Henry Cuellar Questions Pete Hegseth About Keeping Western Hemisphere Command In San Antonio, Texas

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At today's House Appropriations Committee hearing, Rep. Henry Cuellar (D-TX) questioned Defense Sec. Pete Hegseth.

Transcript

00:00Thank you, Mr. Chairman, Mr. Secretary, and all three of you all, welcome and thank you for your service.

00:05I represent an area from San Antonio all the way to Laredo, the border.

00:11In San Antonio, we've got Joint Base San Antonio, the largest joint base in the Department of Defense

00:16that contributes over $151 billion to the Texas economy.

00:21We support 266 mission partners.

00:25Of course, San Antonio also has the second largest cyber footprint in the nation, hosting the 16 Air Force cyber.

00:34And then, of course, the military facilities that are the best in the country also.

00:42Along with that, going down to Laredo, the largest port in the country, ninth largest in the world,

00:48after eight Chinese ports, number nine in the world is Laredo.

00:53And my question, Mr. Secretary, has to do with one of your plans and ask you to, you know, welcome you to San Antonio,

01:03let the San Antonio folks come in.

01:05It has to do with Army, U.S. Army North and U.S. Army South.

01:09I'm not going to go with their missions, their critical mission.

01:12But what concerns us in San Antonio, both the Democrats and Republican members of Congress and Senators,

01:19we're concerned that, you know, in setting up a Western Hemisphere command,

01:23which I think it's a good idea, that you move it away from a place like San Antonio,

01:29where, you know, we have the infrastructure, the personnel, the community partnerships to work with you on this.

01:37And I say this because I think your testimony has about 11,900 troops that are down there working with Homeland,

01:46which I support.

01:49And keeping in mind what's happening with the cartels in Mexico and other places,

01:54I would ask you to, you know, when you look at this Western Hemisphere command,

01:59that you don't move it 1,500 miles away from the border, especially in a place like San Antonio.

02:05I think our Texas, I think we've got a few Texans here that can talk about the rest of the state of Texas

02:12and some wannabe Texans also that can talk about what the facilities we have.

02:17But I would ask you to, as you consider this, to keep the, you know, command,

02:26Western Hemisphere command in San Antonio.

02:31Well, sir, count me amongst some of the wannabe Texans.

02:35Tennessee is close enough.

02:39We've got no state income tax.

02:41It's true.

02:42I appreciate that concern.

02:44It is something that has come up multiple times in conversations with Secretary Driscoll

02:48and General George in reviewing their Army modernization plan and consolidation

02:53with the recognition that some of those changes when we go through a posture review

02:57and as we're looking at commands are going to include some tough choices.

03:01Some of that includes ranks and positioning, but you still are going to have, at some level,

03:08a south and north bifurcation.

03:10The question is where that is headquartered, and we are in an ongoing review on that,

03:15of exactly where that will shake out.

03:17But I would encourage continue deliberation with Secretary Driscoll.

03:20They have been thoughtful about it and will continue to be.

03:22And I understand that there's decisions that have to be made, the efficiencies and all that,

03:31but just ask you, as you look at that, if we're doing so much investment on the border,

03:37we already got the infrastructure down there in San Antonio and all the support from the other military bases

03:42across the state of Texas and the partnership.

03:46I would ask you and the Secretary to, you know, to please, before you make a decision,

03:53go, you know, go drink the water, you know, go, you know, feel what we have in San Antonio

03:58and the surrounding areas in Texas to consider that instead of just making a decision by the paper on that.

04:06And certainly ask you to consider also the second largest footprint that we have at cyber there in San Antonio

04:14and working with a top cyber university, UTSA there.

04:20And, of course, the military facilities that we have, which are in the best.

04:25And certainly during the Afghanistan and Iraq war, that area was looked.

04:30So I just ask that before any decisions we'll make, you know, consider making a trip to San Antonio.

04:37And have your folks understand.

04:39And I know some of you have been in Texas before and would ask you to look at that.

04:44So with that, Mr. Secretary, and all of you, I'll thank you for your service.

04:48Well, noted, sir.

04:49And thank you for your contributions to securing the border, which has been a huge priority for President Trump.

04:55We're going to get 100 percent operational control.

04:58It's because of support and folks like you.

05:00Thank you for your service.

05:02Thank you, gentlemen.

05:03Chairman Womack.

05:04Thank you, Mr. Chairman.

05:06And I...

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