Senate Armed Services Committee Holds Hearing on FY2004 Defense Authorization

FDCH TRANSCRIPTS
Congressional Hearings
Feb. 25, 2003
Senate Armed Services Committee Holds Hearing on FY2004 Defense Authorization

WARNER:

Good morning, everyone.

The committee meets this morning to receive testimony from the chiefs of the military services and their posture statement on behalf of their respective branches to our committee. This is in regard to the president's defense fiscal year 2004 budget.

Each of you bring great distinction to your services, and we're proud to have you before us here today.

All of us last week—Senator Levin, Senator Roberts, Senator Rockefeller and I—had the privilege of visiting with U.S. military personnel in the Persian Gulf region, in Afghanistan and in Pakistan. I say to you most respectfully and humbly you have rightful pride in your men and women in the armed forces. We met with them at each stop last week, and they're the best well-trained force to be found anywhere in the world today.

You know, we arose this morning to hear about the diplomatic efforts which are properly being pursued by our president and other worlds leaders in this problem with regard to Iraq. But that diplomacy begins with the men and women in uniform of the United States and other nations that are trying to secure peace in that part of the world and the elimination of weapons of mass destruction from Saddam Hussein and his regime.

We wouldn't see the diplomacy working at its hopefully best, be it in the Security Council or in the capitals of the world, had it not been for the foresight of our president and other world leaders to move into position their best and finest of the armed forces to make possible such progress that we all hope and pray for in diplomacy. And that reflects directly upon each of you individually and those of you in your respective branches who made possible these fine trained soldiers, sailors, airmen and Marines.

Each year we have this hearing, but today is a most important one. The honest and forthright observations of the service chiefs, professional as well as personal, are absolutely essential for the continuing work of this committee and the work of the Senate as a body at such times as we bring forth the bill and, indeed, the nominations that are frequently before the Senate with regard to the men and women of the armed forces.

Time and time again, you and your predecessors have summoned the courage to point out the challenges to current and future readiness. Those of us who've been on this committee for many years, as Senator Levin and I have, can recall predecessors who've been in your positions whose forthright testimony have enabled this committee to give greater support to the men and women of the armed forces. And we're respectful of what you do to make that possible.

Together you represent more than 120 years of military experience and distinguished service to the nation. Individually, your understanding of what is required to organize, equip, train and sustain your service in peacetime, in wartime is second to none.

When General Myers testified before the committee two weeks ago, I asked him this question—I put to him. I asked him whether he believed the armed forces were prepared to meet any contingency for the use of force as may be required in Iraq, continue their high level of activity against worldwide terrorism. His response was unhesitating. His response was succinct, one word,
"Absolutely."

I and many others who pondered the question over the past several months were assured by his confidence and his certainty. Clearly, much of your work, your opinions contributed to the conclusion of the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff.

Today homeland security is our nation's foremost urgent priority. And as Senator Levin and I met with the troops in these far-most regions, we said to them that homeland defense begins right where they are. Because to the extent they can deter, interdict or, when necessary, crush terrorists is the extent of which is less chance that terrorism is brought to the shores of our country against their families, against all of us here at home. Homeland defense begins beyond the shores of this nation.

As we meet this morning, our armed forces are fighting the war on terror with over 40 coalition partners from Afghanistan to the Philippines. In the case of Iraq, our president has, quite properly, together with other world leaders, chosen this diplomatic path working through the United Nations and the Security Council. But as I said earlier, we must ever be mindful that diplomacy can only be as effective as there is a clear and present and credible military threat to use force back up that diplomacy. Your troops are doing exactly that.

The president's FY '04 defense budget request of $379.9 billion continues to increase in real terms the amount of funding available for each of the services in total. This budget continues the president's considerable progress to date, continues his ongoing commitment to safeguard America, our allies and our friends.

It is increasingly clear, however, that today's global challenges are requiring much more of the armed forces. It is our responsibility on this committee and the Congress as a whole to carefully monitor the degree to which these increasing demands stress the overall readiness of the forces, the readiness of the individual service person and the readiness of their families.

We encountered on this trip some areas that we will bring to your attention this morning; areas of which we have concern, in all probability you have concern. And we need to know your recommendations how, jointly, we can work with you to correct it.

As we discuss and debate this budget request in the days and weeks ahead, as is the duty of this committee and the Congress, on one thing we can all agree: The commitment, the dedication and performance of the soldiers, sailors, airmen and Marines in service to their nation and that of their families, homeland defense is truly a remarkable blessing on this nation.

