ATOMIC ENERGY DEFENSE ACTIVITIES OF THE DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY MARCH 14, 2002 Abraham, Hon. Spencer, Secretary of Energy; Accompanied by Dr. Everett Page 688 DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE AUTHORIZATION FOR APPROPRIATIONS FOR FISCAL YEAR 2003 TUESDAY, FEBRUARY 5, 2002 U.S. SENATE, COMMITTEE ON ARMED SERVICES, Washington, DC. MILITARY POSTURE The committee met, pursuant to notice, at 9:32 a.m. in room SH216, Hart Senate Office Building, Senator Carl Levin (chairman) presiding. Committee members present: Senators Levin, Kennedy, Byrd, Cleland, Landrieu, Reed, Akaka, Bill Nelson, E. Benjamin Nelson, Carnahan, Dayton, Bingaman, Warner, Inhofe, Santorum, Roberts, Allard, Hutchinson, Sessions, Collins, and Bunning. Committee staff members present: David S. Lyles, staff director; Christine E. Cowart, chief clerk; and Gabriella Eisen, nominations clerk. Majority staff members present: Daniel J. Cox, Jr., professional staff member; Madelyn R. Ĉreedon, counsel; Kenneth M. Crosswait, professional staff member; Richard D. DeBobes, counsel; Evelyn N. Farkas, professional staff member; Richard W. Fieldhouse, professional staff member; Creighton Greene, professional staff member; Gerald J. Leeling, counsel; Peter K. Levine, general counsel; Michael J. McCord, professional staff member; Arun A. Seraphin, professional staff member; and Terence P. Szuplat, professional staff member. Minority staff members present: Judith A. Ansley, Republican staff director; Charles W. Alsup, professional staff member; L. David Cherington, minority counsel; Edward H. Edens IV, professional staff member; Brian R. Green, professional staff member; William C. Greenwalt, professional staff member; Gary M. Hall, professional staff member; Carolyn M. Hanna, professional staff member; Mary Alice A. Hayward, professional staff member; Ambrose R. Hock, professional staff member; George W. Lauffer, professional staff member; Patricia L. Lewis, professional staff member; Thomas L. MacKenzie, professional staff member; Ann M. Mittermeyer, minority counsel; Suzanne K.L. Ross, research assistant; Joseph T. Sixeas, professional staff member; Carmen Leslie Stone, special assistant; Scott W. Stucky, minority counsel; and Richard F. Walsh, minority counsel. (1) Staff assistants present: Dara R. Alpert, Daniel K. Goldsmith, and Thomas C. Moore. Committee members' assistants present: B.G. Wright, assistant to Senator Byrd; Frederick M. Downey, assistant to Senator Lieberman; Andrew Vanlandingham, assistant to Senator Cleland; Jeffrey S. Wiener, assistant to Senator Landrieu; Elizabeth King, assistant to Senator Reed; Davelyn Noelani Kalipi, assistant to Senator Akaka; William K. Sutey, assistant to Senator Bill Nelson; Eric Pierce, assistant to Senator Ben Nelson; Neal Orringer, assistant to Senator Carnahan; Brady King, assistant to Senator Dayton; Benjamin L. Cassidy, assistant to Senator Warner; Christopher J. Paul, assistant to Senator McCain; J. Mark Powers, assistant to Senator Inhofe; George M. Bernier III, assistant to Senator Santorum; Robert Alan McCurry and James Beauchamp, assistants to Senator Roberts; Michele A. Traficante, assistant to Senator Hutchinson; Arch Galloway II, assistant to Senator Sessions; Kristine Fauser, assistant to Senator Collins; and Derek Maurer, assistant to Senator Bunning. OPENING STATEMENT OF SENATOR CARL LEVIN, CHAIRMAN Chairman LEVIN. Good morning. The committee meets this morning to receive testimony from Secretary of Defense Donald Rumsfeld and Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff General Richard Myers on the posture of United States Armed Forces and on the President's proposed defense program for fiscal years 2003 to 2007. We all have known General Myers for many years, but this is his first opportunity to testify before the committee as Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff. We give him a special welcome, and we welcome all of our witnesses today on this very important subject. As we meet today, America's Armed Forces continue to risk their lives in and around Afghanistan and, of course, in other places around the world. Some have been injured in Afghanistan, others have given their lives. This Nation is forever indebted to them and their families for their sacrifice. Senator Warner and I traveled to the Afghan theater to visit with our forces over Thanksgiving. Other members of the committee have since traveled to the region, and I know that my colleagues join me when I say that these men and women are nothing short of inspiring. They are performing a complex, challenging mission with extraordinary courage, skill, and determination. They know their mission and they know that America appreciates and supports them. The success of our forces has been remarkable. Osama bin Laden, if alive, is on the run and hiding. Many of his al Qaeda terrorists have been captured or killed. The Taliban regime that harbored them is no more. The Afghan people have been liberated from tyranny and an interim government is in place in Kabul. Nations around the world have been put on notice America is determined to protect itself from more attacks and to bring terrorists to justice. The excellence behind that success was not built in months. The success of our forces in Afghanistan is a tribute to our recruitment, training, and investments over many years, and it is a tribute to the leadership of the two witnesses that we have here today. Secretary Rumsfeld and General Myers, the country is grateful for your leadership of our Armed Forces during this dangerous time for our Nation. This committee will look carefully at the conduct of the operations in Afghanistan as we work with the Department of Defense to shape our forces for the future. On Thursday, the committee will receive testimony from the commander of Operation Enduring Freedom, General Tommy Franks, in both open and closed session. One of the lessons of this operation is that we enhance our security when we make common cause with other nations in pursuit of common goals. The path to a safer world and a more secure America rarely comes from a go-it-alone approach, but rather from working with allies, partners, and other nations, and from remaining engaged in critical regions of the world. Future success on the battlefield will also depend on success in managing the Department of Defense and in preparing our military for tomorrow's missions. The