The Insider

The Senate has voted 83-11 to confirm Air Force Gen. Charles "C.Q." Brown to become the next chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff after months of being stalled by Sen. Tommy Tuberville's (R-AL) ongoing hold on military nominations.

In advance of the vote, Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-NY) said he decided to schedule individual votes for Brown and two other senior defense nominees, even though the chamber often advances such picks through a speedier, bipartisan process that Tuberville is blocking over his opposition to the Pentagon’s leave and travel policies for servicemembers seeking abortions. His hold covers more than 300 military nominations.

The other two nominees, who are scheduled to receive confirmation votes tomorrow, are Gen. Randy George to become Army chief of staff and Gen. Eric Smith to become Marine Corps commandant.

“Due to the extraordinary circumstances of Sen. Tuberville’s reckless decisions, Democrats will take action,” Schumer said on the Senate floor. “Democrats have said all along that these promotions should move forward together, as these nominations have for decades in the past. They should have happened a long time ago; they should have happened the way these promotions have been done in the Senate until Sen. Tuberville arrived.”

Schumer had previously said he did not want the Senate to confirm the nominees individually as it could set a precedent in the future that could further slow the nomination process.

Meanwhile, a Congressional Research Service report found that it would take the Senate more than 30 days to confirm the nominees impacted by Tuberville’s hold if lawmakers worked 24 hours per day without stopping. It would take 89 days if the Senate worked eight hours a day on the nominations, CRS said.

Tuberville, using a privilege granted to senators, is holding up the speedy consideration of the nominations over his opposition to a DOD policy that provides leave and travel assistance for servicemembers seeking abortions if they are stationed somewhere the procedure is outlawed or cannot be obtained. The Biden administration established the policy following the June 2022 Supreme Court decision that overturned Roe v. Wade.

Democrats and Republicans alike have criticized Tuberville’s blanket hold, while defense officials have said for months it threatens national security.

Brown’s confirmation as chairman comes as Gen. Mark Milley prepares to retire from the post at the end of this month.

Following the news that Schumer would allow the three nominees to be considered individually, Tuberville took to X, formerly Twitter, to vow that he would never give up his holds unless DOD changed its abortion policy.

“One of us was bluffing. It wasn't me,” Tuberville wrote. “Democrats are taking the same action they could've taken months ago. As long as the Pentagon keeps the unlawful elective abortion policy in place, my holds will remain.”

The Army awarded BAE Systems a contract to produce additional Bradley Fighting Vehicles, the Defense Department announced Tuesday.

Following an earlier contract last month, BAE will produce M2A4 and M7A4 Bradley vehicles for $128 million to be completed by Jan. 31, 2026, according to the announcement.

While earlier contracts for the Bradley were completed at BAE’s facility in York, PA, the work sites for this contract will be determined with each order, the announcement reads.

Serving as the Army’s primary infantry fighting vehicle, the M2A4 is designed to carry and support dismounted troops in combat. It has a 25mm cannon, a coaxial 7.62mm caliber machine gun and can carry antitank missiles.

The M7A4 Bradley Fire Support Team Vehicle carries sensor and sighting systems designed to relay targeting information to support artillery fire.

Entering service in 1981, other variants of the Bradley include the M2 Infantry Fighting Vehicle, M3 Cavalry Vehicle, a command vehicle and engineer vehicle.

The Army previously operated the M6 Bradley Linebacker, a now-retired air defense variant that carried Stinger surface-to-air missiles.

The Army is slated to replace the Bradley with the XM30 Mechanized Infantry Combat Vehicle, previously called the Optionally Manned Fighting Vehicle.

The House voted 212-214 against beginning debate on the fiscal year 2024 defense spending bill, dealing another blow to Speaker Kevin McCarthy (R-CA), who has seen his efforts to pass legislation frustrated by the far-right flank of his own party.

Five Republicans broke ranks in voting against a rule to begin consideration of the bill, a significant defeat for McCarthy, who had to pull the measure from the floor schedule last week amid concerns that it could not garner the 218 votes needed for passage. Republicans who opposed the procedural vote to begin debate on the defense spending bill today are demanding steeper cuts to federal spending elsewhere in the appropriations process.

House GOP appropriators held a press conference last week urging support for the bill, which has drawn a veto threat from the White House for its inclusion of "culture war" provisions related to abortion, diversity initiatives and climate change.

"What's happening is the military is being held hostage to these procedural votes, so that can't happen," Rep. Ken Calvert (R-CA), chairman of the House Appropriations defense subcommittee, said on Friday. He restated his position today on X, formerly Twitter.

Meanwhile, the House GOP is divided by an intraparty fight over federal spending that has stalled legislation intended to avert a government shutdown on Oct. 1.

The five Republicans who voted against moving the defense spending bill are Reps. Matt Rosendale (R-MT), Ralph Norman (R-SC), Andy Biggs (R-AZ) Dan Bishop (R-NC) and Ken Buck (R-CO).

