00:00to buy arms from us, and all of a sudden there's a pause.
00:06What are you hearing from the Taiwanese about the pause?
00:14Chairman, I have not spoken to the Taiwanese.
00:17However, we have done some foreign military sales to them.
00:21It's just right now we're doing a pause in order to make sure we have the munitions we need for
00:28Epic Fury,
00:28which we have plenty, but we're just making sure we have everything.
00:32But then the foreign military sales will continue when the administration deems necessary, sir.
00:40To buy arms from us, and all of a sudden there's a pause.
00:45What are you hearing from the Taiwanese about the pause?
00:53Chairman, I have not spoken to the Taiwanese.
00:55However, we have done some foreign military sales to them.
01:00It's just right now we're doing a pause in order to make sure we have the munitions we need for
01:07Epic Fury,
01:08which we have plenty, but we're just making sure we have everything.
01:11But then the foreign military sales will continue when the administration deems necessary, sir.
01:18Put it another way, do you expect the sale to be approved at some point?
01:25Senator, that would be up to the Secretary of War and the Secretary of State, sir.
01:30Yeah, well, that's what's really distressing.
01:35Belatedly, the administration seems to be mad at the Europeans for not engaging in the Middle East.
01:43But as a practical matter, without basing and sustainment from NATO allies,
01:50we wouldn't be able to project power in the Middle East.
01:54So what role should NATO play out in the Indo-Pacific?
02:01Well, Chairman, first of all, NATO playing a role.
02:05I would love to see NATO doing some demining in the Straits also.
02:10I mean, this is a mutually beneficial for all the world if we can clear the Straits right now
02:16and really provide security.
02:17And NATO, again, would be a great ally to us in the Indo-Pacific just to maintain the sea lanes
02:24of communication.
02:25We, the United States, are a maritime nation.
02:28We depend on the Pacific and the Atlantic for free trade, and the world does also.
02:32And so this is why we need to all work together to protect the sea lanes, the communications for the
02:37world, sir.
02:40I think the way to think about NATO is it's important not only for the Europeans and ourselves, but for
02:45the rest of the world.
02:46They're looking at NATO, coming to NATO meetings from the Pacific.
02:53This is a potential framework for us to be the leader of the free world, all the world, not just
03:01Europe,
03:03because we all know who our adversaries are, China, Russia, North Korea, Iran.
03:11And they all have one thing in common, and they hate us.
03:16So we can either stand up to that or hunker down and hope for the best.
03:22Finally, Mr. Secretary, fiscal year 26, we funded naval drone and counter-drone capabilities
03:31via full-year appropriations.
03:35This year's request would only fund Navy drone programs in reconciliation.
03:42Do you have some view about that?
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