YOU CAN’T SPELL CRISIS WITHOUT ‘CR’: With the deadline to pass a measure that will fully fund the Pentagon less than three week away, the partisan divide over border wall funding and impeachment is threatening to derail efforts at reaching a compromise.
Now, with the holidays approaching, there is talk of extending a temporary stopgap continuing resolution, or “CR” in Congressional parlance, until February, five months into the fiscal year.
Yesterday Senate Democrats filibustered a funding measure that includes $695 billion for the Pentagon after Republicans rejected an amendment that would have blocked the president from taking money Congress has appropriated for military construction projects and using to pay for erecting additional barriers along the U.S. border with Mexico.
Democrats are fuming over President Trump’s declaration of a national emergency on the border and his invocation of an obscure 1970’s-era law intended for wartime emergencies to redirect $3.6 billion in Pentagon funds, with the expectation that Congress will restore the military funds in the following year.
The move infuriated Democrats who see it as an affront to the legislature’s “power of the purse,” and an end run that would essentially require Congress to fund vital construction projects twice.
The White House wants $5 billion more for wall construction in this year’s budget, along with a free hand for the president to shift Pentagon dollars to address what he sees as a crisis at the border.
THE PENTAGON’S RECURRING NIGHTMARE: The current CR, which expires Nov. 21, limits Pentagon spending to last year’s funding levels, which means no new projects or initiatives can begin. It’s a band-aid that wreaks havoc with the industrial supply chain, and makes planning nearly impossible.
‘It affects our readiness. It affects our lethality, and it affects our maintenance efforts,” said chief Pentagon spokesman Jonathan Hoffman earlier this week. ”This is unacceptable, and we ask members of Congress to consider working with us over the coming weeks to find a solution to fully fund our operators every day where we do not have a final budget.”
IT’S THE OTHER SIDE’S FAULT: As it has become clear neither side wants to blink, the partisan acrimony and finger-pointing is getting nasty.
“Democrats put politics — and their three-year campaign to impeach our duly elected president — ahead of our troops,” said Armed Services Committee Chairman Sen. Jim Inhofe who accused the Democrats of “slow-walking support for our nation’s military.”
“Last weekend was a great reminder of what’s at stake,” said Inhofe, referring to the U.S. commando raid that resulted in the death of ISIS leader Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi. “We’re still falling behind strategic competitors, China and Russia. While China has increased military spending by 83 percent over the last decade, Democrats in Congress can’t even agree to fund ours.”
Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell blamed what he called the “impeachment obsession” of the Democrats. “Remember when Democrats said their impeachment obsession wouldn’t stop them from legislating?” he tweeted.
“A bill meant to provide resources for our troops & their families steals money from them for Pres. Trump’s border wall,” tweeted Minority Leader Sen. Chuck Schumer.
“This delay is because they insist on including in this bill authority for President Trump to raid American tax dollars from our military — money that is intended for specific military priorities — to pay for his wall, which he promised that Mexico would pay for,” said Sen. Patrick Leahy, according to the AP.
Last week, Rep. Adam Smith, chairman of the Armed Services Committee in the House, where Democrats are in total control, indicated they are in no mood to give in on Trump’s signature issue. “Any bill that does not restrict wall funding would be challenging to bring to the House floor. It is equivalent to failure,” he said.
Good Friday 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 Susan Katz Keating (@SKatzKeating). 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: Australia’s Defense Minister Linda Reynolds takes part in a discussion at Hudson Institute this morning on the role Australia and the United States play in promoting a free and open Indo-Pacific region.
Yesterday Reynolds met with Defense Secretary Mark Esper at the Pentagon where discussion focused on the rising military and economic threat posed by China. “Australia enjoys a very close relationship with China in terms of our economic relationship,” said Reynolds after the meeting “But, like with any country, we do expect all countries to accord with international law and to do so peacefully. So, we have discussed a number of things that we can do together in the Indo-pacific.”
Esper called the Indo-Pacific “our priority,” and said the U.S. and Australia “have shared values, shared interests, and frankly, shared approaches to so many of the challenges we face around the world.”
NORTH KOREA’S SUPER-SIZED PROJECTILES: North Korean Central News Agency agency says yesterday’s “projectile” firing into the East Sea was actually a test of a “super-large multiple rocket launcher,” according to an English translation. And the state newspaper Rodong Sinmun published a photo of the launcher in mid-firing.