Department's budget request provides important funding for the war against terrorism and improves the quality of life of our forces and their families by increasing pay and benefits, especially health care. It includes funding for increased purchases of precision munitions and for unmanned aircraft, which proved so critical to the success of our military operations in Afghanistan. The administration is proposing the largest increase in military spending in two decades. This proposed increase comes without a comprehensive strategy or a detailed plan to guide that spending. The administration has not yet issued a national security strategy, a national military strategy, or a detailed plan for the size, structure, shape, and transformation of our military. We all appreciate the pressures on the Department while it conducts a war. At the same time, I trust that Secretary Rumsfeld agrees that an overall strategy and clear plans are essential if we are to make wise decisions on the future of our Armed Forces. We also continue to await a report on the steps that the Department plans to take to ensure that taxpayers' money is spent wisely. The administration is requesting $48 billion above the fiscal year 2002 level. In his last testimony before this committee 7 months ago, Secretary Rumsfeld candidly stated: "I have never seen an organization that could not operate at something like 5 percent more efficiency if it had the freedom to do so." He went on to say that the taxpayers have a right to demand that we spend their money wisely, and further said that he could not tell the American people that we are doing that. The committee will be interested to hear how much progress has been made on this front. I know that the Secretary is active_on many fronts. Waging a war is number one, and some of these other needs and considerations have to be delayed. But I know as soon as the Secretary is able to address these issues that he is going to do so while carrying on the other more pressing and more comprehensive responsibilities. Finally, we look forward to the Department's plan for carrying out what the Quadrennial Defense Review (QDR) called the military's highest priority: homeland security. A new combatant com mand will apparently coordinate the Department's role in homeland security. Congress awaits the decision on how the Pentagon intends to organize itself to oversee this mission. General Myers testified at his confirmation hearing in September that "this whole issue of homeland defense or homeland security needs a lot more thought." The committee looks forward to the specifics which Secretary Rumsfeld and General Myers could share with us this morning on that important mission. America's Armed Forces are performing admirably in their fight against al Qaeda. This committee will do all in its power, as it has done in years before, to ensure that our forces have the resources, tools, and technology they need to prevail in their fights. We are determined to preserve a high quality of life for our forces and their families, sustain readiness, and transform the Armed Forces to meet the threats and challenges of tomorrow. At this point, I would like to submit the statements of Senators Akaka and Landrieu. [The prepared statements of Senators Landrieu and Akaka follow:] PREPARED STATEMENT BY SENATOR MARY L. LANDRIEU Mr. Chairman, thank you for holding this invaluable hearing to discuss the Department of Defense's budget posture for fiscal year 2003, the future spending priorities for our Armed Forces beyond 2003, and, of course, America's response to the terrorist attacks on U.S. soil. Since September 11, Secretary Donald Rumsfeld has shown deft leadership in guiding his department in the war efforts against those who made a poor decision when they targeted America for their misguided wrath. Secretary Rumsfeld's response to the terrorist attacks has been measured and wholly appropriate. He moved deliberately and with great scrutiny to develop a plan that would increase security. The Secretary has crafted a mission for our Armed Forces and the Nation that will root out terrorist cells around the world and bring them to justice. General Myers, you are the embodiment of the fact that those who serve in our Nation's military are America's best and brightest. Your guidance and confidence lead every soldier, sailor, airman, and marine to be expertly trained, confident in themselves, and confident in the person next to them. Americans can sleep better tonight knowing that the Joint Chiefs, the commanders in chiefs (CINCs), and other uniformed leaders, with you in the cockpit, are working in unison to create the best methods to defend our shores, ensure liberty, and defeat our enemies. I want to paraphrase Winston Churchill's words of caution, as we are only at the end of the beginning of this war, but the war is progressing well. In 4 short months since we attacked al Qaeda and Taliban forces in Afghanistan, those forces have fled and are now in disarray. In a formerly lawless land, an interim government has been established, music is playing in the streets, and despair and destitution have been replaced with hope. Again, our mission is far from over, as Osama bin Laden's presence is unknown and al Qaeda cells exist in 30 or more other countries. But, we will provide justice for those who died as a result of September 11 bombings, and we will win the war on terrorism. Yesterday, President Bush officially released his budget for fiscal year 2003. I support the President's call for an expanded and more robust defense budget. America is at war, and we must spend whatever is necessary, yet prudent, to protect and secure our citizens and allies and thwart our enemies. As I stated previously, I concur with the President that the war on terrorism will be a long war. It will not end in Afghanistan. Rather, America must be prepared to fight this war for years to come in new and different ways. Nevertheless, while I applaud the President's goals and his tremendous determination and perseverance as our commander in chief, I am concerned that the President's budget does not most effectively and efficiently provide for the defense of our Nation, our Constitution, and those in uniform who defend our Nation and constitution. (1) Quality of life and military construction: While the President's budget makes important strides to improve housing on our military bases and gives military per |