‘TAKE ONE A WEEK, GET IT DONE’: As an infantry officer during the 1991 Persian Gulf War, Capt. Mark Esper knew that sometimes it’s smarter to go around an enemy than through them. The former Army and defense secretary now says it’s time for both sides to stop jockeying for advantage in the impasse over Sen. Tommy Tuberville’s (R-AL) unyielding holds and start working to bypass him.
Despite what Tuberville claims, “It does affect military readiness, and over time could affect national security,” Esper said in an interview on CNN. “It becomes Republican senators to put pressure on Tuberville to release this hold. Democrats have done it in the past as well, but this has gone on too long.”
Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-NY) argues having an individual floor vote on each of 300-plus stalled nominations to get around Tuberville’s ability to block an en masse confirmation by unanimous consent is impractical and would reward Tuberville’s hardline tactics. But Esper says there’s no reason the most senior generals and admirals couldn’t be confirmed one at a time.
“Schumer should start moving nominations through the system, particularly the Joint Chiefs of Staff. There’s three of them right now, coming up on four. He should start moving those and start moving these nominees through. Take one a week, get it done,” Esper said. “It doesn’t undermine the rightfulness of the broader position, but start moving them. Don’t leave our military at risk like this, and stop using the generals, the admirals, as pawns in this political game. It’s not good for DOD. It’s not good for our uniform leadership.”
ADDRESSING ‘COACH’ IN HIS NATIVE TONGUE: Tuberville identifies first as a football coach and second as a U.S. senator. His staff calls him “Coach,” and his official Senate website is headlined “COACH TOMMY TUBERVILLE” in large block letters, with smaller type underneath that reads, “U.S. senator for Alabama.”
So yesterday, Pentagon spokesman Brig. Gen. Pat Ryder tried to impress upon Tuberville the damage his holds are doing by invoking a somewhat strained football analogy.
“Imagine going into the football season with a bunch of acting coaches for each of our teams, with a regulation that limits any of those acting coaches from presuming that he or she was actually going to officially lead the team, and those acting coaches who come up through the organization are now responsible for not only being the offensive and defensive coordinators but also acting as the head coach,” Ryder said at yesterday’s Pentagon briefing. “Over time, how are you going to deal with the uncertainty within the coaching staff and the locker room, in terms of who’s in charge, how are we going to affect performance, and then who are the fans going to hold accountable?”
Tuberville has invoked his privilege as a senator to prevent approval of nominations and promotions by unanimous consent in an attempt to force the Pentagon to rescind its policy that funds travel for abortion services, but his staff has recently said that the holds are also preventing “woke” generals and admirals from being rubber-stamped without proper scrutiny.
Asked if that was a concern, Ryder replied, “That’s a question that only the Senate and Senator Tuberville can address.”
Tuberville says the only way he will drop his hold is if the Pentagon first rescinds its policy and then Democrats draft a standalone bill to reinstate it, a bill that Tuberville knows cannot get the 60 votes for passage in a Senate split 51-49.
PENTAGON LIKENS TUBERVILLE MILITARY HOLDUPS TO BEING UNPREPARED ON FOOTBALL FIELD
SERVICE SECRETARIES UNITE: The three civilian service secretaries, all Biden administration political appointees, appeared together on CNN the day after their joint op-ed in the Washington Post decried the effect Tuberville’s hold was having on officers and their families who are frozen in place.
“One of my general officers from the Air Force recently had an embassy event here in Washington where a colonel from the People’s Liberation Army of China taunted him about the way our democracy was working,” said Air Force Secretary Frank Kendall. “Our potential adversaries are paying attention to this. And it is affecting how they view the United States and our military capabilities and support for the military.”
“I have a general officer who was supposed to move into a new house associated with their new position. And that service member was going to move their aging mother into that house with them so that they could care for them,” said Army Secretary Christine Wormuth. “Because that move isn’t happening, they are paying $10,000 a month right now to keep the aging parent in an assisted living facility.”
