Pentagon briefing on bipartisan bill providing aid to Ukraine and Israel, and looming gov't shutdown

US Military Aid and Funding

• The Senate passed a bipartisan National Security Supplemental bill that would provide military aid to Ukraine, deliver security assistance to Israel, and bolster support in the Indo-Pacific region.
• The House needs to urgently pass the supplemental agreement to avoid a government shutdown and ensure continued funding for the Department of Defense.
• The Pentagon does not have the replenishment funds needed to resupply its own stocks, so it cannot draw down $4 billion of inventory without risking its ability to meet other commitments.
• The US military's operations in Yemen are not sustainable without Congressional funding and support.
• The US military is urging Congress to provide the necessary funding and support to continue these operations and protect US service members and commercial shipping in the region.

US-Iran Tensions

• The Iranian spy ship Bashad is currently in the Red Sea and has been in the region for some time.
• The US is concerned about the risk of losing MQ-9 drones over Yemen, but the commander is using them to uphold freedom of navigation and protect US service members.
• The US does not seek a wider regional conflict with Iran, but Iran's support for militia groups and attacks on commercial ships and US forces in the region are destabilizing and a threat to the rule of law.

US-China Relations

• The Pentagon is concerned about the situation between China and Taiwan and does not want to see an escalation in the region.
• The US is monitoring China's activities and is concerned about any activities that could threaten US national security.

Houthi Attacks

• The US has been able to disrupt some deliveries of weapons to the Houthis but has not been able to stop all shipments.
• There have been no attacks on US forces in Iraq and Syria since February 4th, but there has been an uptick in attacks from the Houthis on US forces and commercial shipping.
• The US military is conducting daily strikes against the Houthis in Yemen to degrade their capabilities and ensure the safety of US service members and commercial shipping in the region.
• The strikes have had a significant impact on the Houthis, but not all of their capabilities have been eliminated.

Ukraine Conflict

• Ukraine made a strategic withdrawal from Adka to conserve artillery and ammunition.
• The US is urging Congress to pass a supplemental funding bill to provide critical PDA packages to Ukraine.