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In Secretary of State Mike Pompeo’s congressional testimony on Wednesday, he was asked when we would know if North Korea would choose to follow through on its pledge of complete denuclearization. “I don’t know. I don’t know the answer to that” was his stark response.

Why it matters: After his summit with Kim Jong-un, President Trump said on Twitter that “there is no longer a Nuclear Threat from North Korea.” In breaking from his boss on this critical point, Mike Pompeo made clear that, more than two months after the summit, no concrete steps have been taken to address North Korea’s nuclear threat, making the administration's transparency on the negotiations all the more crucial.

The details: Pompeo confirmed that North Korea continues to produce fissile material, the key ingredient of its growing nuclear weapon stockpile. When senators asked for additional details on the state of Pyongyang’s nuclear programs, he offered to provide a response only in a classified setting.

Reports since the Singapore summit underscore that there has been no fundamental change in North Korea’s nuclear program, which may include as many as 60 nuclear warheads. If anything, North Korea may be expanding production at secret nuclear sites. Shortly after the hearing, news emerged that the Central Committee of North Korea’s ruling Workers’ Party decreed that North Korea will never relinquish its nuclear arsenal, marking another break with Trump’s assessment.

What’s next: It’s too soon to write off the Singapore process entirely. But North Korea seems to be shrewdly dribbling out small steps on non-nuclear issues — like the return of presumed American remains from the Korean War — while continuing to build its nuclear arsenal. The danger is that Trump’s premature declaration of victory has been read by China and others in the region as a green light to ease up on sanctions and pressure, reducing U.S. leverage and making eventual denuclearization less likely.

The bottom line: What's most needed is an accurate assessment, divorced from politics, of whether Trump’s North Korea diplomacy is making progress toward denuclearization. Pompeo and his team should regularly provide both classified briefings and public updates — at Congress's insistence if necessary.

Jeff Prescott is executive director of National Security Action, a senior fellow at the Penn Biden Center and a former deputy national security advisor to Vice President Biden.

Without firm plans, U.S. risking its leverage in North Korea diplomacy

In the absence of clear progress, transparency by the Trump administration is crucial.

Mike Pompeo seated during his Senate testimony

Secretary of State Pompeo testifies during a Senate Foreign Relations Committee hearing on July 25, 2018. Photo: Yasin Ozturk/Anadolu Agency/Getty Images

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In Secretary of State Mike Pompeo’s congressional testimony on Wednesday, he was asked when we would know if North Korea would choose to follow through on its pledge of complete denuclearization. “I don’t know. I don’t know the answer to that” was his stark response.Why it matters: After his summit with Kim Jong-un, President Trump said on Twitter that “there is no longer a Nuclear Threat from North Korea.” In breaking from his boss on this critical point, Mike Pompeo made clear that, more than two months after the summit, no concrete steps have been taken to address North Korea’s nuclear threat, making the administration&#x27;s transparency on the negotiations all the more crucial.

China is becoming the most formidable rival America has faced, and the risk of confrontation with Russia, North Korea or Iran still looms. Authoritarians are rising, the chaotic Afghanistan exit revealed the limits of U.S. power, and the pandemic, climate change and other critical challenges continue to pose grave threats.

U.S. lawmakers of both parties have lamented the mounting death toll and humanitarian crisis in Yemen's civil war, where civilian casualties have surged more than 160% in recent months and famine imperils 14 million. Yet little-noticed procedural votes in the House this week will prevent Congress from having to debate America’s continuing role in the conflict.

Why it matters: The House votes foreclosed debate on a bipartisan attempt to invoke the War Powers provision, which would have halted all U.S. support to the Saudi-led coalition fighting the Houthi rebels. The murder of Washington Post contributor Jamal Khashoggi has amplified pressure for a re-evaluation of the U.S.-Saudi relationship, but these votes have revealed that questioning the war in Yemen remains a red line for House Republicans.

What’s next: The presumptive leaders of the incoming Democratic majority in the House have indicated they intend to expand foreign policy oversight, including over U.S. involvement in the Yemeni conflict. This will increase pressure on the Trump administration, which has supported Saudi Arabia's foreign policy objectives and cultivated a close relationship with Crown Prince Mohamed bin Salman.

The bottom line: America’s role in the Yemeni conflict will be one of the first big tests of how closely the administration intends to stick by the Saudis. There are already signs of its response to new pressures: Last week, the administration announced an end to U.S. refueling for coalition raids in Yemen.

Jeff Prescott is executive director of National Security Action, where Ned Price is director of policy and communications and Rebecca Brocato is director of legislative affairs and strategy.

Go deeper: Former national security officials call for an end to U.S. support for the Saudi-led coalition

House extends U.S. support for Saudis in Yemen as concerns mount

With the incoming Democratic majority, the Trump administration will face new pressure.

displaced Yemeni children sitting on a tarp

Displaced children in Yemen's northwestern Hajjah province on November 10, 2018. Photo: Essa Ahmed/AFP/Getty Images

Yemeni Civil War

U.S. lawmakers of both parties have lamented the mounting death toll and humanitarian crisis in Yemen&#x27;s civil war, where civilian casualties have surged more than <a class="gtmContentClick" data-vars-link-text="160%" data-vars-click-url="https://www.theguardian.com/global-development/2018/sep/26/huge-spike-in-yemen-violence-as-civilian-deaths-rise-by-164-in-four-months-hodeidah" data-vars-content-id="d0dbe006-29eb-46ea-a8fe-d2bd78507b53" data-vars-headline="House extends U.S. support for Saudis in Yemen as concerns mount" data-vars-event-category="story" data-vars-sub-category="story" data-vars-item="in_content_link" href="https://www.theguardian.com/global-development/2018/sep/26/huge-spike-in-yemen-violence-as-civilian-deaths-rise-by-164-in-four-months-hodeidah" target="_blank">160%</a> in recent months and famine imperils 14 million. Yet little-noticed <a class="gtmContentClick" data-vars-link-text="procedural votes" data-vars-click-url="https://www.axios.com/house-republicans-vote-support-saudis-yemen-c9683e3a-ed9b-4e9c-91ca-bf26e017b5e8.html" data-vars-content-id="d0dbe006-29eb-46ea-a8fe-d2bd78507b53" data-vars-headline="House extends U.S. support for Saudis in Yemen as concerns mount" data-vars-event-category="story" data-vars-sub-category="story" data-vars-item="in_content_link" href="https://www.axios.com/house-republicans-vote-support-saudis-yemen-c9683e3a-ed9b-4e9c-91ca-bf26e017b5e8.html" target="_self">procedural votes</a> in the House this week will prevent Congress from having to debate America’s continuing role in the conflict.Why it matters: The House votes foreclosed debate on a bipartisan attempt to invoke the War Powers provision, which would have halted all U.S. support to the Saudi-led coalition fighting the Houthi rebels. The murder of Washington Post contributor Jamal Khashoggi has amplified pressure for a re-evaluation of the U.S.-Saudi relationship, but these votes have revealed that questioning the war in Yemen remains a red line for House Republicans.

President Biden has made the COVID-19 crisis and a post-Trump return to national unity and traditional democratic ideals his top priorities. From vaccinations to stimulus to schools, Biden is seeking bipartisan compromise while showing a willingness to use executive authority and bare Democratic majorities in the U.S. House and Senate to implement his policies. Republican leaders are navigating deep party divisions over if and how to move beyond former President Trump.

Jeff Prescott

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House extends U.S. support for Saudis in Yemen as concerns mount

Without firm plans, U.S. risking its leverage in North Korea diplomacy