The House Armed Services Committee chair requested full transparency on plans to send more U.S. troops to the southern border. Rep. Adam Smith of Washington was unhappy with the Pentagon’s answers to questions about the troops already there and any increase in troop levels. (The Hill, January 31, 2019, by Ellen Mitchell)
Smith criticized acting Secretary of Defense Pat Shanahan for his failure to provide full transparency during a hearing especially on the number of additional troops that will be sent to the border. Smith found out later in a call to Shanahan that 3,500 would be sent but was unhappy that that was not shared with the committee during the hearing so that members could have asked what the troops would be doing. (Washington Examiner, January 31, 2019, by Diana Stancy Correll)