In a House Republican caucus not exactly brimming with leaders on the subject of foreign and defense policy, majority leader Dick Armey is beginning to step up to the plate. He was among the first to signal displeasure with the Clinton administration’s policy of “constructive engagement” with China. And he has told opponents of that policy that he may oppose renewal of China’s mostfavored-nation status, in what promises to be the hot legislative battle of the summer. Meanwhile, he is co-sponsoring legislation that supports both an acceleration of NATO enlargement and efforts to build trust between the alliance and Russia. Armey says that NATO expansion should proceed “in a way which is sensitive to Russian interests.” This squares with the view taken by Sen. Richard Lugar and other strong supporters of an American leadership role in Europe. But here’s the real test of manhood: Defense spending is down 40 percent in real dollars over the last 12 years, and too many Republicans have happily gone along. Will Armey be the first member of the leadership to insist, against all political winds and despite the constraints of the budget deal, that Congress halt the decimation of the Pentagon?
