Bob Simmons, who has been staff director for the House Armed Services Committee for the past 12 years, is stepping down from his post and heading to Boeing. (UPDATED)
Friday, May 17, 2024
Friday, May 17, 2024
Key Issues U.S.-Japan GPI pact LSM design FLRAA program schedule
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.
Bob Simmons, who has been staff director for the House Armed Services Committee for the past 12 years, is stepping down from his post and heading to Boeing. (UPDATED)
House Armed Services Committee Chairman Mac Thornberry (R-TX) said today the $15 billion defense spending increase in the fiscal year 2017 omnibus appropriations bill slated to be passed by Congress this week is a "down payment."
Congress is poised to avert a government shutdown this week with a fiscal year 2017 omnibus appropriations bill that boosts the Pentagon's warfighting account by $15 billion, which is only half of what the Trump administration had sought, setting the stage for yet another partisan battle over spending in FY-18.
The Pentagon and other federal agencies are preparing contingency plans in the event of a government shutdown should Congress fail to pass an appropriations package or extend an ongoing stopgap spending measure by midnight Friday.
As President Trump approaches his 100th day in office next week, the Pentagon and other federal agencies have been notified by the White House to begin precautionary preparations for a government shutdown in the event Congress cannot pass a budget bill by April 29 or agree to extend a stopgap spending measure.
The Defense Innovation Unit Experimental, which faced an uncertain future at the start of the Trump administration, remains a priority now that Defense Secretary James Mattis runs the Pentagon and reports directly to him in the same way it did with his predecessor, Ash Carter, who established DIUx to inject greater innovation into the acquisition system.
Here are some must-reads from this week's edition of Inside the Pentagon.
The Defense Innovation Unit Experimental (DIUx) today announced it awarded 13 contract agreements for $12.3 million during the first two quarters of fiscal year 2017, bringing the total number of DIUx contracts since its founding to 25 for $48.8 million.
Defense Secretary Jim Mattis will embark on a trip to the Middle East and Africa on Monday, with scheduled stops in Saudi Arabia, Egypt, Israel, Qatar and Djibouti.
Details have yet to emerge on how, or even if, the massive executive branch reorganization directed by the White House this week will impact the Pentagon, but some are voicing skepticism concerning any potential civilian workforce reductions.
Defense Secretary Jim Mattis met with three major defense industry associations and executives Thursday to discuss issues ranging from weapons system acquisition to the Pentagon budget, according to a joint statement from the groups.
Here's a few must-reads from this week's edition of Inside the Pentagon:
The Trump administration will end the federal hiring freeze Wednesday and embark on an ambitious new effort to restructure the executive branch, potentially cutting, consolidating and realigning federal agencies, according to White House Office of Management and Budget Director Mick Mulvaney.
Defense Secretary Jim Mattis said today it would be "ill-advised" for the Syrian government to ever again use chemical weapons, noting that an April 6 U.S. airstrike on Shayrat airfield destroyed or damaged 20 percent of the Syrian military's operational aircraft.
Bill Greenwalt, the Senate Armed Services Committee staffer who helped Chairman John McCain (R-AZ) engineer some of the most significant acquisition reforms in years, will soon be leaving the committee, according to several sources.
A few must-reads from this week's edition of Inside the Pentagon.
The Pentagon's progress on managing acquisition cost growth since 2010 has "flattened out" in the past year, though programs begun after a variety of reforms were instituted have seen cost decreases, according to an annual report from the Government Accountability Office.
After spending weeks dispatching senior leaders to Capitol Hill to make the case for $30 billion in additional fiscal 2017 defense spending, the Pentagon is now worried partisan gridlock might leave it without any new FY-17 funding.
This week's top event is a congressional hearing featuring all the military service chiefs, who are slated to discuss the negative impacts of a potential yearlong continuing resolution. The annual Sea-Air-Space conference will also take place.
The House Armed Services Committee on Thursday released a list of potential negative impacts to the military should Congress move forward with a yearlong continuing resolution, rather than pass a regular fiscal year 2017 appropriations bill.