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As a punitive measure for Germany, US President Trump announced in June that about a third of US soldiers would withdraw as quickly as possible. Congress wants to block the withdrawal first.
The US Congress wants to block the massive withdrawal of US soldiers from Germany planned by current President Donald Trump for the time being. That stems from the US defense budget bill package, which Democrats and Republicans have agreed to in both houses of Congress.
It says that the United States Secretary of Defense must declare in a report to Congress whether such a withdrawal would be in the national interest of the United States. At the earliest 120 days later, the number of US soldiers stationed in the Federal Republic may fall below the 34,500 limit.
Trump would have to sign the law
Members of the Democratic-controlled House of Representatives and Trump’s Republican-dominated Senate agreed to the 4,500-page defense budget package for next year. After being approved by both houses of Congress in Congress, Trump must sign the bill for it to take effect.
Regarding Germany’s planned withdrawal, the draft states on page 1428 that Congress continues to assess Germany as a strong NATO partner. The presence of “approximately 34,500 members of the US armed forces stationed in Germany” served as a major deterrent to Russian military aggression and expansionary efforts in Europe. US troops in Germany are also vitally important in supporting US operations in the Middle East, Africa and Afghanistan.
Trump wants to withdraw 12,000 soldiers
Trump had announced the withdrawal of some of the US soldiers in Germany in mid-June and justified the move with what he considered insufficient defense spending in Germany. A total of about 12,000 soldiers were to be withdrawn, that is, about a third of the total number of soldiers stationed in the Federal Republic. A few weeks after Trump’s announcement, now-ousted US Defense Secretary Mark Esper made it clear that the plans must be implemented “as soon as possible.” So far, nothing has happened about it.
Locations in Baden-Württemberg, Bavaria and Rhineland-Palatinate would be particularly affected. Trump has threatened to block the defense budget with a veto, but that has nothing to do with the debate about the withdrawal of US troops from Germany, but with a dispute over the regulation of online platforms. In the summer, Trump also threatened to veto the legislative package in the dispute over a possible renaming of military bases. A presidential veto can be overridden with a two-thirds majority in the House of Representatives and the Senate.
