Chuck Schumer brings votes on senior military commanders in response to Tommy Tuberville’s effort to bring military confirmations forward
U.S. Senator Tommy Tuberville (R-Alabama) has been criticized for months for his holds on military promotions. On Wednesday, Tuberville attempted to bring the nomination of the candidate of General Eric Smith for Marine Corps Commandant to the floor. Senator Chuck Schumer (D-New York), in response, himself brought forward the nominations of senior officers – something that, as Majority Leader, he could have done at any time in this process. The Senate voted overwhelmingly Wednesday to advance President Joe Biden’s nomination of U.S. Air Force General Charles “C.Q.” Brown to become the next chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff. The Senate voted 89-8 to advance to a final vote on Brown’s nomination. Tuberville has refused to give unanimous consent to batches of senior-level Defense Department promotions for the last seven months until President Biden reversed his abortion policy, which was an end around Congress and state laws. Brown will replace outgoing Chairman Mark Milley, whose term ends October 1. A vote on final passage for Brown took place Wednesday evening, and Brown was confirmed 83 to 11. Tuberville was one of the 11 Republican Senators who voted to reject Brown’s confirmation. Schumer moved to set votes on three key military leaders: Brown, Gen. Eric Smith to become commandant of the Marine Corps, and Gen. Randy George to serve as chief of staff of the Army. Alabama Republican Party Chairman John Wahl released a statement praising Tuberville. “For months, Democrats and the mainstream media have been attacking Senator Tuberville with the claim that his holds on DOD promotions were putting our national security at risk,” Wahl said. “However, today’s actions by Chuck Schumer prove there was absolutely nothing stopping Senate Democrats from bringing up military promotions on a case-by-case basis. Instead of being honest and having an open debate on the root issue – using taxpayer money to fund abortions – liberal pundits and Democrat elected officials let this situation drag on as they played party politics. The reason? To vilify Alabama’s Republican senior Senator, who is simply trying to uphold the Hyde Amendment – which prohibits the use of taxpayer funds for abortion – and the Constitution, which gives the power of the purse to Congress.” “The Alabama Republican Party is thankful to Senator Tuberville for exposing the hypocrisy of the left, as well as the Pentagon’s unconstitutional use of taxpayer money to fund abortions,” Wahl continued. “Now that the truth on this issue has been revealed for all Americans to see, it is my hope that the Pentagon will end its unlawful policy. Until then, we will continue to support Senator Tuberville and his stand for life and fiscal responsibility.” Schumer’s maneuver was in response to Tuberville’s announced plan to force votes on Smith in the coming days, a move rarely put to use by rank-and-file senators in the minority. “To be clear, my hold is still in place,” Tuberville said Wednesday night on the floor of the Senate. “I reserve the right to seek another cloture position on the nominees in the future, so that’s where we stand today.” The Senate can confirm every Defense Department nominee through ordinary order, but that would require the Senators to spend much more time on the Senate floor doing their jobs: voting and going through normal parliamentary procedures. To connect with the author of this story or to comment, email brandonmreporter@gmail.com.
Republican’s hold on nominations leaves Marines without confirmed leader for 1st time in 100 years
The U.S. Marine Corps is without a confirmed leader for the first time in a century as Gen. David Berger stepped down as commandant on Monday, and a Republican senator is blocking approval of his successor. Berger took over as the 38th commandant in July 2019 and is required to leave the job after four years. Gen. Eric Smith, currently the assistant commandant, has been nominated to be the next leader but will serve in an acting capacity because he hasn’t been confirmed by the Senate. Under the law, Smith can serve as the acting commandant, but he can do nothing that would presume confirmation. As a result, he can’t move into the main residence or the commandant’s office, or issue any new formal commandant’s planning guidance, which is traditional for a new leader. He has the authority to implement new policies such as budget, training, and other personnel decisions. Smith’s promotion delay is the first of what could be many top-level military officers held up by Sen. Tommy Tuberville, R-Ala. Tuberville has stalled all nominations for senior military jobs because he disagrees with Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin’s decision to have the Defense Department pay for travel when a service member has to go out of state to get an abortion or other reproductive care. Abortion is now illegal in Alabama. Speaking at a ceremony at the Marine Barracks Washington, just down the street from Capitol Hill, Austin and Berger called on the Senate to take action. “We need the Senate to do their job so that we can have a sitting commandant that’s appointed and confirmed. We need that house to be occupied,” said Berger, with a nod to the commandant’s quarters at the edge of the parade field. Austin and other Pentagon officials have pressed the Senate to move forward, saying that delays are already impacting more than 200 military officers and many key leaders. “You know, it’s been more than a century since the U.S. Marine Corps has operated without a Senate-confirmed commandant,” Austin said during the ceremony. Because of Berger’s requirement to step down in July, the Marine job is the first of the military chiefs to be affected by Tuberville. The Army, Navy, and Air Force are all expected to face the same delay later this year, as could the nomination of the next chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff. The current chairman, Army Gen. Mark Milley, leaves his job at the end of September. Gen. CQ Brown, the current chief of the Air Force, has been nominated to replace Milley and is scheduled to go before the Senate Armed Services Committee for his hearing on Tuesday. The hold, however, is also impacting scores of one, two, and three-star officers who are assigned to new commands but can’t move on. It also affects their families, who usually relocate over the summer to their new military communities so school-age children can settle in before fall. “Smooth and timely transitions of confirmed leadership are central to the defense of the United States and to the full strength of the most powerful fighting force in history,” said Austin. “Stable and orderly leadership transitions are also vital to maintaining our unmatched network of allies and partners. And they’re crucial for our military readiness.” Smith hit the thorny issue head-on during his remarks at the ceremony Monday — saying he wanted to get one thing out fast. “If you’re saying, ‘What am I supposed to call you?’ ACMC. That is my title, and one that I’m proud of,” said Smith, using the shorthand for his assistant commandant role. But he quickly added, “To make sure that there is no confusion — all orders, directives, and guidance, which were in effect this morning remain in effect unless I direct otherwise. Further guidance to the force will follow.” Sabrina Singh, a Pentagon spokeswoman, said Monday that as of last Friday, there were 265 senior officers whose promotions have been held up by Tuberville, and that number could leap to 650 by the end of the year if the issue isn’t corrected. She noted that in more than 100 cases, officers — like Smith — would be forced to do two jobs at the same time because no one can move up. She said the Pentagon is asking officers to delay planned retirements and stay on, while in other cases, officers are doing more senior-ranking jobs without getting the pay for that new rank. The last time the Corps was led by an acting commandant was in 1910. Then-Maj. Gen. George Elliott, who was the commandant, reached the required retirement age in November 1910 and left the office. Col. William Biddle served as the acting commandant until he was promoted to major general and became commandant in February 1911. Berger, a native of Woodbine, Maryland, graduated from Tulane University and was commissioned in 1981. He commanded at every level, including tours in Iraq and Afghanistan. During his tenure, he spearheaded a broad campaign to transform the Marine Corps to better be able to fight amphibious wars in the Pacific after years of battling terrorist groups in the Middle East. The plan was lauded by many in the Pentagon and Congress as a critical way for the Marines to prepare for a potential conflict with China. Smith, a career infantry officer, is a highly decorated Marine who served multiple tours in Afghanistan and Iraq, including time in Fallujah and Ramadi during heavy combat in 2004 and 2005 in Operation Iraqi Freedom. He later was the senior military adviser to Defense Secretary Ash Carter and, in 2019, took over as the deputy commandant for combat development. Republished with the permission of The Associated Press.
Mike Rogers and colleagues question Department of Defense leadership on China threat
On Wednesday, March 29th, the House Armed Services Committee (HASC) questioned Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin and Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff General Mark Milley during an oversight hearing. Members pressed Sec. Austin and Gen. Milley on the threat China poses to the United States and what we’re doing to deter China’s growing influence and military capabilities. Congressman Mike Rogers chairs the powerful committee which oversees the Department of Defense. In his opening remarks, Rogers made it clear that we must invest in “the men and women of our armed services and the modernization of our conventional and strategic deterrent” to maintain readiness in the face of China’s aggression. In an exchange with Chairman Rogers, Gen. Milley said, “That’s the reality of it. Our military, capability-wise, can fight in a lot of places with different types of contingencies. But if you’re talking about a serious conflict with a major great power war, realistically putting both China and Russia together is a very, very difficult thing.” “That’s the thing the committee needs to take note of, and the Congress is that for the first 15 years. I was here; we had a strategy that allowed us to fight two wars simultaneously and successfully defend the homeland,” Rogers said. “We have already had to drop that down to just one theatre, which is scary enough, and I worry that if we do have a disruption in our funding, our authorization, it could further erode that capability.” Rep. Doug Lamborn (R-Colorado) questioned Milley on China’s threat to the U.S. “[China has] a national goal to be a global — to be the global — coequal with the United States and superior militarily by mid-century,” Gen. Milley said in response. “They’re on that path to do that, and that’s really disturbing. That’s really bothersome. We’re going to have to not only keep pace, but we have to outpace that, and that will assure the peace.” Rep. Rob Wittman (R-Virginia) delivered his analysis of the threat the U.S. is facing from the Chinese Communist Party. Rep. Wittman showed the alarming growth of China’s capabilities from 1999 to today and projections for 2025. Rep. Wittman said, “Today we face the threat of our lifetime, the CCP is indeed that…we see the expansionist efforts by the Chinese Communist Party.” Rep. Mike Gallagher (R-Wisconsin) emphasized bipartisan support to turn Taiwan into a porcupine and pressed Secretary Austin on whether he is personally engaged in the effort to deliver a deterrence by denial capability. Secretary Austin responded, “Absolutely. There is not a week that goes by that I am not talking to commanders and staff on the problems, the challenges, that we face with China, me personally, and so that is a part of our battle rhythm, for lack of a better term and again, I think that that’s what it’s gonna take to do the kind of things that you just described.” In an exchange with Gallagher, Secretary Austin stated, “We need to make sure that we maintain a combat credible force that can deter any adversary from making a bad decision on any given day.” Mike Rogers is in his eleventh term representing Alabama’s Third Congressional District. To connect with the author of this story or to comment, email brandonmreporter@gmail.com.
