NDAA SUREST PATH TO PASSAGE: It’s as hard as ever to get any bill of significance through Congress these days, with Democrats holding the slimmest of majorities in both houses and the partisan divide as deep as ever. For a stand alone bill to have a chance of passage, it must have a co-sponsor from the other party and enjoy wide bipartisan support.
That’s a high bar for any measure that lacks consensus, but there are examples of reforms that garner a critical mass of support when their time has come. After years of waging a lonely battle to take decisions about prosecutions of sexual assault in the military away from commanders, New York Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand announced last week what she called “filibuster-proof bipartisan majority” for her Military Justice Improvement and Increasing Prevention Act.
But for many reforms, the surest path to enactment is as an amendment to the National Defense Authorization Act, or NDAA, which is “must-pass” legislation.
GILLIBRAND-ERNST MILITARY JUSTICE OVERHAUL BILL GETS FILIBUSTER-PROOF SUPPORT
TARGETING ‘POLITICAL BIAS’ WITHIN DOD: The amendment path is the one chosen by Alabama Rep. Mike Rogers, ranking Republican on the House Armed Services Committee, who said yesterday that he is “greatly concerned” that the Pentagon under the Biden administration is muzzling conservative members of the military.
“I am greatly concerned by numerous press reports of conservative voices being silenced in the Department of Defense while Departmental leadership defends and protects left-leaning voices,” said Rogers in a statement, an apparent reference Lt. Col. Matthew Lohmeier, who was relieved of his Space Force command and is under investigation for comments about his self-published book that asserts a neo-Marxist agenda is transforming military culture and policy. In a separate case, Maj. Andrew Calvert, an Army chaplain, received a career-ending letter of reprimand for a social media post remarks opposing changes in DOD policy on transgender troops.
“The United States Armed Forces should be focused on preparing to face and win any battles against the threats posed by China and other foreign adversaries and not imposing political beliefs on those who chose to serve in uniform,” Rogers said.
Rogers says he plans to address the issue with an amendment to this year’s NDAA, and he has called on “free-speech minded Democrats” to join his cause.
OUSTED SPACE FORCE COMMANDER SAYS MILITARY PUSHED TRAINING THAT CLAIMS WHITE PEOPLE ARE ‘EVIL’
PENTAGON DENIES PURGE: At an off-camera briefing for reporters yesterday, Pentagon spokesman John Kirby denied there is any department effort to silence conservatives in the ranks.
“There’s no effort by senior Defense Department leadership to purge people from the service based on their political or religious beliefs,” Kirby said in response to a question about whether subordinate commanders were “reading the tea leaves” and “dropping the hammer” for things that would not have been controversial in the past.
“There’s no tea leaves to read,” said Kirby. “The secretary leads the department, a department that he grew up in and knows is, by its very nature, an apolitical institution, and he’s making decisions based on his sound judgment and years of experience in the military and not through any kind of partisan or political lens.”
On Tuesday, Kirby denied a report in the Intercept that the Pentagon was developing a pilot program to cull through the social media posts of military members to look for extremist language, but he acknowledged that a review of an individual’s social media footprint was part of the standard vetting and background check for security clearances.
HOUSE REPUBLICANS AIM TO STAMP OUT ‘WOKE’ MILITARY TRAINING
Good Thursday 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 Victor I. Nava. 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 us on Twitter: @dailyondefense.
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HAPPENING TODAY: Former Secretary of State Mike Pompeo will discuss the implications of the conflict in the Middle East for the United States at a Hudson Institute virtual event at 2 p.m.
BLINKEN, LAVROV MAKE NICE: Meanwhile, the current secretary of state was sitting down with his Russian counterpart in Reykjavik, Iceland, on the sidelines of the biennial Arctic Council meeting.
Antony Blinken, who said before the meeting with Sergey Lavrov that the U.S. seeks “a stable, predictable relationship with Russia,” came with a peace offering. Just hours before, the State Department announced the U.S. would not sanction the company in charge of the Nord Stream 2 natural gas pipeline.
In a statement, Blinken said while the U.S. will still oppose the project, which he said “would weaken European energy security,” the administration has determined it was “in the national interest” to waive the sanctions.
The announcement set the tone for a cordial, almost friendly meeting between the two diplomats. “If Russia acts aggressively against us, our partners, our allies, we’ll respond,” said Blinken. “But having said that, there are many areas where our interests intersect and overlap, and we believe that we can work together and, indeed, build on those interests.”
“Our task is to make the best of the diplomatic opportunities we have,” said Lavrov. “Our presidents during their telephone conversations have confirmed it — they agree that we need to cooperate on issues where we have similar views and when we can achieve positive outcomes.”
