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WASHINGTON, D.C. – On Wednesday, U.S. Congressman Mike Waltz (FL-06) questioned top Pentagon officials, U.S. Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin and Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff General Mark Milley, on European Union burden-sharing and the Authorization for Use of Military Force (AUMF) to take down Mexican cartels during the House Armed Services Committee hearing on the Department of Defense's fiscal year 2024 budget request.

Watch the full exchange here.

Waltz, pointing to a chart of the largest donors of military aid to Ukraine, questioned Secretary Austin on the burden-sharing between our European allies and the United States. 

“When the American people see the disparity in how much the United States is providing and then how much large economies like forty-six billion versus Germany’s two-and-a-half billion versus Italy’s seven-hundred million, less than a billion,” said Waltz. “What are we doing to actually have burden-sharing with our European allies? This war is on their doorstep. The Germans have already backed away from their two percent commitment. What are we doing to actually get them to step up to the plate? And would you call this burden-sharing? Would you call this fair if you were an American taxpayer?”

“What the hell are these large economies doing, the Germans in particular, to step up?” asked Waltz. “The EU’s economies together are the same size as the American economy, roughly. Do you think it is fair for the American people to question whether this is true burden-sharing, number one. Number two, how many countries have lived up to their two percent commitment? It’s seven, seven out of thirty. That’s pathetic. I think it is reasonable for the American taxpayer to be sick and tired of subsidizing European social spending.”

Waltz went on to question Gen. Milley on Plan Colombia and the potential application of a similar mission to take down Mexican cartels today.

“Would it be helpful to authorize military resources, to authorize use of military force, and again we are talking cyber, space intel and other resources, to support law enforcement, support the Mexican government and to take out these cartels?” asked Waltz. “We need to treat them more like ISIS than the mafia because that is how they are behaving as they destabilize our border, huge portions of Mexico and stand toe-to-toe with the Mexican army.”

Gen. Milley responded, “I think that should be considered for sure.”