Sen. Marco Rubio: ‘Woke activists’ are hollowing out our military
U.S. Sen. Marco Rubio blasted the Pentagon’s increasingly leftward bent as it struggles to keep up with national security interests. “The United States military is the greatest fighting force in the world, but woke activists in the Biden Administration are undermining military readiness, cohesion, and purpose,” Rubio, R-Fla., told The Center Square. “We cannot allow these left-wing crazies to hollow out our military. The world is an increasingly dangerous place, and America’s security requires a strong military capable of deterring – and if need be, defending – our nation.” Rubio’s comments come after The Center Square reported that the Pentagon is struggling to fulfill military requests even as it increasingly gives attention, and funds, to diversity, gender, and critical race theory issues. The Pentagon would struggle to manufacture enough precision missiles if conflict with China broke out, reports indicate. That comes after the U.S. sent over a decades worth of Stinger missiles to Ukraine as soon as the war there broke out, one of multiple shortages or potential shortages exposed by the U.S.’ support for Ukraine. Critics argue the military has become distracted. For example, a recent Department of Defense Comptroller report points to $86.5 million for “dedicated diversity and inclusion activities.” “The Department will lead with our values – building diversity, equity, and inclusion into everything we do,” the report said. In a hearing earlier this week, Subcommittee on National Security, the Border, and Foreign Affairs Chairman Glenn Grothman, R-Wisc., raised concerns about “progressive ideals” infiltrating the military. “We all know that the primary mission of the Armed Forces is to protect and defend the nation and our interests abroad,” Grothman said. “However, the military is not the institution for social experiments and political correctness. This Administration seems to be willfully blinded by how its progressive ideals are affecting military readiness and recruitment.” GOP lawmakers have introduced legislation to ban the teaching of critical race theory in the military as well as cut off the funding for the diversity offices that push these ideas, but the legislation has not gotten enough traction. Grothman said the liberalization of the military is hurting recruitment, which has become more difficult in recent years. The Army, Air Force, Navy, and Marine Corps all failed to meet their recruiting goals last year. “Despite lowering fitness standards, relaxing tattoo policies, and increasing recruiting bonuses, fewer and fewer young adults are joining our military ranks,” he said. “Meanwhile, the Biden Administration is more focused on how cadets at military academies use the correct pronouns rather than learn how to lead, work as a team, and defend our nation. “The Biden Administration thinks that service members understanding ‘white rage’ – as recently described by General Mark Milley, our highest-ranking military official – is more important than promoting cohesiveness throughout the armed forces,” he added. Rubio and U.S. Rep. Chip Roy, R-Texas, commissioned a report on these kinds of concerns that was released last year. It showed several examples of gender and racial ideology in U.S. military training, policies, and leadership. In one case, official training materials for West Point cadets lecture them on white privilege. The report points to another example where a slide presentation for the Air Force Academy is titled, “Diversity & Inclusion: What it is, why we care, & what we can do.” This taxpayer-funded training warns cadets to avoid using gendered language, which includes terms like “mom” and “dad.” Republished with the permission of The Center Square.
Tommy Tuberville defends his hold on military promotions over abortions being performed by military
In a Tuesday Senate Armed Services Committee (SASC) hearing, U.S. Senator Tommy Tuberville urged U.S. Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin to reverse the Department of Defense policy that would provide taxpayer-funded abortions. “The military has performed abortions for years,” Tuberville said. “All were cases of rape, incest, and harm to the mom. Over the past 40 years, I don’t recall one military person ever complaining that we weren’t performing enough abortions, nor did the military raise alarm that our service men and women were being placed in areas that had restrictive policies on abortion. Poland’s restrictive policies. Japan. Djibouti. All these theaters have [restriction on] abortion policy, yet our military changed the policy to do this job in these different theaters.” “As of 12 days ago, y’all got the American taxpayer on the hook to pay for travel and time off for elective abortions,” said Tuberville. “And you did not make this with anybody in this room or Congress taking a vote. In fact, this contradicts what Congress has actually voted for. Most of us, some of us in the room, if not all senators that have been complaining about this, have voted for the Hyde Amendment many, many times. But now my colleagues on the left think this abortion issue is good for a campaign, and that’s what this shouldn’t be about. I’m not going to let our military be politicized.” Tuberville also addressed General Mark Milley in the SASC committee meeting about the military’s failure to hit its recruiting goals. “Given what we’ve put our troops through in the past two years, it’s no wonder that the Army missed its goal last year by 15,000 soldiers,” Tuberville said. “General, you know, that is an entire division. We can’t afford that. And it’s getting worse. The Navy and Air Force will probably miss their numbers this year. Yet some of my colleagues claim that the real crisis is my hold on the promotion of 158 generals and flag officers. Mind you, these were promotions that the majority leader can bring to the floor at any time. Those same people claim expanding abortion will make our military stronger. You know, I want to be clear on this. My hold has nothing to do with the Supreme Court decision to the access of abortion. This is about not forcing the taxpayers of this country to fund abortions. That’s been a bipartisan consensus for more than 40 years.” “I ran for Senate to serve on this committee,” Tuberville stated. “I ran because of my dad. He was a World War II veteran, and he earned 5 Bronze stars and a Purple Heart. And he died on active duty. I ran to support our warfighters. We owe our freedom to our troops. For fifty years, our all-volunteer force has answered the call. I think you would agree to that. Since 1973, we’ve asked a lot of America’s young volunteers to fight in Vietnam, Grenada, Bosnia, Somalia, Iraq, Libya, Syria, and Afghanistan. They’ve never wavered. In boom times and in bust, young Americans have raised their right hands to defend the Constitution with their lives, if necessary.” “There are a number of things happening globally that indicate that we could be in a contest on any one given day,” Sec. Austin said. “Not approving the recommendations for promotions actually creates a ripple effect through the force that makes us far less ready than we need to be.” Sen. Tuberville is single-handedly blocking a handful of military promotions to protest a Pentagon directive that allows service members to provide abortion services to soldiers even in states like Alabama that have banned abortions. Tuberville is holding up 160 promotions, which usually sail through the Senate Armed Services Committee. “Clearly, on the DoD policy, I absolutely agree with Sen. Tuberville,” said Sen. Roger Wicker, the ranking Republican on the committee. “That said, there are a lot of military positions that need to be filled, and so we’re working with leadership and Sen. Tuberville to see what can be resolved.” HASC Chairman Jack Reed warned that Tuberville’s blockade would disrupt the military “at the highest levels,” but some Republicans are cheering on the former college football coach from the sidelines. Senator Tommy Tuberville represents Alabama in the United States Senate and is a member of the Senate Armed Services, Agriculture, Veterans Affairs, and HELP Committees. To connect with the author of this story or to comment, email brandonmreporter@gmail.com.
