Who comes first?: Rubio asks about Pentagon’s Ukraine diversion plans

NEWS AND OPINION:

One protective Republican lawmaker has cast a close eye on a certain budget plan.

“Reports indicate the U.S. Department of Defense (DOD) is considering diverting money from quality of life projects for U.S. service members to fund the United States’ continued effort in support of Ukraine. At a time when the military has such poor retention and recruitment numbers, the DoD must put our service members first,” Sen. Marco Rubio said in a written statement shared with Inside the Beltway.

The Florida Republican also sent a letter to Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin asking him not to divert funds to Ukraine at the expense of U.S. service members.

“While I am supportive of assisting allies and partners, the needs of our service members must come first. This means prioritizing the needs of the men and women who put their lives on the line for our country, and as such, I ask you to publicly commit to not divert funding away from projects that support our service members quality of life,” Mr. Rubio said in his letter.

The lawmaker has posed three questions. And here they are, verbatim from the source:

• Will you publicly commit to not reprogram funding intended to support U.S. service members quality of life programs, or recruitment and retention money, for any foreign county, including Ukraine?

• What factors does DoD consider when deciding to reprogram funding to support other countries, such as Ukraine?

• Has DoD taken any steps to begin reprogramming funding from quality of life projects towards other countries such as Ukraine? If so, please provide a list.

Will Mr. Rubio get answers to his questions? Stay tuned.

NIGHTSTAND READING

The Office of the Director of National Intelligence has released the 2024 Annual Threat Assessment of the U.S. Intelligence Community.

“This report reflects the collective insights of the Intelligence Community, which is committed every day to providing the nuanced, independent, and unvarnished intelligence that policymakers, warfighters, and domestic law enforcement personnel need to protect American lives and America’s interests anywhere in the world,” the office said in a written statement shared with Inside the Beltway.

The report is also available to the public.

The assessment covers matters related to China, Russia, Iran and North Korea. There are sections devoted to disruptive technology, global terrorism, transnational organized crime, and migration — among the many topics of interest.

“During the next year, the United States faces an increasingly fragile global order strained by accelerating strategic competition among major powers, more intense and unpredictable transnational challenges, and multiple regional conflicts with far-reaching implications,” the foreword of the publication states.

Those who care for a look at the 40-page comprehensive assessment can find it at ODNI.gov — listed under the Newsroom section, specifically “Reports & Publications.”

LOOKING THE OTHER WAY

Two of the three big broadcast networks did not cover the recent rise in the consumer price index this week — certainly a topic of interest to a wide portion of the population.

“Another month, another inconvenient Consumer Price Index report — and another embarrassment for the Biden administration,” wrote Jorge Bonilla, an analyst for Newsbusters.org, a conservative press watchdog.

CBS, NBC and ABC “now have to spin away or, as in the case of the evening network newscasts, outright hide” such information from viewers, Mr. Bonilla said.

“The lone network to report on the February inflation numbers, in an embarrassingly brief report at that, was ABC,” he wrote.

That sole report was 18 seconds long.

“Had the inflation numbers come closer to where they need to be in order for the Fed to announce a rate cut, and thus provide Team Biden with a huge boost ahead of the reelection, the reporting would have been extensive, exultant, ebullient, and comprehensive across the dial. But that’s not the kind of inflation report we got,” Mr. Bonilla said.

“Given the choice to report the full extent of the significance of this inflation report to the American consumer, one major evening newscast flicked off a minimalist report and the other two omitted the subject altogether. The election might still be close to eight months away, but the media are already in midseason protect-the-precious form,” the analyst noted.

FOR THE LEXICON

Here’s an emerging trend, perhaps: ”The DeSantis 2028 Shadow Campaign.”

This brief description comes to us from Marc A. Caputo, national political reporter for TheBulwark.com, a news site providing analysis and reporting on American politics and culture. He’s also a resident of Florida.

“Ron DeSantis is back to running Florida’s government. But he hasn’t really stopped running for president,” Mr. Caputo wrote.

“Next month, DeSantis hosts a two-day presidential-donor gathering at the Hard Rock Hotel in South Florida that’s billed as — don’t call it a ‘fundraiser’ — an ‘Investor Appreciation Retreat.’ It’s the latest phase of an image makeover DeSantis started after he officially dropped out of the 2024 race on January 21 and endorsed Donald Trump,” he said.

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POLL DU JOUR

• 22% of U.S. adults say they are a “strong Democrat.”

• 11% say they’re a “not very strong Democrat.”

• 8% say they “lean Democrat.”

• 7% say they “lean Republican.”

• 11% say they are a “not very strong Republican.”

• 20% say they are a “strong Republican.”

• 17% say they are an “independent.”

• 3% are not sure about their political identity.

SOURCE: An Economist/YouGov poll of 1,559 U.S. adults conducted March 10-12.

• Follow Jennifer Harper on X @HarperBulletin, on Facebook @HarperUniverse..