McConnell On National Security Threats: Weakness and Timidity Are Contagious
‘The West is outgunned in critical capabilities. So let’s not waste time indulging the misconception that standing behind our European allies is an obstacle to competition with China. Let’s give no credence to the idea that America should cut and run from our own allies and partners… precisely as our adversaries work closer and closer together.’
WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Senate Republican Leader Mitch McConnell (R-KY) delivered the following remarks today on the Senate floor regarding national security priorities:
“Here on the floor yesterday, I warned that the Administration’s efforts to deter Iranian-backed Houthi threats to international shipping and American credibility were grossly insufficient.
“Just hours later, the Houthis proved my point with a significant escalation in the Red Sea.
“Tehran’s proxies fired more than 18 suicide drones along with anti-ship cruise missiles and ballistic missiles into one of the world’s busiest shipping lanes.
”And at great cost, American and British navy vessels launched expensive interceptors to defend against these relatively inexpensive Houthi weapons.
“On January 3, America and coalition partners warned that, ‘the Houthis will bear responsibility for the consequences should they continue to threaten lives, the global economy, or the free flow of commerce in the region’s critical waterways.’
“The Houthis crossed that red line.
“The question is now whether President Biden will finally impose sufficient consequences on the Houthis – and their patrons in Tehran.
“The world is watching. But American credibility and security isn’t just on the line in the Red Sea.
“Our nation is facing the most serious array of national security challenges since the fall of the Soviet Union. And the Senate’s responsibility to address them remains unfulfilled.
“Take the first major land war in Europe since 1945:
“On one side of the war in Ukraine is a free world that recognizes sovereignty. On the other is an autocrat with imperial ambitions that extend beyond Ukraine’s sovereign borders.
“With assistance from a nuclear-armed rogue state, the most active state sponsor of terrorism, and a friendship without limits with America’s top strategic adversary, Russia has spent a decade trying to subjugate Ukraine militarily.
“Putin is waging a war of torture and brutality. In some cases, his forces’ crimes – like those of the Hamas terrorists responsible for October 7th – are documented proudly by the perpetrators, themselves.
“And Moscow has mobilized a war economy, ramping up military production while also tapping into the industrial capacity of its Axis partners in Beijing, Tehran, and Pyongyang.
“The war has clearly jolted our European allies out of a holiday from history. Producers in Norway are racing to streamline production of critical air defense systems. Governments like Poland’s and Germany’s have announced major increases in defense spending. And Denmark, for example, has resurrected an entire dormant industry to contribute ammunition.
“But even these historic, overdue investments have not yet turned the tide.
“This conflict has also exposed the glaring shortcomings of America’s own arsenal and supply chains for critical capabilities.
“And as I’ve explained repeatedly and in great detail here on the floor, our supplemental appropriations to support Ukraine have included heavy investments in expanding our defense industrial base and purchasing the cutting-edge weapons our own forces need to deter our biggest adversaries.
“And the legislation we’re considering this month would do even more to help meet urgent requirements of our own armed forces. It will increase procurement of critical munitions, long-range fires, and air defenses and invest in our own defense industrial capacity.
“This is essential for long-term competition with China and Russia. America and our allies still face serious shortcomings. And they extend well beyond the war in Ukraine.
“By one recent tally, Russia and China’s arsenal of land-based air defense systems far exceeds the combined stockpile of the United States, Europe, and Japan combined.
“The West is outgunned in critical capabilities. So let’s not waste time indulging the misconception that standing behind our European allies is an obstacle to competition with China.
“Let’s give no credence to the idea that America should cut and run from our own allies and partners… precisely as our adversaries work closer and closer together.
“With continued American leadership, European allies are shouldering more and more of the burden of collective security on the continent.
“There is just no question that our NATO allies are building military capacity and taking on more responsibility for restoring and maintaining the sovereignty of America’s closest trading partners.
“But America is a global superpower. And retreating from our leadership of NATO before seeing the job through won’t make competition with China any easier. Handing Russia victory in Ukraine on account of a waning attention span will only shred America’s credibility, weaken critical alliances, and force us to contend even more directly with two major adversaries at once!
“I honestly can’t think of a more shortsighted strategic gamble.
“Only time will offer a full accounting of the missed opportunities of the past three years. But it is already clear that hesitation and self-deterrence on the part of our Commander-in-Chief cost Ukrainian lives and chances at swift victory over Russian aggression.
“Of course, the brazen violence of Iran’s terror network reminds us that this weakness and timidity is contagious. We cannot let them spread.
“We cannot let short-sightedness govern our approach to the strategic competition that will define the next century of American history.
“We cannot give China any more reasons than this Administration already has to doubt America’s resolve to stand with sovereign democracies and to vigorously defend our interests.
“In the very near future, it will be time for the Senate to demonstrate that we understand what time it is.”
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Related Issues: China, Iran, America's Military, Ukraine, Russia, Israel, National Security
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