IT’S TIME TO WAKE UP.
IF YOU’RE FEELING TIRED, IT’S
BECAUSE OF DAYLIGHT SAVINGS.
SECRETARY OF STATE ANTHONY
BLINKEN AND DEFENSE SECRETARY
LLOYD AUSTIN ARE TRAVELING TO
JAPAN AND SOUTH KOREA FOR FOUR
DAYS OF TALKS STARTING TODAY.
AHEAD OF THE TRIP, BLINKEN AND
AUSTIN HAVE WRITTEN AN OP-ED IN
"THE WASHINGTON POST" ENTITLED,
"AMERICA’S PARTNERSHIPS ARE
FORCE MULTIPLIERS IN THE WORLD."
AND THEY WRITE IN PART THIS,
"FROM HIS FIRST DAY ON THE JOB,
PRESIDENT BIDEN HAS EMPHASIZED
AMERICA’S REENENGAGEMENT WITH
THE WORLD BECAUSE IT’S CRITICAL
FOR US TO MEET OUR GLOBAL
CHALLENGES OF THE TIME, OUR
ALLIANCES ARE WHAT OUR MILITARY
CALLS FORCE MULTIPLIERS.
WE’RE ABLE TO ACHIEVE FAR MORE
WITH THEM THAN WE COULD WITHOUT
THEM.
IT WOULD BE A HUGE STRATEGIC
ERROR TO NEGLECT THESE
RELATIONSHIPS AND IT’S A WISE
USE OF OUR TIME AND RESOURCES TO
ADAPT AND RENEW THEM TO ENSURE
THEY’RE AS STRONG AND AS
EFFECTIVE AS THEY CAN BE.
A FUNDAMENTAL DEBATE IS UNDERWAY
ABOUT THE FUTURE AND WHETHER
DEMOCRACY OR AUTOCRACY OFFERS
THE BEST PATH FORWARD.
IT’S UP TO US AND OTHER
DEMOCRACIES TO COME TOGETHER.
AND SHOW THE WORLD THAT WE CAN
DELIVER FOR OUR PEOPLE AND FOR
EACH OTHER.
JOINING US NOW, DEMOCRATIC
MEMBER OF THE ARMED SERVICES AND
FOREIGN RELATIONS COMMITTEE,
SENATOR TIM KAINE OF VIRGINIA.
>> SENATOR, THANK YOU SO MUCH
FOR BEING WITH US.
OBVIOUSLY, THESE ARE PERILOUS
TIMES, BECAUSE OF THE PAST
SEVERAL YEARS.
AND CHINA AND OUR RELATIONSHIP
WITH CHINA HAS TO BE AT THE TOP
OF THE BIDEN ADMINISTRATION’S
LIST. WHAT IS THE MESSAGE THAT WE
WHAT IS THE MESSAGE THAT WE
DELIVER TO CHINA’S LEADERS.
[ INAUDIBLE ] -- RELATIONSHIP IN
THE WORLD.
THE RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN THE
U.S. AND CHINA.
THEY ARE AN ED AADVERSARY IN EVE
DOMAIN.
AND BASICALLY, WHAT WE’VE GOT TO
DO AS THE TWO SECRETARIES
INDICATE, IS LINK ARMS WITH
ALLIES WHO HAVE SIMILAR
CONCERNS.
I KNOW YOU GUYS NOTICED LAST
WEEK, A VERY IMPORTANT
ANNOUNCEMENT.
THE U.S., AUSTRALIA, JAPAN, AND
INDIA, REVISING THIS NOTION OF A
QUAD OF NATIONS IN THE
ENDOPACIFIC AND THE ANNOUNCEMENT
WAS ABOUT THE PRODUCTION OF
VACCINES THAT COULD BE USED IN
INDIA AND ASIA AND ELSEWHERE.
BUT THE LINKING OF THESE FOUR
DEMOCRACIES TO PROMOTE STRENGTH
IN THE DEMOCRATIC MODEL IN THE
INDOE PACIFIC IS A VERY STRONG
INDICATION THAT JOE BIDEN IS
GOING TO GO A DIFFERENT DIRECTION THAN DONALD TRUMP, WHO
DIRECTION THAN DONALD TRUMP, WHO
LIKES TO GO MANO Y MANO OR
MATCHUP ON OUR OWN.
