House Mark-Up

House Republicans getting ready to mark up the fiscal year 2013 defense authorization bill signaled this afternoon that they are in no mood to go along with the Defense Department's budget proposal, which is supposed to begin the process of ramping down defense spending.

"The FY13 NDAA will reflect the higher defense funding in the House Budget over the President's request and make strategic investments to begin reconstituting a force eroded by war and lack of sustained investment in modernization," a statement from the majority on the House Armed Services Committee reads.

Mark-up proceedings begin next week, with the military personnel subcommittee starting things off at 10:30 a.m. next Wednesday, followed by the seapower and projection forces subpanel at noon, strategic forces at 1:30 p.m. and emerging threats and capabilities at 3:30.

Then on Thursday, the tactical air and land forces subcommittee marks up its portion at 9 a.m., followed by the readiness subcommittee at 10:30 a.m.

The full committee will meet to mark up the bill on May 9 at 10 a.m.

Twitter addicts can follow the mark-up proceedings via the hashtag #13NDAA.

Committee Chairman Buck McKeon (R-CA) will offer a preview of his party's main issues surrounding the authorization bill in a speech to the Hamilton Society on April 25 at 6 p.m., according to the statement.