DEMOCRAT’S DEFENSE BUDGET ADVANCES: On a 33-23 straight party-line vote, the Democrat-controlled House Appropriations Committee approved a Pentagon budget of $706 billion for FY 2022, which when adjusted for inflation is a slight reduction in defense spending over the current year. The bill does not include $11 billion in military construction funding that is handled separately and brings the total for the Pentagon to $715 billion.
The bill included several priorities of the progressive wing of the Democratic Party, including closing the detention facility at Guantanamo Bay, placing limits on U.S. involvement in Yemen, and repealing the 2001 and 2002 authorizations for use of military force, which will likely face opposition in the Senate.
The bill restores money for a second Arleigh Burke-class destroyer that the Biden administration wanted to delay until next year, providing a total of $23.5 billion to procure eight new Navy ships, a $915 million increase over the administration’s request.
The bill, which Republicans insist spend too little on defense, now goes to the House floor, where progressives will argue it spends too much.
MONEY FOR CAPITOL SECURITY: Republicans and Democrats are at odds over emergency funding for the National Guard and Capitol Police to cover the cost of defending the U.S. Capitol from the assault by violent Trump supporters on Jan. 6.
“Without Senate action, the Capitol Police will run out of funding sometime in August. And without Senate action, the National Guard, which provided protection to the Capitol after the attack of Jan. 6, will have to begin cutting training in August,” said Sen. Patrick Leahy, a Vermont Democrat who is pushing a $3.7 billion Emergency Security Supplemental bill that would also provide funding for relocated Afghan refugees and reimburse the Pentagon for COVID costs.
Republicans are balking and countering with a proposed $632 million for the National Guard and Capitol Police.
“Some Congressional Republicans are so desperate to whitewash the Capitol insurrection that they are now holding up funds to pay Capitol Police officers and repay the National Guard,” said Armed Services Committee Chairman Sen. Jack Reed of Rhode Island in a statement. “We must take steps to prevent a repeat of the violent, vile breach of the U.S. Capitol. The Capitol is a symbol of our democracy. If we fail to provide secure doors, windows, tunnels, street barriers, and grounds then we could be leaving it vulnerable to another January 6 style attack.”
Asked about the impasse yesterday, Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell said simply, “at the Appropriations Committee we’re in discussion with the majority on providing funding for the Capitol Police, which needs to be dealt with before the August recess, and we need to reimburse the National Guard for their expenses.”
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DEL TORO CRUISING TO CONFIRMATION: Based on his reception at yesterday’s Senate Armed Services Committee hearing, Carlos Del Toro appears to face no major obstacles to confirmation to be secretary of the Navy.
Del Toro faced mostly friendly questions from committee members, despite many having deep reservations about the Navy’s shipbuilding plans. Under questioning from Mississippi Republican Sen. Roger Wicker, Del Toro said he was committed to building a bigger Navy to keep pace with China.
“I believe that, as our nation shifts from a land-based strategy over the past 20 years fighting the wars in the Middle East to a more dominant maritime strategy in the Pacific, particularly in our efforts to deter China, I do believe that our Navy Marine Corps team will need additional resources to be able to fully feel the combat effectiveness we will need as a nation to do so,” Del Toro said. “This is an incredibly important issue, and I fully support the 2018 National Defense Authorization Act that has, as a goal, a 355 ship Navy.”
“I think there’s a bipartisan majority on both sides of the aisle and on both sides of the dais in this committee to help you find more resources to do exactly what you said is necessary vis-a-vis China and Russia and other threats that we have,” Wicker replied.
OUTRAGE OVER IRAN KIDNAP PLOT: The announcement last night from the Justice Department that four Iranian nationals conspired to kidnap a Brooklyn journalist, author, and human rights activist for mobilizing public opinion in Iran and spirit her off to Iran has renewed criticism of the Biden administration’s efforts to rejoin the Iran nuclear deal and lift sanctions against Tehran.
The Justice Department did not identify the intended victim, but Brooklyn-based Masih Alinejad told the Associated Press that she was among several people targeted for kidnapping. “I knew that this is the nature of the Islamic Republic, you know, kidnapping people, arresting people, torturing people, killing people, “Alinejap told the Associated Press. “But I couldn’t believe it, that this is going to happen to me in the United States of America.”