BREAK IN TRANSCRIPT

WARNER:

Thank you, gentlemen. Those were excellent statements, and now we'll proceed to questions. I indicated a six-minute round. Forgive me for getting off to a bit of a start here, and we had quorum for a minute and I was about to seize that to get the nominations cleared, but I lost it just at the split-second, but we hopefully will regain that quorum, we can pass on nominations here, so forgive me if I interrupt you.

Let's start off with the question of the readiness of our troops.

WARNER:

It seems to me that two areas of readiness—the overall readiness I think you've addressed. But we—three of us on this committee who went overseas observed the readiness of those forward-deployed troops in Pakistan, Afghanistan and the Gulf region.

And there were areas which concerned us. For example, the JSOCs, special operations, SEAL teams and things like that, some of those individuals have been on a rotation cycle to where they were back again many times. I wonder if you could just touch on that readiness situation.

And since you've brought, fortunately, the sergeant, why don't we start with the Air Force on that question?

Are you concerned about the ability to maintain that OPTEMPO of those critical skills which I mentioned, and perhaps there are others?

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WARNER:

Senator Collins, I assure you that when I first learned of this problem several weeks ago in consultation with our colleague, the senator from Colorado, we've taken those steps to posture this committee so that we can review the findings, and we urge the appropriate Air Force officials, including our witness today, to initiate these steps.

I thank the senator for her concern, because I, likewise, along with every member of this committee, take such pride. As a matter of fact, my academy day is coming up soon, some 400 to 500 nominees, or applicants and their families gather here at the Senate to view those options.

I thank the senator.

Senator Pryor? Would you indulge me? I just wish to make an announcement to the committee.

Senator Levin and I have arranged for tomorrow morning a briefing, classified briefing for the entire committee on the efforts to date by the administration with regard to the planning for the post-Saddam Hussein Iraq. This is an interagency effort. We will have briefers from the various departments and agencies, the federal government initially tasked for this. And I hope senators can schedule their time to be available for this briefing.

Thank you, Senator Pryor.

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WARNER:

I join my colleague's view about that. We went to certain sites in our trip. I think we're going to have to revisit your current objectives, and perhaps have the Congress inject itself in that decision making, because the dependence on this system not only by the military—you know of other segments of our government...

JUMPER:

Yes, sir. Yes, sir.

WARNER:

... that are drawing down those assets. And the remarkable performance to date and the versatility of this system—it just extrapolates into saving lives...

JUMPER:

Absolutely, sir.

WARNER:

... of the men and women of the armed forces and others involved in the system.
So shall we conclude saying that the attention of the Congress is at full span on this.

JUMPER:

Absolutely, sir.

WARNER:

And we're there to support you.

JUMPER:

Understand. And I appreciate that very much, Mr. Chairman.

WARNER:

Thank you.

Yes, go ahead.

LEVIN:

Mr. Chairman, you very kindly requested certain information from the CIA at our last meeting relative to suspect site numbers.

There is a very strong disagreement here between myself and Mr. Tenet relative to what had been supplied to the U.N. And the chairman was very much involved in a number of conversations in this regard, as was Senator Roberts and others.
The record is clear that this is a significant issue about which some of the statements made by the CIA in letters to me were, in my judgment, significantly different from some of the statements that Director Tenet made before this committee and the Intelligence Committee.

And in an effort to amplify or clarify that issue, I believe that the chairman had indicated that he had requested the CIA for a letter at our last meeting, which I believe was the 13th of February. But I just wanted, for the record, determine whether or not such a letter has been received.

WARNER:

I wish to advise my colleague and other members of the committee that that letter has not been received. But in the context of my requesting in an open hearing of the director of the CIA for such letter, I indicated in my own judgment, having reviewed, I think, almost all the facts that you had before you, with exception of your important visit to meet with Hans Blix, it was my judgment that the administration had, in good faith, provided on a real-time basis as much information as it possessed that was relevant to the inspections.

But you're correct, the letter which I requested as yet has not been received.

LEVIN:

And I had set forth on the record the discrepancies not in numbers, but in terms of overall rank of percentage that was very significantly different in terms of what the classified information supplied to me and the representations of the director at the Intel Committee and before this committee.

It's a very important issue. And I think it is very important that the CIA carry out not just its commitment to the chairman that they supply a letter in this regard, but, frankly, a number of commitments that it has made to me that it has not carried out in terms of written updates. And a letter to Mr. Tenet will be going from me relative to those commitments this afternoon.

I want to thank the chair for bringing us up to date on that letter which was not yet forthcoming from the CIA to him.

Thank you, Mr. Chairman.

WARNER:

At this time the open portion of this hearing is concluded.

But again, I wish to commend our four distinguished witnesses for an excellent hearing.

And I thank my colleagues who turned out in strong numbers to receive this important testimony today and ask questions.

We'll adjourn to 219.