NDAA CLEARS HASC: Just before midnight last night, the House Armed Services Committee passed the $741 billion National Defense Authorization Act by a vote of 56-0, a rare show of bipartisanship in a deeply divided Congress.
“Providing for the common defense is Congress’s first job. For sixty years members of both parties, putting our troops first and politics second, have come together to pass the NDAA and give our troops the resources, equipment, training, and policies they need to keep the country safe,” said Texas Rep. Mac Thornberry, the top Republican on the committee.
The day before the vote, Thornberry credited “a genuine good-faith effort on both sides to have a bill that both sides can support” and called the bipartisanship “the exception to the rule in a House that is largely dysfunctional.”
“This year, we’re able to work together. But that’s the way it ought to work every year,” he said.
NDAA GOES TO THE FLOOR: While the vote in committee was unanimous, the debate on the floor of the House is likely to be more contentious, with Republicans seeking to water down a provision that would require the Army to rename 10 U.S. bases honoring Confederate military leaders and progressives among the Democrats demanding a 10% cut in overall defense spending.
“How do you add all of that up and get 218 votes? That’s always going to be a challenge,” said House Armed Services Committee Chairman Rep. Adam Smith, of Washington State, earlier this week.
“Every single member of Congress, from the most conservative Republican to the most left-leaning Democrat, has a vision of what they think the defense budget ought to be, and those visions don’t match up,” Smith told the Defense Writers Group Tuesday. “So, how do you piece it together in such a way that enough people can support enough of it to vote for it? That’s always going to be a challenge, and we’re working on it.”
“While I don’t agree with everything in this bill, we have many opportunities ahead of us to continue perfecting it and I am pleased to support it,” Thornberry said in his statement.
THANKS MAC: Thornberry has announced he will not seek reelection, but as he departs Congress, he leaves his mark on the annual policy bill, which includes several initiatives he sponsored, including his signature Indo-Pacific Deterrence Initiative, modeled on the European Deterrence Initiative, and a provision that attempts to reform how the Pentagon buys systems and weapons.
In recognition of his service, the committee also voted to name this year’s bill the “William M. (Mac) Thornberry National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2021.”
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HAPPENING TODAY: Members of the “Gang of Eight” — the leaders of the House, Senate, and both intelligence committees — are scheduled to get an intelligence briefing at the highest level today from CIA Director Gina Haspel, Director of National Intelligence John Ratcliffe, and NSA Director Paul Nakasone to answer questions about the U.S. intelligence indicating Russia has been paying bounties to Taliban fighters to kill Americans and their coalition partners.
Members of the “Gang of Eight” include Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell; House Speaker Nancy Pelosi; Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy; Sens. Marco Rubio and Mark Warner, the chairman and ranking member of the Senate Intelligence Committee; and Reps. Adam Schiff and Devin Nunes, the chairman and ranking member of the House Intelligence Committee.
‘I THINK IT’S A HOAX’: In an interview with Fox Business correspondent Blake Burman, President Trump yesterday dismissed the reports of Russian bounties as a hoax that didn’t merit his attention.
“I see many, many things. And I’m sure I don’t see many things that they don’t think rose to the occasion,” Trump said. “This didn’t rise to the occasion. And from what I hear — and I hear it pretty good — the intelligence people, many of them didn’t believe it happened at all.”
“I think it’s a hoax. I think it’s a hoax by the newspapers and the Democrats,” Trump said. “I agree with the intelligence people. … But this was something that never got presented to me. And they know that. Never got presented, because it didn’t rise to that level.”
O’BRIEN’S DEFENSE: “The president was not briefed because at the time of these allegations, they were uncorroborated,” said national security adviser Robert O’Brien on Fox yesterday morning. “The president’s career CIA briefer decided not to brief him because it was unverified intelligence. And by the way, she’s an outstanding officer, and knowing all the facts I know, I certainly support her decision.”