“I served in uniform for 26 years in the United States Navy under six different presidents, three Republicans, three Democrats, we have never seen another situation like this,” said Navy Secretary Carlos Del Toro. “For someone who was born in a communist country, I would have never imagined that actually one of our own senators would actually be aiding and abetting communists and other autocratic regimes around the world. This is having a real negative impact and will continue to have a real negative impact on our combat readiness.”
OPINION: BLAME LAZY DEMOCRATS, NOT TUBERVILLE, FOR CONFIRMATION HALT
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HAPPENING TODAY: Secretary of State Antony Blinken popped into the Ukrainian capital of Kyiv today, arriving by train under tight security and bearing more commitments from the U.S. for arms and ammunition.
It’s Blinken’s fourth trip to Ukraine since last year’s invasion by Russia, and in addition to meeting with President Volodymyr Zelensky and assessing the progress of the counteroffensive, he’s expected to announce another military aid package of up to $1 billion.
“Returned to Kyiv today to meet with our Ukrainian partners to discuss their ongoing counteroffensive, future assistance and reconstruction efforts, and above all, to reinforce the unwavering U.S. commitment to Ukraine,” Blinken posted on social media.
Blinken was welcomed to Kyiv by Ukrainian Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba. “The Secretary became the first counterpart to begin his day in Kyiv by paying tribute to our fallen heroes at Berkovetske cemetery,” Kuleba posted. “This is a sign of respect to all Ukrainian warriors who gave their life for our freedom and the right to live.”
BLINKEN MAKES UNANNOUNCED VISIT TO KYIV HOURS AFTER RUSSIAN MISSILE STRIKE
UKRAINE FORCES ADVANCE: The latest battlefield assessment from the Institute for the Study of War said geolocated video posted yesterday confirmed that Ukrainian forces continue to advance northwest and west of Robotyne into an area Russian forces previously claimed to control.
Meanwhile, the ISW reported, “Russian sources continue to complain that Russian forces lack sufficient counterbattery capabilities and artillery munitions in the face of ongoing Ukrainian counteroffensive activities, which the Kremlin and the Russian Ministry of Defense are reportedly attempting to combat.”
“Russian milbloggers claimed on September 4 and 5 that Russian counterbattery systems are performing poorly along the front in Ukraine. The milbloggers claimed that Russian forces are relying heavily on Lancet drones and 220 mm and 300 mm rounds for Multiple Launch Rocket Systems of which there are limited stockpiles.”
Zelensky is back in Kyiv after a two-day tour of the front lines in the eastern Donbas and southern Zaporizhzhia regions. He heard firsthand from brigade and battalion commanders and troops, and promised their needs will be met.
“All requests from the warriors will be addressed by senior generals, government officials, and our international relations officials,” Zelensky said in his nightly video address. “There will be new supplies.”
BRITISH CHALLENGER 2 TANK DESTROYED IN UKRAINE IN FIRST COMBAT LOSS FOR VEHICLE
ESPER ON RAMASWAMY’S ‘OUTLANDISH’ FOREIGN POLICY VIEWS: In his appearance on CNN, former Defense Secretary Mark Esper called Republican presidential candidate Vivek Ramaswamy’s recent foreign policy pronouncements “outlandish,” “ridiculous,” and “isolationist.”
“Ramaswamy has drawn criticism from most quarters, rightfully so, for many of his foreign policy stances that are just, in some ways, certainly out of the norm and outlandish,” Esper said. “You know, when he’s talked about somehow meeting with Putin and cutting a deal so that Putin can have a chunk of Ukraine, that’s just ridiculous, or saying that by 2028, once we move a semiconductor industry here to the United States, China can have Taiwan.”
“I mean, those views just undermine American leadership. They undermine U.S. values abroad,” he said. “There are other things, again, that he said that I think are really outside the bounds of what America’s role in the world is and should be … and I think would actually harm our national security if implemented.”
McCONNELL: ‘WE NEED TO KEEP THE LIGHTS ON’: Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-KY) addressed the looming prospect of a government shutdown in a brief floor speech, his first since last week’s episode in which he froze up during a news conference in Kentucky.
McConnell has no evidence of a stroke or seizure disorder, according to a letter issued by the Capitol physician, but he spoke slowly and at times, seemed to have a very slight slur to his speech.