“As a former federal prosecutor, I commend the Department of Justice and the FBI for their work to expose a chilling plot by the Iranian regime to kidnap a U.S. citizen from sovereign U.S. soil,” said House Foreign Affairs Committee Lead Republican Michael McCaul in a statement.
“This revelation serves as another reminder that the Biden Administration bending over backwards to re-enter the JCPOA is likely sacrificing our leverage to compel Iran to cease its other malign activities,” McCaul said. “This is a regime that holds American hostages and is actively trying to kidnap an American from the streets of New York. President Biden should not enter into any deals with Iran without an end to these assaults on our citizens.”
IRAN PLOTTED TO KIDNAP NYC JOURNALIST CRITICAL OF REGIME, DOJ SAYS
THE CHILLING DETAILS: The Justice Department release provides chilling details of the plot, in which an Iranian intelligence officer identified as Alireza Shahvaroghi Farahani and three alleged members of an Iranian intelligence network stalked their victim and worked out ways to get her out of the country by bypassing border security.
“As part of the kidnapping plot, the Farahani-led intelligence network also researched methods of transporting Victim-1 out of the United States for rendition to Iran. Sadeghi, for example, researched a service offering military-style speedboats for self-operated maritime evacuation out of New York City, and maritime travel from New York to Venezuela, a country whose de facto government has friendly relations with Iran. Khazein researched travel routes from Victim-1’s residence to a waterfront neighborhood in Brooklyn; the location of Victim-1’s residence relative to Venezuela; and the location of Victim-1’s residence relative to Tehran.”
The indictment reads like a bad spy thriller, except it was frighteningly real.
MAKING MILITARY VOTING EASIER: Illinois Democratic Sen. Tammy Duckworth and Texas Republican Sen. John Cornyn have joined forces on a bipartisan measure that aims to make it easier for members of the military to vote.
“The Reducing Barriers for Military Voters Act would establish a secure electronic voting system for active duty servicemembers stationed in hazardous duty zones or rotational deployments,” the two senators said in a statement.
“It’s a sad fact that servicemembers in faraway or isolated posts sometimes can’t participate in the very same democratic system they are fighting for. This legislation will allow active-duty troops deployed to some of our most difficult assignments to safely and securely cast their ballots,” said Cornyn. “I’m proud to join Sen. Duckworth in introducing this important piece of bipartisan and bicameral legislation.”
In the House, Rep. Joe Wilson, a South Carolina Republican, introduced companion legislation earlier this year.
HELP, BUT NO TROOPS, FOR HAITI: The White House yesterday released a long list of the ways it says the U.S. is helping Haiti, but it did not include any mention of sending U.S. troops to help restore order to the country in the wake of the assassination of President Jovenel Moise.
“We are evaluating requests for assistance, just as we would requests from assistance in other contexts,” said State Department spokesman Ned Price. “We know in this case that there may be needs for protection in the context of critical infrastructure. We’re taking a close look at that as well. FBI and DHS, as I said before, have been engaging with their Haitian counterparts, but all of these requests we’re evaluating in line with our assessment of how we can best assist the Haitian people and the Haitian government.”
Secretary of State Antony Blinken spoke yesterday with the secretary general of the Organization of American States and “underscored the United States’ commitment to working with the OAS and our international partners to help Haitian institutions restore security and to pave the way for free and fair legislative and presidential elections in 2021,” according to the State Department.
