Senate Armed Services Committee questions General Mahoney on acquisitions, drones, spectrum and domestic troop use

General Christopher J. Mahoney, the president's nominee to be vice chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, told the Senate Armed Services Committee on Sept. 11 that he would “adhere to my oath to the Constitution” and comply with legal and congressional oversight while answering sustained questioning on acquisition reform, autonomous systems and the domestic use of U.S. forces.

The hearing, held on the anniversary of the Sept. 11 attacks and opened with a moment of silence by the committee, focused on how the vice chairman would lead the Joint Requirements Oversight Council (JROC), accelerate procurement and advise civilian leaders about deployments and operations. Senators pressed Mahoney for commitments on candor to Congress, timeliness in document production and coordination on requirements that tie to industry capacity and readiness.

Why it matters: The vice chairman chairs the JROC and helps set requirements that drive billions in defense purchases. Senators said the current requirements-to-approval cycle—cited at about 800 days in committee remarks—slows fielding and risks leaving warfighters without timely, affordable options. Lawmakers also raised concerns that recent administration actions have politicized the military and used forces for domestic operations, which several senators said could harm readiness and civil-military norms.

Opening statements and central questions

Sen. Roger Wicker, chairman of the Senate Armed Services Committee, framed the hearing around threats from China, Russia and transnational criminal networks and said the Pentagon needs a sustained budget and acquisition reform to keep pace. Ranking member Sen. Jack Reed criticized what he called “politicize[ation] of the military,” listed a series of recent personnel actions and cited a recent strike off Venezuela that he said lacked public legal justification.

Reed said, “This was a premeditated use of lethal force…