‘PATIENCE … IS WEARING THIN’: Amid signs Sen. Tommy Tuberville (R-AL) may be open to an off-ramp to end his monthslong blockade of military promotions, his fellow Republicans appear ready to force the issue as early as next week.
As the Pentagon argues the holds are hurting military readiness and punishing service members and their families, Tuberville remains in denial that his battle against the Defense Department’s abortion travel policy is causing any serious problem.
“I mean, people are still in the game, they might not be making a call somewhere they might after I give them promotion, but all jobs are filled,” Tuberville said yesterday. “I mean, you can’t tell me that our military is not functioning the way it should function at a high readiness, especially [with] what’s going on now.”
What’s going on now is a war raging in the Middle East, with the U.S. backing Israel in its effort to crush Hamas and U.S. troops under constant attack from Iranian proxies in Syria and Iraq. And while Tuberville remains defiant, frustrated Republicans met behind closed doors to decide whether to back a rules change that would allow for a one-time end-run to approve all pending nominations in a single vote.
“It’s up to the Republicans. Tuberville’s a Republican. They should put pressure on him to change,” Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-NY) said yesterday. “And now, patience on both sides of the aisle, including with Republicans … is wearing thin.”
KEY COMMANDERS IN WAITING: Among the military promotions currently blocked by Tuberville’s blockade are commanders who would normally be coordinating the U.S. military’s response to events in the Middle East.
“Some of the positions that are stalled for confirmation include the Fifth Fleet commander, the deputy Fifth Fleet commander, the defense attache to Israel, and the list goes on,” deputy Pentagon press secretary Sabrina Singh said at a briefing for reporters. “There are now 452 nominations which concern 448 general and flag officers at the Senate for consideration and that are currently impacted by Senator Tuberville’s holds.”
“As we’ve said before, these holds have a direct effect on our military readiness, our national security, and our military families.”
Later in the day, Tuberville seemed to be looking for a face-saving way out. Calling himself a “team player,” he said he’s open to finding a way to end his holds. “We knew sooner or later there’s going to be a resolution to this,” he told reporters. “We just got to look through all the situations where we might be able to get through this.”
“We all want to get this behind us. But we also want to look out for the unborn and our military,” he said.
TUBERVILLE SOFTENS TONE AS PENTAGON BLOCKADE REACHES BREAKING POINT
HICKS: HOLDS HURT RECRUITING: At a forum discussing the challenges facing America’s all-volunteer military, Deputy Defense Secretary Kathleen Hicks cited the perception that the military is becoming politicized as one factor affecting the current recruiting shortfall.
“Remaining an apolitical institution is critical to maintaining that trust and confidence, and especially in this moment in history. A critical piece of ensuring healthy civil-military relations is making sure that the military avoids politicization and remains nonpartisan,” Hicks said at an event sponsored by the Center for a New American Security. “Civilians have an important part to play in reinforcing this norm and protecting our service members from being dragged into the political fray or being colored or affected by policy disagreements that they, by design, have no control over.”
“Another strong signal of healthy civil-military relations would be to end Senator Tuberville’s hold on general and flag officers,” she added. “This hold is unnecessary, unprecedented, and unsafe. It’s bad for the military, it’s bad for military families, and it’s bad for America, and it needs to stop now.”
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Good Wednesday morning and welcome to Jamie McIntyre’s Daily on Defense, written and compiled by Washington Examiner National Security Senior Writer Jamie McIntyre (@jamiejmcintyre) and edited by Conrad Hoyt. Email here with tips, suggestions, calendar items, and anything else. Sign up or read current and back issues at DailyonDefense.com. If signing up doesn’t work, shoot us an email and we’ll add you to our list. And be sure to follow me on Threads and/or on X @jamiejmcintyre
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HAPPENING TODAY: Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin departs this morning for a multiday trip to India, South Korea, and Indonesia. “Each of the Secretary’s stops … will underscore the depth of the longstanding U.S. commitment to strengthening the Indo-Pacific’s dynamic security architecture,” the Pentagon said in a statement.
