U.S. Senator Mazie K. Hirono, a senior member of the Senate Armed Services Committee, questioned Daniel Driscoll, President Trump's nominee for Secretary of the Army, during his confirmation hearing. The focus was on land leases in Hawaii, Army infrastructure needs, and the impact of President Trump’s deportation plans on military readiness.
Senator Hirono highlighted the importance of fair negotiations regarding land leases in Hawaii used for military training. She stressed that areas like Pohakuloa Training Area are culturally significant to Native Hawaiians and require balanced discussions involving the military, state officials, and local communities.
"I want to particularly emphasize how important these negotiations are and how they are conducted because the military, of late, has been criticized for what happened at Red Hill—basically involving the Navy," said Senator Hirono. "So it is really critical that you engage with the community."
Regarding infrastructure, Hirono pointed out that 50% of Army facilities in Hawaii are classified as failing or failed. She emphasized that addressing this backlog is crucial for military readiness.
"The cost to repair or replace them is over $5 billion—this is just involving Hawaii," she stated. "We need to have a functioning infrastructure."
Senator Hirono also addressed concerns about the potential impact of mass deportations on Army readiness. Thousands of troops have already been deployed to support border security efforts under President Trump's directives.
"The Army is the primary military service who would be called upon to support a mass deportation order," she noted.
Mr. Driscoll acknowledged existing maintenance issues but did not provide specific plans for resolving them during his responses.
The hearing also touched on broader topics such as community engagement by the Army and maintaining readiness while fulfilling various missions assigned by presidential orders.