Biden tries to narrow NATO cracks

With Connor O’Brien and Paul McLeary

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Quick Fix

— The president is at the NATO summit where disagreements loom large.

— The military branches face skeptical lawmakers this week on the Pentagon’s budget plans.

— A ‘uniquely American’ choice for Navy secretary garners widespread praise.

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On the Hill

BRANCHES TO SELL THEIR BUDGETS: The leaders of the military services this week will defend their portions of the Pentagon budget before lawmakers who have expressed deep skepticism about the many trade-offs in a $715 billion spending blueprint. Here's the week’s full hearing schedule:

On Tuesday, the Senate Armed Services Committee holds a budget hearing with Army Secretary Christine Wormuth and Chief of Staff Gen. James McConville at 9:30 a.m.

The House Armed Services Committee holds a budget hearing with acting Navy Secretary Thomas Harker, Chief of Naval Operations Adm. Mike Gilday and Marine Commandant Gen. David Berger at 11 a.m.

The Senate Armed Services Committee’s Airland Subcommittee also holds a hearing on Army modernization at 2:30 p.m.

And the HASC Strategic Forces Subcommittee holds a budget hearing on missile defense at 3 p.m.

On Wednesday, SASC holds a nomination hearing for Meredith Berger to be assistant secretary of the Navy for energy, installations, and environment; Shawn Skelly to be assistant secretary of Defense for readiness; Ely Ratner to be assistant secretary of Defense for Indo-Pacific Affairs; Gina Ortiz Jones to be undersecretary of the Air Force; and Caroline Krass to be Pentagon general counsel at 10 a.m.

The Senate Defense Appropriations Subcommittee holds a budget hearing on military construction programs at 10 a.m.

And HASC holds a budget hearing with acting Air Force Secretary John Roth, Chief of Staff Gen. C.Q. Brown and Space Force chief Gen. Jay Raymond at 11 a.m.

On Thursday, HASC’s Subcommittee on Seapower and Projection Forces holds a budget hearing with military and civilian Navy leaders at 11 a.m.

IRAQ AUMF REPEAL: The House will vote this week on bipartisan legislation to repeal the 2002 Authorization for the Use of Force in Iraq, an initial step in a broader effort to overhaul presidential war powers.

Advocates argue that leaving the outdated vote on the books is an invitation for executive branch abuse and have been pushing to scrub other decades-old congressional resolutions backing military force.

The House Rules Committee will consider the legislation this afternoon and the House will vote this evening to set the parameters of this week's floor debate.

Happening This Week

On Tuesday, the Asia Society hosts a conversation with Kurt Campbell, White House coordinator for the Indo-Pacific, at 8 a.m.

The Project 2049 Institute hosts a conference on U.S.-China competition in the Western Hemisphere featuring Adm. Craig Faller, head of U.S. Southern Command, at 1:30 p.m.

And the Navy Memorial’s speaker series features Vice Adm. James Kilby, deputy chief of naval operations, at 2 p.m.

On Wednesday, the International Institute for Strategic Studies holds a discussion on defense innovation featuring former Deputy Defense Secretary Robert Work at 9 a.m.

And the National Training and Simulation Association kicks off a two-day symposium featuring Chief of Naval Research Rear Adm. Lorin Selby at 12:40 p.m.

NATO

SPOILER ALERT: President Joe Biden arrives in Brussels today for a NATO summit, where one of his first meetings will be with Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, whose “spoiler role” in the alliance in recent years has contributed greatly to cracks in solidarity.

The two leaders are expected to try to repair the two nations’ long partnership after years of political warfare, U.S. sanctions, and canceled fighter jet contracts, as our colleague Paul McLeary reports for Pros.

Turkey has strengthened its ties with Russia and blocked partnership agreements with non-NATO countries and a defense plan for Poland, Lithuania, Latvia and Estonia. And Erdogan has flaunted its purchase of a Russian air defense system over NATO objections.

U.S. and NATO opposition to the S-400 sale forced the Trump administration to remove Turkey from the F-35 fighter program and levy sanctions against the local defense industry. Last week, Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu repeated warnings that if Ankara cannot acquire the U.S.-made Patriot missile defense system, which it was denied in 2017, “we can get an air defense system from our other allies."

But Ankara remains NATO’s second-largest military. It has been a key partner in fighting the Islamic State in Syria and is responsible for security at Kabul International Airport as alliance troops withdraw from Afghanistan.