In India, Austin will join Secretary of State Antony Blinken for the fifth annual U.S.-India 2+2 Ministerial Dialogue.
HAPPENING TONIGHT: The third Republican presidential primary debate in Miami, Florida, will air for two hours on NBC beginning at 8 p.m. It’s being moderated by NBC’s Lester Holt and Kristen Welker, as well as nationally syndicated Salem Radio Network talk show host Hugh Hewitt.
Five candidates made the cut: former South Carolina Gov. Nikki Haley, Gov. Ron DeSantis (R-FL), former New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie, Sen. Tim Scott (R-SC), and entrepreneur Vivek Ramaswamy, hosted by NBC News
NIKKI HALEY SLAMS RON DESANTIS FOR ‘LYING’ AHEAD OF GOP DEBATE
GOP BORDER SECURITY DEMANDS DERAIL UKRAINE FUNDING: For weeks, Majority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-NY) has been drawing a contrast between the Senate, where he said funding for Ukraine was being handled on a bipartisan basis, and the House, where hard-line Republicans were linking the aid to highly partisan “poison pill” measures.
So, Schumer claimed to be blindsided by a proposal from Sens. Lindsey Graham (R-SC), Tom Cotton (R-AR), and James Lankford (R-OK) to link the Ukraine aid to a border security plan that mirrors a House bill that President Joe Biden has promised to veto.
“Instead of putting together common sense border policies that can pass in divided government, Senate Republicans basically copied and pasted the House’s radical H.R. 2 bill, all at the expense of Ukrainian freedom, independence, democracy,” Schumer fumed. “We are open to talking about the border, but it has to be bipartisan. They just sort of plucked things out of H.R. 2, which they knew was unacceptable, didn’t talk to a single Democrat, and said, ‘Hey, take it or leave it.’”
“The world is on fire, and threats to our homeland are at an all-time high. President Biden’s border policies are not working, and it’s time to change course,” said Graham. “Our proposal makes the necessary changes that our country needs at this critical time.”
SENATE AT STANDSTILL OVER BORDER SECURITY, JEOPARDIZING DEAL ON UKRAINE AND ISRAEL AID
ANOTHER US-RUSSIA TREATY GOES DOWN: The U.S. and NATO announced yesterday that, following Russia’s withdrawal from the 1990 Conventional Armed Forces in Europe Treaty this week, the U.S. and its allies would also “suspend all of their obligations” under the treaty.
“Our suspension of CFE obligations is consistent with our rights under international law, in response to a fundamental change of circumstances caused by the combination of Russia’s withdrawal from the CFE Treaty and its continuing full-scale war of aggression against Ukraine,” the State Department said in a statement. “Russia’s withdrawal is not expected to have any practical impact on its force posture, given Moscow’s failure to abide by its CFE Treaty obligations since 2007. However, its withdrawal signals a further effort by Moscow to undermine decades of progress made towards building transparency and cooperative approaches to security in Europe.”
“We applaud the United States and NATO’s announced decision to suspend the operation of the CFE Treaty,” Sens. Ben Cardin (D-MD) and Jim Risch (R-ID), the chairman and ranking member of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, said in a joint statement.
“The CFE treaty has been viewed as a cornerstone of European security, which provided a pathway for a peaceful and stable end to the Cold War military confrontation that once divided the continent,” they said. “When Russia unilaterally ‘suspended’ its implementation of the treaty in 2007 without any legal basis, its leaders made clear they have no interest in limiting their conventional military forces or transparency measures which might constrain their ability to coerce, bully, and invade their neighbors.”
