Defense and national security — The Senate approves Sweden, Finland’s NATO bid
The Senate voted overwhelmingly on Wednesday to approve a resolution ratifying Sweden and Finland’s accession to the North Atlantic Treaty Organization, sending another signal that Congress remains united in opposing Russian aggression against Ukraine and Europe.
We’ll cover the vote and the lone senator opposing the Nordic countries’ bid to join the alliance, plus Speaker Nancy Pelosi’s (D-Calif.) message to Taiwan, the first black four-star general in Marine Corps history and a new call for an investigation of Pentagon officials’ January 6 texts that were not preserved.
This is defense and national security, your nightly guide to the latest developments in the Pentagon, on Capitol Hill and beyond. For The Hill, my name is Ellen Mitchell. Is a friend sending you this newsletter? Subscribe here.
The Senate ratifies Sweden’s and Finland’s accession to NATO
The Senate voted 95-1 on Wednesday to approve a resolution ratifying Sweden and Finland’s accession to NATO, with all members of the Democratic caucus and most Republicans voting in favor. It ratifies the Accession Protocol that the Alliance Allies signed on 5 July.
The lonely stop: Sen. Josh Hawley (R-Mo.), who argued in a recent opinion piece that the U.S. should focus on containing China rather than expanding the NATO alliance, was the only Republican to vote “no.” Late. Rand Paul (R-Ky.) voted “present” on the resolution.
“We cannot strengthen our deterrent posture in the Pacific if we send more forces and resources to Europe to defend new allies. That is the bottom line,” Hawley said in remarks before the vote.
A top priority: The resolution was a top priority for Senate Republican Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.), who visited Sweden and Finland in May as part of a congressional delegation that also met with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky.
McConnell insisted that the Senate ratify Sweden and Finland’s NATO membership before leaving the month-long August recess.
“There is simply no question that allowing these robust democracies with modern economies and capable, interoperable militaries will only strengthen the most successful military alliance in human history,” McConnell said on the Senate floor.
A mistake: He suggested that fellow Republicans who voted against NATO expansion made a mistake, arguing that standing up to Russian aggression will send a strong message to Chinese leaders.
“Even closer cooperation with these partners will help us counter Russia and China. Their accession will make NATO stronger and America safer, he said.
“If any senator is looking for a defensible excuse to vote no, I wish them luck. This is a slam dunk for national security that deserves unanimous bipartisan support,” he added.
A growing number: The Senate resolution supports Finland and Sweden’s decision to join NATO and urges all NATO members to move quickly to complete the ratification process.
The United States would be the 20th of 30 NATO countries to ratify the two nations’ entry.
Strengthened determination: Lawmakers say the Senate vote is the latest example of how Russian President Vladimir Putin’s invasion of Ukraine has strengthened the resolve of NATO members. They say Putin mistakenly believed he would divide Western allies.
“Enlarging NATO is the exact opposite of what Putin envisioned when he ordered his tanks to invade Ukraine. In fact, he may have been trying to test the alliance’s resolve, and I’m glad we passed that test with an overwhelming unity of vision and purpose, says Senate Foreign Relations Committee Chairman Robert Menendez (DN.J.).
Meanwhile in the chamber: The House voted 394-18 last month for an accompanying resolution to express support for Finland and Sweden joining NATO. The 18 “no” votes were all Republicans.
Read the full story here
More from The Hill:
Pelosi: US will not abandon Taiwan
Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) offered a strong defense of Taiwan on Wednesday after her meeting with Taiwanese President Tsai Ing-wen.
“Our delegation came here to send an unequivocal message: America stands with Taiwan,” Pelosi said at a news conference.
A great visit: Pelosi on Tuesday became the highest-ranking US official to set foot in Taiwan in 25 years, angering Beijing, which views the self-governing, democratic island as part of its territory.
No going back: At the press conference, Pelosi said she respected the “One China” policy and the Taiwan Relations Act, which commits the United States to support Taiwan without a promise of direct involvement if China invades.
“We want Taiwan to always have freedom with security,” Pelosi said. “And we’re not backing down from that.”
The military claps: Her trip has prompted a flurry of US military activity in the region, and China has reportedly responded by placing two of its own aircraft carriers in the South China Sea and flying its planes close to the median line that separates the Taiwan Strait from the sea.
When asked about Beijing’s military activity surrounding her visit, Pelosi played down its significance.
“There are some uncertainties with the president of China in terms of his own political situation that he’s rattling a saber, I don’t know,” Pelosi said.
A personal journey: The trip to Taiwan is deeply personal for Pelosi, who has long fought Chinese human rights issues dating back decades.
