Chairman Wicker Leads SASC Hearing on the FY27 Budget with Top Pentagon Leadership

Secretary Hegseth, General Caine, and Mr. Jules Hurst III Testify Before the Committee

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WASHINGTON - U.S. Senator Roger Wicker, R-Miss., Chairman of the Senate Armed Services Committee, today led a hearing to examine the Department of Defense posture for Fiscal Year 2027, focusing on the most dangerous global security environment since World War II, the accelerating military buildup by the Chinese Communist Party, and coordinated threats posed by China, Russia, Iran, and North Korea. The hearing also addressed ongoing U.S. military operations, defense modernization priorities, allied burden-sharing, and efforts to strengthen American innovation, deterrence, and warfighting readiness.

Secretary Hegseth, Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff General Daniel Caine, and Jules W. Hurst III, Performing the Duties of the Under Secretary of Defense (Comptroller)/Chief Financial Officer, testified before the committee.

In his opening remarks, Chairman Wicker reemphasized his support for President Trump's $1.5 trillion defense budget request. The Chairman also stressed the need to modernize U.S. military capabilities, strengthen deterrence, and fortify the defense industrial base to ensure a ready and capable force.

Read Chairman Wicker's hearing opening statement as delivered.

This hearing will come to order. We completed a productive classified session down in the SCIF, and now we will begin the public portion of this hearing. I welcome back Secretary Hegseth, General Caine, and our acting Comptroller Mr. Jay Hurst, and I thank all of them, including their families, for their service.

For the dozens of Americans that regularly watch our hearings, my next remarks will be no surprise, but for new viewers, I want to reiterate some context from our remarks. I have said this at almost every hearing. We live in the most dangerous security environment since World War II. Every uniformed officer that has come before this committee has agreed with that statement.

First and foremost, we are locked in a competition with Xi Jinping and the Chinese Communist Party. The competition is high stakes, and it is about whether this will be an American-led century or a century defined by authoritarian, autocratic regime that cares little for the needs of their citizens or those in neighboring countries. The Chinese Communist Party has accelerated its historic military buildup and its predatory economic practices against Americans and countries the world over.

Xi Jinping leads not only China but also an Axis of Aggressors. This growing alliance cannot be denied. It includes China, Russia, Iran, and North Korea they're united in their goal to oppose America's interests and the interest of other like-minded democratic countries across the globe.

Vladimir Putin's war of choice in Ukraine has now entered its fifth year. In Putin's objectives we hear echoes of the imperialistic ambitions of World War II's aggressors, including Adolf Hitler. Vladimir Putin has suffered 1.2 million casualties and failed miserably in his military objectives. Along the way he has transformed Russia's economy into one fueled by war, raising the prospect of an even more aggressive Moscow for the foreseeable future.

Most of Iran's leaders are now deceased, but they and those who have survived them have consistently sought violence against America, Israel, our Gulf allies, and the Iranian people. We saw this during the October 7th massacre, during their continued support for Hezbollah and Hamas, and in their desire to engage in nuclear blackmail. Iran's ayatollahs have consistently represented a threat to American interests.

Kim Jong Un has joined Putin's war of aggression. He continues a military and nuclear buildup that threatens South Korea, Japan, and the United States.

Ties have never been closer among these four dictators, among these four dictatorships. They support each other's aggressive endeavors, they prop each other up financially, and they scheme to undermine America's objectives. We should expect them to continue this behavior.

This contest plays out across every dimension of national power - the economy, technology, diplomatic, and more - but today we are here to talk about the military dimension of this competition. These regimes have regularly tried to take by force what they cannot secure through the political process. For that reason, we must be ready to deter conflicts and if necessary to win them. President Trump has used the U.S. military appropriately and effectively for American interests. He has viewed our adversaries as a united bloc and has taken action in light of that reality. In Operation Absolute Resolve and associated statecraft, the President removed an aspiring dictator off the board and set Venezuela up for a future aligned with democratic interests. In Operation Midnight Hammer he sought to eliminate the ayatollahs program. When the Ayatollah chose to double down, the President launched Operation Epic Fury. That mission he has worked to remove their conventional military capabilities and force it back to the table for a permanent solution. While we all mourn the tragic loss of the 14 service members who lost their lives in this conflict, we do so knowing the world is safer without a nuclear Iran.

All of these actions are part of a "peace through strength" strategy. In this approach we seek first to avoid war and take military action when necessary to achieve U.S. interests.

And so, Mr. Secretary, I am pleased that you are here testifying today in support of President Trump's historic $1.5 trillion defense budget request, that sum will go a long way toward rebuilding our military capabilities for a generation. I should say upfront this may be long hearing, there is much to discuss. This $1.5 trillion dollar request is chock-full of important programs and initiatives that are absolutely necessary to secure American interests in the 21st century. I think this funding underpins and accentuates three comparative advantages the United States possesses over the Axis of Aggressors.

The first comparative advantage America enjoys over our adversaries is that we have the best innovation and industry in the world. So, I hope our witnesses today will cover the progress we have made in just the past year rebuilding the American arsenal. Last year, our reconciliation bill, combined with bipartisan appropriations bills, achieved about a trillion-dollar defense budget. This year's request would represent a near-50% increase. Every penny of it should be money well spent making down payments on crucial transformational capabilities, such as drone warfare, low-cost munitions, and missile defense. Also last year Congress and the executive branch achieved historic acquisition reforms, consequently we are well-positioned to make huge gains on efficiency this year and in the years to come. Making it much more flexible and a more timely process. I look forward to discussing how we might accelerate implementation of these actions. In particular, I would like to see the Pentagon do more this year to drive competition in the defense industrial base. Competition absolutely drives better outcomes for our service members and taxpayers.

Of course, our people are the final comparative advantage we have over our adversaries. We have enjoyed significant improvements in recruitment and retention, but we need to solidify a merit-based environment that fully cares for our personnel. I commend you Mr. Secretary over your efforts the past year to do just that. That task will never be finished, of course, but we address it gladly and we salute the progress. We will always be striving to care for and equip American Service Members as much as possible. I look forward to more work between this Committee and the Department this coming year.