Chairman Wicker Leads SASC Hearing to Consider Nominations for Top U.S. Cyber and Southern Command Leadership

Chairman Wicker Leads SASC Hearing to Consider Nominations for Top U.S. Cyber and Southern Command Leadership
January 20, 2026
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WASHINGTON –
U.S. Senator Roger Wicker, R-Miss., Chairman of the Senate Armed Services Committee, today led a hearing to consider the nominations for U.S. Cyber and Southern Command Leadership.
Lieutenant General Francis “Frank” L. Donovan, USMC, nominated to be Commander, U.S. Southern Command, and Lieutenant General Joshua M. Rudd, USA, nominated to be Commander, U.S. Cyber Command and Director of the National Security Agency, as well as Chief of the Central Security Service, both appeared before the committee.
In his opening remarks, Chairman Wicker emphasized the strategic importance of these commands and the vital roles they play in safeguarding U.S. national security and cyber and regional defense capabilities.
Read Chairman Wicker’s hearing opening statement as delivered.
The committee meets today to consider two nominations. We will speak with Lieutenant General Joshua Rudd, who has been nominated to be the Commander of United States Cyber Command, Director of the National Security Agency, and Commander of the Central Security Service. We will also consider the nomination of Lieutenant General Frank Donovan to be the Commander of United States Southern Command. I welcome our nominees and their families, and I would like to extend my gratitude for their continued willingness to serve our nation.
If confirmed, Lieutenant General Rudd will assume command of an organization that has been without a Senate-confirmed leader since April of last year. U.S. Cyber Command is our first and last line of defense in the cyber domain. It is largely invisible to the American people. But every day, the men and women of Cyber Command defend the U.S. from attacks by our adversaries. This is not a theoretical threat. This is an ongoing fight, occurring right now even as we speak.
Our adversaries intend to move against us in the cyber domain. And they are investing in technology that makes their aggression increasingly difficult to detect, to defend against, and to deter. We see this challenge manifesting in the homeland, where our critical infrastructure remains vulnerable to sophisticated attacks. We see it globally, where there is still a great deal of work to do to posture Cyber Command for a fight in the Indo-Pacific. This is vital work, as General Caine made clear in public following the events in Venezuela. Our American cyber operators performed their job excellently and kept their fellow service members safe.
I look forward to hearing from Lieutenant General Rudd about how his experiences will inform his plans for Cyber Command as he takes the helm during this critical time.
Lieutenant General Donovan has been nominated to serve as the Commander of U.S. Southern Command. His nomination comes as the region experiences a dramatic increase in operational tempo. The threats we face here are significant and close to home. South American cartels traffic drugs that kill more than 100,000 Americans annually. These networks are not only criminal enterprises but are sophisticated, well-armed actors that undermine regional stability, fuel violence, and directly harm public safety in American communities.
Three of our greatest adversaries—Russia, China, and Iran—are coordinating to counter U.S. commercial, political, and security interests in South America. They are doing so right under our noses. Together, they exploit corruption and partner with authoritarian regimes in the Western Hemisphere, hoping to gain strategic economic access, intelligence footholds, and political leverage close to U.S. territory.
?Across?South America,?Chinese influence?threatens?U.S. interests?by?controlling?critical infrastructure, telecommunications?systems,?and?ports.? China?has?used?large-scale purchases of?critical?materials—such as copper, oil, and lithium—to deepen economic dependence and?to?limit U.S. access.??China has also successfully persuaded multiple countries in the region to switch diplomatic recognition from Taiwan to the People’s Republic of China.??This?would chip?away at?Taiwan’s international?standing.??Most?troubling, China has expanded defense cooperation?with?arms sales, police training, and space and cyber partnerships—all?to the detriment of our country.?
Similarly, Russia?has deepened?security?relations with?authoritarian regimes in?Venezuela, Nicaragua, and Cuba.??Putin is?selling arms, providing military advisors,?and?expanding?intelligence cooperation,?all?in exchange for?permission?to?deploy?Russian military?aircraft?and?naval vessels?in the region.??Moscow has exploited?local corruption to?access the global financial system,?to?evade U.S. sanctions,?and?to?sustain its?brutal campaign?against the?Ukrainian people.?
Iran?has long used Hezbollah and affiliated networks in parts of South America to help with fundraising,?with?money laundering,?and?with?illicit trafficking.??These moves?help?fuel?their?terrorism operations?around the world.?So, we have a lot to talk about today.
It is clear?that?our?adversaries’ activities in South America?represent a direct threat?to?U.S.?interests.??It is time we restore U.S. primacy in our own neighborhood.??I?fully?support the?ongoing?efforts of the Trump administration to pursue a tougher counter-drug strategies.??I commend?our troops?for?carrying?out an almost perfectly executed operation to?capture?Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro and Cilia Flores,?and?to?bring them to the United States to face justice?for narco-terrorism and drug-trafficking charges.??These?actions?send a clear signal?to?Russia, China,?and?Iran,?and?to?the authoritarian regimes in South America who give them a foothold in our hemisphere.?The United States is ready, willing, and capable?of?protecting?our interests, especially those?closest to home.?
I look forward to hearing from Lieutenant General?Donovan?about his plans?to lead?Southern Command?in?restoring American deterrence?and ensuring we have the right blend of military and economic?effects?across South America and the Caribbean.?
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