Saturday, October 18, 2025
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.
Republican chairmen of the House and Senate Appropriations committees have sent a blueprint to the Defense Department for how they would like to see funding spent in fiscal year 2025, though the Pentagon, which is operating under a yearlong continuing resolution, is in uncharted territory, according to documents obtained by Inside Defense.
The Defense Department is just beginning to wrestle with the challenges associated with the "Golden Dome" missile defense initiative ordered by President Trump, including who will lead it, according to a senior Pentagon official.
Because of recent litigation, the Defense Department has had to pause its effort to terminate around 5,400 probationary civilian employees, but senior officials said today the Pentagon still plans to cut between 5% and 8% of its total civilian workforce one way or another.
Senior defense officials are scheduled to speak at several events around Washington this week.
The Senate voted 54-46 today to pass a yearlong continuing resolution that averts a government shutdown tonight but doesn't keep pace with inflation, thereby reducing Pentagon buying power.
The Senate voted 59-40 today to confirm billionaire financier Stephen Feinberg as deputy defense secretary.
Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth has ordered the disestablishment of the Pentagon's storied Office of Net Assessment with the intent to "rebuild it." (UPDATED)
The GOP's yearlong continuing resolution that narrowly passed the House this week includes a variety of features -- like the authority to start some new programs and reallocate a greater amount of money during the fiscal year than previously allowed -- that were enough to win the support of defense advocates, though it amounts to a multibillion-dollar cut in military spending because it doesn't keep pace with inflation.
The Pentagon is telling the House Armed Services Committee that it cannot provide senior lawmakers with lists they requested identifying potential cuts to defense programs, but to instead wait for the rollout of the Trump administration's fiscal year 2026 budget request, according to a letter obtained by Inside Defense.
The House voted 217-213 today to pass a yearlong continuing resolution that faces an uncertain future in the Senate in advance of Friday night's shutdown deadline.
The Senate Armed Services Committee has voted to advance the nominations of Stephen Feinberg, whom President Trump has picked to be deputy defense secretary, and John Phelan, who has been tapped to serve as Navy secretary.
Senior defense officials are scheduled to speak at several events around Washington this week. Meanwhile, a stopgap continuing resolution is set to expire.
Ahead of a Friday night deadline, the House GOP has proposed a stopgap continuing resolution that would fund the federal government through September, adding about $8 billion for defense and cutting non-defense around $13 billion, while also granting the Pentagon authority to spend money on "new-start" programs.
The Defense Department is being directed to adopt special contracting pathways for rapidly acquiring software, according to a new memo from Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth.
The Defense Department, in compliance with President Trump's executive order implementing the "DOGE" initiative, is reviewing its contracting operations and policies and has suspended civilian government purchase cards typically used to procure items priced at $10,000 or less, according to new memos released by senior Pentagon officials.
Senate Armed Services Committee Chairman Roger Wicker (R-MS) has a lot on his plate this month, amid the upcoming expiration of a stopgap continuing resolution that could shut down the government and the crafting of a $150 billion budget reconciliation proposal that would surge spending on missile defense, ships, munitions and other areas.
Joe Lonsdale, a co-founder of Palantir whose venture capital firm has funded companies like Anduril, Saronic and Epirus, said today he believes the political landscape in Washington led by President Trump and Elon Musk will force changes to Pentagon procurement that create a more friendly environment for smaller companies looking to win contracts from large defense primes like Lockheed Martin and RTX.
Elbridge Colby, nominated by President Trump to serve as the under secretary of defense for policy, said today that developing the U.S. defense industrial base should be a key part of any new National Defense Strategy that makes deterring China its No. 1 priority.
The Pentagon last night confirmed that all U.S. military aid to Ukraine has been paused, following a tense public meeting in the Oval Office last week between President Trump and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky.
Despite an initial pause, Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth is now instructing all Defense Department civilians to comply with an Office of Personnel Management email directing them to detail five things they accomplished at their jobs in the past week.