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The Rundown
Washington Examiner: Senate at standstill over border security, jeopardizing deal on Ukraine and Israel aid
Washington Examiner: Senate Republicans unveil border proposal as condition for Ukraine aid
Washington Examiner: Confusion ensues among House Republicans about how to avoid shutdown
Washington Examiner: Tuberville softens tone as Pentagon blockade reaches breaking point
Washington Examiner: ‘Tightening the noose’: Israel urges Gaza residents to turn on Hamas leaders
Washington Examiner: Netanyahu signals affinity for Zelensky as Israel’s ties with Russia worsen
Washington Examiner: Israel war: Israeli president calls for US university leaders to do more to protect Jewish students
Washington Examiner: Israel will keep security control in Gaza indefinitely after war ends, says Netanyahu
Washington Examiner: Opinion: Biden risks encouraging Iranian terrorist attacks
Washington Examiner: Opinion: Israel war: Why Jordan cannot be ignored
New York Times: Reoccupying Gaza ‘Not the Right Thing to Do,’ White House Tells Israel
Reuters: G7’s Top Diplomats Prepare Statement On Gaza Conflict
AP: How Lebanon’s Hezbollah Group Became A Critical Player In The Israel-Hamas War
Breaking Defense: Army’s Iron Dome Batteries On 11-Month Lease With Israel, Which Could Be Extended
The War Zone: F-16s For Ukrainian Training Arrive in Romania
Reuters: Ukraine Says Troops Repel Russian Attacks Along Front Line
AP: Biden-Xi Meeting In San Francisco Still On Track But No Major Breakthroughs Expected
Air & Space Forces Magazine: What’s an Attack? In Iraq and Syria, That’s Not Always Clear
AP: Air Force Asks Congress to Protect Its Nuclear Launch Sites from Encroaching Wind Turbines
Air & Space Forces Magazine: Austin Heads to Indo-Pacific as Space Race Heats Up on Korean Peninsula
Breaking Defense: Navy Planning To Execute 3-Year Ohio-Class Sub Life Extensions
Air & Space Forces Magazine: Military Growing More Distant from Most Americans, Hicks Says
Military.com: Pulling Close-Air Support Airmen from Army Bases Would Increase Risk on the Battlefield, Republicans in Congress Say
Defense News: US Air Force May Remove 105mm Cannon From AC-130 Gunship
Task & Purpose: Blood Brothers: In the Pacific, US Medics May Soon Use Blood from Allies
Space News: LeoLabs Data Shows On-Orbit Maneuvers by Russian Satellites
Breaking Defense: In Biggest Deal Yet, UK and Polish Firms Ink $4.9B Contract for Next-Gen Air Defense System
Air & Space Forces Magazine: Air Force-Wide Digital WAPS Testing to Start February 2024
Aviation Week: U.S. Air Force Looking for New ‘Janet’ Operator
National Interest: How Will the Ukraine War End? With China Emerging as a Superpower
National Interest: A War Between the United States and China Is Not ‘Inevitable’
National Interest: The Fallacy of Finite Deterrence
The Cipher Brief: Director Burns’ Middle East Mission
The Cipher Brief: Disinformation and the Limits of Yelling ‘Liar’ in a Crowded Theater
The Cipher Brief: Opinion: Senator Tuberville: A One Man National Security Threat
Forbes: Opinion: Israel Crisis Signals Need To Bolster U.S. Homeland Security—Including Internet Infrastructure
Calendar
WEDNESDAY | NOVEMBER 8
7:55 a.m. 2799 Richmond Highway, Arlington, Virginia — Naval Submarine League 2023 Annual Symposium: “Promoting the Importance of Submarines to the National Defense,” with Rear Adm. Richard Seif, commander of U.S. Pacific Fleet Submarine Force; and Sen. Roger Wicker (R-MS) https://www.navalsubleague.org/events/annual-symposium/
8 a.m. 1030 15th St. NW — Atlantic Council’s Scowcroft Center for Strategy and Security and the Atlantic Council’s Forward Defense Program Symposium: “The Evolving Role of Special Operations Forces in Strategic Competition.” RSVP: [email protected]
