Sara Jacobs Asks Official How USAID Gutting 'Directly Hands China Greater Leverage' In Indo-Pacific

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During a House Armed Services Committee hearing prior to the congressional recess, Rep. Sara Jacobs (D-CA) spoke about the adverse effect of USAID cuts.

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00:00The gentleman makes an excellent point, though, about Chinese spending.

00:07You cannot compare it dollar for dollar with the budgets of our country for defense spending

00:13or any other country.

00:14It is not apples to apples.

00:17And that's just one of many illustrations that I'm glad that you pointed out.

00:21We now return to the gentlelady from California, Ms. Jacobs.

00:24Thank you, Mr. Chairman, and thank you to our witnesses for being here.

00:29Mr. No, first I want to turn to you.

00:32In your testimony, you frequently emphasize the importance of a whole-of-government approach

00:36to counter Chinese influence in the Pacific Islands, yet the administration has significantly

00:44cut funding to USAID and other humanitarian programs that traditionally are a part of a

00:49whole-of-government integrated strategy.

00:52Building on the question from my colleague, Mr. Carbajal, can you clearly explain how the

00:57reduction in U.S. economic and humanitarian engagement undermines our ability to implement

01:01this whole-of-government approach and directly hands China greater leverage?

01:05Congresswoman, as I stated earlier, the State Department has a lead for approving…

01:12I'm not asking about the State Department.

01:14I'm asking about your testimony about whole-of-government approach.

01:18So I'd be happy to talk about what the Department of Defense is doing in the Pacific Island countries.

01:24We have extensive engagements in security cooperation programs under Title X, Section 333.

01:31We work with these countries to improve their cybersecurity, enhance their maritime domain awareness.

01:36We conduct regular exercises.

01:39Of course, the focus is on posture and warfighting capabilities.

01:43But these are things that we do with many of these countries.

01:46The COFAs, the Compacts of Free Association that we have with three countries in particular,

01:52Palau, Federated States of Micronesia, and the Republic of Marshall Islands.

01:57That's another big emphasis of the Department.

02:00We're doing a lot of great work with them.

02:01I understand all of the work that the Department is doing in the Pacific Islands, but your testimony

02:06mentions whole-of-government and DOD-only is not a whole-of-government approach.

02:11Admiral Paparo, in response to a question by my colleague, Mr. Garamundi, you said that

02:15while review of USAID is ongoing, you would advocate for robust USAID in your AOR.

02:21Can you expand on why you think USAID funding is so important and how it helps you succeed

02:25in your overall mission?

02:27Our USAID programs, particularly the ones that work on necessities, food, water, medical,

02:37and critical infrastructure, they are key and critical to these poor areas and they enable

02:44us to compete against the People's Republic of China who operate in the same domains.

02:50Now I want to turn to Taiwan.

02:52I think it's important for us to recognize what kinds of U.S. actions actually help shore

02:56up Taiwan's defenses and what kind of actions can contribute to escalation and actually make

03:01Taiwan less safe.

03:03For instance, the training and weapons the United States has provided over the years

03:06has helped Taiwan's ability to defend itself in the event of invasion and we haven't actually

03:11seen that spark escalation with the PRC.

03:13On the other hand, symbolic types of support like high-profile visits or Secretary Hegsot's

03:19over-the-top rhetoric during his recent trip to Panama seemed to have a more escalatory effect

03:24without actually making Taiwan any safer.

03:26So Admiral Paparo, could you discuss ways in which the Department is ensuring we're not

03:31unnecessarily escalating tensions and maintaining open lines of communication with the PRC?

03:36Congresswoman, the policy, you know, enshrined in the three communiques, the six assurances

03:42and the Taiwan Relations Act stipulates that defensive services and defensive capability

03:49should be provided to Taiwan while the Department maintains the capacity to resist any resort

03:54to force that jeopardizes the social, political and economic system of Taiwan.

04:01Sticking strictly to that policy and ensuring that that policy has the credibility that it requires,

04:07what comes to mind is the third communique from August of 1982, I believe it was,

04:12which was that those services shall decrease with the debilitarization of the Taiwan Strait.

04:21And so being sensitive to affirm the three communiques, but to also execute them in accordance

04:29to the letter and spirit that they were initiated with is very important to us.

04:33Thank you, Admiral Paparo.

04:35Mr. Ngo, do you believe Secretary Hegseth's very over-the-top rhetoric on Taiwan actually

04:40aligns with our stated policy as the United States?

04:45Congressman, I would disagree that anything Secretary Hegseth stated about Taiwan is over-the-top.

04:54He has emphasized the importance of re-establishing deterrence and doing so in the Indo-Pacific.

05:02And the Department is moving with urgency and focus to do just that.

05:09Deterrence is very important.

05:11Things we do that unnecessarily escalate without actually making Taiwan any safer are the opposite

05:15of deterrence.

05:16Mr. Chairman, I'll yield back.

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