Citing security and coronavirus concerns, Biden calls for fast-track confirmation of his national security team

BIDEN — DON’T LET IMPEACHMENT IMPEDE CONFIRMATIONS: In the wake of the historic second impeachment of President Trump, President-elect Joe Biden is calling on the soon-to-be Democratic-controlled Senate to confirm quickly his Cabinet nominees who are responsible for protecting the nation and battling the coronavirus pandemic.

Following the 232-197 vote in the House, in which 10 Republicans joined Democrats, the single article of impeachment on the charge of “incitement of insurrection” goes to the Senate for trial, but not until next week, just as Trump leaves office, setting up a constitutional debate over whether a president can be convicted after he becomes a private citizen. Outgoing Majority Leader Mitch McConnell issued a statement saying there is “no chance a fair and serious trial” could be conducted before Trump leaves office.

“I hope that the Senate leadership will find a way to deal with their Constitutional responsibilities on impeachment while also working on the other urgent business of this nation,” Biden said in a statement yesterday. “From confirmations to key posts such as Secretaries for Homeland Security, State, Defense, Treasury, and Director of National Intelligence, to getting our vaccine program on track, and to getting our economy going again.”

Biden is said to be pleased that the hearing for DHS Secretary-designate Alejandro Mayorkas has been moved forward, and according to Politico, House Democrats are working to speed up approval of a waiver needed by retired Gen. Lloyd Austin to serve as defense secretary, so his Senate vote can come soon after his confirmation hearing, now set for Jan. 19, the day before Biden is sworn-in.

BIDEN BRIEFED ON ‘THREAT PICTURE’: A statement from Biden’s transition office said the president-elect was briefed by senior FBI and Secret Service, along with key members of his national security team, on the “threat picture” as more pro-Trump demonstrators are expected to gather in Washington over the weekend.

“The team is engaging with the current administration to gain as much information as possible on the threat picture, and on the preparations being put in place to deter and defend against violent disruptions or attacks,” said the statement. “In the week since the attack on Congress by a mob that included domestic terrorists and violent extremists, the nation has continued to learn more about the threat to our democracy and about the potential for additional violence in the coming days, both in the National Capital Region and in cities across the country. This is a challenge that the President-elect and his team take incredibly seriously.”

20,000 GUARD TROOPS ARMED AND READY: After being caught flat-footed last week, the National Guard is deploying 20,000 troops from six states and the District of Columbia to support civilian law enforcement authorities before, during, and after next Wednesday’s scaled-down inaugural events.

“National Guard members will be armed in support of the U.S. Capitol security,” said a statement from the D.C. National Guard. “This was requested by federal authorities and authorized by the Secretary of the Army National Guard. “National Guardsmen are postured to meet the requirements of the supported civil authorities, up to and including protective equipment and being armed if necessary.”

The Guard’s mission is to provide support to civil authorities “whose capabilities or capability is insufficient to meet current requirements” and protect the life, property, and safety of U.S. citizens, along with “critical U.S. infrastructure.”

SLEEPING ON THE JOB? Photos and videos of National Guard troops lying in repose on the floor of the Capitol yesterday set off a round of speculation about whether the troops were “sleeping on the job.”

“The U.S. Capitol Police designated rest areas for National Guardsmen when they are on duty and between shifts,” the Guard explained in a statement. “To be clear, this is not where they are lodged when off-duty. Our security personnel work through stations in order to remain sharp and vigilant, and rest when they can while others stand watch.”

Good Thursday morning and welcome to Jamie McIntyre’s Daily on Defense, written and compiled by Washington Examiner National Security Senior Writer Jamie McIntyre (@jamiejmcintyre) and edited by Victor I. Nava. Email here with tips, suggestions, calendar items, and anything else. Sign up or read current and back issues at DailyonDefense.com. If signing up doesn’t work, shoot us an email and we’ll add you to our list. And be sure to follow us on Twitter: @dailyondefense.

