| | | | |  | | By Alexander Ward and Matt Berg | | 
The Yemen War Powers Resolution, introduced by Sen. Bernie Sanders and supported by key Democrats and Republicans, aims to restrict nearly all U.S. involvement in the conflict's "hostilities." | Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images | Subscribe here | Email Alex | Email Matt With help from Connor O'Brien and Lara Seligman The Senate is expected to vote on another resolution to end U.S. military involvement in Yemen in about three hours, but the enthusiasm is much more muted for this go around than it was three years ago. That's partly because the level of U.S. involvement in the Saudi-led coalition has already tapered off significantly. Under former President DONALD TRUMP, the American military, for a time, helped refuel Saudi warplanes and identify targets. Now, under President JOE BIDEN , the U.S. is focused on "defensive" assistance and providing intel to the coalition, so it doesn't kill civilians while targeting Houthi rebels and al-Qaida terrorists. The biggest achievement this year was helping broker a ceasefire that lowered the risk of a humanitarian catastrophe — though that is in danger of crumbling for good . The Yemen War Powers Resolution, introduced by Sen. BERNIE SANDERS (I-Vt.) and supported by key Democrats and Republicans, aims to restrict nearly all U.S. involvement in the conflict's "hostilities." The resolution text defines hostilities as sharing intelligence with the Saudi-led coalition for "offensive" strikes, providing any "logistical support" for such strikes, and having DOD personnel directly help coalition forces conduct operations. Army Lt. Col. ROB LODEWICK, a spokesperson for the Pentagon, said, "the United States is not engaged in hostilities in or affecting Yemen." A version of this bill passed both congressional chambers in 2019, only to see Trump veto it. It's unclear if the Senate has enough votes this time around — it only needs 51 to pass. The ground truth has changed since Biden came to office. "Riyadh has largely abided by its commitments under the ceasefire that was implemented earlier this year," said JONATHAN LORD , director of the Center for a New American Security's Middle East program. "At this juncture, the WPR would only serve to punish the Saudis for past sins, which is ultimately unhelpful in incentivizing their continued and future cooperation in achieving a lasting peace agreement in Yemen." The Houthis are the ones unwilling to negotiate a peace with the Saudis, Lord added. Other experts don't see it that way. "If it doesn't pass, I think the greater danger is that the Saudis could restart airstrikes and/or prevent flights and fuel ships," the Quincy Institute for Responsible Statecraft's ANNELLE SHELINE told NatSec Daily. "Most of the civilian casualties at this point are from insufficient food, water and medical care, due to the Saudis destroying Yemen's infrastructure." NatSec Daily has spoken with lawmakers about the prospects for passage. It's unclear what will happen even with just hours to go, especially since some Democrats are wary of rebuking a president of their own party. And Republicans supportive of the WPR in 2019, namely Sen. MIKE LEE (R-Utah), equivocated in private more so than the last time. It's still possible Lee ends up as a "yes" vote, however. Still, more than 100 antiwar and progressive groups are trying to push the WPR through the Senate. While most simply want the U.S. to end its role in Yemen, some of the proponents have their sights set on a larger shift in American foreign policy. "For us, the larger issue is Congress reasserting its role in matters of war and peace and this is an important part of that process," said DAN CALDWELL , vice president for foreign policy at the Koch-backed conservative group Stand Together. "Our view is that this isn't our war to fight — directly or indirectly — and isn't directly connected to our interests or safety, regardless if the ceasefire holds."
| | | | POLITICO AT CES 2023 : We are bringing a special edition of our Digital Future Daily newsletter to Las Vegas to cover CES 2023. The newsletter will take you inside the largest and most influential technology event on the planet, featuring every major and emerging industry in the technology ecosystem gathered in one place. The newsletter runs from Jan. 5-7 and will focus on the public policy related aspects of the event. Sign up today to receive exclusive coverage of CES 2023. | | | | | | | | DONORS PLEDGE $1B FOR UKRAINE'S WINTER: Donors from dozens of countries and international organizations met in Paris today and pledged more than $1 billion to keep Ukraine's power on through the winter, the Associated Press' SYLVIE CORBET, INNA VARENYTSIA and JOHN LEICESTER reports . Russia's military has successfully targeted Ukraine's energy infrastructure in recent months, aiming to leave residents without power and heat as Russia's ground operations fail. President VOLODYMYR ZELENSKYY has repeatedly pleaded for assistance with keeping the energy grid running, and the donor conference marks the first international coalition to answer his calls. During the conference, the Ukrainian leader argued that the show of support could pressure Russia into peace negotiations, though Russian President VLADIMIR PUTIN has made it clear that he won't consider any