Jackson Purchase News

U.S. Senate Republican Leader Mitch McConnell (R-KY) addressed the Senate floor today, emphasizing national security priorities and expressing concerns over congressional inaction on defense matters.

McConnell began by referencing a report released before the August state work period, commissioned by Congress in the FY 2022 National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA). The bipartisan Commission on the National Defense Strategy (NDS) produced this report after reviewing the Biden Administration’s National Defense Strategy and conducting an independent assessment of threats and requirements for national defense.

“Any of our colleagues who haven’t yet taken a close look at this report should,” McConnell stated. He highlighted several key conclusions from the report: “The U.S. military lacks both the capabilities and the capacity required to be confident it can deter and prevail in combat.” Additionally, he noted that “the U.S. defense industrial base (DIB) is unable to meet the equipment, technology, and munitions needs of the United States and its allies and partners.”

McConnell further pointed out that “the U.S. public are largely unaware of the dangers the United States faces or the costs (financial and otherwise) required to adequately prepare.”

The report also assessed threats posed by major adversaries such as Russia and China. It warned that a Russian victory in Ukraine would embolden Moscow, necessitating additional NATO forces potentially at the expense of other strategic locations. Moreover, it stated that “China is outpacing the United States” in military investment, particularly in the Western Pacific.

Of particular concern was the growing partnership between adversaries like Russia and China, which could lead to conflicts expanding to multiple fronts, thereby straining U.S. and allied resources.

McConnell reiterated Congress's constitutional duty to provide for common defense by aligning resources with requirements and strategy to ensure American military superiority. However, he criticized what he sees as a lack of support from President Biden’s administration: “Unfortunately, this is work Congress must do without help from this Administration.”

He pointed out that President Biden’s 2022 NDS did not mention budgetary considerations. Despite returning to Washington for a week, McConnell lamented that Congress remains no closer to delivering full-year topline defense funding than it was on August 1st.

“The critical increases Vice Chair Collins secured over the President’s anemic budget request are no closer to becoming law,” McConnell said. He also noted that the National Defense Authorization Act has yet to be scheduled for floor time by Democratic leadership.

“It’s one thing to request expert analysis,” McConnell concluded. “It’ll be quite another to do the urgent work that analysis rightly prescribes.”