Source: United States Senator for Oklahoma James Inhofe
U.S. Sen. Jim Inhofe (R-Okla.), ranking member of the Senate Armed Services Committee (SASC), today questioned President Biden’s nominee to serve as Vice Chair of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, Admiral Christopher W. Grady, at a SASC hearing.
Inhofe: Let me just get a couple things on the record, and I already know the answer to this, and I think most people do here also but it’s important that we get it down at the very beginning so there’s no misunderstanding. Our nuclear modernization — this goes back to General Hyten, a quote that he had. He said, “I look at our nuclear capabilities, our triad, our modernization program are the minimum essential capabilities required to defend this nation. We have to defend against the most existential threat, and Russia and China and their capabilities are [the most existential threat]. So to me, those are the minimum essential capabilities that we have to build. And even at the highest rate, it’ll still be just roughly 6% of the overall defense budget. I think we can afford that security.” So I will ask you the question, just to get you on the record and saying that we know the answer anyway, and that is…[do you agree with] General Hyten that..modernizing…each leg of the U.S. nuclear triad and the National Nuclear Security Administration, NNSA, nuclear weapons complex is a critical national security priority. Do you agree?
Grady: Senator, I do. A modernized and fully ready nuclear deterrent is one of the number-one priorities of the department, and if confirmed, I would seek to ensure that.
Inhofe: I know you will, and — however that has become somewhat controversial in the past. We have to get — we have to know where we’re coming from. And lastly, I would ask the — is it your intention to continue General Hyten’s efforts to reform the JROC process to move faster and adopt advanced technologies that help meet warfighting requirements? I know that you have responded to a discussion of this with our chairman, but I’d like to get your assurance as to what we would do with JROC.
Grady: Sir, the efficacy of the JROC and the momentum that it is on now is extremely positive. And if confirmed, it would be my goal to bend the curve and to go even faster, to focus on the threat and the risks to close those gaps and to move as quickly as possible to get the tools to the center of the universe, our warfighters, as fast as possible.
Inhofe: Excellent. And I know that’s true. Thank you, Mr. Chairman.