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The Rundown
Washington Examiner: Japan warns of ‘sense of crisis’ about China’s threat to conquer Taiwan
Washington Examiner: McConnell: Biden troop withdrawal from Afghanistan ‘a global embarrassment’
Washington Examiner: Suspect in assassination of Haitian president was former DEA informant
Washington Examiner: Tom Cotton creates investigation into critical race theory training at Raytheon
Washington Examiner: Navy sends 33 sailors to hospital after ‘potential’ diesel exhaust exposure
Washington Examiner: Iran plotted to kidnap NYC journalist critical of regime, DOJ says
Washington Examiner: Chinese money launderers team up with Mexican cartels to profit billions from US fentanyl crisis
Wall Street Journal: Turkey, U.S. Make Progress in Kabul Airport Talks, Prompting Taliban Threat
Bloomberg: Navy Contractor Fumes Over Slow Award on System Scorned by Trump
New York Times: G.O.P. Lawmakers Question Amazon’s Connections on Pentagon Contract
The Hill: Navy Secretary Nominee Pledges To Be ‘Exclusively Focused On The China Threat’
Air Force Magazine: Warren Lifts Hold on Kendall Nomination After Ethics Agreement Extension
AP: Kremlin Mum On Next Moves After Putin Article About Ukraine
AP: Iran’s president warns weapons-grade enrichment possible
The Hill: Russia Warns U.S. Against Deploying Troops In Central Asia After Afghanistan Withdrawal
Air Force Magazine: DOD’s Artificial Intelligence Efforts Gain Momentum as US, Allies, and Partners Look to Counter China
Washington Times: China Begins Military Flights From Disputed South China Sea Bases
Bloomberg: Lockheed F-35’s Tally of Flaws Tops 800 as ‘New Issues’ Surface
Seapower Magazine: Navy Confident Strike Fighter Shortfall Will Gone by 2025, Admiral Says
Breaking Defense: SecDef Austin Commits U.S. To ‘Responsible AI’
19fortyfive.com: Is Russia Building a New Stealth Fighter to Challenge the F-35?
19fortyfive.com: A Sixth-Generation Stealth Fighter Alliance Could Be Brewing
Stars and Stripes: USS Ronald Reagan, HMS Queen Elizabeth Aircraft Carriers Train Together for First Time
19fortyfive.com: The U.S. Navy Has a New Weapon to Defeat Killer Drones
Marine Corps Times: Maskless Marines On Base Must Be Prepared To Show COVID-19 Vaccination Proof
Washington Examiner: Opinion: Decoding Putin’s threat to Ukraine
19fortyfive.com: Opinion: Cancelling JEDI Contract May Not Solve DoD’s Cloud Migration Woes
Calendar
WEDNESDAY | JULY 14
9 a.m. — International Institute for Strategic Studies holds a virtual discussion on a new report, “Democratic People’s Republic of Korea Strategic Capabilities and Security on the Korean Peninsula: Looking Ahead,” with Mark Fitzpatrick, associate fellow at IISS; and Anton Khlopkov, founder and director of the Center for Energy and Security Studies. https://www.iiss.org/events/2021/07/north-korea-strategic-capabilities
10 a.m. — Mitchell Institute for Aerospace Studies “Aerospace Nation” event with Lt. Gen. David Nahom, deputy Air Force chief of staff for plans and programs; and retired Lt. Gen. David Deptula, dean, Mitchell Institute for Aerospace Studies. Video posted afterward at https://mitchellaerospacepower.org/events
10:15 a.m. — Center for Strategic and International Studies virtual Project on Nuclear Issues Summer Conference, discussion on “Managing Nuclear Threats in a New Era of Arms Control.” https://www.csis.org/events/poni-2021-virtual-summer-conference
11:30 a.m. — Atlantic Council virtual discussion: “What’s Next for Ukraine?” with Ukrainian Prime Minister Arseniy Yatsenyuk; former Ukrainian Deputy Foreign Minister Danylo Lubkivsky; former U.S. Ambassador to Ukraine William Taylor; and Melinda Haring, deputy director of the Atlantic Council’s Eurasia Center. https://www.atlanticcouncil.org/event/whats-next-for-ukraine
12 p.m. — East-West Center in Washington virtual discussion: “Comrades in Arms: North Korea and Syria,” with Samuel Ramani, politics and international relations tutor at the University of Oxford; Keith Luse, executive director of the National Committee on North Korea; and Ross Tokola, executive associate to the director at the East-West Center. https://eastwestcenter.zoom.us/webinar/register
1 p.m. — Flore Albo LLC webinar “Ransomware: Operational Technology Risk and Solutions,” with Mark Carrigan, an expert on OT cybersecurity; Anthony Belfiore, chief security officer of Aon; Steve Katz, former CISO of Citi; Robert Huber, chief security officer, Tenable.
