504 --> 02:23:51,560
we're not the only ones operating in 

3865
02:23:51,560 --> 02:23:53,910
the Gulf of Mexico . China , China was 

3866
02:23:53,910 --> 02:23:57,660
able to purchase from shell oil , an 

3867
02:23:57,670 --> 02:24:00,330
oil rig where they have dual use 

3868
02:24:00,330 --> 02:24:02,497
capabilities . A matter of fact , it's 

3869
02:24:02,497 --> 02:24:04,608
called the Ram Powell unit platform . 

3870
02:24:04,608 --> 02:24:06,719
Are you familiar with that platform ? 

3871
02:24:06,719 --> 02:24:08,774
General Van Herk ? I'm aware of what 

3872
02:24:08,774 --> 02:24:10,774
you're saying with regards to China 

3873
02:24:10,774 --> 02:24:12,886
purchasing uh Oelrich , I'm not aware 

3874
02:24:12,886 --> 02:24:15,108
of that specific platform . Yeah , so I 

3875
02:24:15,108 --> 02:24:17,163
mean , here's what happened . It was 

3876
02:24:17,163 --> 02:24:19,386
astonishing to me that this could occur 

3877
02:24:19,386 --> 02:24:21,552
in 2016 . Shell oil wanted to sell one 

3878
02:24:21,552 --> 02:24:23,774
of their platforms out in the middle of 

3879
02:24:23,774 --> 02:24:25,997
the Gulf of Mexico where we do all this 

3880
02:24:25,997 --> 02:24:28,219
high end testing . And the 96 test wing 

3881
02:24:28,219 --> 02:24:30,386
at my military installation objected . 