Biden’s broader efforts to strengthen the transatlantic alliance means trying to reach some new accommodation with Erdogan that has remained stubbornly elusive. “Given Biden is committed to multilateralism, and given Biden is committed to working with allies, Erdogan’s spoiler role within NATO then becomes a key obstacle to Biden's proposed action plan,” said Aykan Erdemir, a former Turkish parliamentarian who runs the Turkey Program at the Foundation for Defense of Democracies.

Related: Erdogan says he and Biden must leave troubles behind at NATO meeting, via Reuters.

And: As Biden meeting nears, Erdogan softens his stance, via The New York Times.

‘DISSATISFACTION’: Biden is also expected to get an earful from NATO allies on his unconditional withdrawal of U.S. troops from Afghanistan by Sept. 11, our colleague Lara Seligman reports for Pros.

“It’s not a surprise that you’ve seen some countries express, pretty straightforwardly, their dissatisfaction with the way things were done,” said one European official. “This is another example of one of the issues where within NATO, we should be more substantially discussing and consulting with one another before making decisions.”

Left with little choice, NATO is also withdrawing its remaining forces on the U.S. timeline. But it’s clear allies feel that Washington did not consult them closely enough, a complaint that the Biden team strongly rebuts.

A senior Biden administration noted that in early February, U.S. officials set up a “listening session” with allies “to hear their perspectives and priorities,” which was “widely appreciated by allies.”

Related: NATO allies seek clarity on maintaining secure facilities in Afghanistan, via The Washington Post.

And: NATO members set to say they won’t deploy land-based nukes in Europe, via Defense News.

Plus: Assessing Georgia’s prospects for NATO membership, via Defense Priorities.

Pentagon

TOP NAVY PICK: The White House on Friday announced Biden’s intent to nominate Cuban-born retired Navy Capt. Carlos Del Toro to serve as Navy secretary.

“Del Toro was born in Havana, immigrated to the U.S. in 1962 and graduated from the U.S. Naval Academy in 1983,” Lara and Paul, along with Connor O’Brien, report for Pros in the initial scoop. “His service includes a tour in the Persian Gulf during Operation Desert Storm, as well as several senior-level appointments at the Pentagon working on budgeting, acquisition, space and legislative issues.”

“His story is uniquely American, as is his service to our nation,” said HASC Chair Rep. Adam Smith. “With decades of experience, both in and out of uniform, Del Toro is an excellent pick to lead the Navy and I look forward to working with him once confirmed by the Senate.”

If confirmed, Del Toro, who is president and CEO of SBG Technology Solutions, would take the helm as the Navy is struggling to afford new fleets of submarines, frigates, destroyers and a next-generation fighter plane.

RECOUPING BORDER WALL FUNDS: The White House budget office on Friday detailed its plans for returning more than $2 billion that was diverted from the Pentagon budget by the Trump administration to construct a barrier along the U.S.-Mexico border, POLITICO's Caitlin Emma and Connor report. But not all the military funding is recoverable.

Trump declared a national emergency in early 2019 after Congress refused to allocate money specifically for his border wall effort and siphoned off $3.6 billion from military construction projects. Billions more were diverted using a Pentagon counterdrug account, including billions steered from fighters, ships and equipment allocated by Congress.

A total of $2.2 billion will now be made available again for 66 infrastructure projects in the U.S. and overseas.

What isn't coming back: But the money diverted through the Pentagon's counter-narcotics fund consisted of one-year appropriations that have since expired. "The Department has no mechanism to recapture these funds made available for border barrier projects," Defense Department spokesperson Lt. Col. Chris Mitchell said in a statement.

The Biden administration is also calling on Congress to cancel billions of additional dollars allocated for the wall.

Speed Read

— Pentagon announced $150 million in additional military aid to Ukraine: Defense Department

— Interview with CENTCOM commander Gen. Frank McKenzie: Military Times

— Griffin: Pentagon’s hypersonic production plan 'unacceptable': Aviation Week

— Op-eds in a Chinese state tabloid slammed U.S. policy. The author works at the Pentagon: The Washington Post

— Racism didn't exist in the military before Biden, U.S. senator says with straight face: Task & Purpose

— Families unhappy with plans for unidentified 85 USS Arizona crew members: Honolulu Star Advertiser

— What to do about Lt. General (retired) Flynn: Just Security

— Biden wants Russia’s cooperation. Putin thrives on chaos, by Sen. Jim Risch: The Washington Post

— Pinning down Putin: Foreign Affairs