SEND US THE MONEY: When President Joe Biden signed the 2022 National Defense Authorization Act into law at the end of December, it was hailed as a tangible sign of the widespread bipartisan support in Congress for a substantial boost in defense spending — $768.2 billion for the Pentagon and the Department of Energy.
But as its name implies, the NDAA only authorizes the money to be spent. A separate appropriations bill is required to actually give the money to the Pentagon, and that bill is mired in bitter partisan finger-pointing among members of the House Appropriations Subcommittee on Defense.
The debate comes as, once again, what has become an annual affair, the government is operating under a Continuing Resolution well into the fiscal year that began last October. It is due to expire on Feb. 18, and there is growing concern it could be extended for the full year, which would effectively negate many of the hard-fought provisions of the NDAA, including a $25 billion boost for the Pentagon.
ON THIS, THERE IS TOTAL AGREEMENT: Extending the stopgap CR into September would be a disaster. Democrats and Republicans on the committee agree. “Simply put, CRs are bad for our national security. They increase inefficiency. And they waste taxpayer money,” said committee Chairwoman Rep. Betty McCollum of Minnesota.
And committee members also agree on whose fault it is that the budget process has dragged into February — namely, the other party.
“Typically, as appropriators, we’re able to negotiate in good faith to reach a bipartisan deal,” said California Rep. Ken Calvert, ranking Republican at yesterday’s subcommittee hearing, who blamed “irresponsible and excessive domestic spending” for the impasse. “Unfortunately, my friends on the other side of the aisle have decided they’re more committed to the progressive wing of their party than to the responsible governance of this country.”
“The Democratic proposals are out there. To date, there has not been one single document that outlines where our Republican colleagues want to go,” countered Connecticut Democrat Rep. Rosa DeLauro. “We need action on full use funding bills. Funding bills now. The longer our colleagues get comfortable in their inaction, the greater the long-range risks will be for our nation.”
“No one here wants a Continuing Resolution,” said Texas Republican Rep. Kay Granger. “However, Republicans will not allow the majority to ram through irresponsible spending and harmful policies in other parts of the government … Counter to what the majority has said, Republicans are ready and willing to negotiate. We simply ask that the majority agree to the same terms that have allowed us to complete our work quickly in the past, drop controversial language, and restore long-standing provisions.”
LOTS OF BAD THINGS WOULD HAPPEN: The point of yesterday’s hearing was to allow Pentagon officials, in particular the services chiefs, to vent about just how damaging it will be if Congress can’t manage to produce a normal appropriations bill to fund the policy initiatives authorized by the NDAA.
“A long CR will yield a smaller, less ready, less capable, and less lethal United States Navy,” said Chief of Naval Operations Adm. Michael Gilday. “It’ll have significant impacts to readiness, modernization, and shipbuilding. The work that we are pursuing, the once in a century work on our public shipyards, will come to a stop.”
“Yearlong CR could impact billions of dollars in worldwide military construction, 78 new start programs for active guard and reserve components for programs such as the Ground-Based Strategic Deterrent, B-21, HC-46, F-35, F-16, and the C-130,” said Air Force Chief Charles Q. Brown. “Bottom line, would have devastating impacts on the Air Force’s ability to retain quality Airmen, maintain our readiness, and modernize for tomorrow.”
“If the past 10 budget cycles are prologue, we’ll be meeting here again next year to talk about the same things. During that time, the Chinese will launch more than a dozen new surface combatants,” said Marine Corps Commandant Gen. David Berger. “This train wreck in front of us is entirely preventable.”
“Over 100 projects and over $5 billion in funding that would be unusable,” said Pentagon Comptroller Mike McCord. “The most damaging impacts would be on … our service members and their families. The biggest holes would be in our military personnel accounts and our training and readiness accounts.”
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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: U.S. Permanent Representative to OSCE Michael Carpenter will brief reporters virtually about today’s Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe Permanent Council’s discussion of Russia’s military intimidation of Ukraine.