3882
02:24:30,386 --> 02:24:33,670
They said please do not do not create a 

3883
02:24:33,680 --> 02:24:37,080
secret Chinese intelligence 

3884
02:24:37,080 --> 02:24:39,870
gathering platform masquerading as an 

3885
02:24:39,880 --> 02:24:41,936
oil rig in the middle of the Gulf of 

3886
02:24:41,936 --> 02:24:44,310
Mexico . And lo and behold in 2016 , 

3887
02:24:44,320 --> 02:24:46,153
the Obama Administration , state 

3888
02:24:46,153 --> 02:24:48,264
Department approved it anyway through 

3889
02:24:48,264 --> 02:24:50,487
the city this process . And so like , I 

3890
02:24:50,487 --> 02:24:52,709
just wonder how that happens . I wonder 

3891
02:24:52,709 --> 02:24:54,931
how like when , when the 96 test wing , 

3892
02:24:54,931 --> 02:24:57,153
when the Air Force is saying bad idea , 

3893
02:24:57,153 --> 02:24:56,830
don't sell this oil rig in the middle 

3894
02:24:56,830 --> 02:24:58,941
of the Gulf of Mexico to China . Then 

3895
02:24:58,941 --> 02:25:01,052
the Obama administration Green lights 

3896
02:25:01,052 --> 02:25:03,210
it . What advice can you give ? What 

3897
02:25:03,210 --> 02:25:05,266
advice can you give me , Miss Dalton 

3898
02:25:05,266 --> 02:25:06,988
about how to ensure that these 

3899
02:25:06,988 --> 02:25:09,043
interagency workings don't lead to a 

3900
02:25:09,043 --> 02:25:11,560
circumstance where Americans are 

3901
02:25:11,560 --> 02:25:13,730
paralyzed in testing and operations in 

3902
02:25:13,730 --> 02:25:15,952
the Gulf because of 51 whales we didn't 

3903
02:25:15,952 --> 02:25:18,150
know existed until 2021 and yet the 

3904
02:25:18,150 --> 02:25:20,890
Chinese are able to go and compromise a 

3905
02:25:20,890 --> 02:25:23,160
platform to gather intelligence on our 

3906
02:25:23,160 --> 02:25:27,160
exquisite testing congressman , as as 

3907
02:25:27,160 --> 02:25:29,327
mentioned , happy to take the question 

3908
02:25:29,327 --> 02:25:31,327
back on , on the whales . Certainly 

3909
02:25:31,327 --> 02:25:33,493
when it comes to PRC activities in the 

3910
02:25:33,493 --> 02:25:35,327
region . As the three of us have 

3911
02:25:35,327 --> 02:25:37,160
testified today , we are closely 

3912
02:25:37,160 --> 02:25:39,104
tracking their investments , their 

3913
02:25:39,104 --> 02:25:41,327
activities , their , their operations , 

3914
02:25:41,327 --> 02:25:43,382
including through third parties . Is 

3915
02:25:43,382 --> 02:25:45,604
there anyone who doesn't agree with the 

3916
02:25:45,604 --> 02:25:47,771
statement that we're all better off if 

3917
02:25:47,771 --> 02:25:49,660
the Chinese Communist Party isn't 

3918
02:25:49,660 --> 02:25:52,090
operating dual purpose oil rigs in the 

3919
02:25:52,090 --> 02:25:54,910
Gulf of Mexico ? We all agree with that , 

3920
02:25:54,910 --> 02:25:57,021
right . No one , no one is like , you 

3921
02:25:57,021 --> 02:25:59,077
know what we need to think twice and 

3922
02:25:59,077 --> 02:26:01,021
maybe be more accommodating to the 

3923
02:26:01,021 --> 02:26:00,940
Chinese . Well , I would say let's not 

3924
02:26:00,940 --> 02:26:03,162
be so accommodating the Chinese . Let's 

3925
02:26:03,162 --> 02:26:05,384
not be so accommodating to the whales . 

3926
02:26:05,384 --> 02:26:07,607
And let's get back to the great mission 

3927
02:26:07,607 --> 02:26:06,750
that I know you all believe in . Thank 

3928
02:26:06,750 --> 02:26:08,750
you , Mr Chairman . You're back . I 

3929
02:26:08,750 --> 02:26:10,972
think the gentleman chair now yields to 

3930
02:26:10,972 --> 02:26:12,750
the gentleman from Tennessee Dr 

3931
02:26:12,750 --> 02:26:14,806
Desjarlais for any questions you may 

3932
02:26:14,806 --> 02:26:17,028
have . Thank you , Chairman General Van 

3933
02:26:17,028 --> 02:26:19,139
Herk . How concerned are you by North 

3934
02:26:19,139 --> 02:26:21,250
Korea's continued missile development 

3935
02:26:21,250 --> 02:26:23,250
and production ? And do you believe 

3936
02:26:23,250 --> 02:26:25,194
they presently have the capability 

3937
02:26:25,194 --> 02:26:27,306
overwhelm our missile defenses of the 

3938
02:26:27,306 --> 02:26:29,639
homeland or are they nearing that point ? 

3939
02:26:29,639 --> 02:26:31,710
Yeah , so I'm incredibly concerned 

3940
02:26:31,710 --> 02:26:33,870
about their ability to potentially um 

3941
02:26:33,880 --> 02:26:37,230
overwhelm my capacity to defend . I'd 

3942
02:26:37,230 --> 02:26:39,230
rather talk in a classified session 

3943
02:26:39,230 --> 02:26:41,110
about the details of that , but 

3944
02:26:41,110 --> 02:26:43,530
absolutely , I'm concerned . Okay . Can 

3945
02:26:43,530 --> 02:26:45,697
you describe the benefit that the next 

3946
02:26:45,697 --> 02:26:47,919
generation interceptor could provide in 

3947
02:26:47,919 --> 02:26:49,697
defending against this threat ? 

3948
02:26:49,697 --> 02:26:51,697
Absolutely . So the next generation 

3949
02:26:51,697 --> 02:26:53,863
interceptor gives 20 additional ground 

3950
02:26:53,863 --> 02:26:55,974
based interceptors which will help me 

3951
02:26:55,974 --> 02:26:58,141
with the capacity that you're alluding 

3952
02:26:58,141 --> 02:27:00,308
to . Uh so it give us a total of about 

3953
02:27:00,308 --> 02:27:02,419
64 or more interceptors , which gives 

3954
02:27:02,419 --> 02:27:04,860
me more opportunities and capacity . In 

3955
02:27:04,860 --> 02:27:07,530
addition to that uh the next generation 

3956
02:27:07,530 --> 02:27:09,530
interceptor , when coupled with the 

3957
02:27:09,530 --> 02:27:11,586
long range discriminating radar will 

3958
02:27:11,586 --> 02:27:13,308
help me against the additional 

3959
02:27:13,308 --> 02:27:15,308
capabilities are developing such as 

3960
02:27:15,308 --> 02:27:17,363
decoys uh to be able to discriminate 

3961
02:27:17,363 --> 02:27:19,197
that that's really crucial going 

3962
02:27:19,197 --> 02:27:21,030
forward . How about placement of 

3963
02:27:21,030 --> 02:27:23,030
additional interceptors in Alaska , 

3964
02:27:23,030 --> 02:27:25,252
would that be useful uh capacity wise ? 

