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Dem Lawmaker Asks Hegseth Point Blank If He Believes He Has The Authority To Defy A SCOTUS Ruling
Forbes Breaking News
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6/13/2025
At a House Armed Services Committee hearing on Thursday, Rep. Sarah Elfreth (D-MD) questioned Defense Sec. Pete Hegseth about following rulings from the Supreme Court.
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00:00
Thank you, Mr. Chair, and thank you to our witnesses today.
00:04
I want to echo first my colleagues and their concerns surrounding a number of issues,
00:07
including the deployment of Marines to Los Angeles, the importance of supporting our ally in Ukraine,
00:11
the alarming security breach that was signal gate, and the unjust termination of members of our military
00:15
from diverse backgrounds who simply want to serve our nation.
00:18
But before I get to my questions, Mr. Secretary, I want to just follow up on my colleague from New Hampshire.
00:23
Setting aside district courts, do you believe you have the authority to defy a Supreme Court ruling, yes or no?
00:30
We're not here to defy a Supreme Court ruling.
00:33
Okay, I'll take that as a win.
00:34
I want to move on to Cybercom in my state.
00:38
Mr. Secretary, earlier this year, General Hawk was relieved of his command of Cybercom and NSA
00:42
following a tweet that accused him of being disloyal to the president,
00:46
and the oath that you took, the oath that I took, does not demand loyalty to any president,
00:51
but to this Constitution.
00:52
I, too, brought my copy from college with me.
00:54
And yet, as of this date, General Hawk, his successor has not yet been named,
01:00
and you've stated many times that lethality of the military is critical,
01:04
so it's difficult to understand how this administration would allow any billet to remain unfilled,
01:11
especially those who lead our combatant commands.
01:13
I join my colleague, Congressman Bacon, in my grave concern that both the firing
01:17
and the delay in hiring of a leader of Cybercom only gives assurance and comfort to our adversaries.
01:24
So I'm sure you would agree that any combatant command cannot be at its most lethal
01:28
if a commander remains absent.
01:32
When will the president announce the new commander of Cybercom?
01:36
I would note there's a very highly capable deputy there,
01:41
so it's not adrift at all.
01:42
We recognize that, and we are in the process of ensuring that slot is filled.
01:48
In the next month, two months, three months?
01:52
It will not be that long.
01:53
Okay, I appreciate that.
01:54
General Kane, during your confirmation process,
01:57
you stated that the dual hat arrangement provides the ability to look across both organizations
02:01
and has empowered both U.S. Cybercom and the NSA to fulfill their missions better than each could do alone.
02:08
Can you confirm for this committee that you hold that view to this day
02:12
and in one sentence or less speak to the importance of that dual hat arrangement?
02:17
Yeah, that reflects the current policy of the administration.
02:20
The secretary, of course, as does the president, reserves the right to rethink that.
02:26
Both organizations are critical, and whether they're a single or dual hat relationship,
02:33
if directed, we'll take a look at the risk associated with each one of them
02:37
and come back to our civilian leaders with those risks and let them make a decision on it.
02:42
But you are in the room.
02:43
Are you not advising the president as what is best for our national security?
02:48
I am in the room, yeah.
02:49
And can you commit to—I agree.
02:51
Can you commit to continuing your advocacy for that dual hat relationship?
02:56
After some analysis at the time, I wasn't even in the military.
03:00
I was still coming back in.
03:01
So if directed to take a look at it, we'll carefully, ma'am, measure the goods and others of each of those.
03:08
But you have my commitment that I'll continue, as I have,
03:11
giving my candid, forthright military advice on the eaches and others of all those
03:16
to the secretary, the NSA, and the president.
03:18
Thank you, sir.
03:18
I want to move on to sexual assault in the military,
03:21
and it remains a stain on this DOD and this entire nation.
03:23
It erodes cohesion.
03:25
It brings a lifetime of pain and recovery for victims, including my constituents.
03:29
It's important to members of this committee that funding for SAPPER in particular increases
03:33
and that any flat line of that funding would be viewed as a decrease.
03:37
In preparation for and during your confirmation, Mr. Secretary,
03:40
you made commitments that you would support a robust sexual assault program and response program
03:45
that, quote, seeks to drive sexual assaults in the military down to zero.
03:49
I commend you for that commitment.
03:50
I agree with it.
03:51
And yet it's been brought up many times.
03:52
We have no budget by which to measure your commitment and your promises.
03:56
So can you commit to today that when we do at last receive your final FY26 budget,
04:01
we will see an increase to SAPPER funding and a plan from you as to how to drive sexual
04:07
assaults down to zero?
04:09
As I said in my confirmation, I applaud Congress for the efforts that have been ongoing to address
04:14
that issue, which we do need to drive to zero.
04:16
That funding has not been reduced.
04:18
We've looked at a lot of places for efficiencies.
04:20
That has not been won.
04:21
And I think you've seen the same news I have that, thankfully, sexual assaults are coming
04:25
down and we continue to want to do that.
04:27
But we have to remain ever vigilant, which is why I hope it's not level funded.
04:31
I hope we can continue to drive that down.
04:32
So I look forward to that final budget whenever we do receive it.
04:35
Lastly, and I'll take this for the record, moving on to a similar topic, which is rape
04:39
kits for DOD civilians overseas.
04:42
In April, DHA issued a memo denying DOD non-beneficiary civilians who are victims of sexual assault
04:47
and rape access to sexual assault evidence collection kits.
04:50
If I could get for the record your explanation for this decision, these civilians support the
04:54
DOD.
04:55
It's incredibly important that we find and bring justice to those victims, and I look forward
04:59
to working with you on it.
05:01
And I'll yield back my time, Mr. Chair.
05:02
Generally, his time's expired, Chair.
Recommended
5:07
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