Jeanne Shaheen Asks Secretary Pete Hegseth Point Blank If He Is Considering US Military Action In Iran

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At a Senate Armed Services Committee hearing on Wednesday, Sen. Jeanne Shaheen (D-NH) spoke to Sec. Pete Hegseth about a possible attack against Iran.

Transcript

00:00Thank you all very much for being here.

00:03News reports this morning suggest that the President is actively considering intervening

00:08in the situation in the Middle East.

00:10I understand that we have 40,000 troops deployed in the region, many of whom are in range of

00:15Iranian missiles.

00:18And it's being reported that the President is being asked to consider providing the Bunker

00:24Bester bomb that is required to be carried only by the B-2 bomber and would require a

00:31U.S. pilot.

00:33That raises real concerns about what retaliation might mean for the safety and stability of

00:40the entire region and our troops and Americans who are in the region.

00:46So can you tell us, Mr. Secretary, are you considering military action that would bring

00:50us into active hostilities and whether you expect a decision to be made on that any time

00:58in the next few days?

01:00Just bearing in mind, and you can stop the clock, we will be going into a classified portion

01:07of the hearing later on, but proceed, Mr. Secretary.

01:10I understand that, Mr. Chairman, but I think this is a question that's very important

01:14for the American public to hear.

01:16I just wanted to make it clear that there would be an opportunity to get very deep into

01:21that.

01:22Go ahead.

01:23Senator, I agree with the Chairman.

01:26Most of what I can or should say would be reserved for a classified setting.

01:31I would say the President, obviously any decisions on this matter are at the presidential level.

01:38He has communicated very clearly for quite some time.

01:41I do understand that, Mr. Secretary, but my question for you is whether you have been asked

01:46actively to provide options for the President regarding a strike in the Middle East?

01:52If I had or I had not, I wouldn't disclose that in this forum, Senator.

01:57My job, our job, Chairman and I, at all times, is to make sure the President has options and

02:02is informed of what those options might be and what the ramifications of those options might be.

02:07I appreciate that.

02:09In the region, maximum force protection at all times is being maintained.

02:12I would hope that as soon as consideration about action is determined that the public

02:21will be informed about that.

02:24Six of us on this committee just returned from the largest air show in the world.

02:30At that, it was very impressive to see the innovation and technology from our industry on aerospace.

02:41And one of the concerns that I heard from many of the companies that I talked to was about

02:48the potential to partner with our allies and partners for innovation, for co-production.

02:56And one concern I heard was about the proposed review of the AUKUS agreement.

03:05That's after the Australian government has already contributed half a billion dollars to our

03:09submarine industrial base and American and UK shipbuilders have made capital investments

03:15to support the increased demand.

03:18So do you disagree with the position that President Trump has taken about AUKUS, that we should move

03:25forward?

03:27And what is the review expected to produce?

03:30Well, Senator, I think reviews are always prudent.

03:35But those reviews actually come after conversations I've had with the Minister of Defense, Healy,

03:40in the UK and Marles in Australia.

03:43Long personal conversations about the status of this arrangement, both aspects of it.

03:50So we are reviewing it because that's what the Defense Department ought to do to make sure

03:54it fits the priorities of the President and that our defense and shipbuilding industrial base can

03:57support, ensure that we're clear on all sides of that, on either pillar.

04:04And then on pillar two, identifying specifically the ways we can work together most meaningfully

04:09to co-produce with our industrial base munitions or other capabilities that would be most applicable

04:14to the threats we face.

04:15But do you agree that it's important to increase the capability of our nuclear deterrent in the

04:22Indo-Pacific and that AUKUS is one way to do that?

04:28I do.

04:29And working through AUKUS as a possible avenue for that is a good thing.

04:35Last week, Mr. Secretary, during the SACD appropriations hearing, you reaffirmed the need for an exemption

04:47for the Portsmouth Naval Shipyard to your hiring freeze.

04:50Senator Collins asked you a very relevant question on that, and since Senator King and I share that

05:00shipyard, I'd like to ask you again, because we have not yet heard anything from you or from

05:06the Office of Personnel Management about how they're responding to this, DOD has told us

05:13that the Office of Personnel Management needs to review every single new hire one by one at

05:19a time when we need 550 people every year just to keep up with the Navy's demand for maintenance

05:25and on its nuclear submarines, so will you commit to talking to OPM on this issue?

05:34Yes.

05:35Thank you, Mr. Secretary.

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