3965
02:27:25,252 --> 02:27:27,419
Absolutely . As long as they came with 

3966
02:27:27,419 --> 02:27:29,697
the capabilities were described ? Okay . 

3967
02:27:29,697 --> 02:27:31,752
And finally , earlier in this area , 

3968
02:27:31,752 --> 02:27:33,974
you briefly mentioned , concerned about 

3969
02:27:33,974 --> 02:27:36,030
us defense funding and strategies in 

3970
02:27:36,030 --> 02:27:38,197
the Arctic . I wanted to give you some 

3971
02:27:38,197 --> 02:27:38,080
more time if you needed to elaborate on 

3972
02:27:38,080 --> 02:27:40,247
your concerns in this area , where are 

3973
02:27:40,247 --> 02:27:42,247
the gaps in our Arctic strategy and 

3974
02:27:42,247 --> 02:27:44,413
capabilities and what do we need to be 

3975
02:27:44,413 --> 02:27:46,580
doing better to compete with China and 

3976
02:27:46,580 --> 02:27:48,858
Russia in this critical regions ? Yeah , 

3977
02:27:48,858 --> 02:27:50,691
I would point to last year , the 

3978
02:27:50,691 --> 02:27:52,636
National Defense Authorization Act 

3979
02:27:52,636 --> 02:27:54,691
directed me to do Arctic studies . I 

3980
02:27:54,691 --> 02:27:56,858
completed that and turned it in uh and 

3981
02:27:56,858 --> 02:27:58,969
it was given to Congress in September 

3982
02:27:58,969 --> 02:27:58,390
that will give you a classified look at 

3983
02:27:58,390 --> 02:28:00,557
the capabilities we're talking about . 

3984
02:28:00,557 --> 02:28:02,668
But in general , I need persistence . 

3985
02:28:02,668 --> 02:28:04,779
That means fuel north of Dutch Harbor 

3986
02:28:04,779 --> 02:28:07,270
Alaska infrastructure to operate uh day 

3987
02:28:07,270 --> 02:28:09,270
to day in campaigning , but also in 

3988
02:28:09,270 --> 02:28:11,670
crisis and communication capabilities 

3989
02:28:11,670 --> 02:28:13,670
as well . So we can communicate not 

3990
02:28:13,670 --> 02:28:15,614
only voice but data as well in the 

3991
02:28:15,614 --> 02:28:17,559
Arctic . Thank you . You're back . 

3992
02:28:20,120 --> 02:28:22,176
Cheering out . Recognize gentlemen , 

3993
02:28:22,176 --> 02:28:24,509
Louisiana , Mr Johnson for five minutes . 

