I want to join Senator Inhofe in welcoming General Selva this morning, and I also want to join him in wishing Senator McCain a full and speedy recovery.  

General Selva, as this committee considers your reappointment to be the Vice Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, I want to thank you for your many years of service to our nation, and for your willingness to continue to serve in a position of great responsibility.  I also want to recognize your wife, Ricki, for her many years of support.

The United States faces a wide range of multi-faceted and varied challenges around the world.  If you are reconfirmed as the Vice Chairman, you will be an integral player in addressing these complex international issues facing our national interest.

Russia’s malign influence and active measures activities have been aimed at undermining the American people’s faith in our election process, as well as other Western elections.  Furthermore, Russia continues to threaten its neighbors and our NATO allies, and has failed to end its interference in Ukraine by complying with its commitments under the Minsk cease-fire agreement.  Finally, Russia has refused to withdraw its support for the Assad regime.  

North Korea’s nuclear and missile program is an immediate and grave national security threat, and the U.S. continues to grapple with the fact that there is no set of quick and certain options.  China has not demonstrated its willingness to enforce effective sanctions against North Korea and, in addition, continues to threaten the rules-based order in the Asia-Pacific region by economic coercion of its smaller, more vulnerable neighbors, and by undermining the freedom of navigation.

Iran continues their aggressive weapons development activities, including ballistic missile development efforts, as well as other destabilizing activities in the region. 

Finally, while we continue to make steady military progress against ISIS, the Administration has yet to publicly articulate a broader whole of government strategy for addressing the issues that gave rise to ISIS in the first place. 

General Selva, the aforementioned challenges are urgent and pressing, and the committee looks forward to hearing from you on how the Department of Defense plans to address these issues.

In addition, the Vice Chairman is assigned a number of specific responsibilities.  For example, the FY17 National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) strengthened the Vice Chairman’s role on the Joint Requirements Oversight Council (JROC) by making the Vice Chairman the principal adviser to the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs on joint military capabilities and joint performance requirements.  Given the important function of the JROC in reviewing requirements for acquisition programs to ensure they are reasonable and necessary, I look forward to your thoughts on the effectiveness of these new authorities and whether you believe additional changes are warranted. 

The Vice Chairman is a key player in the interagency process – a role that often requires working closely with senior policy makers within the Department and at the National Security Council on critical national security issues.  In light of the strategic challenges I referenced earlier, the committee looks forward to hearing from you on the effectiveness of the current interagency process.

Finally, General Selva, you have been a partner with Deputy Secretary Work in developing and fostering the Department’s innovation strategy, including the so-called Third Offset, the Strategic Capabilities Office, the Defense Innovation Unit Experimental or DIUX, and other special projects.  If confirmed to a second term as the Vice Chairman, you will provide vital continuity between the last administration and the present administration.  It is imperative that the Defense Department under Secretary Mattis continue this effort to learn how to leverage the most dynamic sectors of our economy to harness new technologies and ways of thinking to solve our difficult and diverse global challenges.

Thank you, again, General Selva for your willingness to serve our nation, and I look forward to the hearing.  Thank you, Mr. Chairman.