Duckworth: Trump’s Illegal Iran Campaign is a Gift to Our Adversaries that Makes Americans Less Safe, Undermines American Readiness and Puts Security in the Indo-Pacific Region[...]

Duckworth: Trump's Illegal Iran Campaign is a Gift to Our Adversaries that Makes Americans Less Safe, Undermines American Readiness and Puts Security in the Indo-Pacific Region at Risk

[WASHINGTON, D.C.] - As the Trump Administration continues its illegal military campaign against Iran, combat Veteran and U.S. Senator Tammy Duckworth (D-IL) called out Donald Trump for once again breaking his promise to get our nation out of foreign wars-making Americans less safe while providing a gift to our adversaries like Russia and China who wish us harm. At today's U.S. Senate Armed Services Committee (SASC) hearing, Duckworth underscored that by pushing American servicemembers into his reckless wars of choice, Trump's military adventurism is undermining our military readiness and distracting us in the Indo-Pacific region, which threatens security across the region and here at home. Duckworth's full hearing remarks can be found on the Senator's YouTube.

"Let's be clear: We are a Pacific nation," said Duckworth. "Securing Americans requires securing the Pacific. Not only is it where hundreds of thousands of Americans live and work, but the American economy is powered by key trade and energy routes in the Pacific. But there are very real signs that the People's Republic of China is exploiting Trump's adventurism to threaten all of this."

In her exchange with the Under Secretary of Defense for Policy, Mr. Elbridge Colby, Duckworth underscored how critical it is that the Department of Defense (DoD) is prepared for any potential crisis in the Indo-Pacific region. For example, in the case of a flare-up involving the disputed islands on the Western side of the Philippines, more than 750,000 Americans living in the country would be at risk-and getting them to safety would involve coordination across as many as six countries' airspaces across Southeast Asia. Additionally, a conflict on the Western side of the Philippines in the South China Sea could disrupt as much as one third of global maritime trade, especially supplies of oil, gas, electronics and agricultural goods that Americans depend on. These are just a few examples-out of dozens of possible regional flashpoints-highlighting what is at stake if the Administration neglects the Indo-Pacific region.

Mr. Colby agreed with the Senator that DoD coordination with the State Department and local nations in the Indo-Pacific region must remain a top priority.

"There is a clear danger to this Administration's failure to prepare for crises in this region that is essential to American prosperity," said Duckworth. "If the U.S. isn't prepared, flinches or delays a response, the PRC could exploit it. We have to be ready right away-but that kind of crisis planning requires focus and preparation to prevent it from spiraling into war. And it can't be done when Trump insists on illegally and recklessly using our military to generate chaos."

In conclusion, Duckworth said: "If we continue to strain our military with wars of choice all over the world and make our enemies doubt whether we will defend our interests in the Pacific, we will all lose."

Duckworth is an outspoken critic of Donald Trump's illegal military campaign against Iran. Yesterday, the Senator spoke on the Senate floor excoriating Trump for launching an illegal attack on Iran without Constitutionally-required authorization from Congress, without any known imminent threat to our national security and without a plan to mitigate the instability that will come next. She also urged her Republican colleagues to consider the lives of our servicemembers and help stop this Trump-manufactured conflict by voting in support of Senator Kaine's War Powers Resolution, which the Senate will vote on this week.

Duckworth is also proven leader when it comes to strengthening our relations with Indo-Pacific nations and improving security in the region-which she has done while successfully securing significant international investments in Illinois. Duckworth's Indo-Pacific Medical Readiness program-a program she championed in the FY2025 NDAA-will help ensure our nation's servicemembers as well as their families have access to quality patient care throughout the Indo-Pacific region-where they often must travel long distances to receive care. Last year, she led official visits to South Korea and Japan to meet with government and economic leaders and discuss how the U.S. can better collaborate with our Indo-Pacific partners to enhance American shipbuilding capabilities and mutually strengthen each other's economies. Duckworth also led a bipartisan Congressional Delegation to the Shangri-La Dialogue in Singapore to reaffirm the United States' strong bipartisan commitment to our partners and allies in the Indo-Pacific region, as well as a visit to Taiwan to underscore Illinois's preparedness for additional international investments similar to those she's already successfully secured in her previous international travels.

Duckworth also successfully included a modified version of her Strengthen Taiwan's Security Act in the Fiscal Year (FY) 2023 National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) to help Taiwan strengthen its military defenses.

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