“The test fire was designed to verify the reliability of the continuous fire system of the launcher,” said the KCNA report. “After receiving the report on the military and technical assessment of the test, Supreme Leader Kim Jong Un expressed satisfaction and sent congratulations to the national defence scientists who are making strenuous efforts to raise the self-defensive military capabilities of the country and bolster up its armed forces.”
The test was the 12th this year, and the first since negotiations between the U.S. and North Korea fizzled after a single day of talks in Sweden Oct. 5.
DEADLINE APPROACHING: North Korea has given the U.S. until the end of the year to come up with new proposals that will address its demands for sanctions relief in return for partial moves toward denuclearization, but for now no new talks are scheduled.
“Make no mistake, if there is no change in the current trajectory of U.S.-North Korea relations there is only one possible outcome: a long-range missile or nuclear weapons test by Pyongyang that will spark a crisis just like in 2017,” says Harry Kazianis, a Korea expert at the Center for the National Interest.
“North Korea has warned time and time again that if there is no mutually acceptable deal on denuclearization by the end of the year they will set out on a ‘new way.’ That new way seems to me what Pyongyang always does when it wants attention — setting off a crisis that can’t be ignored.” Kazianis says. “The only question would be how President Trump would respond, having lost the only concession he was able to gain from North Korea after three summits that achieved nothing else.”
US KOREA NEGOTIATOR PROMOTED: Meanwhile President Trump has nominated Stephen Biegun, U.S. special representative for North Korea become the next deputy secretary of state.
Biegun would continue in his roles as chief negotiator with Pyongyang, while taking over for John Sullivan, who has been nominated to be the next U.S. ambassador to Russia.
“Glad to hear of President @realDonaldTrump’s announcement of his intent to nominate Steve Biegun as Deputy Secretary of State,” tweeted Secretary of State Mike Pompeo. “Steve has been and will continue to be an effective leader on #DPRK efforts. His expertise in this new role will be good for @StateDept and America.”
NEW ISIS HEAD: After initial denials, ISIS has confirmed the death of Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi during last weekend’s U.S raid, and named his replacement, Ibrahim al-Hashemi al-Qurayshi, calling him the caliph.
In an audio recording released through its media arm, Amaq, the terrorist group also confirmed the death of its spokesman Abu Hassan al Muhajir, who was killed in a separate airstrike in a village in northern Syria controlled by Turkish-backed Syrian rebels.
“America, don’t you realize that the Islamic State is now at the forefront of Europe and West Africa? It is extended from the East to the West,” the recording reportedly says. “Don’t you see that you have become a laughing stock to the world. Your destiny is controlled by an old fool.”
The new leader is not exactly a household name, although part of his name, al Qurayshi, appears to show that he claims lineage to the Islamic Prophet Muhammad.
TIP OF THE 5G SPEAR: The Pentagon has designated designated four bases as the first U.S. military installations to host testing and experimentation for 5G technology.
They are:
- Joint Base Lewis-McChord, Washington
- Hill Air Force Base, Utah
- Naval Base San Diego, California
- Marine Corps Logistics Base Albany, Georgia
The Pentagon will soon issue a draft request for proposals this month, but the final proposals are one more new project that can’t get underway until the current impasse over the 2020 defense appropriations bill is resolved.
“The bases were selected for their ability to provide streamlined access to site spectrum bands, mature fiber and wireless infrastructure, access to key facilities, support for new or improved infrastructure requirements, and the ability to conduct controlled experimentation with dynamic spectrum sharing,” the Pentagon said in a statement.
BOEING CEO UNDER FIRE: Boeing CEO Dennis Muilenburg is facing numerous calls from lawmakers to resign as the aerospace giant grapples with the fallout the crash of two 737 MAX crashes that killed 346 people.
Several members of the House Transportation Committee, who pummeled Muilenburg during a hearing this week, expressed dismay about Muilenburg’s multimillion-dollar compensation and questioned whether he was taking responsibility for the crashes.
“Mr. Muilenburg, you’re still the captain of this ship. A culture of negligence, incompetence, or corruption starts at the top, and it starts with you. You padded your personal finances by putting profits over safety, and now 346 people, including eight Americans, are dead on your watch,” sais Illinois Democrat Rep. Jesus Garcia, “I think it’s time that you submitted your resignation.”
