Peace Garden News

WASHINGTON – U.S. Senator Kevin Cramer (R-ND) joined Adrienne Bankert on NewsNation’s Morning in America ahead of a Senate Armed Services Committee (SASC) hearing on worldwide threats. Excerpts and full video are below. 

On the Biden Administration’s Military Leadership Capabilities: 

“They’re certainly capable of it. […] In some cases, they don’t know how to reflect this strength of ours, and I worry a lot about it. Their eye is off the ball. You look at the way they’ve focused on lots of things in the military that are far from actual military readiness, focusing more on social issues, and experimentation, and wokeness." 

“This president’s budget for this next year has a reduction when it’s put up against inflation of defense spending. We absolutely can't do that. As we negotiate this now –as we head toward the markup from the National Defense Authorization Act – you're going to see Republicans and Democrats, alike, in the Congress adding, once again, a lot of money to the defense budget out of necessity.”

On U.S. Aid to Ukraine:

“Even with $133 billion which has been authorized for Ukraine, at least 40% of it is being spent here in the United States to build up our own reserves, as well as our own industrial base. It sends a message to the number one nuclear adversary, Russia, that we’re serious. And, everybody else is watching that: they’re watching that in Iran; they're watching that in China; they're watching how we behave with Ukraine and Russia. 

“I'd like to see the administration step it up. It's not so much about more money, however, as much as responding more quickly to more sophisticated weapons systems, particularly air defense systems. The Ukrainians have demonstrated that they're not only willing, but very capable of fighting for their own freedom. It's a small investment in Ukraine that could help deter bigger conflicts around the world.”

On the Threat of China:

“They’re a threat, and a growing threat. Their potential is far greater than their capacity right now. They have more ICBM sites than we have. They have more capability to launch than we have. They've certainly advanced hypersonic missiles, the various types of weapons systems that can carry nuclear warheads. They’re growing our Navy as a breakneck baseline, while we’re reducing ours again -- another Biden administration mistake.”

On Reports of Uranium Stores in Middle East, Iranian Nuclear Capabilities: 

“We need to demonstrate leadership. We need to demonstrate strength and be leading from a position of strength rather than a position of weakness. That's why what's going on in Ukraine is so relevant. It's why New START treaty with Russia being extended is important: because they need to see there is an order to all things nuclear. We need to keep a very close eye on it, close contact with our strongest ally in the region who has the most to lose by a strengthened Iran – of course, that being Israel.”

Original source can be found here.