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FEDERALhearing transcript
High Impact

Hearing on U.S. Defense Strategy Regarding Russia and China

Original title: [H.A.S.C. No. 116-61] The Department of Defense's Role In Long-Term Major State Competition

January 1, 2020

national securityforeign policydefense strategyRussiaChinaDepartment of Defense

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The Frame

What this does

This hearing addresses the strategic pivot of U.S. military resources away from toward countering Russian and Chinese influence, which directly impacts future Department of Defense budget priorities and global troop deployments.

Who is mentioned in the record

Potentially affected actors named in the source documents. Mention is not a position.

Department of Defense

The agency is tasked with reallocating resources and defining new strategic objectives based on the shift toward great power competition.

U.S. Military Personnel

Personnel may be subject to redeployment or changes in mission focus as the U.S. adjusts its global footprint.

What changed

Last recorded activity January 1, 2020.

What's next

Next step not available in the current record.

Summary

The House Armed Services Committee held a hearing to examine the Department of Defense's shift in focus from to '' with Russia and China. The committee sought to clarify specific policy goals and resource allocation strategies as the U.S. evaluates its global military presence.

Key Facts

  • The hearing took place on February 11, 2020, in the Rayburn House Office Building.
  • The committee is evaluating a strategic shift from counterterrorism in the Middle East and Africa to long-term competition with Russia and China.
  • Chairman Adam Smith stated that the Department of Defense faces finite resources, necessitating trade-offs in global military presence.
  • The committee is investigating how Russia and China are actively promoting alternative models of governance that conflict with U.S. interests.
  • The hearing included testimony from experts representing the Center for European Policy Analysis, the Woodrow Wilson International Center for Scholars, and the Center for Strategic and Budgetary Assessments.
  • Post-hearing questions were submitted by Representatives Brindisi and Kim.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is 'great power competition'?
It refers to the strategic shift in U.S. foreign and defense policy from focusing on transnational terrorist threats to countering the influence and activities of major state actors, specifically Russia and China.
Why is the U.S. considering drawing down forces in Africa?
Chairman Adam Smith noted that because the Department of Defense has finite resources, the U.S. must determine where it can reduce its presence to prioritize countering Russian and Chinese activities elsewhere.

Why It Matters

This hearing addresses the strategic pivot of U.S. military resources away from toward countering Russian and Chinese influence, which directly impacts future Department of Defense budget priorities and global troop deployments.

News Coverage

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Sponsors

Discoveries

Patterns POLISCOPE noticed across the record. These are observations to investigate, not conclusions.

policy shift100% confidence

Strategic Pivot to Great Power Competition

The document explicitly documents the formal congressional inquiry into moving away from counterterrorism toward a focus on Russia and China as of early 2020.

Department of DefenseAdam Smith

Connected Entities

organizationDepartment of Defense“The primary federal agency responsible for the military strategy discussed”Map →
personThomas G. Mahnken“Witness, President and CEO of the Center for Strategic and Budgetary Assessments”Map →
personAdam Smith“Chairman of the House Committee on Armed Services”Map →
personAlina Polyakova“Witness, President and CEO of the Center for European Policy Analysis”Map →
personAbraham M. Denmark“Witness, Director of the Asia Program at the Woodrow Wilson International Center”Map →

Sources

Open source document

www.govinfo.gov

Analysis Score

0–100
  • Significance75
    How much this matters to a regular citizen
  • Controversy40
    Intensity of disagreement among stakeholders
  • Entertainment15
    Compellingness for a non-policy-wonk reader
  • Buzz20
    Current news / social attention level

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