3994
02:28:24,670 --> 02:28:26,770
Thank you , Mr Chairman General 

3995
02:28:26,770 --> 02:28:28,548
Richardson . Thank you for your 

3996
02:28:28,548 --> 02:28:30,714
testimony today . Thank all of you for 

3997
02:28:30,714 --> 02:28:32,770
your time . I'm very concerned about 

3998
02:28:32,770 --> 02:28:34,992
China's influence in our own hemisphere 

3999
02:28:34,992 --> 02:28:37,103
in South America and it's been widely 

4000
02:28:37,103 --> 02:28:39,326
reported that uh they've been trying to 

4001
02:28:39,326 --> 02:28:41,548
buy favor through the Belt and Road and 

4002
02:28:41,548 --> 02:28:43,437
other means and you noted in your 

4003
02:28:43,437 --> 02:28:45,659
testimony that China's trade with Latin 

4004
02:28:45,659 --> 02:28:47,881
America and the Caribbean has increased 

4005
02:28:47,881 --> 02:28:50,530
by 24,000% over the last 20 years . So 

4006
02:28:50,530 --> 02:28:53,130
I'm curious about your assessment of 

4007
02:28:53,130 --> 02:28:55,352
how successful they've been using those 

4008
02:28:55,352 --> 02:28:57,520
trade relationships to exert uh 

4009
02:28:57,530 --> 02:28:59,641
influence in South America . And what 

4010
02:28:59,641 --> 02:29:01,586
are some of the indicators that we 

4011
02:29:01,586 --> 02:29:03,808
should be looking at and measuring that 

4012
02:29:03,808 --> 02:29:05,974
success ? So I think that is uh when , 

4013
02:29:05,974 --> 02:29:09,100
when that enormous amount of trade over 

4014
02:29:09,110 --> 02:29:11,980
a short period of time , um then that's 

4015
02:29:11,980 --> 02:29:14,740
building uh trust with the partner 

4016
02:29:14,740 --> 02:29:16,518
nations . I would say it's also 

4017
02:29:16,518 --> 02:29:19,340
building um uh partnering that they are 

4018
02:29:19,340 --> 02:29:21,570
doing with our partner nations . And , 

4019
02:29:21,580 --> 02:29:24,780
and that further um makes our partners 

4020
02:29:24,780 --> 02:29:27,630
think twice about partnering , you know , 

4021
02:29:27,630 --> 02:29:29,890
with us or , or continuing to look that 

4022
02:29:29,890 --> 02:29:32,530
direction towards them . And so I think 

4023
02:29:32,530 --> 02:29:35,250
that plays quite a bit into the 

4024
02:29:35,260 --> 02:29:38,350
relationship dynamics . What are some 

4025
02:29:38,350 --> 02:29:40,294
of the things that we're currently 

4026
02:29:40,294 --> 02:29:42,517
doing to respond to those attempts from 

4027
02:29:42,517 --> 02:29:44,517
China to exert influence in our own 

4028
02:29:44,517 --> 02:29:46,683
hemisphere ? And , and then moreover , 

4029
02:29:46,683 --> 02:29:48,572
in a perfect world , if you could 

4030
02:29:48,572 --> 02:29:50,794
design a perfect plan , what more would 

4031
02:29:50,794 --> 02:29:52,906
we or should we be doing to push back 

4032
02:29:52,906 --> 02:29:55,770
what's really to um to highlight what 

4033
02:29:55,780 --> 02:29:58,590
we offer and what we're able to do that 

4034
02:29:58,590 --> 02:30:00,646
we're on the field and being able to 

4035
02:30:00,646 --> 02:30:02,646
give something counter , you know , 

4036
02:30:02,646 --> 02:30:04,868
that there's a counter argument to what 

4037
02:30:04,868 --> 02:30:06,923
the Chinese is offering . And that's 

4038
02:30:06,923 --> 02:30:10,180
why I just um I wanna talk about loudly 

4039
02:30:10,180 --> 02:30:12,236
were on the ground , on the military 

4040
02:30:12,236 --> 02:30:14,124
side of the house , but we can do 

4041
02:30:14,124 --> 02:30:16,236
better um talk , talking about and uh 

4042
02:30:16,236 --> 02:30:18,710
and advertising the other investments 

4043
02:30:18,710 --> 02:30:20,877
that we have going on in the region as 

4044
02:30:20,877 --> 02:30:22,877
a whole of government approach from 

4045
02:30:22,877 --> 02:30:25,043
team USA . And I heard you earlier and 

4046
02:30:25,043 --> 02:30:27,099
I wish you'd elaborate or explain it 

4047
02:30:27,099 --> 02:30:29,266
one more time what you mean by putting 

4048
02:30:29,266 --> 02:30:31,377
the flag on more things . I mean , we 

4049
02:30:31,377 --> 02:30:33,543
want to project peace through strength 

4050
02:30:33,543 --> 02:30:33,260
and part of that is a big part of that 

4051
02:30:33,260 --> 02:30:35,427
is perception , right ? Our strength , 

4052
02:30:35,427 --> 02:30:37,482
our resolve is that what you mean by 

4053
02:30:37,482 --> 02:30:40,600
that ? It is . Um and the the private 

4054
02:30:40,600 --> 02:30:42,600
sector is a very important piece of 

4055
02:30:42,600 --> 02:30:45,440
this and they're busy at work investing . 

