Philadelphia congressmen recap security meetings abroad
PHILADELPHIA (CBS) – Two Philadelphia congressmen recently attended security meetings in Europe, where they addressed top issues like Russia's invasion of Ukraine and aggression from China. They spoke with CBS Philadelphia, recapping their trip and its impact on Philadelphians.
In late February, Rep. Brian Fitzpatrick (R-Pa.) and Rep. Brendan Boyle (D-Pa.) attended the Munich Security Conference (MSC) in Munich, Germany, and the NATO Parliamentary Assembly (NATO PA) in Brussels, Belgium.
Their trip abroad came at a critical juncture in world politics. It ran parallel to President Joe Biden's surprise visit to Kyiv as the war in Ukraine neared its one-year mark.
While the focus on Ukraine was apparent at the meetings, the widening rift between Washington and Beijing was also discussed following the shootdown of a confirmed Chinese surveillance balloon that entered United States airspace earlier that month.
With the security landscape in a constant state of flux, the congressmen traveled to Europe to confront the growing pressures from China and to bolster support for Ukraine and NATO allies.
Inside the MSC & NATO PA
At this year's annual MSC, Boyle and Fitzpatrick were a part of the largest bipartisan, bicameral U.S. delegation in nearly six decades. The conference — occasionally dubbed "the Davos of Defense" — convened more than 40 heads of state and hundreds of senior diplomatic, military and intelligence officers.
The conference also featured remarks by Vice President Kamala Harris where she announced that the U.S. formally determined that Russia has committed crimes against humanity in Ukraine.
"We had the strongest Congressional representation both on the House and Senate side in the history of the Munich Security Conference," Fitzpatrick said. "I think that sent a very loud, very positive message to our allies that we were there by and large to show our support for Ukraine."
Boyle shared a similar perspective, calling this year's MSC the most "vital" security conference that has taken place.
"There was much substance really to talk about in terms of where the transatlantic alliance is going from here," Boyle said, "and also in terms of the Chinese dimension that may or may not be added in some way to aiding Russia."
China may soon be involved in Russia's war with Ukraine. CIA Director Bill Burns told CBS News the agency believes Chinese leadership is considering whether the country will supply lethal aid to Russia.
After the MSC, the congressmen traveled to neighboring Belgium where critical security discussions continued.
Boyle and Fitzpatrick attended the NATO PA spring session convening 360 global delegates. The congressmen are part of 22 bipartisan U.S. delegates hand-selected by House and Senate leadership.
"Similar to the Munich Security Conference, [there was] much discussion and reflection about how united we all are," Boyle said. "This is in many ways a shining moment, and perhaps the most important moment in the 70-year history of NATO, but also a question of how this ends and a certain degree of uncertainty surrounding that."
Boyle, who is the chairman of the NATO PA's Political Committee, tweeted about his opportunity to moderate a session at the assembly.
Both congressmen say the dialogue at the assembly provides indispensable contributions to the development of global security policy.
"It's a very important body because we advise the delegates to NATO who are casting some very important votes on not just European security, but worldwide security," Fitzpatrick said.
He added moving forward, NATO must maintain a united front on issues like the war in Ukraine and China, noting that any "fractures" in the alliance could be easily taken advantage of by adversaries.
Global impacts on Philadelphia
Boyle and Fitzpatrick emphasize it's important for Philadelphians to pay close attention to global issues as their ripple effects are often felt at home.
"It affects people's lives in a lot of ways. Some ways they see that's present right in front of them and some ways they don't know," Fitzpatrick said. "The invasion of Ukraine and Chinese aggression affects the supply chain both internationally and domestically. It affects the price you're paying for groceries, it affects the price you're paying for fuel at the pump, and it affects your privacy, particularly with electronic devices."
High costs stem from several issues, including inflation, supply-chain snags, climate issues like drought and the war in Ukraine, which has raised the cost of commodities. Although gas prices are now tumbling, it follows a year of record-breaking gas prices that reached historic peaks.
The TikTok problem
As fears of Chinese surveillance grow the U.S. government is now cracking down on the Chinese social media app, TikTok, which is popular among teenagers.
"An entire generation is using TikTok exponentially higher and higher every single year," Fitzpatrick said. "All that data that which is being transmitted to the Chinese Communist Party."
The federal government is now requiring the removal of the app from all government devices by the end of this month. And developing this week, a bipartisan bill unveiled in the U.S. senate aims to mitigate national security threats from foreign technology.
Local Ukrainian refugees
Boyle points out the impact of global issues extend well beyond the economy and technology, affecting the diverse fabric of Philadelphia as well.
"A lot of the immigrant patterns in terms of who originally came to Philadelphia and who comes to Philadelphia to this day is impacted by what happened around the world," Boyle said. "So we do need to be aware and to pay attention to it."
According to 2021 U.S. Census data, Boyle and Fitzpatrick represent over 19,000 Philadelphians with Ukrainian ancestry. Philadelphia ranked fourth among the top 10 metro areas nationally that have applied to sponsor Ukrainian refugees.
Both congressmen say they've been extensively involved in Ukrainian refugee issues in the Philadelphia area.
"We're very blessed in the Philadelphia region to have a very significant Ukrainian community," Fitzpatrick said. "They're tremendous people. A lot of them have assisted in the resettlement of refugees here. Our office is doing everything we possibly can to help every single refugee that comes here to find the help they need."
Similarly, Boyle says his office has extended its support to the large number of Ukrainian refugees that have settled in Northeast Philadelphia.
"I have personally met here in my office in Washington, D.C. with several Ukrainian refugees who are now living in and around our area," he said. "It's always been moving to me."
Focusing on the future
When it comes to assessing future U.S. engagement with China, Fitzpatrick says the diplomatic approach is paramount, but that it's only "one aspect" of effective U.S. security strategy.
"We also have to beef up our own intelligence agencies, our counterintelligence programs, particularly with China, our intelligence gathering on China and our defense capability," he said. "Just like Europe was awoken by the invasion, I think that the Chinese aggression ought to wake up everybody, particularly the leaders here in our country."
Boyle says he's focused on decoupling economically from China.
"I think COVID-19 was a wakeup call for the United States when we found how much of our critical supplies were actually being made in China or coming from China," he said. "So we need to onshore those jobs or at the very least something called friendshoring."
Boyle added that according to the freindshoring approach if manufacturing cannot occur in the U.S. then it should be accomplished in "friendly countries."
Regarding the war in Ukraine, both congressmen believe strong, proactive U.S. security assistance must continue to not only better protect the embattled country, but to safeguard both national and international security.
"If we don't help Ukraine stop them there, the Russian government led by Putin will move on other European countries," Boyle said. "Our effort in Ukraine is not just about helping Ukrainians remain free, it's about preventing World War III."
The congressmen's trip to Europe showcased both bipartisan unity as the world faces an ominous security reality.
Fitzpatrick notes that considering this, it's important to learn from the "lessons of history" as global leaders chart the future.
"Things that we thought were permanently relegated to the history books are now occurring in real-time right in front of us," Fitzpatrick said. "It sent a chill throughout a lot of these nations that thought that those days were in the past. What they are now awakening to is that evil is a very real and present thing. And we live in a very small world and a very dangerous world."
