[ad_1]
reThe US Congress wants to block President Donald Trump’s planned troop withdrawal from Germany for now. This stems from the bill for the new defense budget introduced Thursday, in which MPs for Trump’s Republicans and President-elect Joe Biden’s Democrats agreed in both houses of parliament after months of negotiations.
It expresses its support for the continued presence of American soldiers in Germany. Additionally, the Ministry of Defense must submit an extensive risk assessment to Congress on the consequences if the number of US soldiers stationed in the Federal Republic falls below the 34,500 limit. The bill could also possibly halt Trump’s announced troop reduction in Afghanistan.
The US government announced in July that it would withdraw about 12,000 of the 36,000 US troops from Germany. The background is Trump’s accusation that Germany is failing to meet its obligations to NATO due to insufficient military spending. Congressional sources said the Democratic-dominated House of Representatives should pass the bill early next week and then send it to the Senate, in which Republicans have a majority. It should then be presented to Trump for signature, who, however, could veto.
American troops in Germany “of central importance”
A few weeks after Trump’s announcement, Defense Minister Mark Esper, who has since been removed from office, made it clear that the plans should 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.
Members of the Democratic-controlled House of Representatives and the Senate, which is dominated by Trump’s Republicans, agreed Thursday on 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 critical in supporting US operations in the Middle East, Africa and Afghanistan.
Trump has already threatened to block the defense budget with a veto, but this 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. The Defense Budget Package (NDAA) is one of a series of bills that Congress intends to pass before the end of the year. The defense budget was approved with bipartisan support for 59 consecutive years.