The House floor became raucous during the vote as House Democrats screamed for “regular order” while some Republicans crowded around Norman in a vain attempt to get him to change his vote and keep the defense bill from being voted down.

“You don’t have the votes,” one Democratic lawmaker screamed.

This Tuesday INSIDER Daily Digest has news on cruise missile defense, a Navy hypersonic missile program and more.

A Missile Defense Agency-led cruise missile defense project is a nearly two-year effort in response to a U.S. Northern Command requirement for an improved homeland defense capability to counter advanced air-breathing missiles:

DOD completes 'successful' demo of data exchange key for domestic cruise missile defense

The Defense Department earlier this month completed a joint tactical integrated fire control demonstration that culminated with simulated missile attack and response in skies over the Washington, DC area that will now inform an ongoing Air Force effort to design a program of record for a domestic cruise missile defense capability.

An upcoming technical review is the first of five such assessments scheduled over the next four years to monitor and validate the Hypersonic Air-Launched Offensive Anti-Surface (HALO) program -- a carrier-based surface strike weapon the Navy plans to field before the end of the decade:

Navy to conduct first HALO technical review this month ahead of FY-24 RFP

The Navy will conduct the initial technical review of a developing hypersonic weapon system before the end of September, ahead of an official request for proposals expected in the first half of fiscal year 2024, a Navy spokesperson confirmed to Inside Defense.

The chances a Republican-backed continuing resolution makes its way successfully through the Senate are slim to none:

Congress poised for funding fight this week following GOP's opening bid to avert shutdown

The House Rules Committee has voted to advance a stopgap continuing resolution backed by some GOP conservatives that stands little likelihood of passing the Democrat-led Senate as it contains politically controversial and divisive provisions and doesn't include funding for disaster relief or Ukraine.

The Navy is pulling every lever in its authority to grow active-duty enlistments, Adm. Lisa Franchetti said at her recent confirmation hearing to be the next chief of naval operations:

Franchetti: The Navy is in a 'war for talent'

With the Navy projecting it will fall short of fiscal year 2023 recruitment goals, acting Chief of Naval Operations Adm. Lisa Franchetti told lawmakers last week the sea service is fighting "a war for talent."

Last but by no means least, the latest cyber defense news from our colleagues at Inside Cybersecurity:

OMB kicks off meetings with industry stakeholders ahead of CMMC proposed rule release

The White House Office of Management and Budget's Office of Information and Regulatory Affairs is meeting with stakeholders in the Pentagon's Cybersecurity Maturity Model Certification program, as the interagency process gets underway to review a proposed rule that will implement major changes to the Defense Department initiative.

This Monday INSIDER Daily Digest has news on the potential effect of partisan gridlock on how European allies perceive the United States, the Pentagon's use of the mid-band electromagnetic spectrum and more.

Pentagon acquisition chief Bill LaPlante, who will be accompanying Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin next week to meet with the coalition of European nations who have committed to supporting Ukraine, said it can be difficult to explain Capitol Hill's partisan gridlock to U.S. allies:

LaPlante worries about how Hill dysfunction will look to NATO allies

Pentagon acquisition chief Bill LaPlante is going to Brussels this week to urge NATO armaments directors to continue surging weapons production to assist Ukraine and deter Russia, but he noted Thursday that he will be doing so as Congress, unable to pass defense spending bills and other appropriations packages, is sliding toward a government shutdown.

Sen. Mike Rounds (R-SD), who has raised concerns all year about the risk of repurposing 3.1–3.45 GHz for telecommunications companies to develop the 5G commercial market, last week disclosed a key finding of what he said is a joint, not-yet-public report by the Defense and Commerce departments:

DOD's prized mid-band spectrum to be protected from 'carte blanche' auction, lawmaker says

The telecommunications industry will not receive "carte blanche" to auction off lower portions of the mid-band electromagnetic spectrum that are critical to U.S. military air and missile defense capabilities, the Defense and Commerce departments have determined in a long-anticipated report, according to a lawmaker briefed on not-yet-public findings.

We move on with more coverage from last week's confirmation hearing of Adm. Lisa Franchetti to become the Navy's top uniformed officer:

Franchetti presses for increase in Virginia-class submarine production

The Navy needs to produce at least one additional Virginia-class submarine per year to maintain undersea advantage in the Indo-Pacific and globally, Adm. Lisa Franchetti, acting chief of naval operations, told lawmakers.

Franchetti outlines backup plan as Columbia schedule risks persist

The Navy has a backup plan to keep the sea-based leg of the nuclear triad operational if next-generation Columbia-class submarines are not delivered on time -- a plan that would see service-life extensions for selected Ohio-class boats beginning as early as fiscal year 2029.

