President Trump said outside the Pentagon today that Democrats will bear responsibility for a government shutdown should Congress be unable to pass a short-term continuing resolution by a Friday night deadline.
Tony Bertuca is chief editor of Inside the Pentagon, the flagship publication of InsideDefense, where he focuses on defense budget and acquisition policy. He previously worked for the Sun-Times News Group in his hometown of Chicago, IL, and at the New Hampshire Union Leader in Manchester, NH. Tony has also served as managing editor of Inside the Army. He has a master's degree in journalism from Boston University.
President Trump said outside the Pentagon today that Democrats will bear responsibility for a government shutdown should Congress be unable to pass a short-term continuing resolution by a Friday night deadline.
House Speaker Paul Ryan (R-WI) said today the Pentagon cannot keep operating under short-term spending bills designed to stave off government shutdowns, though that is exactly what he and other Republicans are scrambling to accomplish before a Friday night deadline.
Defense Secretary Jim Mattis is expected to release the new National Defense Strategy Friday in the middle of a political standoff over a government shutdown, which analysts say is illustrative of the challenges the Pentagon faces in pursuing a budget that matches its global ambitions.
House Appropriations Chairman Rodney Frelinghuysen (R-NJ) has introduced a stopgap continuing resolution that would keep the federal government funded until Feb. 16, as well as allow the Pentagon to begin spending money provided for "missile defeat and defense enhancements."
Several nominees for key Pentagon appointments are slated to appear Thursday before the Senate Armed Services Committee, including former NASA Administrator Michael Griffin, who has been tapped to serve as the under secretary of defense for research and engineering, and Will Roper, the current director of the Strategic Capabilities Office, who has been selected to serve as the Air Force's assistant secretary for acquisition.
House Armed Services Committee Chairman Mac Thornberry (R-TX) said he expects Congress will need to pass another continuing resolution this week to avert a government shutdown Friday, but stressed that every day under a stopgap measure does damage to the Defense Department.
The week features the expected release of the National Defense Strategy as well as House Speaker Paul Ryan discussing military readiness. Senior Pentagon officials also have several public engagements.
A draft of the Nuclear Posture Review has leaked to the media in advance of its planned release in February.
A bipartisan group of 106 members of Congress has sent a letter to President Trump urging him to amend the recently released National Security Strategy to include threats posed by climate change.
Some must-reads from this week's edition of Inside the Pentagon.
As Congress eyes yet another stopgap continuing resolution, House Armed Services Committee Chairman Mac Thornberry (R-TX) says the Pentagon may need "flexibility" on the deadline for obligating fiscal year 2018 funds, especially for operations and maintenance.
Members of the House Armed Services Committee today praised Pentagon Comptroller David Norquist for embarking on the first-ever full audit of the Defense Department, but acknowledged the task could take years.
Defense Secretary Jim Mattis met with top Republicans and Democrats on Capitol Hill today, while Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-KY) said it may be necessary for Congress to pass a fourth stopgap continuing resolution to keep the federal government open beyond a Jan. 19 deadline.
Senior Pentagon officials are scheduled to speak publicly at several events around the Washington area this week including at the Surface Navy Association's annual symposium.
The Defense Department, amid continued partisan battles on Capitol Hill, is finalizing several major strategies and reviews that could set the trajectory for new investments in weapons technology and military commitments for years to come.
Defense Secretary Jim Mattis is scheduled to meet with President Trump at Camp David this weekend to discuss national security issues, according to the White House.
Senate Republicans and Democrats said today talks to raise budget caps and avert a government shutdown remain productive and ongoing, but cautioned that the road to a final compromise remains long.
Some must-reads from this week's issue of Inside the Pentagon.
The Senate voted 81-7 Wednesday to confirm former Lockheed Martin executive John Rood as the Pentagon's new under secretary of defense for policy.
Sen. Elizabeth Warren (D-MA) took to the Senate floor Jan. 3 to criticize Pentagon officials with defense industry backgrounds, specifically targeting a former Lockheed Martin executive tapped for a senior Defense Department post.