“If you had an ounce of integrity, you would know that the right thing is to step down,” said Florida Democrat Rep. Debbie Mucarsel-Powell.
Asked at separate time during his testimony whether he had ever offered to resign Muilenburg answered: “No,” adding at one point, “These accidents happened on my watch. I feel responsible to see this through.”
The Rundown
Washington Examiner: ‘Fireside chat on live television’: Trump says he wants to read Ukraine call transcript to American people
Washington Examiner: Watered down language in the defense bill reignites F-35 debate
Washington Examiner: Army versus Marines as Afghanistan hero seeks to win Pennsylvania seat for GOP
Washington Examiner: Chilling similarity: Two veterans at same VA facility killed themselves while sitting on their military records
Reuters: Government Officials Around The Globe Targeted For Hacking Through Whatsapp – Sources
AP: US role in Syria grows more complex with Trump claim to oil
Washington Post: Iraq’s president promises new elections law and early polls amid protests
Reuters: Iran intervenes to prevent ousting of Iraqi prime minister – sources
AP: Rocket attack kills Iraqi soldier, adding to growing unrest
Breaking Defense: ‘Caveat Emptor:’ State Dept. Mocks Russian, PRC Weapon Sales In ‘Buy American’ Pitch
South China Morning Post: Taiwan Invites U.S. To Help Gauge Its Military Strength As Analysts Warn Of Growing Threat From Mainland China
Reuters: China Says Won’t Tolerate Challenges To Hong Kong’s ‘One Country, Two Systems’ Status
AP: Report says CIA-trained Afghan forces behind war atrocities
Task & Purpose: These valor award citations show the remarkable heroism on display during the 2017 Niger ambush
Newport News Daily Press: Aircraft Carrier Gerald R. Ford Passes Sea Trials, Returns To Norfolk
Forbes: Opinion: If President Trump Isn’t Reelected, What Will That Mean For The Military?
Calendar
FRIDAY | NOVEMBER 1
9 a.m. 1030 15th St. N.W. — The Atlantic Council discussion on “Iraq’s Political and Energy Outlook,” with Principal Deputy Assistant Secretary of State for Near Eastern Affairs Joey Hood; Rend al-Rahim, co-founder and president of the Iraq Foundation; Majid Jafar, CEO of Crescent Petroleum; Abbas Kadhim, director of the Atlantic Council’s Iraq Initiative; and Frederick Kempe, president and CEO of the Atlantic Council. https://www.atlanticcouncil.org/event
10:45 a.m. 1201 Pennsylvania Ave. N.W. — Hudson Institute discussion with Australian Defense Minister Linda Reynolds on “The Australia-U.S. Defense Alliance in a Contested World,” with Patrick Cronin, Asia-Pacific security chair at the Hudson Institute; and Ken Weinstein, president and CEO of the Hudson Institute. https://www.hudson.org/events
12:30 p.m. 37th and O Streets N.W. — Georgetown University’s Center for Contemporary Arab Studies discussion “Understanding the Iraqi Protests,” with Zahra Ali, professor at Rutgers University; Marsin Alshamary, Ph.D. candidate in Harvard’s Kennedy School of Government; Yousef Baker, assistant professor at California State University at Long Beach; and Shamiran Mako, professor at Boston University. https://www.eventbrite.com
THURSDAY | NOVEMBER 7
8 a.m. 2201 G St. N.W. — Defense Writers Group breakfast with Lisa Gordon-Hagerty, undersecretary of energy for nuclear security and NNSA administrator. https://nationalsecuritymedia.gwu.edu
8 a.m. 950 New York Ave. N.W. — Defense One Outlook 2020 live summit with R. Clarke Cooper, assistant secretary of state for political-military affairs; Amb. James Jeffrey, special representative for syria engagement; Richard Fontaine, deputy director-general for the International Institute for Strategic Studies; Sen. Chris Murphy, D-Conn.; Sen. Chris Van Hollen D-Md.; Jonathan Capehart, opinion writer The Washington Post; Elise Jordan, columnist, TIME; Patricia Kim, senior policy analyst, China, U.S. Institute of Peace. https://www.defenseone.com/feature/outlook-2020
QUOTE OF THE DAY
“At some point, I’m going to sit down, perhaps as a fireside chat on live television, and I will read the transcript of the call, because people have to hear it. When you read it, it’s a straight call.”
President Trump, in an Oval Office interview with the Washington Examiner.