4056
02:30:45,440 --> 02:30:48,200
But um I would say we could , we could , 

4057
02:30:48,210 --> 02:30:50,340
we shouldn't be so modest that we 

4058
02:30:50,340 --> 02:30:52,740
should advertise what team usa is doing 

4059
02:30:52,750 --> 02:30:54,972
through all the instruments of national 

4060
02:30:54,972 --> 02:30:57,350
power . We should be advertising what 

4061
02:30:57,350 --> 02:30:59,670
team usa is doing because we are much 

4062
02:30:59,670 --> 02:31:01,892
more prevalent in the region than we're 

4063
02:31:01,892 --> 02:31:03,948
given credit for . I love that , you 

4064
02:31:03,948 --> 02:31:06,114
know , Ronald Reagan used to remind us 

4065
02:31:06,114 --> 02:31:08,170
we should paint with bold colors and 

4066
02:31:08,170 --> 02:31:10,059
not pale pastels because weakness 

4067
02:31:10,059 --> 02:31:09,640
invites aggression . And that's what in 

4068
02:31:09,640 --> 02:31:11,862
our view , what what is happening right 

4069
02:31:11,862 --> 02:31:14,029
now . General Van Herk testified a few 

4070
02:31:14,029 --> 02:31:16,251
moments ago to Mr Banks questions about 

4071
02:31:16,251 --> 02:31:18,410
uh the very limited support obviously 

4072
02:31:18,410 --> 02:31:20,299
that the Department of Defense is 

4073
02:31:20,299 --> 02:31:22,521
provided at the southern border . And I 

4074
02:31:22,521 --> 02:31:24,577
wanted to ask Secretary Dalton about 

4075
02:31:24,577 --> 02:31:26,521
that . Just a little bit more . My 

4076
02:31:26,521 --> 02:31:28,632
understanding is that D O D has fewer 

4077
02:31:28,632 --> 02:31:30,577
than 2000 National Guard personnel 

4078
02:31:30,577 --> 02:31:32,521
entitled 10 status deployed to the 

4079
02:31:32,521 --> 02:31:34,743
southern border in support of CBP . And 

4080
02:31:34,743 --> 02:31:36,743
the department is providing you a V 

4081
02:31:36,743 --> 02:31:38,743
support and , and , and some of the 

4082
02:31:38,743 --> 02:31:41,680
intel assessment I think , but um the 

4083
02:31:41,680 --> 02:31:43,458
Department of Homeland Security 

4084
02:31:43,458 --> 02:31:45,791
requested the current levels of support . 

4085
02:31:45,791 --> 02:31:48,013
Is that right ? Congressman ? Thank you 

4086
02:31:48,013 --> 02:31:49,791
for the question . Um So we are 

4087
02:31:49,791 --> 02:31:51,902
actually providing approximately 2500 

4088
02:31:52,160 --> 02:31:54,630
ground and air personnel entitled 10 

4089
02:31:54,630 --> 02:31:56,910
status um to support DHS in the 

4090
02:31:56,910 --> 02:31:59,210
Southwest Border mission as well as 

4091
02:31:59,210 --> 02:32:02,950
12,100 flight hours . Um On 

4092
02:32:02,950 --> 02:32:06,310
top of that , um also aerostat uh 

4093
02:32:06,320 --> 02:32:09,960
support um and also have um the 

4094
02:32:09,960 --> 02:32:11,849
secretary has approved contracted 

4095
02:32:11,849 --> 02:32:14,790
reimbursable support for additional air 

4096
02:32:14,790 --> 02:32:18,010
ground land building and medical 

4097
02:32:18,010 --> 02:32:20,580
support for a surge at the border if 

4098
02:32:20,580 --> 02:32:22,524
that's anticipated in the next few 

4099
02:32:22,524 --> 02:32:24,747
months . Okay . But all the things that 

4100
02:32:24,747 --> 02:32:26,747
have been described is not enough . 

4101
02:32:26,747 --> 02:32:26,210
Clearly , we have a catastrophe at the 

4102
02:32:26,210 --> 02:32:28,432
border from our perspective and I think 

4103
02:32:28,432 --> 02:32:30,654
the evidence speaks for itself . So why 

4104
02:32:30,654 --> 02:32:32,710
hasn't D H S requested more ? That's 

4105
02:32:32,710 --> 02:32:34,988
the question . Thank you , Congressman . 

