Fischer Questions Michael Cadenazzi, Jr., Vice Admiral Scott Pappano at Senate Armed Services Committee Confirmation Hearing

Today, U.S. Senator Deb Fischer (R-Neb.), a senior member of the Senate Armed Services Committee, questioned the nominees for Assistant Secretary of Defense for Industrial Base Policy, Michael Cadenazzi, Jr., and Principal Deputy Administrator National Nuclear Security Administration, Vice Admiral Scott Pappano, USN, at their confirmation hearing.
During the hearing, Fischer asked VADM Pappano about ensuring that the National Nuclear Security Administration (NNSA) weapons production remains on schedule. She emphasized the importance of modernized facilities capable of processing the materials necessary for nuclear weapons production.
Fischer asked Mr. Cadenazzi about working with NNSA and the Department of Energy to grow our skilled manufacturing workforce and address broader industrial base concerns. She also asked about increasing munitions production and the Department of Defense’s National Defense Industrial Strategy.
Click the image above to watch a video of Fischer’s questioning
Click
here
to download audio
Click
here
to download video
Fischer Questions Nominees
:
Fischer:
Thank you, Mr. Chairman, and thank you Ranking Member Reed. Thank you, gentlemen, for being here today and for your willingness to continue to serve this country. Admiral, thank you for coming in to visit. I appreciated you taking time in the conversation that we had. If confirmed, can you tell me how you will work to ensure that NNSA weapons production remains on schedule?
VADM Pappano:
Thank you, Senator. Yes, if confirmed, obviously, the production—shifting to production—is a key element for us to modernize the nuclear weapons stockpile right now. We've done a very good job of stockpile management in a science-based manner and kept up over the years. However, now, we have to transition that from the science-based stockpile management to actual production facilities and make sure we modernize the facilities, making sure that we don't lose the science in the process and continue that going forward. I'll look to do that by looking across at how we are modernizing our facilities right now and try to bring as much advanced manufacturing capabilities we can. As we look at the Manhattan Project era buildings that we're dealing with: a lot of these facilities, how do we—as we modernize those—bring in modern technology so that we can be much more effective going forward in our production of nuclear weapons stockpile.
Fischer:
Thank you. We talked a little bit about NNSA's 25-year Enterprise Blueprint, a roadmap to modernize the infrastructure there, and some of which, as you brought up in our discussion, dates back to the Manhattan Project. We won't be able to produce the weapons that we need without the facilities needed to process materials like uranium, lithium, high explosives that go in those nuclear weapons. So, anything we can do as you look at that modernization process, please let us know.
Fischer:
Mr. Cadenazzi, both the Department of Defense and the NNSA have similar challenges with their industrial bases, and I believe that we have an opportunity now to address underlying issues in a way that strengthens both the nuclear industrial base and the defense industrial base. If confirmed, do you commit to working closely with NNSA and the Department of Energy on policies – like increasing our skilled manufacturing workforce – that would impact both of those industrial bases?
Mr. Cadenazzi:
Senator, appreciate the question and the significance of it, particularly in light of the workforce issues and access to materials that we're facing across the industrial base. These are major challenges that both the NNSA and the broader defense industry face and are dealing with. And if confirmed, I'm thrilled to have the opportunity to speak to you about how and where the Industrial Base Policy office and I might be able to focus.
Fischer:
Great. What we've seen happen in the Ukraine war has shown us that militaries in modern conflicts, they expend munitions at a much faster pace than we ever expected before. And our stockpiles must be adjusted to account for this, and we must expend our munitions production capacity. We have to expand that. We've taken some steps to address it in recent years, and we have the opportunity to make those generational investments through the reconciliation process. In your opening statement, Sir, you said that production must be scaled now before conflict starts. I agree with that. If confirmed, what steps would you take to accomplish that goal?
Mr. Cadenazzi:
Appreciate the question again, Senator, the issue of munitions production is the top of the priority list, and something I've discussed with multiple Senators on this committee. I'm excited to work with the committee, if confirmed, on this topic. There are a couple of major things that I think will drive this. One is predictable and stable defense budget and program spend. So, the more we can stabilize that, the more industry will be able to align around it. A better understanding in industry of what the expectations for surge capacity are will make it clear what the potential opportunities are for them, and the level of capital required to increase facilities and workforce. That's a major opportunity for the Department to articulate what would be a big, hairy, audacious goal in business school terms. And to go ahead and say, "we need a lot more capability from you, and we need to agree then on the investment required to meet that point." We need to scale the workforce as well. There are many initiatives underway to improve workforce capabilities across the country. We need to grow those and take advantage of small businesses as well. If confirmed, these are all exciting opportunities for us to help address what is an obvious and well reported gap on this issue.
Fischer:
Are you familiar with the Department's National Defense Industrial Strategy?
Mr. Cadenazzi:
I am, Senator, yes.
Fischer:
Do you have any concerns with that strategy or think that there are gaps there that still need to be addressed?
Mr. Cadenazzi:
Senator, I think the strategy is solid given the expectations of the previous administration and the goals they were looking to achieve. I've reviewed the external, open-source material for that and the associated implementation plan. If confirmed, I'm eager to work with the Industrial Base Policy office, the administration, and the committees to understand what changes we believe are necessary. I'm happy to work with you on that and to make sure that we tune that to meet the current needs of the moment, particularly in light of the changing requirements of the new administration.