LAWMAKERS BLAST BIDEN ADMINISTRATION SANCTIONS WAIVER FOR KREMLIN-BACKED RUSSIAN PIPELINE TO GERMANY
NOT SO FAST ON THE QRF: One of the key recommendations of a March report by retired Army Lt. Gen. Russell Honore, who was commissioned by House Speaker Nancy Pelosi to review security lapses at the Capitol on Jan. 6, was the establishment of a dedicated Quick Reaction Force composed of either law enforcement or National Guard troops.
The Guard option is included in a House bill that is drawing opposition from the top Republicans on both the House and Senate Armed Services committees. ‘“We firmly oppose creating a D.C. National Guard Quick Reaction Force,” said Rep. Mike Rogers and Sen. Jim Inhofe in a joint statement. “The National Guard went above and beyond to protect the Capitol since January 6, but it’s time they return home and focus on their core mission.”
The two Republicans suggest that any Quick Reaction Force be made up of federal civilian law enforcement. “Security of the Capitol Complex must remain the responsibility of federal civilian law enforcement.”
“We cannot and should not militarize the security of the Capitol Complex,” Rogers and Inhofe argue. “If Democrat leadership wants to spend an additional $200 million on the National Guard, it would be better spent on rebuilding Guard readiness that suffered as a result of this over-long deployment to Capitol Hill.”
KOREAN WAR VET AWARDED MEDAL OF HONOR: At a ceremony tomorrow, which will be attended by visiting South Korean President Moon Jae-in, President Joe Biden will award the Medal of Honor to retired Army Col. Ralph Puckett, Jr.
“Colonel Puckett will be awarded the Medal of Honor for his selfless and heroic combat actions with the 8th Army Ranger Company at Hill 205 Southeast of Onsong, Korea, on November 25 to 26, 1950,” said Pentagon spokesman John Kirby. “For his actions, Puckett was awarded a Distinguished Service Cross on March 5, 1951. Now 70 years later, that award is being upgraded to the Medal of Honor.”
Pucket was a first lieutenant in 1950 when he led the daylight charge to take Hill 205. According to his Medal of Honor citation, “During this attack, two enemy mortar rounds landed in his foxhole, inflicting grievous wounds which limited his mobility. Knowing his men were in a precarious situation, First Lieutenant Puckett commanded the Rangers to leave him behind and evacuate the area. Feeling a sense of duty to aid him, the Rangers refused the order and staged an effort to retrieve him from the foxhole while still under harassing fire from the enemy.”
“Ultimately, the Rangers succeeded in retrieving First Lieutenant Puckett, and they moved to the bottom of the hill, where First Lieutenant Puckett called for devastating artillery fire on the top of the enemy-controlled hill. First Lieutenant Puckett’s extraordinary heroism and selflessness above and beyond the call of duty were in keeping with the highest traditions of military service.”
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The Rundown
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Washington Examiner: Biden links economic and national security in address to Coast Guard cadets
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Washington Examiner: Violence continues in day No. 10 of Israel-Hamas fighting as Lebanon launches assault
Washington Examiner: US warns Erdogan not to ‘incite further violence’ with blood libel against Israel
Washington Examiner: Colonial Pipeline CEO on paying ransom: ‘It was the right thing to do’
Washington Examiner: Capitol Police disowns anonymous letter slamming top Republicans for opposing commission to investigate Capitol riot
Washington Examiner: House Republicans aim to stamp out ‘woke’ military training
Washington Examiner: GOP veterans find ‘common ground’ in Biden’s push to withdraw troops from Afghanistan Mica Soellner
Washington Examiner: Opinion: Rep. Young Kim: A denuclearized North Korea requires a strong US-South Korea alliance
Defense One: ‘Guam or Bust’: America’s Helpers May Need a Halfway Destination as Afghanistan Pullout Nears
Military Times: Active-Duty Troops Could Be Deployed Along The Southern Border Again
USNI News: U.S. 7th Fleet Denies Chinese Claim American Destroyer Was ‘Expelled’ from South China Sea Island Chain
Washington Post: China, Irked By The ‘Quad’ Grouping, Has Found Itself Facing A Wary World
Los Angeles Times: U.S. Pushes Back As Ice Caps Melt In The Arctic And Russia Moves In
Wall Street Journal: Arctic Council gathering highlights U.S. tensions with Russia and China, though its format sidesteps security issues
Reuters: Samoa To Shelve China-Backed Port Project Under New Leader
The Drive: British Carrier Joins U.S. Amphibious Forces In North Atlantic In A Vision Of What’s To Come