January 6 takeaways: Donald Trump ‘could not be moved’ amid violence
The House January 6 committee is closing out its set of summer hearings with its most detailed focus yet on the investigation’s main target: former President Donald Trump. The panel is examining Trump’s actions on Jan. 6, 2021, as hundreds of his supporters broke into the U.S. Capitol, guiding viewers minute-by-minute through the deadly afternoon to show how long it took for the former president to call off the rioters. The panel is focusing on 187 minutes that day, between the end of Trump’s speech calling for supporters to march to the Capitol at 1:10 p.m. and a video he released at 4:17 p.m. telling the rioters they were “very special” but they had to go home. Trump was “the only person in the world who could call off the mob,” but he refused to do so for several hours, said the committee’s chairman, Mississippi Rep. Bennie Thompson, who was participating in the hearing remotely due to a COVID-19 diagnosis. “He could not be moved.” THE WHITE HOUSE DINING ROOM The panel emphasized where Trump was as the violence unfolded — in a White House dining room, sitting at the head of the table, watching the violent breach of the Capitol on Fox News. He retreated to the dining room at 1:25 p.m., according to Rep. Elaine Luria, D-Va., one of two members who led the hearing. That was after some rioters had already breached barriers around the Capitol — and after Trump had been told about the violence within 15 minutes of returning to the White House. Fox News was showing live shots of the rioters pushing past police, Luria said, showing excerpts of the coverage. In video testimony played at the hearing, former White House aides talked about their frantic efforts to get the president to tell his supporters to turn around. Pat Cipollone, Trump’s top White House lawyer, told the panel that multiple aides — including Trump’s daughter, Ivanka Trump — advised the president to say something. “People need to be told” to leave, Cipollone recalled telling people, urging Trump to make a public announcement. Trump “could not be moved,” Thompson said, “to rise from his dining room table and walk the few steps down the White House hallway into the press briefing room where cameras were anxiously and desperately waiting to carry his message to the armed and violent mob savagely beating and killing law enforcement officers.” NO CALLS FOR HELP As he sat in the White House, Trump made no efforts to call for increased law enforcement assistance at the Capitol, the committee said. Witnesses confirmed that Trump did not call the defense secretary, the homeland security secretary, or the attorney general. The committee played audio of Gen. Mark Milley, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, reacting with surprise to the former president’s reaction to the attack. “You’re the commander-in-chief. You’ve got an assault going on on the Capitol of the United States of America. And there’s Nothing? No call? Nothing Zero?” Milley said. As Trump declined to call for help, Vice President Mike Pence was hiding in the Capitol, just feet away from rioters who were about to breach the Senate chamber. The committee played audio from an unidentified White House security official who said Pence’s Secret Service agents “started to fear for their own lives” at the Capitol and called family members in case they didn’t survive. Shortly afterward, at 2:24 p.m., Trump tweeted that Pence didn’t have the “courage” to block or delay the election results as Congress was certifying Joe Biden’s presidential victory. FORMER WHITE HOUSE AIDES Matt Pottinger, who was Trump’s deputy national security adviser at the time, and Sarah Matthews, then the deputy press secretary, testified at the hearing. Both resigned from their White House jobs immediately after the insurrection. Both Pottinger and Matthews told the committee of their disgust at Trump’s tweet about Pence. Pottinger said he was “disturbed and worried to see that the president was attacking Vice President Pence for doing his constitutional duty,” which he said was “the opposite of what we needed at that moment.” “That was the moment I decided I was going to resign,” Pottinger said. Matthews said the tweet was “essentially him giving the green light to those people,” and said Trump’s supporters “truly latch on to every word and every tweet.” ‘WE HAVE CONSIDERABLY MORE TO DO’ At the beginning of the hearing, Thompson and Wyoming Rep. Liz Cheney, the committee’s Republican vice chair, announced that the panel would “reconvene” in September to continue laying out their findings. “Doors have opened, new subpoenas have been issued, and the dam has begun to break,” Cheney said of the committee’s probe. “We have considerably more to do. We have far more evidence to share with the American people and more to gather.” Republished with the permission of The Associated Press.
