00:00Thank you very much, Senator Budd. Senator Warren.
00:02Thank you, Mr. Chairman, and congratulations to all of our nominees.
00:06In 1983, Congress created the Director of Operational Test and Evaluation Office
00:13to provide the Secretary of Defense in Congress with the unvarnished truth about the weapons we buy
00:20and whether they actually work.
00:22The reason for that bill was because the military had been caught trying to cover up major problems.
00:30Like that the Bradley fighting vehicle would, quote,
00:34burn its crew to death if it were hit by a single Soviet anti-tank missile.
00:41Now, Dr. Henninger, if you are confirmed to lead the testing office,
00:45it will be your job to make sure that similar problems are brought to light and fixed.
00:51And this is important because service members' lives are at stake here.
00:55But Secretary Hegseth has issued a memo reducing the staff by 74% and its budget by 80%.
01:05This is a dangerous decision, and I have serious concerns about whether you will have the resources you need
01:11to accomplish your safety mission.
01:14So, Dr. Henninger, will you promise to come to this committee and tell the public
01:20if your test results show that a system is unsafe or doesn't work,
01:26or if you don't have the resources to tell one way or the other about whether a system is safe and operational or not?
01:36Thank you for that question, Senator Warren.
01:40Our reports will always reflect any limitations or assumptions that we encountered in operational tests and evaluation.
01:48And, of course, I will always come before you and tell the truth.
01:52So, all those things taken together, that's an affirmative yes.
01:57Well, I appreciate that. Having the courage to speak truth to power is a big part of what this office is all about.
02:06You know, this is very personal for me, Dr. Henninger.
02:09This office is the one that raised the alarm about safety concerns on the V-22,
02:16and those warnings were ignored, and two of my constituents died.
02:21You need to be the watchdog that barks.
02:25Now, one of your major tools is your annual report.
02:28Under the Biden administration, there was pressure on the testing office to hide problems
02:35through designations like controlled unclassified information.
02:39The information isn't classified, but those blank spots, blackouts in the report,
02:46keep the public in the dark about a tank that gets so hot that it burns soldiers' hands,
02:52or the risk that a pilot ejecting from an F-35 will have their neck snapped.
03:00So, Dr. Henninger, if you are confirmed, do you promise to ensure that the testing office's reports inform the public as much as possible
03:10as possible about the problems that we need to fix in order to make sure that our weapons are safe?
03:16Yes, Senator, to the maximum extent possible.
03:19Okay, I will hold you to that.
03:21Now, one of your other tools is your oversight list, which identifies which programs should receive scrutiny from your office.
03:30Congress plays a key role in providing oversight of these programs as well, as you know.
03:36And in the past, your office has agreed to add programs that Congress identifies to your list so they will be sure to be scrutinized.
03:46Dr. Henninger, if you are confirmed, will you commit to continue to support your office conducting oversight on programs that Congress requests?
03:57Thank you, Senator Warren.
04:01I will always conform with all the laws and regulations that govern my role, if confirmed.
04:06And if Congress legislates the oversight list, then I will absolutely…
04:12Okay, I have to say, that's the wrong answer.
04:14This is not one where the question is, if we legislate, will you follow the law?
04:18Well, like, yes.
04:20I mean, that should be a given.
04:21I don't think I should have to ask that.
04:23The question is, if we request oversight of a particular company or a particular effort that is going forward, our constitutional responsibility is oversight.
04:38And in many ways, you are our eyes and ears out there.
04:41I want a commitment from you that if we're requesting oversight, that you will, in fact, put that company or put that program on your oversight list.
04:50Can I get that commitment?
04:52Senator, we all want the oversight list to reflect the programs or records that will best serve our missions and keep our warfighters safe and our taxpayers apprised.
05:03And I will take all suggestions with a wide net.
05:08I'll cast a wide net.
05:09Take everybody's suggestions who have something to offer and do an analysis of what should be on the oversight list.
05:16Yes.
05:17Okay.
05:18It's a better answer than the first one, but not a great answer here.
05:22Look, ensuring the safety of our service members means standing up for transparency and against any pressure that would compromise the integrity of the testing process.
05:32That's all I'm looking for here.
05:35And the Senate National Defense Authorization Act goes a long way to push back on misguided efforts to reduce essential oversight.
05:44I look forward to working with the chairman and all of my colleagues on getting that done.
05:49But we really need you committed to overseeing and being transparent about what you have seen in the testing programs.