This is the third meeting this week, which began with Monday’s sit-down in Geneva between U.S. and Russian deputy ministers, continued yesterday with Russian delegates meeting with all 30 NATO nations in Brussels, and wraps up today with the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe meeting.
RUSSIA HAS ‘A STARK CHOICE’: At a briefing for reporters at NATO headquarters, Deputy Secretary of State Wendy Sherman said Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Alexander Grushko and Deputy Defense Minister Alexander Fomin got an earful, as the meeting of the NATO-Russia council went over four hours to give each NATO member a chance to speak
It was “truly a remarkable expression of the power of diplomacy,” Sherman said. “The NATO allies spoke in complete unity in support of a set of critical international principles: that all countries must be able to choose their own foreign policy orientation, that sovereignty and territorial integrity are sacrosanct and must be respected, and that all nations are and must be free to choose their own alliances.”
“It is Russia that has to make a stark choice: de-escalation and diplomacy or confrontation and consequences,” Sherman said. “We expect and had expected that the Russian delegations … will have to report back to President Putin, who we all hope will choose peace and security.”
“If Russia walks away, however, it will be quite apparent they were never serious about pursuing diplomacy at all,” she said. “That is why collectively, we are preparing for every eventuality. We have made it clear, and we told the Russians directly again today, that if Russia further invades Ukraine, there will be significant costs and consequences well beyond what they faced in 2014.”
RUSSIA, AMID LIVE-FIRE WAR GAMES, MAKES ‘NO COMMITMENT TO DE-ESCALATE’ IN NATO TALKS
‘A DEFINING MOMENT FOR EUROPEAN SECURITY’: The meeting was led by NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg, who afterward called the session “a defining moment for European security.”
Stoltenberg said NATO made clear to the Russians that the alliance is ready to offer “concrete proposals” to address their security concerns.
“In particular, allies would like to discuss concrete ways to increase the transparency of military exercises, to prevent dangerous military incidents, and reduce space and cyber threats,” Stoltenberg said. “Allies have also offered to look at arms control, disarmament, and nonproliferation. Including to address reciprocal limitations on missiles and to address nuclear policies.”
“NATO allies are ready to engage in dialogue with Russia, but we will not compromise on core principles. We will not compromise on the sovereignty and territorial integrity of every nation in Europe,” he said.
WHO IS TOUGHER ON PUTIN? Democrats and Republicans are offering competing bills, each trying to outdo the other on imposing sanctions on Russia should Vladimir Putin decide to invade Ukraine, and in the case of Republicans, even if he doesn’t.
The Defending Ukraine Sovereignty Act, sponsored by Foreign Relations Committee Chairman Sen. Robert Menendez of New Jersey and 25 other Democrats, “would impose crippling sanctions on the Russian banking sector and senior military and government officials if President Putin escalates hostile action in or against Ukraine.”
“This legislation makes it absolutely clear that the U.S. Senate will not stand idly by as the Kremlin threatens a re-invasion of Ukraine,” said Menendez in a statement. “We are coming together to send a clear message — Putin need not collapse his entire economy, nor does he need to sacrifice the lives of his own people in a futile attempt to rewrite the map of Europe.”
On Monday, a group of House Republicans introduced their own sanctions measure, the Guaranteeing Ukrainian Autonomy by Reinforcing its Defense Act.
“This legislation firmly rejects this pattern of weakness that has dangerously emboldened Putin by immediately providing Ukraine with the support it needs to ensure the Kremlin understands a further invasion of Ukraine would come at a terrible cost,” said Texas Rep. Michael McCaul in a statement. “Vladimir Putin must take note that Congress will not stand for the reconstitution of Russia’s sphere of influence nor the abandonment of Ukraine and our other NATO allies and partners in Central and Eastern Europe.”
SENATE HEADS FOR NORD STREAM 2 SHOWDOWN AS RUSSIA THREATENS UKRAINE
THE DEBATE OVER NORD STREAM 2: There are two schools of thought regarding the completed but as yet not operational Nord Stream Pipeline, which will transport natural gas from Russia to Germany under the Baltic Sea.