4106
02:32:34,988 --> 02:32:38,810
Um We are continuing to engage DHS and 

4107
02:32:38,810 --> 02:32:40,977
our other interagency partners on what 

4108
02:32:40,977 --> 02:32:43,430
is an unprecedented challenge at , at 

4109
02:32:43,430 --> 02:32:46,070
the border ? Um As noted , the numbers 

4110
02:32:46,070 --> 02:32:48,360
are skyrocketing . Um We are all very 

4111
02:32:48,360 --> 02:32:51,310
conscientious of the likely lifting of 

4112
02:32:51,310 --> 02:32:54,050
title 42 in , in May and there are 

4113
02:32:54,050 --> 02:32:56,780
concerted inter agency efforts to get 

4114
02:32:56,780 --> 02:32:58,947
after this , this challenge as General 

4115
02:32:58,947 --> 02:33:00,724
Van Herk mentioned , um this is 

4116
02:33:00,724 --> 02:33:03,390
principally a law enforcement function . 

4117
02:33:03,710 --> 02:33:06,780
Um And so we are strong advocates for 

4118
02:33:06,780 --> 02:33:08,780
fully re sourcing the Department of 

4119
02:33:08,780 --> 02:33:12,680
Homeland Security Technologies 

4120
02:33:12,680 --> 02:33:14,569
that are important , it's the law 

4121
02:33:14,569 --> 02:33:16,458
enforcement function . But if law 

4122
02:33:16,458 --> 02:33:18,624
enforcement is overwhelmed because the 

4123
02:33:18,624 --> 02:33:20,736
policy choices or otherwise D O D has 

4124
02:33:20,736 --> 02:33:22,624
to step up , we have to close the 

4125
02:33:22,624 --> 02:33:22,140
border . If we don't have a secure 

4126
02:33:22,140 --> 02:33:24,362
border , we don't have sovereignty , we 

4127
02:33:24,362 --> 02:33:26,418
don't have a nation amount of time . 

4128
02:33:26,418 --> 02:33:25,990
Gentlemen , time , Mr Chair now 

4129
02:33:25,990 --> 02:33:28,157
recognizes the gentleman from Guam and 

4130
02:33:28,157 --> 02:33:30,323
before he starts , I do want everybody 

4131
02:33:30,323 --> 02:33:32,490
to know , tell all the M L M L A s for 

4132
02:33:32,490 --> 02:33:34,601
members back in their offices . After 

4133
02:33:34,601 --> 02:33:36,768
Mr Moylan , we will recess and move to 

4134
02:33:36,768 --> 02:33:38,712
the to the classified area for the 

4135
02:33:38,712 --> 02:33:40,768
second portion of this hearing . But 

4136
02:33:40,768 --> 02:33:40,350
gentlemen , recognized for five minutes . 

4137
02:33:40,360 --> 02:33:42,980
Thank you , Mr Chairman . Thank you for 

4138
02:33:42,980 --> 02:33:46,480
our witnesses . Uh General Van hurt . 

4139
02:33:46,490 --> 02:33:49,670
Yeah , 2022 missile defense review 

4140
02:33:49,670 --> 02:33:53,200
states an attack on Guam or any other U 

4141
02:33:53,200 --> 02:33:56,880
S territory by any adversary will be 

4142
02:33:56,880 --> 02:33:58,910
considered a direct attack on the 

4143
02:33:58,910 --> 02:34:02,060
United States and goes on to recognize 

4144
02:34:02,060 --> 02:34:05,510
that Guam and unequivocal part of the 

4145
02:34:05,510 --> 02:34:08,030
United States . And given that Guam is 

4146
02:34:08,030 --> 02:34:10,520
part of the U S homeland in your 

4147
02:34:10,520 --> 02:34:13,940
personal military assessment general is 

4148
02:34:13,940 --> 02:34:17,030
Guam defended to an acceptable standard , 

4149
02:34:17,040 --> 02:34:18,900
especially considering that the 

4150
02:34:18,900 --> 02:34:21,300
territory does not fall under the 

4151
02:34:21,300 --> 02:34:24,490
umbrella of NORAD General . That 

4152
02:34:24,490 --> 02:34:26,546
question is best answered by Admiral 

4153
02:34:26,546 --> 02:34:28,657
Aquilino . What I can tell you is the 

4154
02:34:28,657 --> 02:34:30,657
department's moving forward with an 

4155
02:34:30,657 --> 02:34:32,490
aggressive plan to defend Guam . 