Air Force Magazine: Airmen, Guardians Could Work Remotely Full Time Under New Guidance
Air Force Magazine: Al-Udeid Operating New Counter-drone System Amid Growing UAS Threat
UPI: Sailors Sue U.S. Navy For Religious Exemption To Have Beards
Calendar
THURSDAY | MAY 20
1 p.m. — Center for a New American Security releases new report: “More than Half the Battle: Information and Command in a New American Way of War,” with author Chris Dougherty. https://www.cnas.org/events/cnas-report-rollout
4 p.m. — Politics and Prose Bookstore virtual book discussion on “The Hardest Place: The American Military Adrift in Afghanistan’s Pech Valley,” with author Wesley Morgan; and Martha Raddatz, chief global affairs correspondent at ABC News. https://www.politics-prose.com/event/book
FRIDAY | MAY 21
TBA — South Korean President Moon Jae-in visits the White House for talks with President Joe Biden. https://www.whitehouse.gov
10 a.m. — Center for Strategic and International Studies webinar: “The Role of Integrated Air and Missile Defense for Strategic Deterrence,” Lt. Gen. Daniel Karbler, commander of U.S. Army Space and Missile Defense Command. https://www.csis.org/events
12 p.m. — Hudson Institute webinar, “Ukraine’s Latest Security Crisis,” with Assistant NATO Secretary General for Intelligence and Security David Cattler; Assistant NATO Secretary General for Public Diplomacy Baiba Braze; Luke Coffey, director of the Heritage Foundation’s Center for Foreign Policy; and Peter Rough, senior fellow at Hudson https://www.hudson.org/events
SATURDAY | MAY 22
10 a.m. — Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin delivers commencement address at the U.S. Military Academy’s class of 2021 graduation ceremony at West Point, New York. Live stream at https://www.youtube.com/channel
MONDAY | MAY 24
11 a.m. — House Armed Services Subcommittee on Strategic Forces hearing: “FY22 Priorities for National Security Space Programs,” with John Hill, performing as assistant secretary of defense for space policy; Space Force Gen. David Thompson, vice chief of space operations; Christopher Scolese; director, National Reconnaissance Office; Maj. Gen. Charles Cleveland, associate director of operations, National Geospatial Intelligence Agency; Jon Ludwigson, director, contracting and national security acquisitions, GAO. https://armedservices.house.gov/hearings
TUESDAY | MAY 25
10 a.m. 106 Dirksen — Senate Appropriations Committee hearing: “A Review of the FY2022 State Department Budget Request,” with Secretary of State Antony Blinken. http://appropriations.senate.gov
1 p.m. — Center for a New American Security “virtual fireside chat” with Gen. Charles Q. Brown, Jr., chief of staff of the Air Force, and Stacie Pettyjohn, senior fellow and director defense program, CNAS. https://www.cnas.org/events/special-event-virtual-fireside-chat
WEDNESDAY | MAY 26
11:30 a.m. EDT — Joint Chiefs Chairman Gen. Mark Milley delivers commencement address at the Air Force Academy’s class of 2021 graduation ceremony at Colorado Springs, Co. https://www.usafa.edu
1 p.m. — House Foreign Affairs Committee hearing on “The State Department’s Foreign Policy Strategy and FY2022 Budget Request.” http://foreignaffairs.house.gov
THURSDAY | MAY 27
11 a.m. — House Armed Services Subcommittee on Seapower and Projection Forces hearing: “Department of the Navy Fiscal Year 2022 Budget Request for Seapower and Projection Forces,” with Jay Stefany, acting assistant secretary of the Navy for research, development and acquisition; Vice Adm. James Kilby, deputy chief of naval operations, warfighting requirements and capabilities; and Lt. Gen. Eric Smith, commanding general, Marine Corps Combat Development Command. https://armedservices.house.gov/hearings
3 p.m. — House Foreign Affairs Subcommittee on Tactical Air and Land Forces hearing: “Army Tactical Wheeled Vehicle Program Update and Review of Electrification,” Tim Goddette, deputy assistant secretary of the Army for acquisition policy and logistics; and Michael Cadiuex, director, Combat Capabilities Development Command Ground Vehicle Systems Center. https://armedservices.house.gov/hearings
FRIDAY | MAY 28
10 a.m. — Vice President Kamala Harris delivers commencement address at the U.S. Naval Academy’s class of 2021 graduation ceremony in Annapolis, Md. https://www.usna.edu
MONDAY | MAY 31
Memorial Day — No Daily on Defense
QUOTE OF THE DAY
“If Russia acts aggressively against us, our partners, our allies, we’ll respond … not for purposes of escalation, not to seek conflict, but to defend our interests.”
Secretary of State Antony Blinken speaking with Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov at a meeting of the Arctic Council in Reykjavik, Iceland.