9 a.m. — Wilson Center’s Asia Program virtual discussion: “A Half Decade of Indo-Pacific Strategies: Assessing U.S. Outreach to Allies and Partners,” with former Deputy Assistant Secretary of State for East Asia and the Pacific Scot Marciel, fellow at the Freeman Spogli Institute for International Studies; Ashley Tellis, chairman for strategic affairs at the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace; Shihoko Goto, acting director of the Wilson Center’s Asia Program; and Lucas Myers, senior associate for Southeast Asia at the Wilson Center’s Asia Program https://www.wilsoncenter.org/event/half-decade-indo-pacific-strategies
10 a.m. 419 Dirksen — Senate Foreign Relations Committee hearing: “U.S. National Security Interests in Ukraine,” with testimony from James O’Brien, assistant secretary of state for European and Eurasian affairs; Geoffrey Pyatt, assistant secretary of state for energy resources; and Erin McKee, assistant administrator for Europe and Eurasia at the U.S. Agency for International Development https://www.foreign.senate.gov/hearings
10 a.m — Mitchell Institute for Aerospace Studies “Schriever Spacepower Series,” with Lisa Costa, chief technology and innovation officer; and retired Air Force Gen. Kevin Chilton, explorer chairman, Mitchell Institute for Aerospace Studies Spacepower Advantage Center of Excellence https://mitchellaerospacepower.org/event
11 a.m. 1300 Pennsylvania Ave. NW — Wilson Center’s Asia Program discussion: “Navigating U.S.-China Competition: Options for Pakistan,” with Baqir Sajjad, diplomatic and national security correspondent at Dawn; and Michael Kugelman, director of the Wilson Center’s South Asia Institute https://www.wilsoncenter.org/event/navigating-us-china-competition
11:30 a.m. EST Brussels, Belgium — NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg and Hungarian President Katalin Novak hold a joint press conference at NATO headquarters https://www.nato.int
2 p.m. HVC-210 — House Foreign Affairs Committee hearing: “Friend and Ally: U.S. support for Israel after Hamas’ Barbaric Attack,” with testimony from Barbara Leaf, assistant secretary of state for Near Eastern affairs, and Dana Stroul, deputy assistant secretary of defense for the Middle East https://armedservices.house.gov/hearings
2 p.m. — Defense One and Forecast International virtual discussion: “Toward a Connected Battlespace,” with Maj. Gen. Gavin Lawrence, commanding general of the Army’s Surface Deployment and Distribution Command; Rett Burroughs, chief information officer at America’s First Corps, G6; Ari Dimitriou, senior technical fellow at Collins Aerospace; David Morrison, director of Combined Joint All Domain Command and Control (CJADC2) initiatives at Collins Aerospace; and Andrew Dardine, senior defense analyst at Forecast International https://events.defenseone.com/defense-one-toward-a-connected-battlespace
3 p.m. 1616 Rhode Island Ave NW — Association of the U.S. Army and Center for Strategic and International Studies “Strategic Landpower Dialogue,” with Gen. James Dickinson, commanding general of U.S. Space Command https://www.csis.org/events/strategic-landpower-dialogue
THURSDAY | NOVEMBER 9
7:30 a.m. EST Berlin, Germany — NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg holds a joint press conference with German Chancellor Olaf Scholz https://www.nato.int/
8:30 a.m. Union Station, 50 Massachusetts Ave. NE — Foreign Policy discussion: “East Meets West: Unpacking U.S. — China relations in the lead up to the Biden-Xi Meeting at APEC,” with Andrew Bacevich, chairman of the board at the Quincy Institute; Sarang Shidore, director of Quincy Institute’s Global South Program; and Ravi Agrawal, editor-in-chief of Foreign Policy https://foreignpolicy.com/events/east-meets-west/
