WASHINGTON – U.S. Senator Roger Wicker, R-Miss., a senior member of the Senate Armed Services Committee, today questioned Dr. Ashton Carter about the Obama Administration’s defense pivot to the Asia-Pacific, NATO issues, and overall military spending. Dr. Carter is President Obama’s nominee to be the next Secretary of Defense.

“At a point some two or three years ago, the Pentagon, along with the Administration, made a decision to rebalance to the Asia-Pacific,” Wicker said. “Our challenges with regard to an expansionist Russian agenda have become more challenging, and the challenges in the Middle East are more problematic now than when the decision was made to pivot to the Asia-Pacific.”

Wicker specifically asked Dr. Carter whether the Pentagon would need to diminish American resources in the Middle East or Europe to meet the demands of the new Asia-Pacific strategy.

“According to NATO guidelines, we ask our allies to devote at least two percent of their GDP to defense,” Wicker continued. “Only four countries spent that much in 2013: the United States, the United Kingdom, Estonia, and Greece. I hope going forward that we can have our allies shoulder their share of the burden.”

He then asked whether there are any initiatives that the U.S. could undertake to encourage NATO members to spend more on their collective defense.

Wicker has publicly stated that he will support Dr. Carter’s confirmation.