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Floor Speech

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Mr. KIM. Mr. President, I rise today because it is inevitable that at some point in the near future, President Trump will have to convene his national security team in the Situation Room at the White House in response to a global crisis, whether in Ukraine or in the Taiwan Strait or in some other hotspot.

The Situation Room is a room that I have had the privilege of working in as staff on the White House National Security Council. It is a room where the most consequential decisions are made, where the safety and security of our country is decided, and where the lives of people are determined. But who will be in the room with the President, advising the President during these difficult and stressful times? As the President sits at the end of the table, flanking him will be some of the most senior advisers. One of them, the closest to him, will be the Secretary of Defense.

Mr. President, I rise today because I know the importance of that role in that room. I have seen what it means for the President to turn to the Secretary of Defense for counsel. In fact, I even worked at the Pentagon, in the Office of the Secretary of Defense. I have seen the massive operation that the Secretary needs to lead every day and what it takes. I have seen the readiness necessary for the Secretary of Defense to turn to the President and provide the right recommendations for America's national security.

I have seen Mr. Pete Hegseth make his case. I have seen his answers in front of the Senate Armed Services Committee. I have seen the reports. I can say from my experience in the Secretary of Defense's Office as well as in the Situation Room, that Mr. Hegseth's appointment is an unnecessary risk in a dangerous global moment.

Now, I get it. President Trump wants to be a disruptor. He wants to bring in people who are going to shake up the system. He wants people who represent a change from the status quo. I am sure a number of us here in the Senate would like to see some changes at the Pentagon-- changes as to how things are done and understanding that the status quo is not something we can lean on. We certainly have disagreements on how best to add certainty and stability to the world that seems to be off the rails in this moment. But there is talking about change and there is actually having the skills and the capacity to implement change.

The Department of Defense is our largest employer in our government and one that requires critical leadership.

Let's look at the world that Mr. Hegseth would inherit as Secretary of Defense, the world that President Trump will ask him about in the Situation Room.

On Ukraine, it is clear that Mr. Hegseth simply doesn't know his history. During his nomination hearing, he called Russia's 2014 invasion of Crimea a ``minor incursion.'' He has also downplayed the threat that Putin's Russia poses to our NATO allies.

On China, Mr. Hegseth demonstrated a lack of depth of knowledge when asked by Senator Duckworth to name the importance of even one of the ASEAN countries and the type of agreement we have with them. He could not name one. These countries--including multiple treaty allies--are on the frontlines of our competition with China. Multiple ASEAN members are locked in territorial disputes with China.

This is a critical partner, so much that the Department of Defense 2 months ago released a strategic document called ``U.S. Department of Defense Vision Statement for a Prosperous and Secure Southeast Asia'' that was centered on ASEAN and even mentioned that ``The United States has worked closely with ASEAN on defense and security in the Indo- Pacific region since former Defense Secretary Robert Gates attended the inaugural ASEAN Defense Ministers' Meeting . . . in 2010.'' It goes on to say that the ``U.S. Secretary of Defense has attended and supported ASEAN at every single one of those gatherings ever since.''

In a moment where these disputes could easily flare up to conflict, the President needs a Secretary by his side who doesn't draw a blank on questions about our allies.

And on the Middle East, Mr. Hegseth remarked that ISIS was ``raging across Iraq'' when President Trump was first sworn into office in 2017 was simply not reflective of the reality on the ground at the time.

Combined, that lack of knowledge and qualifications alone should disqualify Mr. Hegseth from this role. But there is one more disqualifying factor, which is his character.

Now, there has been a lot said about this already in terms of personal challenges and behaviors, so I will leave it at this: Someone who is being asked to lead millions of uniformed and civilian personnel, his statements on women and transgender servicemembers are simply unacceptable.

Claiming that standards have been lowered for women and that allowing LGBT Americans to serve in the military is somehow part of a Marxist agenda is beyond offensive; it is absurd. And it is far beneath the person that is supposed to be setting the standard and serving as a leader for the men and women who have dedicated themselves to protecting this country.

I have said before that every President, including President Trump, has the prerogative to choose the people who sit at that table with him in the Situation Room. But our job here in the Senate is to make sure that those people have the competence and the character to serve our country. This is not a reality TV show. This is real life, and there are real lives at stake.

Mr. Hegseth should be recognized for his service, but he should not be Secretary of Defense. If that is not enough, we are voting also to approve someone to be the sixth in line of Presidential succession. Is Mr. Hegseth ready for either of these distinctions? The answer for me is no.

For the sake of our country and our national security, I encourage my colleagues who want to support this President to oppose this nomination and bring forth another nominee more qualified for the role, more ready for the role. I encourage my colleagues who want to deliver change to oppose this nomination and bring forth another nominee with the experience and credibility to deliver it. I encourage my colleagues who want to make our country safe, who want to make our world a more stable place, and who want to leave a legacy of peace and strength, to oppose this nomination and bring us a nominee ready to deliver for the American people.

I urge a ``no'' vote on Pete Hegseth for Secretary of Defense.

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