-Thank you, Chairman.
And if I could,
I know that there are some issues in the media
that are of deep concern to many members on the committee.
And with your permission,
I'd like to address those for a minute or two.
Again, I've submitted memoranda
for the committee to take a look at.
-You may proceed.
-Mr. Chairman, I've served this nation for 42 years.
I've spent years in combat, and I've buried a lot of my troops
who died while defending this country.
My loyalty to this nation, its people, and the Constitution
hasn't changed
and will never change as long as I have a breath to give.
My loyalty is absolute,
and I will not turn my back on the fallen.
With respect to the Chinese calls --
I routinely communicated with my counterpart, General Li,
with the knowledge and coordination
of civilian oversight.
I am specifically directed to communicate with the Chinese
by Department of Defense guidance,
the policy dialogue system.
These military-to-military communications
at the highest level
are critical to the security of the United States
in order to de-conflict military actions, manage crisis,
and prevent war between great powers
that are armed with the world's most deadliest weapons.
The calls on 30 October and 8 January were coordinated
before and after with Secretary Esper
and acting Secretary Miller's staffs and the interagency.
The specific purpose of the October and January calls
were to generate --
or were generated by concerning intelligence,
which caused us to believe the Chinese were worried
about an attack on them by the United States.
I know -- I am certain --
that President Trump did not intend to attack the Chinese.
And it is my directed responsibility --
and it was my directed responsibility
by the secretary --
to convey that intent to the Chinese.
My task at that time was to de-escalate.
My message, again, was consistent --
"Stay calm, steady, and de-escalate.
We are not going to attack you."
At Secretary of Defense Esper's direction,
I made a call to General Li on 30 October.
Eight people sat in that call with me,
and I read out the call within 30 minutes of the call ending.
On 31 December, the Chinese requested another call with me.
The deputy assistant secretary of defense
for Asia-Pacific policy helped coordinate my call,
which was then scheduled for 8 January,
and he made a preliminary call on 6 January.
Eleven people attended that call with me,
and read-outs of this call were distributed to the interagency
that same day.
Shortly after my call ended with General Li,
I personally informed both Secretary of State Pompeo
and White House Chief of Staff Meadows about the call,
among other topics.
Soon after that, I attended a meeting
with acting Secretary Miller, where I briefed him on the call.
Later that same day, on 8 January,
Speaker of the House Pelosi called me to inquire
about the president's ability to launch nuclear weapons.
I sought to assure her that nuclear launch is governed
by a very specific and deliberate process.
She was concerned and made very --
or made various personal references
characterizing the president.
I explained to her that the president
is the sole nuclear-launch authority
and he doesn't launch them alone
and that I am not qualified to determine the mental health
of the president of the United States.
There are processes, protocols, and procedures in place,
and I repeatedly assured her that there was no chance
of an illegal, unauthorized, or accidental launch.
By presidential directive and secretary of defense directive,
the chairman is part of the process
to ensure the president is fully informed
when determining the use of the world's deadliest weapons.
By law, I am not in the chain of command, and I know that.
However, by presidential directive and DOD instruction,
I am in the chain of communication
to fulfill my legal statutory role
as the president's primary military adviser.
After the Speaker Pelosi call, I convened a short meeting
in my office with key members of my staff
to refresh all of us on the procedures
which we practice daily at the action-officer level.
Additionally, I immediately informed
acting Secretary of Defense Miller
of Speaker Pelosi's phone call.
At no time was I attempting to change or influence the process,
usurp authority, or insert myself in the chain of command.
But I am expected -- I am required -- to give my advice
and ensure that the president is fully informed
on military matters.
I am submitting for the record a more detailed
and unclassified memoranda that I believe you all now have,
although late.
And I welcome a thorough walk-through
on every single one of these events,
and I'd be happy, in a classified session,
to talk in detail
about the intelligence that drove these calls.
I'm also happy to make available any e-mail, phone logs,
memoranda, witnesses,
or anything else you need to understand these events.
My oath is to support the Constitution
of the United States of America
against all enemies, foreign and domestic.
And I will never turn my back on that oath.
I firmly believe in civilian control of the military
as a bedrock principle essential to the health of this republic,
and I'm committed to ensuring
that the military stays clear of domestic politics.
I look forward to your questions
and thank you, Chairman, for the extra time.
-Thank you, General.
General McKenzie, I understand you do...