| | | | | |  | | By Bryan Bender | Presented by |  | | | With Connor O'Brien and Jacqueline Feldscher Editor's Note: Morning Defense is a free version of POLITICO Pro Defense's morning newsletter, which is delivered to our subscribers each morning at 6 a.m. The POLITICO Pro platform combines the news you need with tools you can use to take action on the day's biggest stories. Act on the news with POLITICO Pro. | | | — Joe Biden's pick for the Pentagon's No. 2 position telegraphs looming budget fights over ships, nukes and more. — Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin seeks a clean slate on Pentagon advisory boards that the Trump administration politicized. — The defense industrial base shows signs of failing health, according to a new checkup. HAPPY WEDNESDAY AND WELCOME TO MORNING DEFENSE, where we're always on the lookout for tips, pitches and feedback. Email us at bbender@politico.com, and follow on Twitter @bryandbender, @morningdefense and @politicopro. | | | | A message from Northrop Grumman: Nothing is more important than protecting our nation against long range missile attacks. Our unmatched NGI team has a deep understanding of this critical mission and possesses the proven experience and cutting-edge technology needed to field a system that can protect against existing threats and address new, emerging challenges. Learn More | | | | | | 'WE CONTINUE TO OVERINVEST': Kathleen Hicks, the nominee for deputy secretary of Defense, sailed through her confirmation hearing on Tuesday, expounding on a series of thorny dates that are likely to animate her tenure if she is the first woman to be confirmed as the Pentagon's No. 2, our colleagues Connor O'Brien and Lara Seligman report. She also threw cold water on the eleventh-hour Navy shipbuilding plan put forward by the Trump administration, which called for a much larger 500-ship fleet of both manned and unmanned vessels. "There are some things in that unclassified report, as I mentioned to you, that I saw as flags," she told Sen. Roger Wicker (R-Miss.), a leading advocate for a bigger Navy. "There's an indication that the information in there would require further analysis to validate the numbers. Hicks expressed support for upgrading all three legs of the nuclear triad — land-based missiles, bombers and ballistic missile subs — but also maintained that the new team is likely to undertake its own Nuclear Posture Review to assess the portfolio. She also acknowledged that defense cuts pushed by the progressive wing of the Democratic Party might be unavoidable given other pressing demands on the federal budget. "A budget is about priorities, and we continue to overinvest in defense while underinvesting in public health and so much more that would keep us safe and that would save lives," she said in an exchange with Sen. Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.). But Hicks also complained that the Trump administration's lack of cooperation during the transition has complicated efforts to develop a new budget proposal by the spring, The Hill reported. As the Pentagon's day-to-day manager, she will likely have more clout than usual. She told the panel she will step in for Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin on issues affecting Raytheon Technologies. Austin is a former board member and he has pledged to recuse himself from decisions involving the company for four years. That includes the replacement for the nation's fleet of intercontinental ballistic missiles, the Long Range Stand Off Weapon, and some missile defense systems. Read up: Hick's written answers to advance policy questions. Plus: The full Pro hearing transcript. CABINET WATCH: Meanwhile, the Senate on Tuesday confirmed Alejandro Mayorkas to be secretary of Homeland Security, POLITICO's Sabrina Rodriguez reports. The nearly party-line vote, 56-43, makes him the first Latino to run the agency. Also, Biden's pick to be secretary of Energy, former Michigan Gov. Jennifer Granholm, answered a series of additional questions following her nomination hearing last week, including about the department's National Nuclear Security Administration, which builds and maintains nuclear warheads. OMB UP NEXT: The Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee scheduled a nomination hearing for next Tuesday for Neera Tanden, president of the left-leaning Center for American Progress, to run the White House Office of Management and Budget. KELLY, ROSEN JOIN SASC: Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer named the Democratic committee rosters for the new Congress, including two additions to the Senate Armed Services Committee: Jacky Rosen of Nevada and Mark Kelly of Arizona. They replace Sens. Doug Jones of Alabama, who lost his reelection bid, and Martin Heinrich of New Mexico, who won a spot on the Appropriations Committee. Republicans have not yet named their new members. | | | |   | | | | | | HOLD THE ADVICE: "Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin has removed members of the Pentagon's advisory boards in a sweeping effort to oust a series of last-minute appointees by former President Donald Trump," Seligman and O'Brien report. In a memo dated Saturday, Austin fired all the members of 31 of DoD's advisory boards effective Feb. 16, and directed that all operations cease pending a "zero-based review" of all 42 panels. One senior Defense official said Austin was concerned by the "frenetic activity" of sudden mass firings of advisory board members and a spate of new appointees in the final months of the Trump administration. "No question, the secretary was deeply concerned with the pace and the extent of recent changes to memberships of department advisory committees," the official said. "I think it ... gave him pause to consider the broad scope and purpose of these boards and to think about how they can best be aligned and organized and composed to provide competent, technical, professional policy advice to the department." Are they all needed? Austin's directive orders that the review of each advisory panel must provide an "in-depth business case of every sponsored advisory committee, supported by fact-based evidence for continued utilization of the advisory committee." | | | | THE