Timmons Opens Hearing on Trump Administration’s America First Agenda to Restore U.S. International Leadership

WASHINGTON – Subcommittee on Military and Foreign Affairs Chairman William Timmons (R-S.C.) delivered opening remarks at a subcommittee hearing titled “Emerging Global Threats: Putting America’s National Security First.”In his opening statement, Subcommittee Chairman Timmons highlighted how a series of policy failures perpetrated by the Biden Administration weakened U.S. global standing, undermined national security, and emboldened adversaries. He emphasized that the Trump Administration is currently undoing the crippling policies of the Biden Administration and returning the globe to peace through American strength. He closed by imploring Congress to support the Trump Administration’s efforts to restore U.S. global leadership.

Below are Subcommittee Chairman Timmons’ remarks as prepared for delivery.

Good morning, and welcome to the first hearing of the Subcommittee on Military and Foreign Affairs.

I look forward to working with Ranking Member Subramanyam and all the Members of this Subcommittee throughout this Congress.

Today, we are here to get a better understanding of the challenges facing our national security and the urgent need to restore America’s strength on the world stage.

Over the past four years, we have seen a series of policy failures that weakened our global standing, undermined national security, and emboldened adversaries.

While the previous administration spoke of prioritizing American safety and leadership, its actions certainly told a different story – one of strategic drift, reactive policy making, and diminished deterrence.

We see this in the Indo-Pacific, where U.S. allies question our resolve and adversaries probe vulnerabilities.

The failure to respond decisively to challenges – whether in the South China Sea, the Taiwan Strait, or securing critical supply chains – has dissolved confidence in America’s leadership.

Similarly, in Europe, President Biden’s relentless demand that Ukraine become a part of NATO only exacerbated Russia’s aggression.

The Biden Administration failed to communicate a clear endgame after Russia further invaded Ukraine, allowing the war to drag on at great cost to global stability and the American taxpayer.

In nearly three years, the U.S. allocated $124.9 billion in security assistance to Ukraine.

To put this in perspective, the U.S. spent nearly $89 billion in security assistance in Afghanistan, over twenty years.

I cannot help but be concerned about the speed at which funds are being allocated and whether they are being used effectively.

Even though we support Ukraine against invasion by Russian forces, it is critical that we ensure accountability and strategic oversight of our financial support to reach objectives that benefit the U.S. national interest.

Unconventional threats in the digital domain continue to reveal our vulnerabilities.

Nation-states and criminal organizations engage in cyber espionage and attacks against critical infrastructure.

The Government Accountability Office has consistently named cybersecurity as a threat, year after year on its High-Risk List.

Despite decades of warnings, the failure to prioritize this vulnerability continues to jeopardize our national security.

The lack of urgency with which the prior Administration approached these vulnerabilities put American businesses and citizens at risk.

We must act to defend our cyber frontiers, invest in resilient infrastructure, and strengthen public-private cooperation to remain a global leader.

Finally, while the Biden administration was preoccupied with other priorities, the global terrorist threat grew. 

The botched withdrawal from Afghanistan was more than just a failure to execute – it signaled to the world that the United States was willing to abandon allies and leave security vacuums that enemies could exploit.

Iran-backed terrorist organizations such as Hamas, Hezbollah, and the Houthis have escalated their attacks with alarming frequency.

The October 7th, 2023, terrorist attack on Israel was a direct consequence of failing to maintain strong deterrence in the Middle East.

The ongoing hostage crisis, in which several Americans remain captive, underscores the price of the Biden Administration’s inaction.

The Trump administration has already demonstrated decisive action in securing the release of American hostages, leveraging strong diplomatic pressure and strategic negotiations.

In contrast, the Biden Administration’s approach was slow and reactive, leaving U.S. citizens in Gaza and elsewhere in prolonged danger with little tangible progress.

At home, we cannot ignore the security risks posed by an unsecured border.

Since 2021, nearly 400 known or suspected terrorists have been apprehended crossing into the country illegally. And those are only the ones who we caught. 

Luckily, President Trump has made a priority to restore border security.

After rapid action on day 1, we are already seeing results.

In just the first 20 days of the Trump administration, illegal border crossings decreased by over 90 percent, according to U.S. Border Patrol.

President Trump’s strong leadership, reinstating the “Remain in Mexico” policy, cancelling unlawful parole programs, resuming border wall construction, and deploying 10,000 U.S. troops to enhance border security, have all helped to reduce the threat at the border.

President Trump is undoing the crippling policies of the Biden Administration and returning the globe to peace through American strength.

Congress must support his efforts to restore deterrence, modernize defenses, and reaffirm our commitment to an America-first national security posture.

I look forward to hearing from our witnesses here today.