“Congress needs to address our nation’s most pressing needs with timely appropriations, and we need to keep the lights on come October 1st,” McConnell said, calling divided government the “new normal.”
Congress, he said, must “work together on our most basic governing responsibilities,” which means “funding the government through regular order,” pointing to the bipartisan cooperation between Sens. Susan Collins (R-ME) and Patty Murray (D-WA) on the Appropriations Committee which has sent all 12 budget bills to the floor for approval. “And next week, we’ll aim to pass the first batch of their work here on the floor,” McConnell said.
But the House remains a wild card, as a large block of far-right members, including the House Freedom Caucus, are demanding deep cuts and a repeal of so-called “woke” policies and are threatening to block the passage of a stopgap continuing resolution that is necessary to avert a federal government shutdown on Oct. 1.
“I’m not confident of anything given this House Republican majority. They seem to be making it up as they go along from day to day, adding demands as hours tick by,” said Sen. Chris Murphy (D-CT). “I hope that the House Republicans don’t abandon Ukraine. They are in need of additional assistance. Just in the last four days, they’ve started to make substantial progress.”
“Republicans in charge of the House of Representatives are contemplating abandoning Ukraine, that has implications for the freedom of Ukraine and, I would argue, the freedom of the trans-Atlantic alliance,” Murphy said on CNN. “So I hope that we will hold fast to our decision, our collective decision to continue to fund Ukraine, and that means including some additional funding for Ukraine in this supplemental request that will likely be attached to a continuing agreement for funding the federal government.”
MCCONNELL HEALTH EPISODES LOOM OVER SENATE RETURN TO WASHINGTON
The Rundown
Washington Examiner: Kremlin coy on summit between Vladimir Putin and Kim Jong Un
Washington Examiner: Pentagon likens Tuberville military holdups to being unprepared on football field
Washington Examiner: Opinion: Blame lazy Democrats, not Tuberville, for confirmation halt
Washington Examiner: British Challenger 2 tank destroyed in Ukraine in first combat loss for vehicle
Washington Examiner: McConnell health episodes loom over Senate return to Washington
Washington Examiner: Biden awards Vietnam War helicopter pilot Medal of Honor
Washington Examiner: Opinion: Toothless US threats won’t scare North Korea away from Russia cooperation
Washington Examiner: Opinion: Is the US-United Arab Emirates alliance salvageable?
Washington Examiner: Opinion: Xi shows his agenda with BRICS selection and G20 rejection
AP: China’s premier is on a charm offensive as ASEAN summit protests Beijing’s aggression at sea
USNI News: Japanese, U.S., The Philippines Drill In The South China Sea; China Contests U.S. Position On Territorial Disputes
Defense News: AUKUS Standoff: Australia, UK Wait on Congress to Approve Pact
New York Times: Ukraine’s Forces Try To Punch Second Hole In Russian Lines
USNI News: Russia Continues To Strike Ukrainian Ports, Turkey Hopeful For New Grain Deal
Breaking Defense: Admiral Sounds Alarm Amid Rising Russian, Chinese Movement In High North
Stars and Stripes: Pentagon Says Base Security Top Priority After Reports Of Incursions By Chinese Nationals
Inside Defense: DOD Launches Domestic Cruise Missile Defense Program to Protect US Cities, ‘Critical’ Sites
Breaking Defense: Poland Unveils HAASTA Prototype for Drone-on-Drone Warfare
Defense News: Poland Buys Hundreds Of Naval Strike Missiles In $2 Billion Deal
Task & Purpose: Pentagon Extends Deployment of 400 Troops Along US-Mexico Border
Air & Space Forces Magazine: Kendall Pledges ‘Major’ Review of DAF’s Readiness to Meet China Challenge
Air & Space Forces Magazine: DAF Personnel Chief on Why Diversity Should ‘Scare the Hell Out of Our Adversaries’