Nevertheless, O’Brien insisted the threat was taken seriously. “It wasn’t necessary to give to the president at a strategic level because we were trying to verify it and corroborate,” but in response, he said, the United States notified allies, the Pentagon increased force protection levels for troops in Afghanistan, and White House officials began to prepare options for the president to deal with the Russians.
“If this information turned out to be true — and now, we may never know — but if it turned out to be true, we had options ready to go, and the president was ready to take strong action, as he always is.”
US HAS ‘RESPONDED APPROPRIATELY’: “Here’s what I can say with absolute certainty,” said Secretary of State Mike Pompeo on Fox later in the day. “The United States has responded appropriately to the threats that have been presented to it in Afghanistan consistently through my entire three and a half years, first as CIA director and now as secretary of state.”
“Every morning, I wake up and I read the intelligence materials. And when I read them, there are people all across the world who are threatened, including my officers at embassies all across the world,” Pompeo told Fox’s Bret Baier. “We don’t always make sure that gets to the president. We do the right thing. We make sure the ambassador on the ground knows, that the commander on the ground knows, that our allies who may be threatened as well know. It is the tactical and operational response to keep our soldiers safe and secure. That is most important.”
“When the intelligence community feels like something rises to the level it needs to get to the president, I am very confident they will consistently present it to them,” Pompeo added. “I know that when I was the CIA director, I did that.”
WAS THIS THE MIDDLEMAN? The latest New York Times report says a “lowly drug smuggler” who suddenly began driving “the latest model cars, protected by bodyguards,” and recently “upgraded” to a four-story villa is suspected of being a key middleman funneling Russian bounties to Taliban fighters.
Here’s the key excerpt:
“Now Rahmatullah Azizi stands as a central piece of a puzzle rocking Washington, named in American intelligence reports and confirmed by Afghan officials as a key middleman who for years handed out money from a Russian military intelligence unit to reward Taliban-linked fighters for targeting American troops in Afghanistan, according to American and Afghan officials.
“As security agencies connected the dots of the bounty scheme and narrowed in on him, they carried out sweeping raids to arrest dozens of his relatives and associates about six months ago, but discovered that Mr. Azizi had sneaked out of Afghanistan and was likely back in Russia. What they did find in one of his homes, in Kabul, was about half a million dollars in cash.”
PENTAGON: RUSSIA WORKING WITH TALIBAN: In its latest quarterly report to Congress, the Pentagon notes that Russia is supporting the U.S.-led peace process in Afghanistan in hopes of ushering American troops out of the country.
“Russia very likely continues to support U.S.-Taliban reconciliation efforts in the hope that reconciliation will prevent a long-term U.S. military presence,” the report concludes. “As of February, the Russian government was working with the central government, regional countries, and the Taliban to gain increased influence in Afghanistan, expedite a U.S. military withdrawal, and address security challenges that might arise from a withdrawal.”
“Russia has politically supported the Taliban to cultivate influence with the group, limit the Western military presence, and encourage counter ISIS operations, although Russia publicly denies their involvement,” it added.
“The Russians have been providing weapons to the Taliban for an awful lot of years,” said Pompeo in his Fox interview, “and so, this is an ongoing challenge we have. … We will respond to any threat, whether that’s Iranians using the Taliban or the Russians.”
NAVIGATING US-BRAZIL RELATIONS: Seven years after Edward Snowden’s NSA data dump damaged relations with Brazil, U.S. Southern Commander Adm. Craig Faller says the U.S. has effectively renewed its intelligence and military relationship with South America’s largest country.
“Intelligence is foundational to anything we do, any decision I make,” Faller told Washington Examiner defense reporter Abraham Mahshie in an exclusive interview. “We get our best intelligence from our very capable partners.”
Faller steers clear of politics, as Brazil’s President Jair Bolsonaro faces growing protests over his handling of the coronavirus outbreak. “I stay out of the noise,” he said.
