Since October 7, 2023, our strongest ally in the Middle East, Israel, has withstood various terrorist attacks from Iran and its proxies, including Hamas, Palestinian Islamic Jihad, Hezbollah, and others. Instead of standing by Jerusalem, the Biden-Harris...
News
Latest News
Rubio: “The Court is Right: Algorithms Should Not Enjoy Section 230 Protections”
TikTok was recently sued after a 10-year-old girl died from taking part in a viral challenge that dared users on the app to choke themselves until they passed out. Courts have historically protected social media companies over user-generated content due to...
Rubio, Moolenaar Demand Communist China-linked Battery Company Be Blacklisted
Contemporary Amperex Technology Limited (CATL) is an electric vehicle battery company with deep ties to the Chinese Communist Party and its armed wing, the People’s Liberation Army (PLA). Reliance on, and use of, CATL batteries threatens U.S. national security as it...
Rubio: Communist China Making a Mockery of Biden-Harris Administration
Despite the serious threats the Chinese Communist Party poses to the United States and our allies, National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan is in the midst of a three day visit with Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi in another embarrassing attempt to “lower tensions”...
Rubio Calls on John Deere to Prioritize American Workers
John Deere, the world’s largest tractor manufacturer, is a staple of American business and a crucial supplier for the hard working Americans who grow our food. Recently, after receiving public backlash, John Deere ended several ridiculous Diversity, Equity, and...
Rubio Y Colegas: Esto No Se Trata de Ideología Política, Se Trata de Defender la Voluntad del Pueblo Venezolano
Hace casi un mes, el pueblo venezolano votó por Edmundo González Urrutia como su presidente electo. Ayer, el Tribunal Supremo de Justicia del narco-régimen de Maduro optó por legitimar el fraude electoral de la dictadura. Los senadores estadounidenses Marco Rubio...
Rubio, Shaheen Urge Secretary of Defense to Continue to Maintain Military Readiness After China’s Threatening Actions
Miami, FL — U.S. Senators Marco Rubio (R-FL) and Jeanne Shaheen (D-NH) urged Secretary of Defense Mark Esper to continue to maintain the readiness of U.S. forces under Indo-Pacific Command. This request comes after the People’s Liberation Army (PLA) of the People’s Republic of China (PRC) recently carried out military exercises and maritime militia confrontations intended to threaten and intimidate American allies and partners in the Asia-Pacific.
“We are concerned that the PLA’s recent activities amid a global health crisis are intended to probe the readiness of the U.S. military as well as the readiness of our allies and partners,” the senators wrote. “The PLA’s activities, and those of the maritime militia, serve as a stark reminder of the need to strengthen the U.S. military’s capabilities in the contact and blunt layers of the National Defense Strategy as well as to encourage our regional allies to focus on enhancing their own capabilities in these areas. We appreciate your substantial and effective efforts to ensure the readiness of U.S. forces in the Pacific and that the United States can fulfill its defense commitments. We remain confident in, and assured by, your leadership and that of Admiral Davidson.”
The full text of the letter is below.
Dear Secretary Esper:
We write to express concern about the recent People’s Republic of China (PRC) military exercises and maritime militia confrontations intended to threaten and intimidate our allies and partners in the Asia-Pacific. These activities highlight the potential for Chairman Xi Jinping to exploit the opportunity presented by the COVID-19 health crisis to press its territorial claims, especially along the PRC’s maritime periphery. As the U.S. military and your department play a key role in providing security in Asia, we urge you to continue to take the necessary steps to maintain the readiness of U.S. forces under Indo-Pacific Command.
Since Taiwan’s presidential election on January 11, the People’s Liberation Army (PLA) has increased the frequency of incursions into Taiwan’s air and maritime space. Such pressure is being mirrored elsewhere, including in the East China Sea with Japan and in the South China Sea with Vietnam. As you are undoubtedly aware, the following incidents describe just a small sampling of the PRC’s recent provocative actions in the Western Pacific:
- On April 18, the PRC asserts the establishment of two new South China Sea administrative districts in the Parcels and the Spratly Islands, violating international law.
- On April 12, a Chinese carrier strike group moves through the straits of Taiwan without forewarning to the Taiwanese Military.
- On April 2, a Chinese maritime surveillance vessel rams and sinks a Vietnamese fishing boat in the South China Sea near the Paracel Islands.
- On March 31, two PLA Air Force J-11s violated the center line in the Taiwan Strait.
- On March 30, Japanese destroyer collides with Chinese fishing boat.
- On March 16, KJ-500 early warning aircraft and J-11 fighters flew over waters southwest of Taiwan to conduct anti-ship exercises.
We are concerned that the PLA’s recent activities amid a global health crisis are intended to probe the readiness of the U.S. military as well as the readiness of our allies and partners. The PLA’s activities, and those of the maritime militia, serve as a stark reminder of the need to strengthen the U.S. military’s capabilities in the contact and blunt layers of the National Defense Strategy as well as to encourage our regional allies to focus on enhancing their own capabilities in these areas. We appreciate your substantial and effective efforts to ensure the readiness of U.S. forces in the Pacific and that the United States can fulfill its defense commitments. We remain confident in, and assured by, your leadership and that of Admiral Davidson.
Thank you for your continued work to deter PRC aggression. We have read Admiral Davidson’s report to Congress required by Section 1253 of the Fiscal Year 2020 National Defense Authorization Act and understand the necessity of more defense investment in the Indo-Pacific to support broader U.S. commitments and interests. We look forward to working with you to ensure the U.S. ability to provide security in the Indo-Pacific.
Sincerely,