Source: United States Senator for Oklahoma James Inhofe
Today, U.S. Sen. Jim Inhofe (R-Okla.), ranking member of the Senate Armed Services Committee, gave an opening statement at a committee hearing to consider the nomination of General Anthony J. Cotton, USAF, for reappointment to the grade of general and to be Commander, United States Strategic Command.
Click here to view Inhofe’s opening statement.
Inhofe: Thank you, Mr. Chairman. I also want to welcome General Cotton, and thank him for his long service in defense of our nation. General Cotton, your predecessor appeared before this committee several times over the past few years, warning of the growing strategic threats we face as a nation.
China’s massive military investments are shifting the balance of power in the Pacific, even as its builds the capacity to extend its reach across the globe. Putin’s unprovoked invasion of Ukraine and his reckless threats of nuclear escalation remind us of some of the worst days of the Cold War. Effectively resisting Russian and Chinese aggression requires that we remain resolute and deal with the world as it is, and not simply with how we might prefer it to be.
I was pleased that the administration’s nuclear posture review declined to purse many policy options that would have severely damaged our nation’s deterrent. However, the administration’s decision to discard planned enhancements to our forces, even as China and Russia grow their arsenals, was disappointing to say the least. Your predecessor, along with the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs and other senior officers, voiced their objections to these decisions, and, on a bipartisan basis, we have taken steps to reverse those faulty choices.
Moving forward, we need to accelerate the work to right-size our forces to meet the strategic deterrence requirements of the coming decades. I trust you will be an advocate for such efforts if confirmed as the next STRATCOM commander. I look forward to your testimony. Mr. Chairman.