Republicans, such as Sen. Ted Cruz of Texas, want to impose heavy sanctions now to prevent the pipeline, which the U.S. calls “a Russian geopolitical project” that undermines energy security in Europe.
The opposing argument is that once more sanctions are imposed, the leverage is lost, and Putin has nothing more to lose.
“The Biden administration has yet to impose a single meaningful sanction against Russia and paved the way for the completion of Nord Stream 2, a malign geopolitical project run by a Putin crony,” said Republican Reps. Mike Rogers and Michael McCaul, and Sens. Jim Inhofe and Jim Risch, in a joint statement. “So far, the Biden administration’s strategy for Russia has been nothing more than a campaign of appeasement.”
“We should impose sanctions on Nord Stream 2 now and immediately provide additional lethal aid to Ukraine, including anti-air and anti-ship weapon systems, as well as reinforce the Eastern flank of NATO,” the GOP lawmakers said.
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The Rundown
Washington Examiner: Russia, amid live-fire war games, makes ‘no commitment to de-escalate’ in NATO talks
Washington Examiner: Senate heads for Nord Stream 2 showdown as Russia threatens Ukraine
Washington Examiner: US sanctions Russian source of North Korea’s ballistic missile tech
Washington Examiner: Army increases possible enlistment bonuses to $50,000 to lure recruits
Washington Examiner: Five additional states pass laws to make military retirement incomes tax-free
Washington Examiner: Biden administration approves five more Gitmo detainees for transfer
USNI News: CNO Warns Columbia-Class Sub Would Miss Delivery Under A Year-Long Continuing Resolution
Air Force Magazine: GBSD, LRSO, B-21, NGAD All Face Lengthy Delays if Continuing Resolution is Extended, Brown Warns Congress
Defense One: Military Chiefs Sound Alarm At Proposal To Hold 2022 Spending To Last Year’s Level
Military Times: Cancelled Bonuses, PCS Moves Among Fallout From Delayed Budget, Service Chiefs Warn
USNI News: HASC Lawmakers Forecast ‘Bloodbath’ for Navy FY 2023 Budget
Air Force Magazine: How the SDA’s Satellite Swarm Will Track Hypersonic Missiles Where Others Can’t
USNI News: Navy Unveils Next-Generation DDG(X) Warship Concept With Hypersonic Missiles, Lasers
Business Insider: A Close Encounter With A Chinese Aircraft Carrier Has Become A Badge Of Honor For A U.S. Navy Destroyer Crew
Seapower Magazine: Rep. Gallagher: Navy Must Be Ready To Counter China If Taiwan Is Attacked
Defense News: Wanted: New Missions For The Littoral Combat Ship
Popular Science: The Air Force is investing millions in what could be the next Concorde
The Dispatch: What a New Report Tells Us About Al-Qaeda and ISIS
Defense One: Private Group Keeps Afghanistan Evacuations Flying Despite Ground Halt
Task & Purpose: Judge orders man convicted of sexual assault to join the military or go to jail
19fortyfive.com: The US Marines Are Putting F-35C Stealth Fighters on Aircraft Carriers
19fortyfive.com: The F-15C Fighter Has Begun Its Death Spiral
19fortyfive.com: Opinion: ‘Putin Is Not Stupid’: This Expert Spent 182 Days on the Russia-Ukraine Battlefields
Calendar
THURSDAY | JANUARY 13
9:30 a.m. G50 Dirksen — Senate Armed Services Committee hearing on nominations of Celeste Wallander to be assistant secretary of defense for international security affairs, Melissa Dalton to be assistant secretary of defense for homeland defense and hemispheric affairs, and John Plumb to be assistant secretary of defense for space policy
9:30 a.m. — Center for Strategic and International Studies virtual discussion with former South Korean Vice Foreign Minister Wi Sung-lac, foreign policy adviser to South Korean Democratic Party presidential candidate Lee Jae-Myung; and Sue Mi Terry, director of the Wilson Center’s Center for Korean History and Public Policy https://www.csis.org/events/capital-cable-39-wi-sung-lac