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HAPPENING TODAY: President-elect Joe Biden will deliver remarks at 7:15 p.m. in Wilmington, Delaware, on the public health and economic crises and announces a vaccination and economic rescue legislative package to fund vaccinations and provide immediate, direct relief to working families and communities. Livestream at https://twitter.com/Transition46

AUSTIN’S ZOOM OFFENSIVE: Biden’s pick for defense secretary is waging a Zoom charm offensive to try to overcome the opposition from some members of Congress wary of establishing a bad precedent by granting another retired general a waiver to head the Pentagon, a job by law reserved for civilians.

Yesterday, Lloyd Austin met virtually with Illinois Democrat Sen. Tammy Duckworth, a combat veteran who is among the most vocal critics of granting Austin the same kind of waiver retired Marine Gen. Jim Mattis got in 2017.

“I’m glad Secretary-Designate Austin and I had the opportunity to discuss his views on some of the most important issues facing DOD, such as the importance of investing in the emerging Indo-Pacific region, modernizing our logistics infrastructure and improving diversity and inclusion throughout the Department,” Duckworth said in a statement, praising him as “a crisis-tested leader who served honorably and faithfully for more than 50 years, breaking barriers and commanding troops with integrity and compassion the entire way.”

“I will not vote for an exception to statute to allow someone who is still within the seven years of relief from active service to be appointed as Secretary of Defense,” Duckworth said at a Senate Armed Services Committee hearing Tuesday. “However, if my colleagues choose to do so, I will accept their decision and consider Lloyd Austin’s nomination fairly and on its merits.”

SPACECOM SHOCKER: The Air Force has announced that in the hotly contested battle between six states to host the headquarters of the new U.S. Space Command, the winner is: Redstone Arsenal, Huntsville, Alabama.

“Huntsville compared favorably across more of these factors than any other community, providing a large, qualified workforce, quality schools, superior infrastructure capacity, and low initial and recurring costs,” the Air Force said in a release. “Additionally, Redstone Arsenal offered a facility to support the headquarters, at no cost, while the permanent facility is being constructed.”

The news came as a shock to the Colorado Springs community and its congressman Republican Doug Lamborn, who had been assured privately that Peterson Air Force Base, where the command is currently located, was the clear favorite to be awarded the permanent headquarters.

“I am extremely disappointed. I have never been so disappointed in my whole life,” Lamborn told the Colorado Springs Gazette, a sister publication of the Washington Examiner. “I believe, based on inside information, that politics must have played a role. By any standard, Colorado would come out on top of any competition,” said Lamborn, a Trump loyalist.

WHAT? POLITICS? IN A BASE SELECTION? “The decision came after Air Force Secretary Barbara Barrett traveled to the White House this week to tell Trump the military had chosen Colorado Springs after a new presidentially ordered process that tossed out an earlier decision to keep the command, its 1,400 airmen and thousands of civilian workers here,” reported the Colorado Springs Gazette’s Tom Roeder, who cited sources.

“Trump, officers familiar with the briefing said, instead ordered the command to head to Alabama, a state that includes six lawmakers who objected to certifying the presidential election results last week and delivered Trump a Senate win, with Republican Tommy Tuberville unseating Democrat Doug Jones,” he reported.

IT’S NOT OVER, BY A LONG SHOT: The Air Force announcement contained a cryptic caveat that seemed to indicate the decision was not an entirely done deal. While naming Alabama as the “preferred location,” it also said, “Albuquerque, New Mexico; Bellevue, Nebraska; Cape Canaveral, Florida; Colorado Springs, Colorado; and San Antonio, Texas, will remain reasonable alternative locations.”

The Air Force previously committed to keep the Space Command in Colorado Springs until at least 2026 while it establishes a new headquarters, so there’s plenty of time to appeal the decision, especially if it can be confirmed the move was ordered by Trump, who overruled the Air Force to reward his political allies.

Colorado’s Democratic Gov. Jared Polis is among the Colorado lawmakers who say they will ask President-elect Joe Biden to overturn the decision:

“Reports that the in-depth military process found Colorado Springs to be the best location for military readiness and cost and recommended Colorado to the president only to be overruled for politically motivated reasons are deeply concerning,” Polis said in a statement. “This move threatens jobs, could cause serious economic damage and upend the lives of hundreds of military and civilian families that were counting on U.S. Space Command staying at home in Colorado Springs, as well as harm military readiness.”

