[Congressional Record Volume 164, Number 5 (Tuesday, January 9, 2018)]
[Senate]
[Pages S87-S88]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]



                           National Security

  Mr. THUNE. Mr. President, the beginning of a new session of Congress 
provides a good moment to look back at the previous year and take stock 
of the challenges ahead, and today what I would like to do is just take 
a few minutes to talk about the national security challenges facing our 
country and the importance of equipping our military to meet them.
  By the end of the Obama administration, our military was facing a 
serious readiness shortfall. The Obama administration's failure to 
prioritize defense had left our armed services with manpower deficits 
and delayed the acquisition of 21st century weapons and 
equipment. Military effectiveness had been compromised by a culture of 
micromanagement in the Obama administration that seriously hampered the 
ability of troops and commanders to respond to conditions on the ground 
in a timely fashion, but within days of his inauguration, President 
Trump made clear that all this was going to change.

  You can look at the situation we faced in the Middle East. The 
timeframe I am referring to right here, the mound of ground that is 
held by ISIS, that is in January of 2017.
  Well, just a week after his inauguration, President Trump issued a 
Presidential memorandum on rebuilding the military. He directed a 
review of our military's readiness, and he set out an action plan to 
address manpower shortfalls, maintenance backlogs, acquisition costs 
and delays, and other drains on our military capabilities. President 
Trump also acted to free up military commanders to make decisions and 
to respond to conditions on the ground.
  The fruits of his commitment to rebuilding our military and trusting 
our military leaders are already evident, most notably in the 
significant gains made against ISIS in 2017.

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  If you look at the chart I just showed, in January of 2017, and then 
you look at December of 2017, in terms of territory held, ISIS has been 
routed. In the first 11 months of the Trump administration, over 15,000 
square miles were liberated from ISIS control, exceeding the total area 
freed in the preceding 2\1/2\ years. ISIS has lost over 98 percent of 
the territory it once held, and it hasn't gained any back.
  Just a month ago, Iraqi Prime Minister al-Abadi declared his country 
``fully liberated'' from ISIS. In Syria, ISIS has lost control of its 
strongholds and now only remains in small pockets of the country.
  All told, in the last year, more than 5.3 million people have been 
freed from the brutal grip of ISIS--more than double the previous 
gains. Families who have spent years fearing for their lives are seeing 
a chance for stability, peace, and order. If this year has shown us 
anything, it is that we can trust our military to do its job and 
deliver results.
  President Trump delegated tactical authority and permitted our 
military to take action when action was needed, and military leaders 
credit this tactical authority for significant gains made on the 
ground.
  The swift rise of ISIS was enabled, in part, by the Obama 
administration's shortsighted desire to withdraw from the fight against 
terrorism in the Middle East. The withdrawal of U.S. troops--on a 
timeline the Obama administration announced to our enemies--left a 
power vacuum in the region, and ISIS stepped in to fill the void. This 
is a mistake we cannot repeat.
  While we have made tremendous strides against ISIS in the last year, 
we cannot simply take these wins and let our guard down. We know ISIS 
and other dark actors can operate in the shadows of the internet and 
social media, using their extensive networks to recruit and influence 
other would-be attackers in the United States and around the world.
  As chairman of the Senate Commerce Committee, which shares 
jurisdiction over some of these matters, I am committed to looking at 
what steps we can take to thwart terrorist recruitment and planning 
efforts and to keep America safe. Next week, I am holding a Commerce 
Committee hearing on what social media companies can do in this fight.
  While we focus on combating terrorism, we cannot forget the 
conventional threats faced by our Nation and our allies. I mentioned 
gains against ISIS and Syria, but there remains the alarming challenge 
of growing Iranian influence there. Syria provides a convenient land 
bridge to connect Iran with Hezbollah in Lebanon, which is well on its 
way to being a proxy for the Iranian Army.
  Of course, we continue to see the deadly consequences of Iran's 
continued smuggling of arms to Houthi rebels. Iran is a serious threat 
to stability in the Middle East and to our allies there, and we need to 
keep that in mind as we consider the failed Iran nuclear deal and the 
ongoing protests in Iran.
  We also have to stay focused on the threat posed by North Korea. 
South and North Korea reestablished communications and just met to 
discuss the upcoming winter Olympics in South Korea. They announced, in 
addition to North Korea sending a delegation to the winter games, the 
two countries have agreed to hold military talks, but North Korea said 
it will not discuss its nuclear program at this time.
  I think North Korea's nuclear program has to be addressed as a 
condition of any lasting peace, and the United States should lead its 
allies in making that crystal clear. While the talks are a notable 
development after 2 years of no communication between the two 
countries, we obviously need to be wary of North Korea's motives. We 
will have to see what actions follow and if the talks lead to any 
substantive steps by North Korea to dismantle its nuclear program.
  President Trump and Ambassador Haley have made it clear that North 
Korea must abandon its dangerous ambitions, and increased sanctions are 
providing additional pressure. We should make no concessions without 
fundamental progress. Of course, this will require cooperation from 
China to help exert pressure on North Korea and uphold U.N. 
resolutions.
  China has sought to tip the regional balance in its favor by 
objecting to the installation of missile defense platforms that would 
defend the United States and our allies against North Korean missiles. 
Meanwhile, it has been simultaneously expanding its own military, 
continuing to develop islands in international waters and exercising 
economic coercion.
  President Trump's national security strategy correctly acknowledges 
both China and Russia as challengers to American influence, interests, 
security, and prosperity.
  I have spoken on the Senate floor more than once to denounce Russia's 
continued annexation of Crimea, its subversion of Ukrainian 
sovereignty, and its efforts to undermine NATO, not to mention its 
continued denial of attempting to meddle with our election. Both the 
conventional challenges that our Nation continues to face and the 
persistent threat of radical terrorism underscore the perennial need to 
ensure that our military is the best prepared and the best equipped 
fighting force in the world.
  I have said it before, and I will say it again. If we don't get 
national security right, the rest of what we do here is just 
conversation. We have to be able to defend our country and our allies.
  Yes, investing in our national security and restoring our military, 
especially after years of neglect, will come at a cost, but as Army 
Chief of Staff GEN Mark Milley has said, ``The only thing more 
expensive than deterrence is actually fighting a war, and the only 
thing more expensive than fighting a war is fighting one and losing 
one.''
  In the next few weeks, the Senate will have a chance to vote to 
increase funding for our troops and to take real steps to restore our 
military readiness. I hope my colleagues across the aisle will work 
with us. If there is any issue--any issue--in this Chamber that should 
be bipartisan, it is this one. It is not an exaggeration to say the 
security of our Nation, our ability to live as a free people, depends 
upon the strength of our military. It is time to make sure our military 
men and women have the resources they need to defend our Nation.

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