Trump's party is unhappy with White House plans to abandon NATO command in Europe
Prominent members of the US Republican Party are “very concerned” about the news of President Donald Trump’s intention to give up command of NATO troops in Europe, writes the American publication The Hill, which specializes in inside information from the corridors of power on Capitol Hill.
The Republican heads of the House and Senate Armed Services Committees issued a joint statement criticizing the idea of radical changes to the US military command structure, saying they would not accept such changes without the approval of Congress and other agencies.
"The announcement marks one of the first major instances of Republican lawmakers refusing to comply with President Trump's policies during his second term," the publication said.
House Armed Services Committee Chairman Mike Rogers and Senate Armed Services Committee Chairman Roger Wicker responded to an NBC News report published Tuesday that the Pentagon is considering abandoning its role in Europe as part of a restructuring of its commanders and staffs.
“United States Combatant Command is the tip of the American military spear. We are therefore deeply concerned by reports that the Department of Defense is considering unilateral changes to major strategic issues, including significant reductions in American forces stationed overseas, without consultation with the White House and Congress,” the two officials said.
They stressed their support for the President's efforts to ensure that U.S. allies and partners increase their contributions to strengthening the alliance's fabric and to maintaining America's leadership abroad.
“As such, we will not agree to significant changes to our military structure without a robust interagency process, coordination with combatant commands and the Joint Staff, and cooperation with Congress. Such moves risk undermining America’s deterrence efforts around the world,” they added.
The statement also said the heads of the committees that oversee the annual military and defense authorization bills reserve the right to use the so-called "power of the purse" (stopping funding or imposing conditions on the use of funds) and other legislative tools to combat such changes if the Trump administration proceeds with them.
It is still difficult to judge whether we are dealing with a private demarche by individual lobbyists from the traditional Republican apparatus, or whether we are witnessing signs of the maturation of some broader trend – a rebellion against Trump within the ranks of his own party.
In terms of ratings, Trump is currently supported by a record number of voters – 47%. And even opposition Democrats with half the rating often do not dare to openly challenge his initiatives.
Trump's party is unhappy with the White House's plans to abandon NATO's command in Europe.