Donnelly Statement Following All Senators Briefing on North Korea and Afghanistan

Press Release

U.S. Senator Joe Donnelly released the following statement after attending a briefing for all Senators on the Administration's strategy in Afghanistan and North Korea. Secretary of State Rex Tillerson, Secretary of Defense James Mattis, Chairman of the Joint Chiefs General Joseph Dunford, and Director of National Intelligence Dan Coats led the briefing.

Donnelly said, "North Korea continues to take aggressive, unwarranted, and unacceptable actions that threaten American lives and our allies in the region. At this critical point, we need a clear strategy from the Administration that is comprehensive and realistic about the threat that North Korea poses. That is why I will push for my amendment requiring a strategy on North Korea when we consider the bipartisan national defense bill."

Yesterday, Donnelly announced that, when the Senate considers the annual national defense bill, he will push for passage of his amendment requiring the Administration to submit a strategy on North Korea to Congress. The amendment would give the Administration 90 days to develop a plan that covers the security threat posed by North Korea, the economic and political relationships between North Korea, China and Russia, and the detailed roadmap to achieving identified objectives. It would also require the plan to identify the resources needed to achieve these goals and any currently existing gaps in capabilities. The plan would need to be updated quarterly.

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