U.S. sending more military aid to Ukraine as war grinds on
The U.S. and allies committed more rocket systems, ammunition, and other military aid to Ukraine Wednesday, as American defense leaders said they see the war to block Russian gains in the eastern Donbas region grinding on for some time. Speaking at the close of a virtual meeting with about 50 defense leaders from around the world, U.S. Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin said it will be “hard work” to keep allies and partners all committed to the war effort as the months drag on. “We’re pushing hard to maintain and intensify the momentum of donations,” Austin said. “This will be an area of focus for the foreseeable future, as it should be, in terms of how long our allies and partners will remain committed … There’s no question that this will always be hard work making sure that we maintain unity.” Officials have been reluctant to say how long the war may last, but Army Gen. Mark Milley, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, suggested it could be a long slog. “We have a very serious grinding war of attrition going on in the Donbas. And unless there’s a breakthrough on either side — which right now the analysts don’t think is particularly likely in the near term — it will probably continue as a grinding war of attrition for a period of time until both sides see an alternative way out of this, perhaps through negotiation or something like that.” Officials said Wednesday that the U.S. will send Ukraine four more High Mobility Artillery Rocket Systems (HIMARS) and precision-guided rockets for them, as well as additional artillery rounds. A more detailed announcement is expected later this week. The aid comes as Russian forces try to solidify gains in the two provinces in Ukraine’s eastern Donbas region, Donetsk and Luhansk, while also expanding attacks into other areas. Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov told state-controlled RT television and the RIA Novosti news agency that Russia has expanded its “special military operation” from the Donbas to the Kherson and Zaporizhzhia regions and other captured territories. Austin said Lavrov’s comments come as no surprise to allies who have known Russia has greater ambitions in capturing Ukraine. But Ukrainian troops have been using the HIMARS to strike Russian logistics nodes and command and control centers, including behind the front lines, to disrupt supply chains. And on Wednesday, they struck and damaged a bridge that is key to supplying Russian troops in southern Ukraine, where Lavrov said Moscow is trying to consolidate its territorial gains. Milley said the Ukrainian strikes are “steadily degrading the Russian ability to supply their troops, command and control their forces, and carry out their illegal war of aggression.” He said that, due to Ukraine’s resistance, Russia has been able to gain just six to 10 miles of ground in the Donbas over the past 90 days, with “tens of thousands of artillery rounds” fired in each 24-hour period. And he said he does not believe that the Donbas region has been lost to Russia. “It’s not lost yet. The Ukrainians are making the Russians pay for every inch of territory that they gain, and advances are measured in literally hundreds of meters,” Milley said. The issue going forward, he said, will be the amount of HIMARS rockets and other ammunition expended by the Ukraine forces. The U.S. has been sending thousands of rounds, taking them from American military stockpiles, and raising questions about how long that will last and at what point there may be a risk to U.S. military readiness. “We are looking at all of that very, very carefully,” Milley said. “We think we’re okay right now as we project forward into the next month or two or three, we think we’re going to be okay.” The U.S. has already provided more than $7 billion in aid to Ukraine since the war began in late February. Austin said that during the defense meeting, there was also discussion about how to ensure that Ukraine is able to maintain and repair the weapons systems into the future. Republished with the permission of The Associated Press.
Push to arm Ukraine putting strain on U.S. weapons stockpile
The planes take off almost daily from Dover Air Force Base in Delaware — hulking C-17s loaded up with Javelins, Stingers, howitzers, and other material being hustled to Eastern Europe to resupply Ukraine’s military in its fight against Russia. The game-changing impact of those arms is exactly what President Joe Biden hopes to spotlight as he visits a Lockheed Martin plant in Alabama on Tuesday that builds the portable Javelin anti-tank weapons that have played a crucial role in Ukraine. But Biden’s visit is also drawing attention to a growing concern as the war drags on: Can the U.S. sustain the cadence of shipping vast amounts of arms to Ukraine while maintaining the healthy stockpile it may need if a new conflict erupts with North Korea, Iran or elsewhere? The U.S. already has provided about 7,000 Javelins, including some that were delivered during the Trump administration, about one-third of its stockpile, to Ukraine, according to an analysis by Mark Cancian, a senior adviser with the Center for Strategic and International Studies international security program. The Biden administration says it has committed to sending about 5,500 to Ukraine since the Russian invasion more than two months ago. Analysts also estimate that the United States has sent about one-quarter of its stockpile of shoulder-fired Stinger missiles to Ukraine. Raytheon Technologies CEO Greg Hayes told investors last week during a quarterly call that his company, which makes the weapons system, wouldn’t be able to ramp up production until next year due to parts shortages. “Could this be a problem? The short answer is, ‘Probably, yes,’” said Cancian, a retired Marine colonel and former government specialist on Pentagon budget strategy, war funding, and procurement. He said that Stingers and Javelins were where “we’re seeing the most significant inventory issues,” and production of both weapons systems has been limited in recent years. The Russian invasion offers the U.S. and European defense industry a big opportunity to bolster profits as lawmakers from Washington to Warsaw are primed to increase defense spending in response to Russian aggression. Defense contractors, however, face the same supply chain and labor shortage challenges that other manufacturers are facing, along with some others that are specific to the industry. Military spending by the U.S. and around the world was rising even before Russia’s Feb. 24 invasion. Biden’s proposed 2023 budget sought $773 billion for the Pentagon, an annual increase of about 4%. Globally, total military spending rose 0.7% to more than $2 trillion for the first time in 2021, according to an April report from the Stockholm International Peace Research Institute. Russia ranked fifth, as its spending on weapons increased ahead of its invasion of Ukraine. The war will mean increased sales for some defense contractors, including Raytheon, which makes the Stinger missiles Ukrainian troops have used to knock out Russian aircraft. The company is also part of a joint venture with Lockheed Martin that makes the Javelins. Biden will visit Lockheed Martin’s facility in Troy, Alabama, which has the capacity to manufacture about 2,100 Javelins per year. The trip comes as he presses Congress to quickly approve his request for an additional $33 billion in security and economic assistance for Kyiv, Western allies, and restocking weapons the U.S. has sent to those countries. Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., said Monday he hoped quick bipartisan agreement on the security package could be reached so the Senate could begin considering it “as early as next week.” The president is expected to use his remarks to highlight the importance of the Javelins and other U.S. weaponry in helping Ukraine’s military put up a vigorous fight as he makes the case to keep security and economic assistance flowing. A White House official, who was not authorized to comment publicly and requested anonymity, said the Pentagon is working with defense contractors “to evaluate the health of weapons systems’ production lines and examine bottlenecks in every component and step of the manufacturing process.” The administration is also considering a range of options, if needed, to boost production of both Javelins and Stingers, the official said. Pentagon press secretary John Kirby said Monday that America’s military readiness is not dependent on one system, such as the Javelin. He said that every time the Pentagon develops a package of weapons to send to Ukraine, the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff and the department assesses the broader impact. “It’s not about counting, say Javelins, and being able to say that when you reach a certain level, then all your readiness is gone,” Kirby said. “The Javelin is an anti-armor capability, so we judge it all as a conglomerate of what’s our ability to meet this particular mission set, realizing that a Javelin isn’t the only capability you have against armor.” Cancian, the former government specialist on defense budget strategy, said the fact that Stingers and Javelins were not included in the most recent tranche of weapons the Biden administration announced it was sending to Ukraine could be a sign that Pentagon officials are mindful about inventory as they conduct contingency planning for other possible conflicts. “There’s no question that whatever war plan they’re looking at, there is risk associated with the depleting levels of Stingers and Javelins, and I’m sure that they’re having that discussion at the Pentagon,” he said. The U.S. military effort to move weaponry to Eastern Europe for Ukraine’s fight has been Herculean. From Dover Air Base in Delaware, U.S. airmen have carried out nearly 70 missions to deliver some 7 million pounds of Javelins, Stingers, 155mm howitzers, helmets, and other essentials to Eastern Europe since February. Col. Matt Husemann, commander of the 436th Airlift Wing, described the mission as a “whole of government approach that’s delivering hope.” “It is awesome,” said Husemann, after providing AP with a recent tour of the airlift operation. The lightweight but lethal Javelin has helped the Ukrainians inflict major damage on Russia’s larger and better-equipped military. As a result, the weapon has gained almost mythic regard, celebrated with a Javelin song
Mo Brooks questions top defense officials on unrealistic national security inflation rate
Today Rep. Mo Brooks questioned three top Biden Administration defense officials regarding the FY2023 Defense budget to Congress. Brooks and other legislators have been vocal about what they consider to be inadequate defense funding, arguing that not properly considering the inflation rate can severely underfund the Defense Department and cause national security issues. Brooks questioned Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Mark Milley, Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin, and Department of Defense Comptroller Undersecretary Michael McCord in the House Armed Services Committee hearing and questioned the national security inflation rate. No one could answer the question, “What is the national security inflation rate?” “The Biden Administration’s official Consumer Price Index inflation rate is 7.9%, yet the Biden Administration wrongly and unjustifiably assumes a mere 2.2% inflation rate when proposing its national security funding. Hence, in real dollar terms, the Biden Administration’s proposed defense budget is a significant funding CUT in a world both Joint Chiefs of Staff Mark Milley and Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin testified is increasingly dangerous and unstable,” Brooks commented. Brooks concluded, “I am extremely concerned by a Biden Administration budget that reduces America’s national security abilities in an increasingly dangerous world. In the past year alone, Communist China threatened to attack Taiwan and unleash nuclear weapons on Japan while Putin’s Russia invaded peaceful Ukraine. Now is the time to strengthen national security, not weaken it. America must maintain peace through strength. History has proven time and again that appeasement and weakness yield deadly and disastrous results.” The full transcript of Congressman Brooks’s questioning follows: Brooks: Thank you, Mr. Chairmen. This past year we’ve seen an Afghanistan withdrawal debacle, Russia invade the Ukraine, China threatening a nuclear attack on Japan if Japan helps defend Taiwan against the Communist Chinese attack, and that brings me to my question for General Milley and Secretary Austin; in your professional opinion, over the past year, is the world a more dangerous place, a less dangerous place, or about the same. General Milley? Milley: Thanks, Congressman. As I said in my opening statement, it is my observation, my analysis, that the world is becoming more unstable, not less unstable. Brooks: Secretary Austin? Austin: Yea, we’re trending towards greater instability. Brooks: Now the Consumer Price Index is increasing at a 7.9% rate according to the official federal government statistics. Of course, that’s an estimate. My personal belief is that it is probably worse than that. Certainly, talking anecdotally to the people in my district, they believe it is worse than that. What is the inflation rate for national defense costs? Manpower, bullets, fuel, everything that comprises national defense. What is the inflation rate for those items? General Milley? Milley: Well, personally I defer my Mike McCord down here who is an expert, but this budget assumes an inflation rate of 2.2%, which is obviously incorrect because it is almost 8%. It might go up it might go down, but most forecasts indicate it’s going to go up. It could level out at 9 or 10%. Who knows? But it is clearly higher than what the assumption was in this budget. Brooks: But when you say it assumes a 2.2% are you talking about a 2.2% consumer price index inflation rate, which is what we commonly look at, or are you talking about a 2.2% inflation rate increase for national defense costs? Milley: It’s the CPI. The budget assumes 2.2% inflation rate, CPI inflation rate. Brooks: When the official rate is 7.9%, why are we assuming 2.2%? Milley: Because the budget was produced quite a while ago. Those calculations were made prior to the current inflation rate that’s correct. I’d ask Mike McCord to make a comment on the specifics of that. Brooks: Well you would agree would you not then that the assumption, at least according to the official federal government inflation rate, is over 5% wrong? McCord: Congressman, we at the Department of Defense don’t use, have never used, the CPI as what is relevant for what we do. Brooks: Alright, Mr. McCord let me ask you the question then. What is the inflation rate for the things that the military has to purchase in order to provide adequate national security? McCord: What we saw last year was 4% and that’s what we built into our pricing going forward was to get that 2% up to 4%. Brooks: So, what is your degree of confidence that the 4% rate is going to hold true? McCord: That’s an unknown Congressman. Obviously, the fiscal year calculation that you’re citing that General Milley is discussing, of course, starts 6 months from now and ends 18 months from now so a lot can happen up or down, uh, to affect that. Brooks: Well, let me add some comment and then some data. If we don’t know what the inflation rate is for national defense procured products, then we can’t really know whether the President’s budget strengthens or weakens America’s national security in an environment that both General Milley and Secretary Austin believe is becoming more dangerous not the same or less dangerous. And I’ve just looked up a couple of items that I hope that y’all would take into account as you determine what ultimately will be the budget that the President would support for national security. Over the past 2 years, from January of 2020 to January of 2022, crude oil has gone up 137%. Now that’s a big-ticket item in national defense. Wholesale gas, another big-ticket item in national defense, has gone up 39%. Wholesale diesel has gone up 37%. There are probably other fuels like jet fuels or what-have-you, that have gone up significantly, so I would hope that y’all would take all these things into account and increase our defense spending in order to at least hold our own in real purchasing power and then I’ll add this final note. If I recall correctly, you’re looking at about a 4.6% pay raise for our military personnel, is that what I heard? McCord: That is correct Brooks: Well,
Joint Chiefs chairman and Marine Corps chief have COVID-19
Joint Chiefs of Staff Chairman Gen. Mark Milley has tested positive for COVID-19 and is experiencing very minor symptoms, a spokesperson said Monday. The Marine Corps said its commandant, Gen. David Berger, also has COVID-19. Milley, who has received the vaccine and a booster shot, tested positive on Sunday, Joint Chiefs spokesperson Col. Dave Butler said in a statement. Milley was isolating himself and working remotely from a location where he can perform all his duties, Butler said. The Marine Corps said in a statement that Berger also tested positive, giving no other details except to say his ability to work is unaffected. Other Joint Chiefs of Staff members tested negative, Butler said. Milley’s most recent contact with President Joe Biden was on Wednesday at the funeral of Gen. Raymond Odierno, who died of cancer in October. Milley, 63, tested negative several days before the contact with Biden and every day after until Sunday, the Joint Chiefs statement said. Earlier this month, Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin said he had tested positive for COVID-19 and was experiencing mild symptoms while quarantining at home. Austin, who said he was fully vaccinated and received a booster in October, tested negative about a week later. Republished with the permission of the Associated Press.
Extraordinary warning to Donald Trump by 10 former Pentagon chiefs
In an extraordinary rebuke of President Donald Trump, all 10 living former secretaries of defense cautioned Sunday against any move to involve the military in pursuing claims of election fraud, arguing that it would take the country into “dangerous, unlawful and unconstitutional territory.” The 10 men, both Democrats and Republicans, signed on to an opinion article published in The Washington Post that implicitly questioned Trump’s willingness to follow his Constitutional duty to peacefully relinquish power on Jan. 20. Following the Nov. 3 election and subsequent recounts in some states, as well as unsuccessful court challenges, the outcome is clear, they wrote, while not specifying Trump in the article. “The time for questioning the results has passed; the time for the formal counting of the electoral college votes, as prescribed in the Constitution and statute, has arrived,” they wrote. The former Pentagon chiefs warned against use of the military in any effort to change the outcome. “Efforts to involve the U.S. armed forces in resolving election disputes would take us into dangerous, unlawful and unconstitutional territory,” they wrote. “Civilian and military officials who direct or carry out such measures would be accountable, including potentially facing criminal penalties, for the grave consequences of their actions on our republic.” A number of senior military officers, including Gen. Mark Milley, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, have said publicly in recent weeks that the military has no role in determining the outcome of U.S. elections and that their loyalty is to the Constitution, not to an individual leader or a political party. The 10 former Pentagon leaders also warned in their Post article of the dangers of impeding a full and smooth transition at Defense Department prior to Inauguration Day as part of a transfer to power to President-elect Joe Biden. Biden has complained of efforts by Trump-appointed Pentagon officials to obstruct the transition. Without mentioning a specific example, the former defense secretaries wrote that transfers of power “often occur at times of international uncertainty about U.S. national security policy and posture,” adding, “They can be a moment when the nation is vulnerable to actions by adversaries seeking to take advantage of the situation.” Tensions with Iran represent just such a moment. Sunday marked one year since the U.S. killing of Qassem Soleimani, the top Iranian general; Iran has vowed to avenge the killing, and U.S. officials said in recent days that they are on heightened alert for potential Iranian attack on U.S. forces or interests in the Middle East. In a further sign of U.S.-Iranian tension, the acting secretary of defense, Christopher Miller, announced Sunday evening that he has changed his mind about sending the Navy aircraft carrier, the USS Nimitz, home from the Middle East and instead will keep the vessel on duty. Just last week, Miller announced that he was sending the Nimitz home, a decision that had been opposed by senior military officers. In reversing himself, Miller cited “recent threats issued by Iranian leaders against President Trump and other U.S. government officials.” He did not elaborate, and the Pentagon did not respond to questions. The opinion article in the Post was signed by Dick Cheney, William Perry, Donald Rumsfeld, William Cohen, Robert Gates, Leon Panetta, Chuck Hagel, Ash Carter, James Mattis, and Mark Esper. Mattis was Trump’s first defense secretary; he resigned in 2018 and was succeeded by Esper, who was fired just days after the Nov. 3 election. The Post reported that the idea for writing the opinion piece began with a conversation between Cheney and Eric Edelman, a retired ambassador and former senior Pentagon official, about how Trump might seek to use the military in coming days. Republished with the permission of the Associated Press.