9:30 a.m. — U.S. Institute of Peace virtual discussion: “First in War, First in Peace: U.S. Military Veterans as Peacebuilders,” with Patrick Spero, executive director of the George Washington Presidential Library at Mount Vernon; retired Army Lt. Gen. Douglas Lute, member of the USIP Senior Military Advisory Group; retired Adm. James Foggo, member of the USIP Senior Military Advisory Group; and retired Rear Adm. Peter Cressy, director of executive leadership programs at the Washington Leadership Institute at Mount Vernon https://www.usip.org/events/first-war-first-peace
10 a.m. — Wilson Center’s Middle East Program virtual discussion: “Hamas-Israel War: Risks of Escalation and Impact on Lebanon,” with Mona Yacoubian, vice president of the U.S. Institute of Peace’s Middle East and North Africa Center; Randa Slim, nonresident fellow at the Johns Hopkins School of Advanced International Studies’s Foreign Policy Institute; and Edward Gabriel, president and CEO of the American Task Force on Lebanon https://www.wilsoncenter.org/event/hamas-israel-war-risks
10 a.m. 1030 15th St. NW — Atlantic Council conference: “Ukraine’s Fight and NATO’s Future: First Insights from Central Europe on the Washington Summit,” with Ukrainian Minister of Energy German Galushchenko https://www.atlanticcouncil.org/programs/europe-center
1 p.m. — National Defense Industrial Association virtual discussion: “Designing the Future: Tackling Challenges in 3D Heterogenous Integrated Microelectronics for Aerospace, Government, and Defense Systems,” with Carl McCants, special assistant to the director at the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency; Josh Fryman, fellow at the Intel Corporation; Rob Aitken, architect at Synopsys; and Ian Land, senior director of security, government and aerospace solutions at Synopsys. RSVP: [email protected]
1:30 p.m. — Hudson Institute event: “The Israel-Hamas War: A Conversation with Seventieth Secretary of State Mike Pompeo,” with Michael Doran, senior fellow and director, Center for Peace and Security in the Middle East https://www.hudson.org/events/israel-hamas-war-iran-hezbollah-conversation
7 p.m. — New America and Arizona State University Future Security Initiative virtual discussion: “Will the U.S. Experience a Devastating Cyber Attack and What Can be Done to Protect Our Nation?” with Marine Corps Maj. Gen. Lorna Mahlock, deputy director for combat support at the National Security Agency; and former U.S. Cyber Command Deputy Director retired Marine Corps Lt. Gen. Robert Schmidle, professor of practice at FSI https://www.newamerica.org/future-security/events/online
7 p.m. — Gerald R. Ford Presidential Foundation and Hauenstein Center for Presidential Studies virtual discussion: “Mikhail Zygar’s War and Punishment: The Path to Russia’s Invasion of Ukraine” https://worldmichigan.org/event/zygar
FRIDAY | NOVEMBER 10 | VETERANS DAY OBSERVED
Federal offices closed. No Daily on Defense
WEDNESDAY | NOVEMBER 15
10 a.m. 2118 Rayburn — House Armed Services Committee hearing: “Congressional Commission on the Strategic Posture of the U.S.,” with testimony from Madelyn Creedon, chairwoman of the Congressional Commission on the Strategic Posture of the U.S.; and former Arizona Republican Sen. Jon Kyl, vice chairman of the Congressional Commission on the Strategic Posture of the U.S. https://armedservices.house.gov/hearings
QUOTE OF THE DAY
“That our all-volunteer force has lasted for 50 years and that we have built the finest force in the world is a testament to its strength … Yet even now, we cannot take it for granted … We must ensure that as a society, we are familiar with the military, with military families and what they do and the sacrifices that they make for the nation … a critical piece of ensuring healthy civil-military relations is making sure that the military avoids politicization and remains nonpartisan.”
Deputy Defense Secretary Kathleen Hicks, speaking at an event Tuesday sponsored by the Center for a New American Security.