agreement that forces him to concede territory. RUSSIA TURNS TO OLD AMMO: Russian troops have started using ammunition from decades ago as it burns through stockpiles, Reuters' PHIL STEWART and IDREES ALI reported , citing a senior U.S. official. Such firepower has a high failure rate, the official said, explaining that a soldier has to "cross your fingers and hope it's going to fire." Moscow could fully exhaust its ammunition by early next year if it doesn't buy from other countries, the official said. In recent months, the U.S. has accused Iran and North Korea of supplying Russia with weapons and ammunition — charges both countries have denied. PUTIN CANCELS ANNUAL SPEECH: Putin won't hold his traditional year-end press conference for the first time in a decade as the war in Ukraine continues with no end in sight, our own WILHELMINE PREUSSEN reported . "As for the annual news conference, yes, there won't be one before the New Year," Kremlin spokesman DMITRY PESKOV said on Monday, adding that the president was still expected to talk to reporters, also during foreign visits. In past years, Putin has spoken at the address for hours in a demonstration of his grip on power in Russia, showcasing his policy accomplishments. But the 70-year-old Russian leader has had a tough year as the war in Ukraine approaches the 10-month mark and speculation about his declining health circulates . NEW BUREAU ALERT: The State Department announced the creation of the Bureau of Global Health Security and Diplomacy in response to numerous viruses, including Covid-19, that have roiled the world in the past. The bureau will make sure the department "is well-organized to strengthen global health security and to address the growing national security challenges presented by global health crises," Secretary of State Antony Blinken said in a statement. It comes almost three years into a pandemic that has killed more than one million Americans, prompting criticism of the government's response. Blinken also cited the Ebola and HIV/AIDS crises as impetus for the establishment of the bureau. He intends to ask current Global AIDS Coordinator Ambassador JOHN NKENGASONG to head the bureau. IT'S TUESDAY: Thanks for tuning in to NatSec Daily. This space is reserved for the top U.S. and foreign officials, the lawmakers, the lobbyists, the experts and the people like you who care about how the natsec sausage gets made. Aim your tips and comments at award@politico.com and mberg@politico.com , and follow us on Twitter at @alexbward and @mattberg33 . While you're at it, follow the rest of POLITICO's national security team: @nahaltoosi , @woodruffbets , @politicoryan , @PhelimKine , @BryanDBender , @laraseligman , @connorobrienNH , @paulmcleary , @leehudson , @AndrewDesiderio , @magmill95 , @ericgeller , @johnnysaks130 , @ErinBanco and @Lawrence_Ukenye .
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The F-35 delivers the unrivaled advantage for our pilots, nation, and partners. A decisive differentiator in near-peer warfare, the F-35 is the most advanced node in 21st century warfare network-centric architecture. Learn more. | | | | | | BORDER FIGHTING: Chinese and Indian soldiers were injured after a faceoff at the notional border in northeast India claimed by China, the most serious spat at the contested border in two years, The Washington Post's GERRY SHIH reports . On Saturday, Soldiers from the People's Liberation Army approached the line in the mountainous Tawang sector of Arunachal Pradesh, which led to hand-to-hand combat that caused "minor injuries to few personnel from both sides," Indian army officials said. Both sides withdrew from the area while officials from the opposing sides discussed the incident. The dispute comes two years after 20 Indian soldiers and an unknown number of Chinese troops were killed in a brutal fight in the Galwan River valley in Ladakh — some by being thrown from cliffs.
| | | CHINA'S SEMICONDUCTOR PACKAGE: China is eyeing a $143 billion support package for its semiconductor industry, a move to counter recent efforts by the U.S. to stymie the country's technological advances, Reuters' JULIE ZHU reports . It'll be one of Beijing's largest fiscal incentive packages in more than five years, three people told Zhu, focusing on subsidies and tax credits to boost semiconductor production and research. The package could be implemented as soon as the first quarter of 2023, two of the people said. The move comes four months after the U.S. passed the CHIPS and Science Act , which provided $53 billion for American semiconductor research, development and manufacturing. The Biden administration is trying to secure the chips supply chain, in part by using export controls to minimize China's access to the market.
| | | PATRIOTS TO UKRAINE?: A plan for the U.S. to send the Patriot missile defense system to Ukraine could be announced this week, our own LARA SELIGMAN and PAUL McLEARY report. Defense Secretary LLOYD AUSTIN still needs to approve the plan before Biden can sign off, which he is expected to do. It's unclear how many missile launchers would be sent. CNN first reported the plan . If the Pentagon's plan goes through, the Patriot will be the most effective long-range system sent to the country, answering Ukraine's pleas to provide better defenses as the country is bombarded by Russian airstrikes.