LOOK, UP IN THE SKY: NORAD, the North American Aerospace Defense Command, will conduct a routine air defense exercise dubbed “Falcon Virgo” today, tomorrow, and Monday and Tuesday of next week in the Washington D.C., area, but you’ll have to be a night owl to see anything.

The exercise is being conducted between midnight and 5:30 a.m. and will involve low-flying aircraft at altitude as low as 2,500 feet, which depending on cloud cover, may be visible from the ground.

The aircraft involved include Air Force F-16s, an Army UC-35A aircraft, a Navy King Air 300 aircraft, a United States Coast Guard MH-65D Dolphin helicopter, and Civil Air Patrol Cessna 182T general aviation aircraft.

The training exercise will run through a variety of scenarios, including airspace restriction violations, hijackings, and responses to unknown aircraft. All NORAD exercises are carefully planned and closely controlled.

The Rundown

Colorado Springs Gazette: Trump orders U.S. Space Command to leave Colorado

Washington Examiner: Up to 20,000 National Guard members will be armed to provide inauguration security

Washington Examiner: Two off-duty police officers pictured giving the middle finger during Capitol siege arrested

Washington Examiner: Federal prosecutors announce more Capitol siege charges as House votes to impeach Trump

Washington Examiner: Declassified Trump strategy aimed to challenge China, strengthen India, and defend Taiwan

Washington Examiner: Pompeo: We ‘don’t know’ if COVID-19 began in Wuhan lab, but all evidence says it started in China

Washington Examiner: ‘As scary as possible’: Taiwan wants to work with Quad to contain China’s military

Washington Examiner: Biden urges Senate to juggle Trump’s impeachment trial

Military Times: States Begin Activating National Guard After FBI Warns Of Armed Protests At Capitols

New York Times: U.S. Authorities Warn of Threat By Extremists

Just the News: ‘We already know this’: Troops say anti-sedition letter from military brass restates the obvious

Air Force Magazine: USAF, USSF Leaders: Capitol Insurrection an ‘Attack on the Foundation of Our Great Republic’

ABC News: ‘I am not a terrorist’: Retired Navy SEAL speaks after Capitol siege

McClatchy: Army’s COVID-19 vaccine may hold key to beating coronavirus mutations

Defense News: Trump Orders DoD To Explore Use Of Nuclear Power For Space

Wall Street Journal: Iran Is Assembling Gear Able To Produce Key Nuclear-Weapons Material

AP: Iran Holds Missile Drill With Two New Warships

Washington Post: Israeli Warplanes Hit Iranian Military Positions In Syria In Nighttime Raids

USNI News: Adm. Grady: Redesignation to Atlantic Fleet Has Implications for Homeland Defense Mission

Breaking Defense: Navy’s Unmanned Plan Inches Forward; Ships To Have Crew Quarters

Breaking Defense: Navy Acting Undersec: USS Ford, LCS ‘Not Our Fault’

19fortyfive.com: Russia’s Stealth Su-57 Felon Fighter Jet: An F-22 Killer?

Colorado Springs Gazette: Column: Trump’s legacy could be tied to Space Command basing decision | Tom Roeder

Forbes: Pentagon Report Paints Grim Picture Of America’s Industrial Decline

Calendar

THURSDAY | JANUARY 14

9 a.m. — Mitchell Institute for Aerospace Studies virtual Nuclear Deterrence Forum with Vice Adm. Johnny Wolfe, director of the Navy’s Strategic Systems Program, and retired Lt. Gen. Dave Deptula, dean of the Mitchell Institute. Invitation only, but video will be available afterward at https://www.mitchellaerospacepower.org/nuclear-deterrence-breakfast-series

11:30 a.m. — Armed Forces Communications and Electronics Association virtual discussion: “Shaping a Common, Modern, Joint Defense,” with Vice Adm. Nancy Norton, director of the Defense Information Systems Agency; Christopher Barnhurst, DISA executive deputy director; Serena Chan, director of the DISA Cyber Development Directorate; Brian Hermann, director of the DISA Services Development Directorate; Llewellyn “Don” Means Jr., executive at the DISA National Leadership Command Capabilities; Steve Wallace, systems innovation scientist at the DISA Emerging Technologies Directorate; and Army Maj. Gen. Garrett Yee, DISA assistant to the director. https://dcevents.afceachapters.org/DISA2021

1 p.m. — Heritage Foundation webinar: “Why America Needs the Long Range Standoff Weapon,”: with: Air Force Deputy Chief of Staff for Strategic Deterrence and Nuclear Integration Lt. Gen. James Dawkins; Peter Huessy, director of strategic deterrence studies at the Air Force Association’s Mitchell Institute for Aerospace Studies; and Patty-Jane Geller, policy analyst for nuclear deterrence and missile defense at Heritage https://www.heritage.org/missile-defense/event

3 p.m. — Henry L. Stimson Center webinar: “U.S. Congress and the Legacies of the Vietnam War,” with Rep. Jackie Speier, D-Calif.; Tim Rieser, senior foreign policy aid to Senator Patrick Leahy, D-Vt.; and Matthew Breay Bolton, associate professor at Pace University. https://www.stimson.org/event

4 p.m. — Hudson Institute video event: “A Discussion on the Defense Industrial Base with Government Leaders,’ with Ellen Lord, under secretary of defense for acquisition and sustainment; Robert Work, former deputy secretary of defense; Bryan Clark, senior fellow and director, Center for Defense Concepts and Technology, Hudson Institute; and Moderator Jeb Nadaner, PhD-JD, deputy assistant secretary of defense for industrial policy. https://www.hudson.org/events

4:15 p.m. — Surface Navy Association Annual National Symposium, with Adm. Craig Faller, commander, U.S. Southern Command. https://navysnaevents.org/national-symposium

FRIDAY | JANUARY 15

9 a.m. — Center for Strategic and International Studies webcast: “A New Transatlantic Agenda,” with European Union Director General for Trade Sabine Weyand. https://www.csis.org/events/online-event

9:30 a.m. — George Washington University School of International Affairs webinar: “U.S.-China Relations Under the Biden Administration,” with David Michael Lampton, director of China studies at the Johns Hopkins School of Advanced International Studies; Barbara Stallings, research professor at the Watson Institute for International and Public Affairs; William Rhodes, research professor at Brown University’s Institute for International and Public Affairs; and Deborah Lehr, vice chairman and executive director of the Paulson Institute https://calendar.gwu.edu/us-china-relations

1 p.m. — Center for Strategic and International Studies webcas on “great power competition with China, COVID-19 relief efforts, the Trump administration’s work on religious freedom, the future of U.S. foreign assistance, and opportunities and challenges for the incoming Biden administration,” with Jim Richardson, director of U.S. foreign assistance resources at the State Department. https://www.csis.org/events/online-event

3 p.m. — Reagan Institute virtual discussion: “”U.S. Foreign Policy in 2021 and Beyond,” with Rep. Liz Cheney, R-Wyo and Roger Zakheim, director, Reagan Institute. https://www.reaganfoundation.org/programs-events

MONDAY | JANUARY 18

Martin Luther King Jr. Day — Federal holiday

TUESDAY | JANUARY 19

11 a.m. — Arms Control Association Zoom webinar “Nuclear Challenges for the Biden Administration in the First 100 Days,” with Kelsey Davenport, director for nonproliferation policy; Kingston Reif, director for disarmament and threat reduction policy; Daryl Kimball, executive director; and Tom Countryman, fmr. acting undersecretary of state for arms control and international security, and ACA’s board chair. https://us02web.zoom.us/webinar/register

12 p.m. — Association of the U.S. Army “Noon Report” with Army Chief of Staff Gen. James McConville; and retired Gen. Carter Ham, President and CEO, AUSA. https://www.ausa.org/events/noon-report-mcconville

3 p.m. G50 Dirksen — Senate Armed Services Committee holds confirmation hearing for Lloyd J. Austin III to be Secretary of Defense. https://www.armed-services.senate.gov/hearings

WEDNESDAY | JANUARY 20

Inauguration Day — Federal holiday

TUESDAY | JANUARY 26

3 p.m. — Air Force Association “Air and Space Warfighters in Action” event, with Brig. Gen. Jeremy Sloane, commander of the 36th Wing, Andersen Air Force Base, Guam. https://us02web.zoom.us/webinar/register