THAT WAS JUST NOT PART.
THE BIDEN ADMINISTRATION’S FOCUS
ON ALLIANCES THAT THE ONE THING
WE DO BETTER THAN ANYBODY ELSE,
THAT IS SMART.
>> SENATOR, THE AP’S JONATHAN
LAMIR HAS A QUESTION FOR YOU.
>> I WANTED TO ASK YOU THE
AUTHORIZATION OF MILITARY FORCE.
YOU KNOW, YOU HAVE SPOKEN OUT IN
THE PAST ADMINISTRATIONS,
REPUBLICAN AND DEMOCRAT ALIKE,
THAT CONGRESS SHOULD BE
CONSULTED ON THIS AND SHOULD
RECEIVE APPROPRIATE NOTICE AND
GUIDANCE, PROVIDE GUIDANCE.
WHAT ARE YOU SEEING SO FAR WITH
THE BIDEN ADMINISTRATION ON
THIS?
THEY DID LAUNCH AIR STRIKES, ITS
FIRST SET A FEW WEEKS AGO.
AND THERE WERE CERTAINLY SOME
COMPLAINTS AMONG CONGRESS ABOUT
HOW THAT PLAYED OUT.
WALK US THROUGH WHAT HAPPENED
AND WHAT YOU WOULD LIKE TO SEE
CHANGED.
>> WELL, JONATHAN, YOU’RE RIGHT.
THE AIR STRIKES AGAINST
IRANIAN-BACKED MILITIAS IN
SYRIA, THEY WERE LIMITED IN
SCOPE, BUT THEY DO HAVE AN
ESCALATORY EFFECT, BECAUSE YOU
SAW THEM FIRE BACK AND YOU SAW
IRAN AT LEAST TEMPORARILY BACK
OUT OF A POTENTIAL DIPLOMATIC
DISCUSSION ABOUT
DENUCLEARIZATION.
CONGRESS IS REQUIRED TO BE
INVOLVED IN WAR MAKING, BECAUSE
IF YOU LET EXECUTIVES DO IT,
EVEN PRUDENT EXECUTIVES, YOU END
UP IN SITUATIONS WHERE YOU
ESCALATE INTO WARS THAT MAY BE
UNNECESSARY.
I’M HAPPY TO SAY, THOUGH, THAT
THE BIDEN TEAM REALLY GETS THIS
AND WANTS TO COME TO A BETTER
UNDERSTANDING.
REMEMBER JOE BIDEN, SENATOR FOR
36 YEARS, CHAIRMAN OF THE
FOREIGN RELATIONS COMMITTEES, HE
UNDERSTANDS THE CONGRESSIONAL
PREROGATIVES AS WELL AS ANYBODY
WHO’S EVER BEEN IN THE OFFICE.
SO HERE’S WHAT’S GOING ON RIGHT
NOW.
THERE’S A SIGNIFICANT BIPARTISAN
EFFORT IN THE SENATE AND HOUSE
TO REPEAL THE TWO IRAQ WAR
AUTHORIZATIONS, ’91 AND 2002, TO
SHOW THAT CONGRESS CAN’T JUST
PASS A WAR AUTHORIZATION, BUT IT
CAN ACTUALLY APPEAL ONE RATHER
THAN LEAVE IT OUT THERE LIKE A
ZOMBIE TO DO MISCHIEF IN THE
FUTURE.
THE SECOND ISSUE THAT’S EVEN
MORE IMPORTANT, AND THE BIDEN
ADMINISTRATION HAS PLEDGED TO
WORK WITH US ON THIS, IS TO TAKE
THE 9/11 AUTHORIZATION, 20 YEARS
THIS SEPTEMBER, WE’VE OPERATED
UNDER IT IN MANY COUNTRIES, AND
TO DRAMATICALLY NARROW IT DOWN,
SO THAT IT STILL GIVES US
MILITARY AUTHORITY TO GO AFTER
NON-STATE TERRORIST GROUPS, BUT
IMPOSES SOME KINDS OF