Almost two years after the Obama administration released a new “strategic guidance” that prioritized a shift of diplomatic and military focus to the Asia-Pacific region, Capitol Hill is finally taking notice.
And unlike the crippling partisan gridlock that makes budgets unpassable and recently shut down the federal government, legislators are approaching the issue in a bipartisan fashion. A group of Democratic and Republican members of the House Armed Services Committee (HASC) announced on Oct. 29 that the committee is kicking off what they’re calling the “Asia Pacific Oversight Series” to start digging into the White House’s strategic rebalance, and how Congress can provide oversight.
The group of lawmakers said that between now and early 2014 they’ll hold at least five hearings on economic security and partner capacity-building efforts in the region.
“The president wanted to shift to the Pacific, and we have to get out ahead of it” Rep. Buck McKeon, the Republican HASC chairman, told reporters. The top Democrat on the committee, Rep. Adam Smith, cautioned that although China is a major global power and that almost anything the United States does in the region will be viewed through the lens of US/Chinese strategic competition, the effort isn’t all about China.
The committee will focus mainly on providing oversight on the Obama administration’s progress in building partner capacity and supporting allies though joint military training activities. “We want to build as strong an alliance system as we can, and about China, I think we need to view them as a partner as well,” Smith said. We need to work together.” The Republican chairman of the seapower and projection forces subcommittee, Rep. Randy Forbes, added, “the biggest thing for us is presence. If we have presence there” the entire region is more stable.
Forbes was also critical of the rollout of the AirSeaBattle concept, which focuses on naval and air power and which some have misinterpreted as a plan for war with China. “There was a kind of throwing out of that concept but not really an education process about what that meant,” he said.
He also lamented that Washington “is losing its ability to develop long-term strategies,” and that he hopes the HASC will be able to focus the administration’s thinking on how to operate in the Pacific region. Over the long term, “what you have to measure is not just what you think the threats are going to be” but also measure the capabilities that our allies and competitors will have in 10 or 20 years, he said. “And that’s what I think we’re not doing.”
Rep. Colleen Hanabusa, a respected Democrat from Hawaii with a strong parochial and strategic interest in the topic, joins Forbes to press the call for more congressional focus on one of the fundamental strategic issues with which our country is grappling.
we believe the time has come for Congress to play a leading role in shifting our attention towards the long-range trends that stand to affect our security interests. Primary among these are the shifting security dynamics that have been occurring across the Asia-Pacific region. More specifically, we feel the rise of Chinese military modernization, and the geostrategic impact this trend stands to have on our friends, allies and trading partners throughout the region, calls for a thorough oversight effort by the House Armed Services Committee.
The Obama Administration acknowledged the need for our government to pay closer attention to the Asia-Pacific two years ago with its stated policy to begin to shift the nation’s attention to the region. However, we feel the Congress has been slow to conduct a ‘rebalance’ of its own. This series aims to stimulate such a process, not only because the Obama Administration has not fully supported its rhetoric with resources, but because we know this policy will only be successful with strong congressional input and support.
At its core, this series will seek to enhance an understanding of Asia-Pacific security issues for both members of Congress and the general public. To be successful, we will rely on government witnesses and some of the best independent thinkers across the country to increase our understanding of the military, economic, and political trends affecting the long-term security outlook in the region.
In addition to education and oversight, we aim to use this series to play a leading role in encouraging the Obama Administration to build a multifaceted strategy for Asia-Pacific. For instance, we recently sent a letter to National Security Advisor Susan Rice urging her to conduct a formal, interagency strategy review for the Asia-Pacific. We believe an Asia-Pacific Strategy Review is required not only so that departments and agencies across the federal government can have the authority to think and act creatively within a robust interagency system, but also to communicate to Congress the breadth of resources that will be required to implement this strategy.
First, we acknowledge that Congress has an important role to play across the spectrum when it comes to policy in the Asia-Pacific, including trade policy, diplomatic outreach, alliance management, and sustaining our defense posture and engagement. But given our position as members of the House Armed Services Committee, we have chosen to focus on the balance of military power and questions related to maintaining stability in the region.
Second, this series is about understanding the broad security dynamics of the region — including everything from our alliances, to maritime disputes, to the impact of the China’s military modernization over the last 15 years – and how our government should look to best posture itself to respond in the years ahead. This is not about pushing any one perspective that China is an enemy or threat to the United States. To the contrary, we believe that while there are elements of the U.S.-China relationship that are competitive, there are also many opportunities for cooperation we should explore.
Amongst a tide of recent political turmoil, we are proud to be able to work together on this effort. Although it is often said, it is worth repeating here: U.S. policy towards Asia-Pacific remains a truly bipartisan effort. We look to extend this positive story as our Nation continues the task of building a durable diplomatic, economic, and security architecture across the Asia-Pacific region.