INDUSTRY WATCH: General Electric has been awarded a $101 million contract for F110-GE-129 engine production under a new firm-fixed-price contract for Air Force F-15EX Lot One fighters, the Pentagon announced Tuesday.
The first batch was not completed because of the urgency of getting F-15EX testing underway, and the GE engine is the only one certified for “advanced” F-15s, reports Air Force Magazine. “However, subsequent batches will be open for competition. Pratt & Whitney plans to offer its F100-229.”
The Rundown
Washington Examiner: China Aims To Control Ports And Shipping Lanes In Europe And The Arctic
Washington Examiner: White House says career CIA officer decided not to brief Trump on alleged Russian Taliban plot
New York Times: Afghan Contractor Handed Out Russian Cash to Kill Americans, Officials Say
Washington Examiner: ‘We took this seriously’: Pompeo rejects congressional fire over Russian bounty report
Washington Examiner: CIA filed ‘crimes report’ with Justice Department over Russia-Taliban bounty leak
AP: Russian officials: 78% of voters back extending Putin’s rule
USNI News: Panel: NATO Needs To Take Russian Offensive, Defensive Advances In Arctic Seriously
Reuters: Pompeo Calls Hong Kong Law An ‘Affront To All Nations’
New York Times: Taiwan Sees Ominous Signs for Its Own Autonomy
Military Times: Pentagon Report: Less Violence But Lagging Afghan Progress
Wall Street Journal: U.S. Seeks To Seize Iranian Fuel Bound For Venezuela
Air Force Magazine: Congress Questions Need for New Armed Overwatch Planes for SOCOM
Defense News: U.S. Navy’s First 4 Littoral Combat Ships To Leave The Fleet In 9 Months
C4IRSNET: Marine Corps Buys Dozens Of SkyRaider Drones
Air Force Magazine: F-16 Pilot Killed in Shaw Crash
Stars and Stripes: Report: Marine Corps Finds ‘Many Inaccuracies’ With Probe Into 2018 Fatal Midair Collision
Washington Examiner: Opinion: Erdogan is lying about his social media crackdown
Calendar
THURSDAY I JULY 2
10 a.m. — Middle East Institute “Defense Leadership” series webinar: “U.S. Middle East policy during the Obama administration and future U.S. strategy for the region,” with former Defense Undersecretary for Policy James Miller; and Bilal Saab, MEI Defense and Security Program director. https://www.mei.edu/events/mei-defense
2 p.m. — Brookings Institution webinar: “The National Guard in the Era of COVID-19,” with Gen. Joseph Lengyel, chief of the National Guard Bureau. https://www.brookings.edu/events
FRIDAY | JULY 3
Independence Day holiday — The U.S. military will conduct a “Salute to America” flyover at Mount Rushmore National Memorial, where President Trump and South Dakota Gov. Kristi Noem will preside over a fireworks display.
TUESDAY | JULY 7
9 a.m. — George Washington University Project for Media and National Security Defense Writers Group conference call conversation with Robert Wilkie, secretary of veterans affairs. https://nationalsecuritymedia.gwu.edu
5 p.m. — George Mason University Antonin Scalia Law School “NatSec Nightcap,” with Lisa Monaco, former White House homeland security and counterterrorism adviser. https://nationalsecurity.gmu.edu/natsec-nightcap
THURSDAY | JULY 9
1 p.m. Capitol Visitor Center Auditorium/Virtual — House Armed Services Committee hearing: “Department of Defense Authorities and Roles Related to Civilian Law Enforcement,” with Defense Secretary Mark Esper and Joint Chiefs Chairman Gen. Mark Milley. https://armedservices.house.gov/hearings
QUOTE OF THE DAY
“It is the exception to the rule in a House that is largely dysfunctional. … This year, we’re able to work together, but that’s the way it ought to work every year.”
Texas Republican Rep. Mac Thornberry, on the FY 2021 NDAA, which passed the House Armed Services Committee Wednesday night in a unanimous 56-0 vote.
