WASHINGTON – U.S. Senator Roger Wicker, R-Miss., the highest-ranking Republican on the U.S. Senate Armed Services Committee, led his colleagues in a confirmation hearing examining the nominees for top posts in the U.S. National Guard Bureau (NGB) and U.S. Southern Command (SOUTHCOM).

In his opening remarks, Senator Wicker highlighted the emergence of significant great power competition within SOUTHCOM, citing examples such as China’s development of listening posts in Cuba and the presence of a Russian submarine in the Caribbean earlier this year. Senator Wicker also considered ways that the Department of Defense (DOD) can strengthen U.S. influence in response. Options for improving the U.S. position in SOUTHCOM, Senator Wicker said, include leveraging the DOD’s Office of Strategic Capital.

Senator Wicker noted the ongoing tension between the National Guard’s federal and state missions. Senator Wicker encouraged the nominee to balance important local priorities for the Guard with the overarching mission of maintaining military readiness and supporting the active-duty force in the event of a conflict.

Vice Admiral Alvin Holsey, nominee for commander of SOUTHCOM, and Lieutenant General Steven S. Nordhaus, nominee for chief of the National Guard Bureau, testified before the committee.

Read the remarks as delivered below or watch them here.

Thank you, Mr. Chairman.

I want to thank our witnesses for being here today. You've already recognized family members, but I do want to congratulate Vice Admiral Holsey on persuading a young lady from Claiborne County to be his bride some years ago.

Admiral Holsey, as the Deputy Commander at SOUTHCOM, you know as well as anyone how effective the Chinese Communist Party has become in the region. The CCP has been engaging in predatory economic and diplomatic practices in the region, threatening our interests there.

Our neighbors to the south rightly seek economic security for their people. The Chinese exploit this goal by aggressively lobbying leaders across the hemisphere, pedaling dubious promises of infrastructure [and] local job creation. Instead of honoring their promises, they often follow through with predatory practices. The CCP leaves those nations worse off by constructing infrastructure exclusively with Chinese labor and by creating facilities that are either poorly built or incomplete.

Simultaneously, through its state-owned enterprises, China sets conditions to enhance its military presence, gather intelligence, and attempt to limit U.S. access and influence.

This July, the Center for Strategic and International Studies published a report in which they outlined no fewer than four separate Chinese electronic surveillance operations on the island of Cuba. These operations may even be able to collect signals intelligence well into U.S. territory. This summer, the Russian Navy sent warships and submarines to exercise with the Cuban Navy. In other words, great power competition is happening right here in the Americas.

Now is the time for us to enhance our relationships and economic investment with our southern neighbors, yet our current approach is failing. SOUTHCOM has continued to rely primarily on security assistance and cooperation, which is prohibitively expensive. It's time to use capital investments to achieve national security goals in this theater.

Traditionally, we have not thought of investment strategy as a tool in DOD’s belt, but it can be highly effective when properly employed, and you and I have discussed this.

We should use it more frequently to promote US influence and defense interests, and SOUTHCOM can lead the way. It should work with entities such as the DOD’s Office of Strategic Capital, the Development Finance Corporation, and the Export-Import Bank. Their collaboration could pair U.S. private capital with strategic investment opportunities in the region, yielding economic and national security benefits for the United States.

Admiral Holsey, I look forward to hearing how you intend to change SOUTCOM’s approach, so it can do a better job of countering the malign influence of our adversaries and expand U.S. credibility in the region.

Now, Lieutenant General Nordhaus, if confirmed to serve as the chief of the National Guard Bureau, you will be the principal adviser to the Secretary of Defense on National Guard matters.

The National Guard experiences constant tension between its federal and state missions. The federal government provides the vast majority of funds for the National Guard, and it's entitled to set the terms and conditions for how those resources are used.

In addition, the National Guard performs vital tasks for local communities, but these services cannot come at the expense of the Guard's military readiness responsibilities. If confirmed, perhaps your most challenging task will be striking a balance between these often competing federal and state missions.

These competing priorities have led to avoidable conflict only recently. The National Guard cannot be the solution to every local labor shortage.

In two extreme examples, some governors have used the National Guard to drive school buses and staff nursing homes. These decisions erode military readiness, and they improperly take servicemembers away from their families and their civilian employment – not to mention their statutory mission. If confirmed, I expect you to use your influence to ensure the National Guard personnel are properly focused on readiness and used appropriately to support the Department of Defense and our nation in times of emergency or conflict.

Finally, I would like to congratulate the 155th Armored Brigade Combat Team of the Mississippi Army National Guard on a successful deployment. They took command of the Joint Multinational Training Group Ukraine, located in Germany, and had responsibility for training and mentoring the Ukrainian Armed Forces. This mission remains critical to our national security and I'm proud of the Mississippi National Guard for conducting such an important role – and I felt I should mention it this morning.

So, thank both of you for being here. I look forward to a very interesting hearing. Thank you, sir.