WASHINGTON – The Senate Armed Services Committee considered the nominations of three senior Department of Defense officials today. U.S. Senator Roger Wicker, R-Miss., the highest-ranking Republican on the Senate Armed Services Committee, led his colleagues on oversight of the nominees, particularly on issues related to the border wall and Chinese spy balloon.
Witnesses included Assistant Secretary of Defense for Homeland Defense Melissa Dalton, who is the nominee to be Under Secretary of the Air Force, Dr. Douglas C. Schmidt, who is the nominee to be Director of Operational Test and Evaluation, and Dr. Aprille J. Ericsson, who is the nominee to be Assistant Secretary of Defense for Science and Technology.
Senate Republicans have previously raised concerns about Assistant Secretary Dalton’s record. She was a part of the team that mishandled the timely and accurate notification to Congress about the Chinese spy balloon. As Assistant Secretary for Homeland Defense, Dalton also led the effort to respond to a congressional inquiry about the Department of Defense’s storage of unused border wall panels, a challenge addressed directly by Senator Wicker’s FINISH It Act, which was included in last year’s National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA).
Senator Wicker raised the issues with Dalton’s record in his opening remarks.
"Regrettably, [Ms. Dalton’s] performance in her current position gives me pause. While she has been at the post, the Department of Defense was caught flat-footed as a Chinese surveillance balloon traversed the continental United States and flew over military sites. When Congress sought more information, she, along with others at the Department, evaded Constitutionally-authorized oversight. Nearly a year later, we are still learning new facts about that episode,” Senator Wicker said.
“I am also concerned about Ms. Dalton’s handling of the Pentagon’s responsibilities at our southwestern border. At one point, the Department of Defense was spending $130,000 every single day to store, instead of use, border wall construction materials. They were already manufactured, they were ready, and yet we were spending $130,000 to store them. Meanwhile, illegal migration broke records. Later, we found out that the Department of Defense had initiated a process in which these panels would be auctioned for pennies on the dollar – a clear effort to circumvent emerging Congressional intent as the FINISH IT Act was being added to the NDAA. That act was added to the NDAA; it is now the law of the land.”
Read the full opening statement below or watch it here.
Thank you, Mr. Chairman. Today, we are here to consider three nominees for important roles in the Department of Defense.?I welcome the nominees and their families, as the Chair did.
Ms. Dalton, the Air Force and Space Force both possess insufficient capacity and capability to meet their growing mission sets. This is the case even as we march toward a state of maximum vulnerability in the Pacific. The last confirmed appointee to the post that Ms. Dalton has been appointed for was not focused on this challenge. She created division in our military instead of prioritizing readiness and modernization.
If Ms. Dalton is confirmed, I hope that she will not do the same. Regrettably, her performance in her current position gives me pause. While she has been at the post, the Department of Defense was caught flat-footed as a Chinese surveillance balloon traversed the continental United States and flew over military sites. When Congress sought more information, she, along with others at the Department, evaded Constitutionally-authorized oversight. Nearly a year later, we are still learning new facts about that episode.
I am also concerned about Ms. Dalton’s handling of the Pentagon’s responsibilities at our southwestern border. At one point, the Department of Defense was spending $130,000 every single day to store, instead of use, border wall construction materials. They were already manufactured, they were ready, and yet we were spending $130,000 to store them. Meanwhile, illegal migration broke records. Later, we found out that the Department of Defense had initiated a process in which these panels would be auctioned for pennies on the dollar – a clear effort to circumvent emerging Congressional intent as the FINISH IT Act was being added to the NDAA. That act was added to the NDAA; it is now the law of the land.
Ms. Dalton also failed to deliver the Homeland Defense Planning Guidance until the end of 2023 – over a year after the release of the National Defense Strategy. This track record casts a shadow on this nomination. But on top of it all, Ms. Dalton has virtually no experience with the Air Force. I hope she will address what she will brings to this position and what you have learned from mistakes in current and prior roles.
If confirmed, Dr. Ericsson would help keep U.S. military technology a step ahead of our adversaries’ capabilities. The Pentagon relies on American universities for early-stage research and development. But today, it works primarily with major universities in just a few states. I hope Dr. Ericsson will address why the Department of Defense needs to take advantage of the talent, capabilities, and expertise found at research institutions from coast to coast, not just a select few.
In regard to Dr. Schmidt, if confirmed, he will have his work cut out for him. This role has grown. Dr. Schmidt would now be responsible for the certification of all middle tier acquisition programs. These programs increase the speed at which the United States prototypes and fields new systems, and they use novel testing methods for certain Software Acquisition Pathway programs. These are exciting developments, but new systems often require new processes. The testing community could find it challenging to support the iterative testing these systems require, particularly where the lines between development and fielding are blurred. So I look forward to hearing about how Dr. Schmidt will promote best practices and support rapid acquisition pathways.
Thank you, and I look forward to your testimony.
