US Senate Committee On Armed Services Holds Hearing On Worldwide Threat Assessment

The nation’s top intelligence officials told members of Congress on Thursday that the U.S. must continue to work closely with its allies and partners around the globe to confront a host of significant threats — none more serious than those posed by China.

The Director of National Intelligence Avril Haines and Director of the Defense Intelligence Agency Lt. Gen. Scott Berrier went before the Senate Armed Services Committee Thursday to discuss their annual assessment of worldwide threats, which includes everything from Vladimir Putin's Russia, to rapidly evolving technologies, to climate change.

"Among these wide-ranging issues," Committee Chairman Jack Reed (D-RI) said in his opening remarks, "there’s a common understanding that the future of our national security is tied to the success of our strategic competition with China."

Under questioning from committee members, including Oklahoma Senator Markwayne Mullin, the two intelligence heads reinforced what most in Congress already accept -- that President Xi Jinping, head of the Chinese Community Party, is intent on making China "the preeminent power in East Asia and a major power on the world stage."

"What is perhaps most concerning," Director Haines followed with, "is that the CCP is increasingly convinced that it can only fulfill Xi's vision at the expense of U.S. power and influence and through tools of coercion."

In a one-on-one interview during a break in the hearing, Senator Mullin said he is typically a 'glass half-full' kind of person, "but I am very concerned."

Mullin's national security concerns go beyond China, but he said it is the big one, and President Biden, as our Commander-in-Chief, needs to stand strong.

"And he needs to lay it out," Mullin stated. "China right now, President Xi, he has told his people to prepare for war."

Mullin is referring to comments Xi has made recently exhorting his military leaders to prepare for war, presumably to bring neighboring Taiwan under control of the CCP. 

Mullin said Speaker Kevin McCarthy (R-CA) was right to meet last month with Taiwanese President Tsai Ing-wen, just as his predecessor Rep. Nancy Pelosi did last year.

And he said we need to be prepared to defend Taiwan if China does invade.

Mullin said he's grateful to have been assigned to Armed Services and that today's hearing typifies the work he's seen so far in that it wasn't politicized.

"It’s the only committee I’ve ever served on where there’s actually a lot of bipartisanship," Mullin commented. "I can’t really point to anything so far since I’ve been on Senate Armed Services that’s been partisan, not one hearing."

In fact, Mullin said he’s working on getting the Chairman Reed to make a trip to Oklahoma to visit each of the state’s five military bases.