Tuesday, February 7, 2023
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.
House and Senate appropriators have drafted a final fiscal year 2023 omnibus spending bill that would increase Pentagon procurement by more than $17 billion above what lawmakers enacted in FY-22, while research and development would be boosted by more than $20 billion.
Lawmakers last night released a bipartisan omnibus appropriations bill that would provide $858 billion in total defense spending for fiscal year 2023, exceeding President Biden's request by $45 billion. The bill also includes an additional $45 billion in supplemental funding for Ukraine, about $7 billion more than Biden sought.
The House and Senate have passed legislation that would extend the current stopgap continuing resolution from Dec. 16 to Dec. 23, giving lawmakers more time to negotiate a final spending deal to fund the federal government and stave off a shutdown.
The Senate voted 83-11 to pass the fiscal year 2023 defense authorization bill, sending the measure to President Biden’s desk to be signed into law.
House Appropriations Committee Chairwoman Rosa DeLauro (D-CT) today released legislation that would extend the stopgap continuing resolution from Dec. 16 to Dec. 23.
Senior defense officials are slated to speak at several events this week, the Senate is expected vote on a final version of the annual defense authorization bill and the stopgap continuing resolution currently funding the federal government is set to expire.
The Defense Department today announced a $275 million military aid package for Ukraine that includes weapon systems that will be transferred directly from U.S. stocks.
A senior Pentagon policy official charged with helping oversee the Defense Department's response to China's military buildup said today that 2023 will be "the most transformative year" in a generation for U.S. force posture in the Asia-Pacific region.
The House voted 350-80 to pass the fiscal year 2023 defense authorization bill, which heads to the Senate for a final vote.
The House and Senate version of the fiscal year 2023 defense authorization bill would provide the Pentagon with new multiyear contracts for munitions deemed critical in the support of Ukraine and, possibly, to aid Taiwan in the event of a conflict with China.
House and Senate lawmakers have released a compromise version of the fiscal year 2023 defense authorization bill that supports $858 billion in total national defense spending, a $45 billion increase above what President Biden has requested.
As Congress haggles over an end-of-year spending deal, the Defense Department has sent lawmakers a $25 billion list of unfunded priorities, including $1.26 billion to bolster the industrial base for critical munitions that could play a role in a future Taiwan-China conflict scenario, according to an interview with a senior Pentagon official and a document obtained by Inside Defense.
The Defense Department is warning Congress that a host of national security programs will be damaged if lawmakers fail to pass a fiscal year 2023 spending bill and opt for a long-term, stopgap continuing resolution.
SIMI VALLEY -- Senior Pentagon officials and U.S. lawmakers spoke with top industry executives at a high-profile defense conference over the weekend about the need to rethink -- and aggressively fund -- the production of key weapon systems with supply chain vulnerabilities that have been highlighted by the ongoing war in Ukraine.
The House and Senate compromise version of the fiscal year 2023 defense authorization bill will not be released today, though lawmakers say it is likely to emerge Tuesday.
SIMI VALLEY, CA -- Lawmakers and Pentagon officials are acknowledging that record inflation and its impact on the Defense Department is likely to continue driving spending debates, while the Biden administration eyes completion of its fiscal year 2024 budget request.
SIMI VALLEY, CA -- The Pentagon comptroller said today that one of the bigger "themes" in the next defense budget request, spurred by the U.S. response to Russia's ongoing invasion of Ukraine, will be a focus on investments for expanding critical munitions production, especially for weapons that could be used in a potential China-Taiwan conflict scenario.
SIMI VALLEY, CA -- Lockheed Martin President and CEO James Taiclet said today that large prime contractors, like his company, should commit to flowing 100% of all progress payment increases down to smaller subcontractors to strengthen the U.S. defense industrial base.
SIMI VALLEY, CA -- House Armed Services Committee Chairman Adam Smith (D-WA) vowed today that a final compromise version of the fiscal year 2023 defense authorization bill will be filed on Monday.
Lawmakers no longer expect to file a compromise version of the fiscal year 2023 defense authorization bill today, according to lawmakers and staffers.