2 p.m. — Center for Strategic and International Studies virtual discussion: “The State of Special Operations Forces,” with Rep. Stephanie Murphy, D-Fla., vice chair of the House Armed Services Subcommittee on Intelligence and Special Operations. https://www.csis.org/events
3 p.m. — Woodrow Wilson Center Science and Technology Innovation Program virtual discussion: “Cybersecurity on the Final Frontier: Protecting Our Critical Space Assets from Cyber Threats, with Brandon Bailey, cybersecurity senior project leader at the Aerospace Corporation’s Cyber Assessments and Research Department; Prashant Doshi, associate principal director of the Aerospace Corporation’s Cyber Security Subdivision; Ryan Speelman, principal director of the Aerospace Corporation’s Cyber Security Subdivision; Erin Miller, executive director of the Space Information Sharing and Analysis Center; and Meg King, director of the WWC Science and Technology Innovation Program https://www.wilsoncenter.org/event/cybersecurity
THURSDAY I JULY 15
12 p.m. — R Street Institute virtual discussion: “The Pentagon’s Fiscal Responsibility and Government Waste,” as part of the Pentagon Purse Strings series, with Sen. Joni Ernst, R-Iowa; Andrew Lautz, director of federal policy at the National Taxpayers Union; and Jonathan Bydlak, director of governance at R Street. https://rstreet-org.zoom.us/webinar/register
12 p.m. — Washington Space Business Roundtable virtual discussion: “Ensuring America’s Space Leadership in the Face of Growing Global Competition: Vital Role of the Aerospace Sector,” with Sen. John Hickenlooper, D-Colo. https://www.wsbr.org/events/virtual-program
2 p.m. — Intelligence National Security Alliance virtual discussion: “The New IC: Empowering Women and Engaging Men,” with Lt. Gen. Mary O’Brien, Air Force deputy chief of staff for intelligence, surveillance, reconnaissance and cyber effects operations; and Principal Deputy Director of National Intelligence Sue Gordon. https://www.insaonline.org/event
3:30 p.m. — George Washington University Project for Media and National Security Defense Writers Group conversation with New York Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand, Democrat, who sits on the House Armed Services Committee. https://nationalsecuritymedia.gwu.edu
4 p.m. — House Armed Services Subcommittee on Readiness Hearing: “Fiscal Year 2022 Budget Request for Military Construction, Energy, and Environmental Programs,” with Paul Cramer, performing the duties of the assistant secretary of defense for sustainment; Jack Surash, acting assistant secretary of the Army, Installations, environment and energy; Todd Schafer, acting assistant secretary of the Navy, installations, environment and energy; Jennifer Miller, acting assistant secretary of the Air Force, installations, environment and energy. https://armedservices.house.gov/hearings
FRIDAY | JULY 16
12 p.m. — Hudson Institute virtual discussion: “Religious Freedom and a Free and Open Indo-Pacific,” with Yahya Cholil Staquf, general secretary of Indonesia’s Nahdlatul Ulama; former Secretary of State Mike Pompeo, fellow at Hudson; and Kenneth Weinstein, fellow at Hudson. https://www.hudson.org/events
MONDAY | JULY 19
5:30 p.m. 232A Russell — Senate Armed Services Subcommittees begin markups of the National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2022, beginning with closed hearings by the subcommittee on strategic forces and cybersecurity. https://www.armed-services.senate.gov/hearings
TUESDAY | JULY 20
9:30 p.m. 106 Russell — Senate Armed Services Subcommittees continue markups of the National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2022, with open hearings by the subcommittees on readiness and management support, and at 11 a.m. on personnel; followed by closed hearings by the subcommittees on airland, emerging threats and capabilities, and seapower. https://www.armed-services.senate.gov/hearings
1:30 p.m. — Air Force Association’s Mitchell Institute for Aerospace Studies releases new policy paper, “Speed is Life: Accelerating the Air Force’s Ability to Adapt and Win,” with Tim Grayson, director of the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency’s Strategic Technology Office. https://events.r20.constantcontact.com/register
THURSDAY | JULY 22
12 p.m. — McCain Institute virtual conversation with former U.S. Defense Secretary Mark Esper and former British Prime Minister Theresa May. https://asu.zoom.us
QUOTE OF THE DAY
“The action today is a reminder of the willingness of the regime to do anything — including on American soil — to silence its critics. We applaud U.S. law enforcement for taking this action and preventing Iran from harming Masih Alinejad.”
Former Sen. Joseph I. Lieberman, chairman of United Against Nuclear Iran, on the indictment of four Iranian nationals accused of plotting to kidnap a Brooklyn journalist.