UNOFFICIAL GUIDE TO OFFICIAL WASHINGTON: Washington hasn't slowed down in 2021. A new administration and Congress are off and running, and our new Playbook team is two steps ahead of the pack to keep you up to speed. The new Playbook foursome of Rachael Bade, Eugene Daniels, Ryan Lizza and Tara Palmeri is canvassing every corner of Washington, bringing you the big stories and scoops you need to know—and the insider nuggets that you want to know—about the new power centers and players. "This town" has changed. And no one covers this town like Playbook. Subscribe today. | | | | | | | | 'THE PUNCHLINE OF A JOKE': Republicans on the House Armed Service Committee demanded an apology from White House press secretary Jen Psaki for making the year-old Space Force "the punchline of a joke" in her Tuesday presser, our colleague Jacqueline Feldscher reports. In response to a question about whether Biden intends to keep the branch established by the Trump administration in 2019, Psaki said: "Wow, Space Force. It's the plane of today," seemingly comparing the query to an earlier one about the color scheme of Air Force One. "Jen Psaki needs to immediately apologize to the men and women of the Space Force for this disgraceful comment," Rep. Mike Rogers (R-Ala.) said. Others chimed in: "This is just another example of the Biden administration not taking China seriously while demeaning the incredible work of Space Force personnel," said Rep. Michael Waltz (R-Fla.), a founding member of the Space Force Caucus. Psaki moved swiftly to clean it up, tweeting : "We look forward to the continuing work of Space Force and invite the members of the team to come visit us in the briefing room anytime to share an update on their important work." One thing seems certain: The Space Force isn't going anywhere. While it may have been turned into a political football by former President Donald Trump, it is the law of the land and enjoys broad bipartisan support on Capitol Hill. And last we checked, Congress still has the constitutional authority to raise armies and navies — and, yes, space forces. Related: Colorado congressman seeks Government Accountability Office review of U.S Space Command move, via Rep. Doug Lamborn (R-Colo.). | | | VITAL SIGNS: The defense industry entered the pandemic in an already "weakened state," according to a report released Tuesday that gave the overall health of the industrial base a "C" grade, slightly lower than the 2019 score, Feldscher also reports. The annual "Vital Signs" report from the National Defense Industrial Association and data firm Govini identified vulnerabilities in the supply chain, surge capacity and a bumpy regulatory landscape. But demand for goods and services and competition are two areas where the situation has improved, it said. | | | | A message from Northrop Grumman: If our nation doesn't have effective missile defense capabilities, our nation is at risk. With proven expertise in missile defense and advanced weapon systems integration, our unmatched NGI team is utilizing cutting-edge technologies, agile processes and model-based systems engineering to offer an affordable, low-risk NGI solution. This solution will be able to meet the customer's schedule and ensure mission success. Learn More | | | | | | 'SYSTEMIC INEQUALITIES': The Navy is out today with the final report from a task force set up last year to find ways "to dismantle barriers" to diversity and equality. It offers a range of detailed recommendations, from engaging more with underrepresented communities, to developing a process for "timelier recourse" for sailors who believe they have received a biased performance evaluation, and new steps for cracking down on hate speech. "Recommendations were developed that recognize some systemic inequalities and offer solutions to help our Navy become a more lethal and well-connected warfighting force," the report from Task Force One Navy says. "Well-connected in a sense that we know who we are and who is standing next to us in war and in peace. Yes, we know our shipmates … we see them, we hear them, we trust them and we respect them." | | | REAGAN DEFENSE FORUM CANCELED: The annual gathering that had been rescheduled for next month is off. "Given the current state of the COVID 19 pandemic in California and nationally, the Reagan National Defense Forum scheduled for March 5-6, 2021 at the Reagan Library in Simi Valley, CA, has been cancelled,' The Ronald Reagan Institute tells us in an email. "We look forward to hosting the annual RNDF 2021 as planned on December 3-4, 2021." | | | Mark Green, the former Republican congressman who has been executive director of the McCain Institute at Arizona State University, has been named president, director and CEO of the Wilson Center. Josette Sheeran, former executive director of the UN World Food Programme and vice chair of the World Economic Forum, will take on the new post of executive chair of the McCain Institute. | | | | JOIN THURSDAY - BUILDING PUBLIC TRUST AROUND THE VACCINE: How do we overcome the trust gap around the Covid-19 vaccines? How do we craft and deliver messages to break through fear and misinformation, especially in diverse and underserved communities that are particularly vulnerable to the coronavirus? Join for a conversation with policymakers and public health experts about the urgent need to soothe fears and get Americans vaccinated. REGISTER HERE. | | | | | | | | — Pentagon: Trump administration laid groundwork for Guantanamo vaccinations: POLITICO Pro — Defense industry could see another wave of mergers, acquisitions: National Defense — Biden administration officially calls Myanmar coup a 'coup': POLITICO — Russia hints it may rejoin Open Skies Treaty if U.S. does: The Associated Press — Republicans call for clarity from White House on strategy to counter China: Fox News — Five progressive reasons why Biden shouldn't cut the Pentagon budget: Forbes — Rumsfeld lacked intel on who the enemies were, newly published 'snowflakes' show: National Security Archive — Opinion: To compete with China and Russia, the U.S. military must redefine 'readiness': Washington Post | | | | Follow us on Twitter | | | | Follow us | | | | |
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