This is not just a Ukraine aid bill, it's a national security bill, and Republicans should pass it.

opinion

by rebecca heinrichs

A supplemental national security bill cleared a key hurdle in the Senate on Sunday and could pass this week despite opposition from some Republicans, but an even tougher fight is expected in the House.

Republicans in both chambers should vote for it.

They have identified persistent challenges facing this country, and while rejecting the addendum would do nothing to improve it, passing the addendum would address many of the challenges.

We will discuss only four here.

One is that adversaries—China being foremost among them—and allies are gauging America's resolve and undoubtedly feel it is falling short.

The bill includes funding to build weapons against multiple adversaries. The $16.1 billion will fund munitions useful in the Pacific Theater and in Ukraine, with some sold to other allies and some co-produced with Israel.

This will help the United States work with allies to weaken and deter common adversaries.

Tucker Carlson's interview with Vladimir Putin showed Putin's utter disdain for the West and ended up in the American public's good graces.

It comes from a deep well of resentment, motivating his desire to destroy the US-led international order. Muslims in Xi Jinping's China and Iran share this goal.

Second, the United States does not have an adequate defense industrial base.

This grant will direct more than 60% of its funds to American workers and businesses, increase arms inventories in the United States, deliver desperately needed weapons to Ukraine, and deliver more weapons at a faster pace. Expanding American manufacturing capacity to produce weapons.

Before Russia invaded Ukraine in February 2022, the United States was woefully underprepared to fight a long war with a major power.

Manufacturing plants in the Midwest, South, and West are expanding, employing more Americans and producing weapons that are sold to allies like Israel and strengthen Pacific allies like Taiwan, the Philippines, Vietnam, and India. ing.

Strong allies willing to share the burden of deterring aggression should be able to buy the world's best weapons from the United States.

This bill makes that possible.

China has a long way to go to address this shortfall, but the bill includes significant funding, including $3.3 billion to expand its submarine industrial base beyond the two submarines needed per year to strengthen China's deterrent capabilities. Contains many improvements.

Third, Americans are facing economic hardship and the government is overspending.

But more than 75% of the grant spending goes directly to Americans at home, adding additional protections to Americans deployed to dangerous places like the Middle East.

There is no question that the Biden administration is continuing the reckless spending habits of its predecessor. But allowing Reconstructionist adversaries to create even greater instability, shock world markets, and threaten open commerce through the high seas will stifle American prosperity and disrupt the American way of life. It will be threatening.

The federal government must restrain spending that is not essential to its primary responsibility to provide the common defense.

Fourth, President Biden's policies are weak.

True, but that's all the more reason for Congress to take the lead through the cracks.

Republican senators successfully added a provision that would require the Biden administration to develop a plan for victory in Ukraine and commit resources to that strategy.

Until we are on stronger footing internationally, until we have a grand strategy in place to deter our enemies and lead our allies, America will invest in manufacturing and shipbuilding to produce the weapons we need at the speed and scale we need. There must be.

By depleting our country of the investment necessary to manufacture weapons and depleting Ukraine of its weapons even though it is distributing the weapons it already has, the next president will support ending the war on the condition that the United States will be in a stronger position than the United States. It only negates the influence of Russia.

Threats to the United States are growing.

Putting America first means making critical investments in the military, strengthening the security of deployed U.S. forces, expanding American manufacturing, and providing democracy to America's allies, who are much closer to common threats. It means continuing to be a weapon of principle.

The National Security Supplement helps you do just that.

Rebecca L. Heinrichs is a senior fellow at the Hudson Institute and director of the Keystone Defense Initiative.