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WASHINGTON – U.S. Senator Roger Wicker, R-Miss., Chairman of the Senate Armed Services Committee, today led a hearing to examine nominees for several senior civilian national security positions.

During his opening remarks, Chairman Wicker emphasized the importance of addressing the severity of nuclear threats posed by Russia, China, Iran, and North Korea, while also reassuring our allies of the dependability of U.S. extended deterrence.

Read Senator Wicker’s hearing opening statement as delivered.

I welcome our nominees and their families, and I want to express my gratitude for their willingness to serve our nation. The United States is up against a very dangerous threat environment.  I am grateful to see these nominees stepping up to serve.

Mr. Richard Anderson has been nominated for the position of Assistant Secretary of the Air Force for Manpower and Reserve Affairs.? In this role, he will be responsible for overseeing the development and implementation of policies related to the Air Force's recruiting, retention, talent management, and readiness.? This includes ensuring that both active-duty and reserve personnel are effectively managed, and it includes supporting the training and career progression of Air Force members.

The Air Force has seen improvements in its recruitment and retention rates, and Mr. Anderson must sustain and build on this positive momentum.  Mr. Anderson is a retired Air Force Colonel.  He brings valuable firsthand experience to this position. I look forward to hearing his vision for strengthening the service’s workforce and enhancing its ability to meet future challenges.

Dr. Matthew Napoli has been nominated to be Deputy Administrator for Defense Nuclear Nonproliferation within the National Nuclear Security Administration (NNSA). In this position, Dr. Napoli will support the NNSA Administrator as they both work to prevent the proliferation of nuclear weapons technologies and to reduce the global threat of nuclear and radiological terrorism.

He will have a lot of work to do. The danger from nuclear weapons is growing more complex by the day. Over the past several years, we have watched as Russia, China, and North Korea have rapidly expanded their nuclear arsenals and developed new types of weapons – weapons for which we are not fully prepared.  Iran may now be just weeks away from achieving its goal. I applaud President Trump’s recent comments, and his current efforts. He’s made it clear that the ayatollahs’ nuclear weapons program must be totally dismantled.

As we work to modernize our own deterrent and expand our defenses, we must keep focus in the right place.  The real objective is to reduce nuclear dangers by whatever means available.  When we prevent those who would do us harm from accessing nuclear material and technologies, we are protecting America and Americans.  And we protect Americans by defeating those threats once they become a reality. I look forward to hearing how Dr. Napoli will help NNSA reduce the amount of nuclear dangers arrayed against our country.

One small note on this topic: Some of our key allies have begun to question the reliability of U.S. extended deterrence.  They need not do this. Both the president and the United States Congress have been clear about our continuing resolve to use the full range of capabilities to meet our alliance commitments.  Dr. Napoli would do well to make this clear today.

Mr. Adam Telle has been nominated to be the Assistant Secretary of the Army for Civil Works. Mr. Telle is a graduate of Mississippi State University and a veteran of Capitol Hill.  He currently works as Senator Hagerty’s Chief of Staff, and he once served as Senator Cochran’s Legislative Director.  If confirmed, Mr. Telle would be the principal civilian advisor to the Secretary of the Army on all matters related to the Civil Works Program.  This includes providing policy direction and supervision for all Department of the Army functions relating to the civil works of the United States Army Corps of Engineers.

A significant part of those civil works involves the conservation and development of national water resources, including flood and coastal storm risk management, river and harbor navigation, environmental restoration and protection, and the management of water supply and hydroelectric power resources.  I look forward to hearing how Mr. Telle plans to balance the complex demands of these local and regional projects – projects that communities across the nation depend on.