Franchetti cites billion-dollar financial headwinds for F-35C updates

Cost overruns of more than $1 billion for modernizing F-35C Joint Strike Fighters are creating financial headwinds for the follow-on development of the fifth-generation aircraft, acting Chief of Naval Operations Admiral Lisa Franchetti told lawmakers Friday.

Document: Franchetti's answers to advance policy questions

Mieke Eoyang, deputy assistant secretary of defense for cyber policy, said at a Defense Writers Group breakfast in Washington last week that China is also gathering information to enhance its already sophisticated cyber techniques and determine how cyber best enables military activities:

Top DOD cyber official cites lessons learned in Ukraine that could help Taiwan

A senior Pentagon official said today that the United States is not alone in learning lessons from Ukraine's cyber battles with Russia, noting that China is likely doing the same as it eyes potential conflict with Taiwan.

A recent Defense Department report outlines plans on how the U.S. and its allies can respond to and protect against space threats from China and Russia and provides guidelines for national security space activities and identifies space systems priorities:

DOD responds to Congress' directives on protection of in-orbit satellites

In response to two congressional directives, the Defense Department Thursday published an unclassified report describing its approach to space-related policies and strategies on how it plans to protect the U.S. and its allies from threats in space.

Document: DOD's space policy review, strategy on satellite protection

Senior defense officials are scheduled to speak around the Washington area this week.

Tuesday

The Center for Strategic and International Studies hosts a discussion with Army Secretary Christine Wormuth and acting Army Chief of Staff Gen. Randy George.

The Hudson Institute hosts a discussion on furthering U.S.-India security cooperation.

The House Armed Services Committee holds a hearing on defense cooperation with Taiwan.

Wednesday

The House Armed Services cyber, innovation and information technology subcommittee holds a hearing with industry officials on the defense innovation ecosystem.

The House Armed Services military personnel subcommittee holds a hearing on the military promotions process.

The Association of the United States Army hosts a discussion with the chief of Army Training and Doctrine Command.

The Reagan Institute hosts a discussion on artificial intelligence and the National Defense Strategy.

The Center for a New American Security hosts a discussion on emerging technology and the AUKUS alliance.

House Republican committee chairmen are requesting the Commerce Department's Bureau of Industry and Security and other government agencies brief them by Sept. 28 on the national security implications of granting licenses to companies controlled by the Chinese Communist Party.

“We are extremely troubled and perplexed about the Bureau of Industry and Security’s (BIS) inability to effectively write and enforce export control rules against violators, especially China,” the lawmakers wrote in a letter to Commerce Under Secretary for Industry and Security Alan Estevez.

The letter requested BIS coordinate with the Defense, State and Energy departments for the briefing and urged placement of “additional pressure” on export controls for U.S. adversaries and competitors, like China.

“For more than two years, our committees and numerous members of Congress have written you regarding loopholes in BIS rules attempting, unsuccessfully, to restrict technology to Huawei and [Semiconductor Manufacturing International Corp (SMIC)], among others,” the letter stated. “Despite this knowledge and continued Congressional pressure to adopt stricter policies, BIS has continued to grant licenses to Chinese Communist Party (CCP) controlled companies, such as SMIC, worth hundreds of billions of dollars. These companies support the CCP’s military and have been responsible for manufacturing semiconductors that power Huawei’s 5G devices, in violation of BIS’ export controls.”

The letter comes in response to reports which revealed that Huawei Technologies Co. developed a smartphone containing 7-nanometer chips capable of supporting 5G, produced by the Chinese state-owned SMIC, which the lawmakers say violates U.S. export-control regulations.

The letter was signed by House Armed Services Committee Chairman Mike Rogers (R-AL), Foreign Affairs Committee Chairman Michael McCaul (R-TX), Energy and Commerce Committee Chairwoman Cathy McMorris Rodgers (R-WA), House Select Committee on the Chinese Communist Party Chairman Mike Gallagher (R-WI) and Reps. Ann Wagner (R-MO), Robert Latta (R-OH), Young Kim (R-CA), Gus Bilirakis (R-FL), Brian Mast (R-FL) and Morgan Griffith (R-VA).

The lawmakers suggested seven immediate steps that BIS should take, stating they were already explained to the Foreign Affairs Committee earlier this year.

These suggestions included establishing a sanctions authority through the International Emergency Economic Powers Act on Chinese companies, barring the import of SMIC produced semiconductors, placing SMIC and Huawei on the Entity List with a Foreign Direct Product Rule designation, implementing a policy of denial for all items subject to the Export Administration Regulations (EAR) for Huawei subsidiaries and SMIC, removing all license exceptions for all items subject to the EAR to SMIC and pursuing criminal charges against SMIC and Huawei executives.

“We need to enforce laws under your authority against them and not play into their hands,” the letter states. “Times have changed in our relations with China. It is beyond time for our bureaucracy to as well.”