Defense One: China Is Honing Runway-Repair Teams
Air & Space Forces Magazine: Cotton Talks Extended Deterrence in First Visits to Japan, S. Korea as STRATCOM Boss
Air & Space Forces Magazine: After Successful Launch, Lockheed Looks to Go Even Faster on Future SDA Satellites
Air & Space Forces Magazine: How the Ionosphere Can Help NORAD Detect Cruise Missiles Faster
Defense Scoop: New Collaboration Hub Looks to Connect Army Aviation with Emerging Tech
19fortyfive.com: Opinion: John Bolton: Republicans Must Exorcise The Ghost Of Neville Chamberlain When It Comes To Ukraine
The Cipher Brief: How the War in Ukraine is Driving a New Global Order
The Cipher Brief: Terrorist Groups are Again Thriving in Taliban-Ruled Afghanistan
The Cipher Brief: Lessons Learned from Listening to Iran
The Cipher Brief: Africa’s ‘Coup Belt’ is a Problem for the West
Calendar
WEDNESDAY | SEPTEMBER 6
9 a.m. — Defense News conference “Fireside Chat,” with Gen. Eric Smith, assistant Marine Corps commandant: Ely Ratner, assistant secretary of defense for Indo-Pacific security affairs; Gen. Mark Kelly, commander, Air Combat Command; and Lt. Gen. James Slife, Air Force deputy chief of staff for operations https://conference.defensenews.com
9:30 a.m. — Stimson Center virtual discussion: “Nuclear Security for Nuclear Newcomers: Exploring Turkey’s Readiness,” with World Institute for Nuclear Security Ambassador to Turkey Ali Alkis and George Foster, director of Amport Risk Limited https://www.stimson.org/event/nuclear-security-for-nuclear-newcomers
9:30 a.m. 1775 Massachusetts Ave. NW — Brookings Institution book discussion on Japan’s Quiet Leadership: Reshaping the Indo-Pacific, with author Mireya Solis, director of the Brookings Center for East Asia Policy Studies; Kurt Tong, managing partner at the Asia Group and former consul general of the United States to Hong Kong and Macau; Yuichi Hosoya, professor of international politics at Keio University; and Demetri Sevastopulo, U.S.-China correspondent at the Financial Times https://www.brookings.edu/events/japans-quiet-leadership-reshaping-the-indo-pacific
10 a.m. 419 Dirksen — Senate Foreign Relations Committee hearing: “AUKUS: A Generational Opportunity to Deepen our Security Partnerships with Australia and the United Kingdom,” with testimony from Jessica Lewis, assistant secretary of state for the Bureau of Political Military Affairs; Mara Karlin, performing the duties of the deputy undersecretary of defense for policy and assistant defense secretary for strategy, plans, and capabilities; and Kin Moy, principal deputy assistant secretary of state for the Bureau of East Asian and Pacific Affairs https://www.foreign.senate.gov/hearings/aukus
11:30 a.m. 1030 15th St. NW — Atlantic Council discussion: “Current challenges facing the homeland security intelligence enterprise,” with Kenneth Wainstein, homeland security undersecretary for intelligence and analysis https://www.atlanticcouncil.org/event/a-conversation-with-kenneth-wainstein
10:30 a.m. 1201 Pennsylvania Ave. NW — Hudson Institute in-person discussion: “Gaining Ground in the Pacific: The US Army’s Role in Campaigning against China,” with Gen. Charles Flynn, commanding general, U.S. Army, Pacific; Bryan Clark, Hudson senior fellow and director, Center for Defense Concepts and Technology; and Dan Patt, senior fellow, Center for Defense Concepts and Technology https://www.hudson.org/events/gaining-ground-pacific-us-army-role
3 p.m. 1616 Rhode Island Ave. NW — Center for Strategic and International Studies discussion: “Acquisition for Innovation,” with Radha Iyengar Plumb, deputy undersecretary of defense for acquisition and sustainment https://www.csis.org/events/acquisition-innovation-conversation
5:30 p.m. 730 11th St. NW — Pentagon Memorial Fund public meeting on proposal to construct and operate a visitor education center for the existing 9/11 Pentagon Memorial on the grounds of Arlington National Cemetery.
