In late July 2020, the Trump Administration announced they were removing nearly 12,000 American troops from Germany and moving the headquarters of U.S. European Command from Germany to Belgium in a major repositioning of forces because Germany was not spending enough on its defense budget. Of the U.S. troops stationed in Germany, 6,400 will also return to the United States. Another 5,400 will be moved to other locations in Europe that already house American troops but pay less of a percentage than that of Germany with Germany at 1.38%, with Italy at 1.22% and Belgium at 0.93% of it GDP respectively. Rep. Mac Thornberry, R-Texas and chairman of the House Armed Services Committee said that while some of the plans have merit "other aspects -- such as an arbitrary limit to the number of troops stationed in certain countries -- remain troubling. Mick Mulroy a former Deputy Assistant Secretary of Defense said, "It will cost billions, it will drive a wedge in NATO and it will be a gift to Russia." Senator Ben Sasse, R-Nebraska, and member of the Senate Select Committee on Intelligence said, "We should be leading our allies against China and Russia, not abandoning them and withdrawal is weak." Condemnation was equal from Democrats in Congress with Senator Robert Menendez of New Jersey, the ranking Democrat on the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, saying the "champagne must be flowing freely this evening at the Kremlin." Sen. Chris Murphy, D-Connecticut and member of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee., called it an off-the-cuff decision "likely just to embarrass Germany." "No plan. No consultation. Making it a really bad idea," Several former military senior officers also came out strongly against the move to include Lieutenant General Mark Hertling and Admiral James Stavridis.