Florida Rep. Mike Waltz (R), who easily won reelection on November 8th chaired the Heritage Foundation meeting of its National Independent Panel on Military Service and Readiness (NIPMSR). The panel Waltz chairs, which was created last month, is focused on examining concerns related to military recruitment and retention.
In a statement, Waltz praised the efforts of the Heritage Foundation, saying that they have brought together a group, including Lt. Gen. H.R. McMaster with the goal of delivering “recommendations that will strengthen our military readiness.”
Referencing the rise in tension between the U.S. and countries like China and Russia, Waltz detailed that “the state of our national security has reached a critical juncture as… global adversaries threaten global stability while confidence in the US military is declining.” Because of this, Waltz noted that lawmakers “must identify solutions to de-politicize the military and focus the warfighter on lethality and deterring the enemy, not a ‘woke’ agenda.”
Just this month, President Joe Biden (D) and paramount leader of China Xi Jinping met in Bali, Indonesia to discuss their respective priorities. The meeting was heavily scrutinized by Republicans, and one of Biden’s most vocal critics is Waltz.
According to a press release from the Florida Republican’s office, the panel “identified areas where politicization and divisive policies are negatively impacting military readiness.” With those findings, the panel intends “to complete a final report detailing recommendations to improve the readiness of the military, determine the causes of current military recruitment shortages, and encourage more Americans to serve.”
Thomas Spoehr, the executive secretary of the panel and the director of the Heritage Foundation’s Center for National Defense, called the panels first meeting “an exceptionally productive meeting… focused on defining the key issues and a timeline for delivering a meaningful report.”
The panel intends to submit “a report with recommendations by the end of March.”
