Two of the most senior Republican members of Congress overseeing military policy have raised alarms over the Pentagon's decision to remove about 5,000 U.S. service members from Germany, saying the move requires fuller review and coordination with lawmakers and allied capitals.
In a joint statement, U.S. Senator Roger Wicker and U.S. Representative Mike Rogers said:
"We are very concerned by the decision to withdraw a U.S. brigade from Germany."
Wicker, elected from Mississippi, and Rogers, from Alabama, serve as the chairs of the Senate and House Armed Services Committees, respectively. Their statement followed an announcement from the Pentagon that the planned drawdown is expected to be carried out over the next six to 12 months.
Their remarks came a day after the Defense Department disclosed the withdrawal plan. They noted that U.S. President Donald Trump had earlier in the week threatened a drawdown following an exchange with German Chancellor Friedrich Merz. The pair referenced comments by Merz on Monday in which he said the Iranians were humiliating the U.S. in talks to end the two-month-old war and that he did not see what exit strategy Washington was pursuing.
Wicker and Rogers stressed that any meaningful alteration to the American military footprint in Europe should be reviewed and coordinated both with Congress and with U.S. allies. They added:
"We expect the Department to engage with its oversight committees in the days and weeks ahead on this decision and its implications for U.S. deterrence and transatlantic security."
The lawmakers warned that even if NATO partners were to raise defense spending to 5% of GDP, developing the operational capabilities required to assume conventional deterrence responsibilities will take time. They argued that cutting U.S. forces in Europe too soon "risks undermining deterrence and sending the wrong signal to (Russian President) Vladimir Putin," according to their statement.
Their comments underline congressional insistence on oversight of force posture changes and emphasize concern about the potential strategic consequences of a rapid redistribution of U.S. troops from a longtime NATO host nation.
Context limitations: The statement and the Pentagon announcement referenced in this report form the basis for the concerns expressed by the two lawmakers. This article does not introduce additional details beyond those provided in those statements and the Pentagon's withdrawal timeline.