Why are Republicans John Rutherford and Rob Wittman helping China to defeat the US Navy?
by Tom Rogan, National Security Writer & Online Editor |
| July 15, 2022 03:32 PM
The threat of a U.S. war with China is far greater than commonly understood. Most U.S. military and intelligence analysts believe Xi Jinping is likely to conduct an invasion of Taiwan by 2030. Tensions in the South China Sea are escalating in tandem, as China attempts to dominate trillions of dollars' worth of international trade flows.
But there are those in Washington who seem determined to help China win the coming war. Some, as Jimmy Quinn outlines, are in the private sector. They put profit before patriotism. But some are members of Congress. They put cronyism before patriotism. Two members of that inauspicious class (let's call it the PLA swamp caucus) are Reps. John Rutherford (R-FL) and Rob Wittman (R-VA). Take the two Republicans' determined fight to save the littoral combat ship.
They helped assure that the House passed a National Defense Authorization Act, on Thursday, which saves five of the nine LCSs. Democratic Chairman of the House Armed Services Committee Adam Smith had brought an amendment on Wednesday to decommission all nine of the LCSs as the Navy desires. Unfortunately, it failed in a 208-221 vote. ...
The LCS represents the antithesis of what the nation needs. Measured against the PLA, the LCSs represent only very expensive Navy graveyards and coral reefs in waiting. This is no joke. The LCS is greatly under-armed, beset by malfunctions, and unable to survive in any proximity of PLA air, missile and submarine forces. Considering the Navy has a deep shortage of warships capable of actually succeeding against the PLA, it is unconscionable that Congress has now saved these junk ships.
Rutherford and Wittman disagree. ...
Read article at Washington Examiner