Donald Trump fires Mark Esper as Pentagon chief after election defeat
President Donald Trump fired Defense Secretary Mark Esper on Monday, an unprecedented move by a president struggling to accept election defeat and angry at a Pentagon leader he believes wasn’t loyal enough. The decision was widely expected as Trump had grown increasingly unhappy with Esper over the summer, including sharp differences between them over the use of the military during the civil unrest in June. But the move could unsettle international allies and Pentagon leadership and injects another element of uncertainty to a rocky transition period as Joe Biden prepares to assume the presidency. Presidents who win reelection often replace Cabinet members, but losing presidents have kept their Pentagon chiefs in place until Inauguration Day to preserve stability in the name of national security. Trump announced the news in a tweet, saying that “effective immediately” Christopher Miller, the director of the National Counterterrorism Center, will serve as acting secretary, sidestepping the department’s No.2-ranking official, Deputy Defense Secretary David Norquist. “Chris will do a GREAT job!” Trump tweeted. “Mark Esper has been terminated. I would like to thank him for his service.” In a letter to Trump, Esper referred to his efforts to keep the Pentagon apolitical — a resistance that often angered Trump. Esper said he served as defense secretary and Army secretary “in full faith to my sworn oath to support and defend the Constitution, and to safeguard the country and its interests while keeping the Department out of politics and abiding by the values Americans hold dear.” The Associated Press obtained a copy of the letter. Esper didn’t thank Trump, but he also didn’t openly criticize the president or his policies. He said he accepts Trump’s decision to replace him, adding, “I step aside knowing there is much we achieved at the Defense Department over the last eighteen months to protect the nation and improve the readiness, capabilities, and professionalism of the joint force, while fundamentally transforming and preparing the military for the future.” U.S. defense officials said Miller arrived at the Pentagon in the early afternoon to take over the job, and that White House chief of staff Mark Meadows informed Esper of the firing before Trump announced the move on Twitter. Esper and Miller were in the building at the same time for a while, but Esper left by the end of the day, said defense officials who spoke on condition of anonymity to discuss internal matters. Trump’s abrupt move to dump Esper triggers questions about what the president may try to do before he leaves office, including adjustments in troop presence overseas or other national security changes. More broadly, the U.S. military continued to operate as usual. U.S. officials said Gen. Mark Milley, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, met with Miller on Monday and also gathered the top military commanders and chiefs for a secure meeting. Officials said Miller’s message so far is that he won’t make immediate changes, and the department will stay the course. Military leaders, meanwhile, were calling top officials in their various geographic regions to assure them that the U.S. military is maintaining a stable presence around the world. In a separate message to the force, Esper expressed a twinge of disappointment, saying “I step aside knowing that there is much more we could accomplish together to advance America’s national security.” He said much was achieved, and “through thick and thin, however, we have always put People and Country first,” he said. Trump’s decision brings to five the number of men who have held the job of defense chief under Trump — either in an acting capacity or confirmed by the Senate. The move was quickly condemned by Democratic members of Congress. “Dismissing politically appointed national security leaders during a transition is a destabilizing move that will only embolden our adversaries and put our country at greater risk,” said Rep. Adam Smith, D-Wash., chairman of the House Armed Services Committee. “President Trump’s decision to fire Secretary Esper out of spite is not just childish, it’s also reckless.” Former military leaders weighed in. Jim Stavridis, a retired four-star Navy admiral, wrote on Twitter that, “Things are already unstable internationally, and this does not help.” Republicans praised Esper but largely avoided criticizing Trump. GOP Sen. Jim Inhofe, the Senate Armed Services Committee chairman, told reporters it was Trump’s decision and said, “I learned a long time ago I don’t tell the president not to do anything.” Biden has not said who he would appoint as defense chief, but is widely rumored to be considering naming the first woman to the post — Michele Flournoy. Flournoy has served multiple times in the Pentagon, starting in the 1990s and most recently as the undersecretary of defense for policy from 2009 to 2012. She is well known on Capitol Hill as a moderate Democrat and is regarded among U.S. allies and partners as a steady hand who favors strong U.S. military cooperation abroad. Miller most recently served as director of the National Counterterrorism Center and before that was a deputy assistant defense secretary and top adviser to Trump on counterterrorism issues. He spent more than 30 years in the military, including as an Army Green Beret, and was deployed multiple times to both Iraq and Afghanistan. After his retirement from the military, Miller worked as a defense contractor. Esper’s strained relationship with Trump came close to collapse last summer during civil unrest that triggered a debate within the administration over the proper role of the military in combating domestic unrest. Esper’s opposition to using active duty troops to help quell protests in Washington, D.C., infuriated Trump, and led to wide speculation that the defense chief was prepared to quit if faced with such an issue again. The tensions fueled rumors that Esper would be ousted if Trump won reelection. Presidents historically have put a high priority on stability at the Pentagon during political transitions. Since the creation of the Defense Department and the position of defense secretary in 1947, the only three presidents
