CNAS Experts Testify Before Full Senate Armed Services Committee

Washington, January 30 – Today, CNAS Defense Director Elbridge Colby and Executive Vice President Ely Ratner testified before the full Senate Armed Services Committee for the panel's first public hearing of the new Congress, examining the rise of China and Russia and the challenges they pose to American interests.

Colby, a Republican, and Ratner, a Democrat, both argued for the importance of effectively rising to the renewed challenge of great-power competition. Colby’s testimony offered an especially candid and transparent look into the implications of the National Defense Strategy, and how effectively the Department of Defense is implementing the Strategy. Ratner’s testimony was a call to action for the U.S. government to enhance American competitiveness in the face of an expanding and illiberal Chinese sphere of influence. He offered 20 recommendations for Congress across economic, ideological, and military domains.

Their full testimonies are available below:

• Elbridge Colby: "Addressing China and Russia’s Emergence as Great Power Competitors and the Implementation of the National Defense Strategy." Read it here.
• Ely Ratner: "Blunting China’s Illiberal Order: The Vital Role of Congress in U.S. Strategic Competition with China." Read it here.

Watch the full hearing here.

Colby and Ratner are available for interviews. To arrange a conversation, contact Cole Stevens at cstevens@cnas.org or (202) 695-8166.