THURSDAY | SEPTEMBER 7
8:30 a.m. — Government Executive Media Group’s NextGov/Federal Computer Week virtual forum: “Cyber Defenders” https://events.nextgov.com/cyberdefenders
11 a.m. 1201 Pennsylvania Ave. NW — Hudson Institute discussion: “Euro-Atlantic and Indo-Pacific Security Ties,” with U.K. Defence Staff Chief Adm. Tony Radakin https://www.hudson.org/events/euro-atlantic-indo-pacific-security
11 a.m. 1775 Massachusetts Ave. NW — Brookings Institution discussion: “Should the U.S. Pursue a New Cold War with China?” with Jessica Chen Weiss, professor for China and Asia-Pacific studies at Cornell University; former Assistant Defense Secretary for International Security Affairs Joseph Nye; Matthew Turpin, visiting fellow at the Hoover Institution; and Demetri Sevastopulo, U.S.-China correspondent at the Financial Times https://www.brookings.edu/events/should-the-us-pursue-a-new-cold-war-with-china/
12 p.m. — Association of the U.S. Army Noon Report webinar: “Lessons for Veterans Seeking to Earn Their Degrees,” with author John Davis, former infantry squad leader in the 101st Airborne Division https://www.ausa.org/events/noon-report-combat-college
FRIDAY | SEPTEMBER 8
11 a.m. — Foundation for Defense of Democracies book discussion: Beijing Rules: How China Weaponized Its Economy to Confront the World, with Axios China reporter Bethany Allen-Ebrahimian; Liza Tobin, senior director for economy, Special Competitive Studies Project.; F. Scott Kieff, former commissioner, U.S. International Trade Commission; and Craig Singleton, FDD senior fellow https://forms.monday.com/forms
12 p.m. New York, NY— Korea Society’s Policy and Education Department discussion: “Chinese Views of North Korea’s Uncertain Future,” with Sungmin Cho, professor at the Asia-Pacific Center for Security Studies, a U.S. Defense Department institution; and Jonathan Corrado, Korea Society policy director https://docs.google.com/forms
MONDAY | SEPTEMBER 11
9:15 a.m. 165 Waterfront St., National Harbor, Maryland — Air and Space Forces Association Air, Space & Cyber Conference, with Air Force Secretary Frank Kendall; Air Force Chief of Staff Gen. Charles Q. Brown Jr.; and Gen. Duke Richardson, commander of Air Force Materiel Command https://2023asc.expotracker.net/index.aspx
TUESDAY | SEPTEMBER 12
8:25 a.m. 165 Waterfront St., National Harbor, Maryland — Air and Space Forces Association Air, Space & Cyber Conference, with Gen. B. Chance Saltzman, chief of space operations; William LaPlante, undersecretary of defense for acquisition and sustainment; Gen. Anthony Cotton, commander of U.S. Strategic Command; Thomas Bussiere, commander of Air Force Global Strike Command; and Chief Master Sgt. of the Space Force Roger Towberman https://2023asc.expotracker.net/index.aspx
WEDNESDAY | SEPTEMBER 13
8:15 a.m. 165 Waterfront St., National Harbor, Maryland — Air and Space Forces Association Air, Space & Cyber Conference, with Chief Master Sgt. of the Air Force JoAnne Bass; and Adm. Christopher Grady, vice chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff https://2023asc.expotracker.net/index.aspx
FRIDAY | SEPTEMBER 15
11 a.m. — Center for a New American Security virtual fireside chat of CNAS report: “‘Production is Deterrence’: Investing in Precision-Guided Munitions to Meet Peer Challengers,” with William LaPlante, undersecretary of defense for acquisition and sustainment; and moderator Stacie Pettyjohn, senior fellow and director of the CNAS Defense Program https://www.cnas.org/events/virtual-fireside-chat-the-honorable-dr-william-laplante
QUOTE OF THE DAY
“For someone who was born in a communist country, I would have never imagined that actually one of our own senators would actually be aiding and abetting communists and other autocratic regimes around the world. This is having a real negative impact and will continue to have a real negative impact on our combat readiness. And that’s what the American people truly need to understand.”
Navy Secretary Carlos Del Toro, in an interview on CNN, arguing Sen. Tommy Tuberville’s (R-AL) blockage of military promotions is hurting the U.S.’s image abroad.