4156
02:34:32,490 --> 02:34:34,657
Missile Defense Agency is working that 

4157
02:34:34,657 --> 02:34:36,768
right now , I look forward to working 

4158
02:34:36,768 --> 02:34:38,879
with the missile defense agency as we 

4159
02:34:38,879 --> 02:34:38,820
build capabilities out to defend the 

4160
02:34:38,820 --> 02:34:42,700
Conus as well . And thank 

4161
02:34:42,700 --> 02:34:45,050
you , General and then just in your , 

4162
02:34:45,060 --> 02:34:47,004
in your opinion , could you please 

4163
02:34:47,004 --> 02:34:49,227
highlight some resources that you would 

4164
02:34:49,227 --> 02:34:51,282
feel important to have defending the 

4165
02:34:51,282 --> 02:34:53,338
entire U S homeland , including Guam 

4166
02:34:53,338 --> 02:34:55,730
such as the over the horizon radars ? 

4167
02:34:56,650 --> 02:34:58,761
Yeah , so the over the horizon radars 

4168
02:34:58,761 --> 02:35:01,660
are crucial for Domain Awareness uh and 

4169
02:35:01,670 --> 02:35:04,000
applaud Congress and the department for 

4170
02:35:04,000 --> 02:35:06,750
funding those in fy 23 . As we go 

4171
02:35:06,750 --> 02:35:08,917
forward , we'll need a little bit more 

4172
02:35:08,917 --> 02:35:11,083
funding . I look forward to seeing the 

4173
02:35:11,083 --> 02:35:13,306
the budget in 24 as it comes out here , 

4174
02:35:13,306 --> 02:35:15,306
additional capability though , it's 

4175
02:35:15,306 --> 02:35:17,139
really access to forces that are 

4176
02:35:17,139 --> 02:35:16,930
organized , trained and equipped to 

4177
02:35:16,930 --> 02:35:18,819
operate throughout my A O R which 

4178
02:35:18,819 --> 02:35:20,930
includes the Arctic as well , but not 

4179
02:35:20,930 --> 02:35:22,986
only in the Arctic , but here in the 

4180
02:35:22,986 --> 02:35:24,874
homeland , I'm the only combatant 

4181
02:35:24,874 --> 02:35:27,097
commander that has to go ask for forces 

4182
02:35:27,097 --> 02:35:29,152
that has an area in a time of crisis 

4183
02:35:29,152 --> 02:35:31,263
that I don't have the uh the assigned 

4184
02:35:31,263 --> 02:35:31,090
or allocated forces and I don't need 

4185
02:35:31,090 --> 02:35:33,312
them assigned or allocated as long as I 

4186
02:35:33,312 --> 02:35:35,257
have access to those to defend the 

4187
02:35:35,257 --> 02:35:37,257
homeland . I need additional Domain 

4188
02:35:37,257 --> 02:35:39,368
Awareness for undersea capabilities , 

4189
02:35:39,368 --> 02:35:41,534
the Russians as you're probably likely 

4190
02:35:41,534 --> 02:35:43,590
aware , not only have now their most 

4191
02:35:43,590 --> 02:35:45,646
capable submarines in the Atlantic , 

4192
02:35:45,646 --> 02:35:47,646
they'll have them in the Pacific as 

4193
02:35:47,646 --> 02:35:47,140
well and that's going to present 

4194
02:35:47,140 --> 02:35:50,640
challenges and the PRC is about 8 to 10 

4195
02:35:50,640 --> 02:35:52,751
years behind them . So the problem is 

4196
02:35:52,751 --> 02:35:54,696
only going to grow from a Homeland 

4197
02:35:54,696 --> 02:35:56,918
Domain awareness perspective . And also 

4198
02:35:56,918 --> 02:35:58,862
in the cyber domain , we need more 

4199
02:35:58,862 --> 02:35:58,500
capabilities to understand where we're 

4200
02:35:58,500 --> 02:36:01,000
vulnerable across , not only D O D and 

4201
02:36:01,000 --> 02:36:03,111
our federal entities , but across the 

4202
02:36:03,111 --> 02:36:05,333
nation as a whole in the cyber domain . 

4203
02:36:07,130 --> 02:36:09,297
Thank you General for all you do . And 

4204
02:36:09,297 --> 02:36:11,074
thank you to the witnesses , Mr 

4205
02:36:11,074 --> 02:36:13,297
Chairman . Thank you . Are you back ? I 

4206
02:36:13,297 --> 02:36:15,400
think the gentleman chair will Be 

4207
02:36:15,410 --> 02:36:18,830
reconvening in 20-12 at 

4208
02:36:18,840 --> 02:36:21,450
12:45 . This hearing is adjourned .