{"database": "press", "table": "releases", "rows": [["https://turner.house.gov/2021/6/ahead-of-biden-putin-meeting-rep-mike-turner-presses-acting-navy-sec-on-call-to-defund-critical-missile-program", "Ahead of Biden Putin Meeting, Rep. Mike Turner Presses Acting Navy Sec on Call to Defund Critical Missile Program", "2021-06-15", "2021", "2021-06", "Republican", "House", "OH", "Michael R. Turner", "T000463", "turner.house.gov", "turner", "https://turner.house.gov/press-releases", "scraper", "WASHINGTON, D.C.\u2014Today at a House Armed Services Committee Budget Hearing on the Navy Fiscal Year 2022 Budget, Rep. Mike Turner (OH-10) pressed Acting Secretary of the Navy Thomas Harker on why he signed a recent memo that calls for the Navy to \u201cDefund Sea-Launched Cruise Missile \u2013 Nuclear development efforts.\u201d\n\nTurner, Ranking Member of the House Armed Services Subcommittee on Strategic Forces, questioned Harker\u2019s authority to make this determination, and exposed the fact that he sought no military advice in making this recommendation. Turner also stated that defunding the SLCM-N is equivalent to a \u201cunilateral disarmament recommendation\u201d that undermines President Biden and America right before Biden\u2019s meeting with Vladimir Putin.\n\nWatch the clip here\n\nPartial Transcript:\n\nTurner: I am very concerned about this because your background is accounting. Now Secretary of Defense Austin Chairman, Chairman Milley, and Admiral Richard and I\u2019m going to guess which a question here, Admiral Gilday, where you consulted on the defunding of this missile?\n\nGilday: No sir.\n\nTurner: So Secretary Austin has that experience, Chairman Milley, Admiral Richard, and Admiral Gilday have that experience and you do not. Congress and two administrations included this budget funded it.\n\nTurner: \u201cDo you have the expertise to conduct the assessment and analysis of the alternatives of the Sea Base launch cruise missile?\n\nHarker: \u201cNo sir I do not.\u201d\n\nContinues\u2026\n\nTurner: \u201cWho did you discuss this with since you\u2019ve already indicated you don\u2019t have the expertise to make strategic nuclear weapon decisions? Who in the Pentagon did you discuss this with\u2026?\u201d\n\nHarker: \u201cNobody.\u201d\n\nContinues\u2026\n\nTurner: \u201cDo you understand the extent to which you have undermined the President of the United States in his arms negotiations undertaking what can only be described as the unilateral disarmament recommendation?\u201d\n\nHarker: \u201cYes Sir.\u201d\n\nThe Commander of U.S. Strategic Command recently told the HASC Strategic Forces Subcommittee that a new nuclear sea launched cruise missile (SLCM-N), \u201cWill bring a needed non-strategic regional presence and an assured response capability. It does not require host nation support and provides additional diversity in platforms, range, and survivability. The SLCM-N will provide assurance to our Allies and partners through tailored response options in vast operating areas where forward basing may not be possible. Limited U.S. response options, such as the SLCM-N, is intended to provide a more credible deterrent to limited attack against the U.S., Allies, and partners rather than relying primarily on the threat of large-scale nuclear responses. It will enhance our ability to tailor deterrence and assurance while expanding the range of credible U.S. options.\u201d\n\nSecretary of Defense Lloyd Austin, Chairman Milley, and Admiral Richard all read about the memo in the news and have expressed concern about this decision, calling it \u201cpre-decisional.\u201d\n\n###", 1, "2026-03-30T01:40:41Z", "2026-04-06T19:57:00Z"]], "columns": ["url", "title", "date", "year", "month", "party", "chamber", "state", "member_name", "bioguide_id", "domain", "scraper", "source", "date_source", "text", "has_text", "collected_at", "updated_at"], "primary_keys": ["url"], "primary_key_values": ["https://turner.house.gov/2021/6/ahead-of-biden-putin-meeting-rep-mike-turner-presses-acting-navy-sec-on-call-to-defund-critical-missile-program"], "units": {}, "query_ms": 0.72440505027771, "source": "dwillis/congress-press", "source_url": "https://github.com/dwillis/congress-press", "license": "MIT", "license_url": "https://github.com/dwillis/congress-press/blob/main/LICENSE"}