Sen. John Hoeven (R-ND) recently met with Secretary of Defense nominee Mark Esper to emphasize the importance of North Dakota’s nuclear and unmanned aerial systems (UAS) missions to national defense.
Hoeven, a member of the Senate Defense Appropriations Committee, also expressed the need to strengthen service members’ benefits.
“North Dakota’s military members are an essential part of our nation’s defense, and I appreciate Mark Esper for taking the time to learn more about our state’s nuclear and UAS missions and to discuss our bills to improve Guard and Reserve education and health benefits,” Hoeven said. “I look forward to supporting his nomination and working with him to ensure we keep our nuclear modernization efforts on track and continue expanding our unmanned capabilities.”
Hoeven is seeking Esper’s backing for advancing the modernization of the nation’s nuclear forces in order to maintain a credible deterrent; utilizing the state’s expertise in unmanned aviation to bolster a variety of missions, including in the Arctic; and efforts allowing National Guard and Reserve members to concurrently use Federal Tuition Assistance and GI Bill benefits.
Hoeven’s session with Esper aligns with efforts to support North Dakota’s missions through the Senate’s passage of the Fiscal Year 2020 National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA).