The U.S. military is not sufficiently equipped to face the growing threats from our adversaries. In Congress, I am fighting to change that. On July 1st, I voted to pass the Senate’s version of a Republican bill to invest in defense and extend tax cuts. The legislation includes funding that makes a down payment on our munitions stocks, our shipbuilding capacity, and many other urgent national defense needs. Each of these efforts will help us stand up to China’s increasingly powerful military and deter the threats from other rogue nations like Russia, Iran, and North Korea.

As the United States works to keep our competitive edge, I am encouraged by the actions and commitments of our allies. The free world finally seems to be waking up to the dangers arrayed against it.

Israel and Ukraine Defend their Homelands

Nowhere is this truer than on the battlefields of the Middle East and Ukraine. Our ally Israel has steadily weakened Iran, the world’s largest state sponsor of terrorism. Iran supported Hamas’ brutal attack on Israel on October 7, 2023. The very next day, another Iran-backed terror organization, Hezbollah, began lobbing bombs into northern Israel. Our ally fought back in self-defense. It kneecapped both groups before turning to the root of the problem.

Israel did the world a favor by taking direct action against Iran. Israeli forces took out Iran’s top military leaders and targeted the country’s military assets. By wiping away Iran’s air defenses, Israel helped pave the way for American fighter pilots to strike the facilities where the terror regime was developing a nuclear bomb.

Roughly 1,000 miles north of Israel, the Ukrainians have demonstrated similar courage. Like the Israelis, the people of Ukraine have not asked American men and women to fight their battles for them. In an ingenious move, the Ukrainians recently pulled off a dramatic attack on Russia’s air force. By clandestinely transporting drones into Russia and remotely directing them to military airfields, Ukraine neutralized one tenth of Russia’s strategic bombers in just a few hours. These aircraft routinely bomb Ukrainian cities, and they are capable of delivering nuclear bombs around the world. Ukraine’s surprise attack not only bloodied Vladimir Putin’s nose, it reduced the threat facing our homeland at the same time.

NATO Commits to Rearming

The nations of Europe have been taking note of Russia’s brutality and Ukraine’s resolve. For a decade, President Trump has been urging our allies in the mostly-European North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) to decrease their reliance on the United States by investing in their own national defense. Vladimir Putin’s unprovoked invasion has finally persuaded these nations to follow our president’s warnings.

In 2014, only seven of 32 NATO members met the alliance’s spending target. By 2024, 23 had. At a summit last month, NATO nations agreed to go even further. Members committed to raise the group’s defense investment goal to five percent of each country’s Gross Domestic Product. European nations have also recently surpassed the United States in military support for Ukraine, a sign that Europe is increasingly taking its security needs seriously.

The people of Ukraine surely welcome this development, and Americans should as well. When our allies are strong, we are safer. Our enemies are more hesitant to start wars that threaten global trade and stability. In Congress, I will continue working with my colleagues and President Trump to rebuild our military and restore American strength, and I am optimistic that our allies will as well.