00:00Now there's a gentleman from Florida, Mr. Jimenez.
00:03Thank you, Mr. Chairman.
00:05Mr. Secretary, when you say that you want the military to have standards, high standards,
00:12is that for each job classification you are going to be setting the standards that that job classification merits?
00:20Sure. So if you're looking at combat arms, you're going to have a certain set of standards there that are very important.
00:25And that anybody who meets that standard is qualified to have that job, whether it be male, female, whatever race, political affiliation, et cetera.
00:36We've made that clear from day one that those jobs are open to anybody that can reach the standard for that particular job.
00:43It shouldn't be lowered for any reason.
00:45Fair enough. But are you, when you're setting these standards, are you going to make sure that they don't set artificial barriers for entry for anybody?
00:56In other words, if you don't want a particular race or gender, are you going to set standards that kind of, you know, push them away?
01:04Or are you going to be fair in setting your standards?
01:07The only thing that matters in the setting of standards is the capability to do the job.
01:11Fair enough. And I think that that's all we asked for.
01:13I'm going to transition a little bit. And you're saying about peace through strength.
01:18Our doctrine is peace through strength, correct?
01:21Yes, sir.
01:22And the only way that really that works is if your enemy knows that you will use that strength. Is that correct?
01:32Yes. Credible and capable matters.
01:35And would you say that if you are ambiguous about using that strength, that it actually invites not peace but war?
01:46Well, I think, sir, there are certain environments where strategic ambiguity is an important thing.
01:50But for the most part, your enemy or adversary needs to know you are capable and willing to use force if necessary.
01:57Fair enough.
01:57Would you consider Russia and China to be allies?
02:03Unfortunately, especially under the previous administration, the Biden administration, policies have driven Russia and China into an even greater alliance.
02:11Yes.
02:12And so would you consider that anything that benefits Russia and its aggression would also benefit China?
02:19I don't know that I would agree with every characterization of that statement.
02:24But certainly if you're benefiting folks that are on the same side, that matters.
02:30Fair enough.
02:31Now, I commend you and the Trump administration for pushing our allies, our NATO allies, into defending more of Europe.
02:43In other words, it's their responsibility.
02:46They have a bear in their backyard.
02:48They need to understand they have a bear in their backyard and that they need to protect themselves from that bear.
02:55But if that bear gets out of hand, will the United States come to its aid?
03:03Sir, the goal of this administration is peace in Ukraine, and there's no doubt about that.
03:08And we understand who the aggressor is in that scenario.
03:10In Ukraine, I'm saying if the bear, okay, and we're a part of NATO, okay, if the bear starts getting out of hand and we're part of NATO, will the United States, you know, fulfill its duties under NATO's obligation?
03:25Well, there are – Article V is a real part of NATO.
03:30We acknowledge that.
03:31Never have not.
03:32But at the same time, we have been very aggressive in reminding Europe it is responsible for its defense.
03:38No, that's not a small thing.
03:39Because the previous administration allowed –
03:41I'm not saying a small thing at all, okay?
03:44I'm just – I agree with it.
03:45You know, they – you know, the NATO nations need to be more involved in their own defense.
03:51I agree.
03:52They need to bear a big portion of that defense.
03:56But we're part of an alliance.
03:58But increasingly, not just a bigger part, but the lead of their defense on the continent, 80 years on after World War II.
04:05The belief of this administration is that European countries ought be able to build combat credible capabilities that the bear fears and worries about, not a continual backstop reliance on the United States of America for decades and decades and decades.
04:22And that's why a 5 percent commitment for European countries is a huge focus for this administration that only President Trump could have achieved.
04:30Because in a world of a lot of threats, you can't just continually stay in the same posture in the same places for the same reasons of the last 80 years.
04:38So we're encouraged by the investment of our European allies.
04:41I've only got a certain amount of time.
04:42I need to put this out, okay?
04:44I believe, like when we started out this conversation, okay, that it's imperative that that bear knows that, yes, Europe needs to protect itself,
04:53but that the United States will also demonstrate peace through strength in order to keep the peace in Europe, and I yield my time back.
