Top Republicans are sounding the alarm over the Trump administration’s reported plans to relinquish U.S. leadership of NATO military operations in Europe and to scrap a planned buildup of American forces in Japan, among other dramatic changes to the combatant command structure.
In an extraordinary joint statement Wednesday evening, the Republican chairs of the Senate and House Armed Services committees denounced the proposals, saying they’d undermine U.S. national security.
Here’s a snippet of the statement from Senate Armed Services Committee Chair Roger Wicker (R-Miss.) and House Armed Services Committee Chair Mike Rogers (R-Ala.):
“[W]e will not accept significant changes to our warfighting structure that are made without a rigorous interagency process, coordination with combatant commanders and the Joint Staff, and collaboration with Congress. Such moves risk undermining American deterrence around the globe and detracting from our negotiating positions with America’s adversaries.”
These types of statements are rare and reflect defense hawks’ longstanding frustrations with the Trump administration.
Wicker and Rogers going public with their concerns could be an indication that the Pentagon is serious about moving forward with what would amount to a U.S. retreat from key military theatres — all in the name of cutting costs at the Pentagon, the one department whose budget most Republicans want to increase.
As part of a significant restructuring of U.S. combatant commands, the Pentagon is considering ending a decades-long tradition of having a U.S. military officer serve as NATO Supreme Allied Commander Europe, NBC News first reported Tuesday.
The same report noted that the U.S. is “likely” to cancel plans to expand U.S. Forces Japan (USFJ).
The potential moves stem from Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth’s February directive aimed at cutting 8% from the Pentagon budget.
At the time, Wicker downplayed concerns about the directive, saying it would allow Hegseth to “offset needless and distracting programs — such as those focused on climate change and DEI — and direct focus on important warfighting priorities shared by the Congress.”
Yet it appears that Hegseth is looking to take his spending-cut effort far beyond just climate change and DEI, veering into sacred territory for GOP defense hawks without consulting Congress. It could send a signal that the United States is pulling back from NATO.
“U.S. combatant commands are the tip of the American warfighting spear,” Wicker and Rogers said. “Therefore, we are very concerned about reports that claim DoD is considering unilateral changes on major strategic issues, including significant reductions to U.S. forces stationed abroad, absent coordination with the White House and Congress.”
If Hegseth moves forward with these plans, Congress’ only recourse would be to force a reversal through the appropriations process.
It’s been a rough stretch for GOP defense hawks — especially Wicker, who spent a ton of political capital to get Hegseth confirmed.
This also isn’t the first time Wicker and Hegseth have been at odds. Last month, Wicker said he was “puzzled” and “disturbed” after Hegseth said it’s unrealistic for Ukraine to return to its pre-war borders and appeared to rule out NATO membership for Kyiv.
