WASHINGTON – U.S. Senator Roger Wicker, R-Miss., ranking member of the Senate Armed Services Committee, yesterday participated in a full committee hearing examining the nominations of Lt. Gen. Gregory M. Guillot, USAF, to lead U.S. Northern Command (NORTHCOM) and North American Aerospace Defense Command (NORAD), and Lt. Stephen N. Whiting, USSF, to lead U.S. Space Command (SPACECOM).

In his remarks submitted for the record, Wicker observed that American sovereignty is being undermined by criminal cartels at the southern border, Chinese investments in space, and a lack of aerial domain awareness following the Chinese spy balloon incident.

“The Chinese spy craft is only one example of the grave threats?NORTHCOM faces when it comes to national sovereignty and security,” Wicker said. “Mexico’s criminal cartels have exploited our poorly-protected southern border, driving unprecedented human- and drug-trafficking.”

“China is working overtime to become a ‘great space power,’” Wicker added. “Beijing continues to test and build an arsenal of anti-satellite capabilities that could seriously degrade U.S. warfighting capabilities.”

In his exchange with Lt. Gen. Guillot, Wicker received a commitment from the general to provide Congress with timely national security information updates – even when those updates run contrary to the White House’s communication strategy. Wicker’s comments follow continued deflection from the White House on the Chinese spy balloon incident from earlier this year.

“We, on this side, have asked some specific questions in writing of the administration and have not gotten all the answers we needed,” Wicker said of the Chinese spy balloon.

When discussing the state of various national defense challenges with Lt. General Whiting, Wicker expressed the need to prepare space capabilities in the event that war breaks out over Taiwan with China. Lt. Gen. Whiting noted that the “opening shots in such a war” with China could occur in space.

“Let’s say that the Chinese Communist Party of China under Xi Jinping decides to invade their neighbor Taiwan. There will be a battle in space almost immediately,” Wicker said.

Read Senator Wicker’s remarks as submitted for the record below. Watch his exchange with Lt. Gen Guillot and Lt. Gen. Whiting here.

Thank you, Mr. Chairman and I too welcome these witnesses, their families, and friends.

Lt. General Guillot and Lt. General Whiting, I want to say congratulations to you both. You have been tapped to lead two of the most consequential commands in our national defense.

Lt. General Guillot, you have been nominated to be the next commander of U.S. Northern Command. I appreciate your wife, Caroline, and your daughter, Elizabeth, for being here.

Lt. General Whiting, you have been nominated to be the next commander of U.S. Space Command. I appreciate your wife, Tammy, your daughter, Ally, and your friends for being here, and I also welcome your loved ones watching remotely today. From one Mississippian to another, let me say this: You bring honor to our country and to all Mississippians through your devoted service.

Your nominations come before this committee at an important moment. Senior military and defense personnel continually tell this committee that we are in the most dangerous national security moment since World War II.

The dual military competitions with the Chinese Communist Party and Russian Federation highlight our relative unpreparedness. Our adversaries are seizing the advantage wherever possible.

We are all familiar with a recent example of this trend. This year, a Chinese surveillance balloon breached our airspace and traversed the entire continental United States uncontested. Testimony and investigations revealed that improved radar capabilities and updated authorization protocol could have helped prevent the spy balloon situation. And despite our repeated inquiries, there are several unanswered questions that I and other members of this committee have about this event.

General Guillot, if you are confirmed, I hope I can count on your unreserved professional military advice as you work with Congress to deliver a full accounting of this event to the American people.

The Chinese spy craft is only one example of the grave threats NORTHCOM faces when it comes to national sovereignty and security. Mexico’s criminal cartels have exploited our poorly-protected southern border, driving unprecedented human- and drug-trafficking.

The administration has done remarkably little to address the fentanyl crisis.  The counter-cartel effort is under-resourced and poorly coordinated. In fact, the president is wasting taxpayer money letting clear border initiatives languish. He has banned border wall construction, and the Department of Defense is still paying to store border wall construction materials rather than deploying those materials to extend the wall and secure our border. This is nonsense.

The crisis will only worsen without a more focused response. General Guillot, I would appreciate any insights you are able to provide for how NORTHCOM can help Congress secure our southern border.

General Whiting, if you are confirmed, you will face threats in space that are also alarming. China is working overtime to become a “great space power.” Beijing continues to test and build an arsenal of anti-satellite capabilities that could seriously degrade U.S. warfighting capabilities. One official even said it was plausible that China could, quote, “catch up and surpass us.

General Whiting, I am interested in your assessment of Chinese space capabilities and your vision for how we compete with Beijing in that domain. I also look forward to your thoughts on Space Command’s role in protecting American commercial interests in space.

I thank you both for your time, and I look forward to your testimony.