Cramer Questions Defense Nominees on Modernization, Protecting Innovators, Access to Rural Mental Health Care Services

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WASHINGTON, D.C. - The Senate Armed Services Committee (SASC) held a hearing today to consider four nominations for key positions within the U.S. Department of Defense. During the hearing, members heard testimony from Secretary of the U.S. Air Force nominee Troy Meink, Under Secretary of Defense for Acquisition and Sustainment nominee Michael Duffey, Under Secretary of Defense for Research and Engineering nominee Emil Michael, and Assistant Secretary of Defense for Health Affairs nominee Keith Bass.

U.S. Senator Kevin Cramer questioned the nominees about the importance of keeping pace with adversaries, protecting innovators, and legislation he championed and was signed into law to increase access to rural mental health care services.

Cramer said he has been told the U.S. Air Force is considering cancelling solicitations for Space Development Agency's (SDA) Transport satellite layers on Tranches 2 and 3, and instead using Starshield, an existing SpaceX capability.

He said one of the specific purposes of SDA in its founding document was to "expand our space warfighting capability and foster growth in the U.S. space industrial base." However, cutting the bids for these transport layers means eight or more small and mid-sized companies would not be allowed to bid, he said.

Cramer asked Dr. Meink whether he thinks cutting opportunities like this could hurt innovators in the industrial base and the potential going forward.

"One of the things that I've pushed for, particularly over the last 10 years, is expand competition and expand the industry base," said Dr. Meink. "That ends up almost always with the best result, both from a capability and cost to the government. I'm not familiar with those discussions going on within the Pentagon. If confirmed, I look forward to diving into that."

The founding document for SDA, written in March 2019, warned "we cannot match the pace our adversaries are setting if we remain bound by legacy methods and culture." Cramer asked Dr. Meink if he thought the statement was needed in 2019, and whether he thinks the statement is relevant today. Dr. Meink replied he believes that sort of thinking is always required.

"We always have to look at how we're operating, how we're executing as technology changes, as different threats change, we have to be flexible and adaptable enough," said Dr. Meink. "We have made, I believe, significant improvements in how we are acquiring systems. I would argue that at that point in time, there were probably no programs that were moving faster than the Chinese. That is not the case now, but we still have a long way to go, Senator. And I think you pointed a couple of those out."

The conversation then shifted towards legislation tragically inspired by the loss of two airmen at Grand Forks Air Force Base. Cramer championed the legislation in the Fiscal Year 2025 National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA), ensuring access to crucial mental health services for military members and their dependents in rural areas across the country.

If access to behavioral health care in a state fails to meet current TRICARE Prime standards for more than 12 consecutive months, the Secretary is tasked with expanding accreditation standards to ensure military members and their dependents receive timely and effective care despite the ongoing shortage of behavioral health providers.

"I'm going to switch it over to you, Mr. Bass, and talk about something that's really near and dear to my heart, coming from a rural state, very rural area, with some really important bases in our country, in our world, and certainly to me," said Cramer. "The reason this became important to me is because I know of two airmen, who sought mental health care at Grand Forks and were denied by TRICARE, who are no longer with us because they ultimately chose to take their own lives. All because of this one accreditation. I don't know what would've happened had they been able to get the care that was available to them."

Cramer asked Bass if he would commit to the men and women of the military that he will take this law seriously and watch this yearlong study closely. Cramer said the last thing he wants is to follow up after 12 months to see what the outcome is and then wait another four months for the answer to his question.

"The mental health access for our service members in our total force has to be a priority, and I will commit to working with you on that," stated Bass.