U.S. Sens. Cory Gardner (R-CO), Ben Cardin (D-MD) and Bob Menendez (D-NJ) said last week that they have secured the inclusion of an amendment to the Senate budget proposal that would require an independent review of government resources being used to support President Obama’s “Asia Pivot” policy.
The policy was implemented by President Obama in 2011 and is designed to largely increase U.S. engagement and influence in the Asia-Pacific region.
The budget amendment would mandate a review by an independent agency, such as the Government Accountability Office, as well as a detailed account of all U.S. government expenditures regarding the Asia policy, then offer recommendations on how those resources can be more efficiently allocated, while still meeting the objectives of the program.
“I agree with the intent of the ‘Asia Pivot’ policy, but I want to ensure that our policy goals can be realized,” Gardner, chairman of the Senate Foreign Relations Subcommittee on East Asia, the Pacific and International Cybersecurity Policy, said. “It’s important that the American people have a full accounting of the resources that have been devoted to this important policy and whether they have been prioritized effectively. The East-Asia Pacific region comprises 35 countries and nearly a third of the world’s population, and we must ensure that our policy in the region strengthens existing friendships and builds new partnerships that will be critical to U.S. national security for generations to come.”
“The U.S. must continue to strengthen our enduring commitment to engage Asia’s growing powers,” Cardin, the committee’s ranking member, said. “The high number of U.S. activities we already have with our partners and allies in the region proves that, in many respects, we have already (become) rebalanced. On behalf of the American taxpayers, we should have an independent study to ensure that the U.S. government is investing its precious resources in the most effective way possible. The Asia-Pacific region is a strategic long-term priority for America; we cannot allow recent crises elsewhere to distract us from continuing to ramp up our engagement.”
“The rebalance to the Asia-Pacific is one of the most strategically farsighted and significant policies being pursued by the Obama administration,” Menendez, ranking member of the Foreign Relations Committee, said. “Given the importance of the Asia-Pacific region to U.S. security and prosperity, it is an approach that enjoys broad bipartisan support. But its success will rise or fall on our ability to effectively and efficiently marshal resources across the entirety of the United States Government — not just for military activities, but for diplomacy, communication, cultural engagement and economic statecraft, too. This amendment helps assure that we have the tools, focus and dedication necessary to resource the rebalance appropriately.”