“That’s one of the purposes of our trip: to show the world the success of the people of Taiwan,” Pelosi said. “Their courage to change their own country to become more democratic.”
read more here
TAIWAN: CHINESE WAR EXERCISES CROTCH THE ISLAND’S SOVEREIGNTY
Taiwan’s Ministry of National Defense on Wednesday condemned China’s plans to conduct live-fire drills after Pelosi’s visit to the island, saying the move violates Taiwan’s sovereignty.
Beijing announced on Tuesday that it would conduct military drills, including live-fire drills, in six maritime regions and their airspace off the coast of Taiwan between Thursday and Sunday local time, just days after Pelosi’s trip.
“Military threat”: Taiwan’s defense minister called the move from China a threat to Taiwan’s ports and urban areas, describing it as “military threat” by the Chinese Communist Party in a press release on Wednesday.
“The reckless behavior of Communist China to conduct live-fire exercises in water and sky near Taiwan, some of which are in Taiwan’s neighboring waters, threatens international air routes, challenges the international order, damages the status quo in the Taiwan Strait and destroys regional security,” said Sun Li-fang, spokesperson for Taiwan’s Ministry of Defense, at a press conference on Wednesday.
He added that the drills will not help Beijing’s “national image”, while another Taiwanese defense official claimed the drills are against UN rules.
Read that story here
Also from The Hill:
The Marine Corps gets its first black four-star general
The Senate confirmed Marine Corps Lt. Gen. Michael Langley to lead U.S. forces in Africa on Monday, making him the first black four-star general in Marine Corps history.
The Marines said in a news release that Langley will serve as commander of US Africa Command in Stuttgart, Germany. He has commanded Marines at all levels from platoon to regiment and has served in Japan and Afghanistan.
Langley’s merits: The release says Langley attended the University of Texas at Arlington and the US Marine Corps Amphibious Warfare School and the College of Naval Command and Staff. He also holds a master’s degree in national security strategic studies from the US Naval War College and a degree in strategic studies from the US Army War College.
He was commissioned a second lieutenant as an artillery officer in 1985, according to the release.
President Biden nominated Langley in June.
Read the story here
Durbin calls on the watchdog to investigate “dried” texts
Senate Judiciary Committee Chairman Dick Durbin (D-Ill.) is calling for an investigation following news that the texts of top Department of Defense (DOD) officials were not preserved, losing their communications on Jan. 6.
American Oversight, a group that had sued for the texts after a public records request, revealed that the DOD notified them in March that they “wiped” the phones of former Acting Defense Secretary Chris Miller and former Army Secretary Ryan McCarthy in the days after the attack on the Capitol.
The worry: “The disappearance of this critical information could jeopardize efforts to learn the full truth about January 6. I do not know whether the failure to preserve these critical government texts from January 6 is the result of bad faith, mind-numbing incompetence, or outdated records management policies, but we have to get to the bottom of it,” Durbin said, noting that he would ask DOD’s Office of Inspector General (OIG) to investigate.
Earlier: The disclosure follows news that many Department of Homeland Security (DHS) officials also had their messages deleted during the transition, including former Acting Secretary Chad Wolf and his deputy Ken Cuccinelli. Both had their phones reset after the inauguration and lost all text messages from January 6 in the process.
The DOD gave a similar explanation.
“DOD and the Army conveyed to the plaintiff that when an employee separates from DOD or the Army, he or she surrenders the government-issued phone and the phone is wiped. For those custodians no longer with the agency, the text messages were not preserved and therefore could not be searched,” wrote the agencies in a March court filing.
Why it matters: The effort to obtain Pentagon texts could have shed light on why the National Guard faced delays in getting approval to go to the Capitol because it was under siege.
The lawsuit sought military leaders’ communications with former President Trump, former Vice President Mike Pence and Trump’s chief of staff Mark Meadows. The request also asked for communications from Kash Patel, Miller’s chief of staff; Paul Ney, General Counsel for the Department of Defense; and James E. McPherson, General Counsel of the Army.
Read the full story here.
ON TAP FOR TOMORROW
- The Center for Strategic and International Studies will hold a virtual discussion on “Towards a Fourth Crisis in the Taiwan Strait?” 9 o’clock
- The Mitchell Institute for Aerospace Studies will host a virtual talk on “National Reconnaissance Office (NRO), United States Space Force and US Space Command collaboration, current threats, and space acquisitions,” with National Reconnaissance Office Director Christopher Scolese, at
- A Senate Foreign Relations subcommittee will hold a hearing on China’s role in the Middle East at 10:30 am
- The Institute for Policy Studies will host a virtual book discussion on “Whatever Happened to the Peace Prize, and Can We Get One Back?” at 12:30 p.m
- The Heritage Foundation will hold a discussion on “A Matter of Survival: The Future of Taiwan Arms Sales,” at 2 p.m.
WHAT WE READ
That’s all for today! Check out The Hill’s Defense and National Security pages for the latest coverage. See you tomorrow!
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