| | | | JOIN THURSDAY FOR A CONVERSATION ON FAMILY CARE IN AMERICA : Family caregivers are among our most overlooked and under-supported groups in the United States. The Biden Administration's new national strategy for supporting family caregivers outlines nearly 350 actions the federal government is committed to taking. Who will deliver this strategy? How should different stakeholders divide the work? Join POLITICO on Dec. 15 to explore how federal action can improve the lives of those giving and receiving family care across America. REGISTER HERE . | | | | | | | | LAWMAKERS URGE TRANSPARENCY ON FOREIGN CONTRACTS: Three House members sent a letter to SecState Blinken and DefSec Austin asking for more details on how former generals can obtain waivers to consult for foreign governments. In the letter, Reps. SUZAN DELBENE (D-Wash.), MICHAEL CLOUD (R-Texas) and JASON CROW (D-Colo.) outlined specific concerns with the process, including a lack of transparency throughout the waiver approval process, a lack of standardized procedures to implement the waiver approval process and insufficient enforcement when retired personnel violate the law by failing to report their business with foreign governments. The lawmakers cited reporting from The Washington Post in October that found that hundreds of former military personnel had received waivers to pursue jobs with foreign governments known to have histories of human rights abuses and political oppression. "I'm concerned with the notion that people spend a lifetime in service developing expertise but also a body of knowledge sometimes of our nation's most sensitive secrets, and then going to work for countries and passing that information along," Crow, who has been tracking the issue in the House Intelligence Committee for years, told NatSec Daily. Retired personnel should be able to find work, he said, but "we just want to have visibility and transparency and make sure it's being done in the best interest of national security." 'DIG INTO THIS WOKENESS': House Republicans gave a brief glimpse today of how they may attack Pentagon personnel policies they've labeled as "woke" when they take control in January, our own CONNOR O'BRIEN writes in. The House Armed Services Committee voted 30-26 along party lines to knock down a resolution from Rep. ANDREW CLYDE (R-Ga.) that directs the Pentagon to fork over any records that include certain terms related to gender. Terms listed include transgender, gender identity, gender transition and nonbinary. (HASC had to vote on the resolution to avert Clyde forcing a vote on it on the House floor.) Outgoing Armed Services Chair ADAM SMITH (D-Wash.) ripped the broad resolution as "the mother of all fishing expeditions" by the far right. But Republicans are planning to take the Pentagon head-on over a slew of policies they contend are distractions that weaken the military — such as rooting out extremism, promoting diversity and inclusiveness, shoring up troops' access to abortion and combating climate change. Soon-to-be Chair MIKE ROGERS (R-Ala.) promised a GOP-led panel "will be conducting robust oversight" of DoD's personnel policies. "I have every confidence...we will dig into this wokeness. We will get it out of the military," Rep. MATT GAETZ (R-Fla.) added.
| | | PALESTINIANS WORRY FOR FUTURE: Israel's repression of Palestinians will worsen under Israeli prime minister-designate BENJAMIN NETANYAHU's extreme right-wing government, DIANA BUTTU writes in an op-ed in The New York Times . "The atmosphere of racism is so acute that I hesitate to speak or read Arabic on public transportation. Palestinian rights have been pushed to the back burner," writes Buttu, a lawyer and former adviser to the negotiating team of the Palestine Liberation Organization. She cited Netanyahu's appointments of vocal anti-Palestinian politicians as cause for concern. The only silver lining to Netanyahu's rule may be that the dire situation could "open the eyes of more Americans," she wrote. But American policy toward Israel, one of its closest allies, is unlikely to change even if conditions become even more dangerous for Palestinians, Buttu argued.
| | | |   | | | | | | — PRESTON DUNLAP, former chief technology officer and chief architect officer of the U.S. Space Force and Air Force, has been appointed to the board of directors at Pixxel, a Hyperspectral satellite company. — ANDREW METRICK has joined the Center for a New American Security as a defense fellow. Previously, Metrick was a campaign analyst and wargamer at Northrop Grumman. — ANDREW DESIDERIO is leaving POLITICO to join Punchbowl, taking his immense talent for covering national security issues in Congress with him. He'll be missed, but look forward to the great things he will do at his new job. We still plan to scoop him often, though. — JIN, the eldest member of Korean boy band sensation BTS, began his mandatory military service Tuesday. The group may recommence their dancing and singing in 2025, the band's management has said.
| | | — OLEKSIY CHERNYSHOV, POLITICO: Together, we can blunt Russia's energy weapon — YUVAL NOAH HARARI, The Atlantic: The End of the New Peace — ERIKA SOLOMON and HENRIK PRYSER LIBELL, The New York Times: In a Wary Arctic, Norway Starts to See Russian Spies Everywhere
| | | — The Carnegie Endowment for International Peace, 8 a.m.: Where Do China-India Relations Stand? — The Center for Strategic and International Studies, 10 a.m.: American Defense Reform: Lessons from Failures and Successes in the Navy — The Wilson Center's Asia Program, 10 a.m.: Building a More Resilient Semiconductor Supply Chain Through U.S.-Republic of Korea Cooperation — The McCain Institute, 10:30 a.m.: Reaffirming America's Strategic Alliances — The Center for Strategic and International Studies, 2 p.m.: Emerging Security Issues in Space Policy — The Henry L. Stimson Center, 2 p.m.: North Korea: Is Denuclearization Dead? — The Hudson Institute, 3 p.m.: Taiwan Policy in the New Congress Have a natsec-centric event coming up? Transitioning to a new defense-adjacent or foreign policy-focused gig? Shoot me an email at award@politico.com to be featured in the next edition of the newsletter. Thanks to our editor, Heidi Vogt, who keeps breaking our ceasefire by constantly attacking our prose. And we thank our producer, Kierra Frazier, who deserves the Nobel for keeping the peace.
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