Defense Drumbeat: How to Get through Marathon Markups? Red Bull and Coffee

| Posted in Defense Drumbeat

Washington Examiner - Travis TrittenName: Zach Steacy Hometown: Philadelphia Position: Director of legislative operations for the House Armed Services Committee Age: 34 Alma mater: Connecticut College--- Washington Examiner: You've been here for a decade. Has D.C. changed you?Steacy: If anything, I think maybe it's changed me for the better. I've grown a lot. Professionally, I've learned…

Why the U.S. is Right to Invest in Nuclear Weapons

| Posted in Defense Drumbeat

Americans don't often hear much about U.S. nuclear weapons. Despite their historical and continued importance to the strategic defense of our country, the most powerful weapons in the U.S. military arsenal are largely outside of the public view.

141 House Republicans Call for Repeal of Defense Budget Caps

| Posted in Defense Drumbeat

POLITICO: Scores of House Republicans led by Mike Turner are urging House leaders to take "immediate action" to repeal the caps on defense spending set by the 2011 Budget Control Act.In a letter to Speaker Paul Ryan 141 Republican lawmakers committed to supporting legislation repealing the budget caps. Turner... said he expects the high number signatures will build momentum toward a vote…

Damage to the Military of a Continuing Resolution

| Posted in Defense Drumbeat

On Wednesday, the House Armed Services Committee heard from the Service Chiefs on the "Damage to the Military from a Continuing Resolution.” To watch the hearing or read testimony click here. Below are excerpts from some of the stories identifying critical readiness shortfalls:

Military Sharply Warns Congress Against Punting on Spending

| Posted in Defense Drumbeat

Washington (CNN) The Navy will cancel ship deployments and shut down carrier air wings. The Air Force will ground all non-deploying squadrons in the US. Blue Angel shows will be scrapped, and Fleet Weeks cut. Thousands of bonuses for troops will go unpaid.

Just the Facts: Damage from a Year-Long Cr

| Posted in Defense Drumbeat

WASHINGTON - The current Continuing Resolution (CR) expires at the end of April, leaving Congress little time to enact full year appropriations for America’s Military. A bipartisan majority in the House has already passed Department of Defense Appropriations for 2017. As the Senate considers adopting this desperately needed appropriations bill - or imposing billions in short sighted cuts that a CR would represent - the House Armed Services Committee has called for an assessment of the harm a full year CR would do to our men and women in uniform. The committee will hear in person next week from the chiefs of the military services on the damage of extending the CR.