10 a.m. — Center for a New American Security virtual discussion: “The Crisis in Kazakhstan,” with Lisa Curtis, director of the CNAS Indo-Pacific Security Program and former deputy assistant to the president and senior director for South and Central Asia at the National Security Council; Andrea Kendall-Taylor, director of the CNAS Transatlantic Security Program former deputy national intelligence officer for Russia and Eurasia at the National Intelligence Council; Paul Stronski, senior fellow at the Carnegie Endowment for international Peace’s Russia and Eurasia Program and former director for Russia and Central Asia at the National Security Council; Reid Standish, special correspondent for Eurasia at Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty; and Richard Fontaine, CNAS Chief Executive Officer https://www.cnas.org/events/special-event-the-crisis-in-kazakhstan
3:30 p.m. — George Washington University Project for Media and National Security Defense Writers Group conversation with Heidi Shyu, undersecretary of defense for research and engineering. https://nationalsecuritymedia.gwu.edu
2 p.m. — Quincey Institute for Responsible Statecraft virtual book discussion on “Why Foreign-Imposed Regime Change Goes Wrong,” with author Alexander Downe, associate professor at George Washington University and co-director of the Institute for Security and Conflict Studies; and Trita Parsi, co-founder and former president of the National Iranian American Council https://quincyinst.org/event/book-talk
5 p.m. — Institute of World Politics webinar: “Global Security in the Era of Advanced AI,” with Mark Beall, senior manager for strategy at Amazon Web Services https://www.eventbrite.com/e/global-security-in-the-era
5:30 p.m. — National Security Institute NatSec Nightcap event: “Maintaining U.S. Global Leadership and Confronting Tomorrow’s Threats,” with former U.S. Central Commander retired Army Gen. Joseph Votel; and Jamil Jaffer, founder and executive director, National Security Institute https://nationalsecurity.gmu.edu/natsec-nightcap
FRIDAY | JANUARY 14
10 a.m. — Center for Strategic and International Studies and U.S. Naval Institute event: “Maritime Security Dialogue: 5th Fleet Mission and Operations Update,” with Vice Adm. Brad Cooper, commander, U.S. naval forces, Central Command, U.S. 5th Fleet and Combined Maritime Forces; and retired Vice Adm. Peter Daly, chief executive officer and publisher, U.S. Naval Institute https://www.csis.org/events/maritime-security-dialogue
TUESDAY | JANUARY 18
3 p.m. — Mitchell Institute for Aerospace Studies Schriever Spacepower Forum with Gen. John Raymond, Chief of Space Operations; and retired Gen. Kevin Chilton, explorer chair for space warfighting studies, Mitchell Institute’s Spacepower Advantage Center of Excellence. https://mitchellaerospacepower.org
WEDNESDAY | JANUARY 19
11 a.m. — Center for a New American Security virtual conversation: “The future of the Department of the Air Force,” with Air Force Secretary Frank Kendall; and Stacie Pettyjohn, senior fellow and director of the CNAS Defense Program https://www.cnas.org/events/virtual-fireside-chat
2 p.m. 2118 Rayburn — House Armed Services Subcommittee on Military Personnel hearing: “Jurisdiction, Investigation, and Prosecution of Sexual Assault and Harassment in the National Guard,” withj testimony from Gen. Daniel Hokanson, chief, National Guard Bureau; and Brig. Gen. Charles Walker, director, Office of Complex Investigations https://armedservices.house.gov/hearings
QUOTE OF THE DAY
“It is Russia that has to make a stark choice: de-escalation and diplomacy or confrontation and consequences … We all hope [Vladimir Putin] will choose peace and security.”
Deputy Secretary of State Wendy Sherman, speaking Wednesday at NATO headquarters.
