The Senate Armed Services Committee on Wednesday cleared through a unanimous vote a bill that would allocate $640 billion in defense base budget and $60 billion in overseas contingency operations funds for fiscal 2018, The Hill reported Wednesday. Sen. John McCain (R-Arizona), chairman of the Senate committee, said the 2018 National …
Read More »House, Senate Armed Services Committee Leaders Seek Defense Sequestration Reversal
Sen. John McCain (R-Arizona), chairman of the Senate Armed Services Committee, and Rep. Mac Thornberry (R-Texas), head of the House armed services panel, have echoed the call of a group of lawmakers to reverse the sequestration policy for defense programs, Defense News reported Monday. “Sequestration is an act of sheer …
Read More »Senate Approves VA Choice Program Extension Bill
The Senate has unanimously approved a bill that would permit the Department of Veterans Affairs to use funds appropriated for the Veterans Choice Program after the initiative expires on Aug. 7. Sen. John McCain’s (R-Arizona) office said Monday the Veterans Choice Program Improvement Act would allow VA to fully consume $950 million …
Read More »Sen. John McCain: Full-Year CR More Likely If Trump’s Budget Deal Lacks Enough Domestic Spending
Senate Armed Services Committee Chairman John McCain (R-Arizona) has said Congress might resort to a full-year continuing resolution if President Donald Trump fails to make a budget deal that contains enough funds for domestic spending, Defense News reported Sunday. “It’s a real possibility unless we get the president’s understanding that …
Read More »John McCain Discusses Potential Military Base Consolidation and Closure to Support DoD Waste Reduction Efforts
Senate Armed Services Committee Chairman John McCain has considered the possibility of military base closures and consolidation to support the reduction of wasted Defense Department funds, The Hill newspaper reported Tuesday. Kristina Wong writes McCain and Ranking Member Jack Reed (D-Rhode Island) have discussed the issue of base closure and realignment which will potentially consolidate …
Read More »Sen. John McCain Offers $7.5B Funding Proposal to Support US Forces, Allies in APAC Region
Senate Armed Services Committee Chairman John McCain (R-Arizona) has proposed $7.5 billion in U.S. military funds to boost munition inventory and construct infrastructure in the Asia-Pacific region through 2022, Reuters reported Monday. David Brunnstrom writes McCain included the military funding proposal in his “Restoring American Power” white paper that seeks budget to increase the …
Read More »Frank Kendall Urges Next Administration to Prioritize Defense R&D, Modernization Investments
Frank Kendall, the Defense Department‘s top acquisition official, has said funding defense technology research, development and modernization programs should be a priority for the next administration, DoD News reported Wednesday. Karen Parrish writes Kendall made the statement Wednesday during a Center for Strategic and International Studies-hosted forum where he discussed his new …
Read More »Senate Armed Services Committee Unveils New Subcommittee Leaders, Ranking Members
The Senate Armed Services Committee has selected chairpersons and ranking members who will lead the panel’s subcommittees in the 115th Congress. SASC said Wednesday Sens. John McCain (R-Arizona) and Jack Reed (D-Rhode Island), respective chairman and ranking member of the committee, will serve as ex-officio members of all armed services subcommittees. Names of senators and the subcommittees they will …
Read More »Gen. David Goldfein: Air Force Eyes Light-Attack Aircraft Search in Spring
Air Force Chief of Staff Gen. David Goldfein has said the service branch looks to begin its search for a light-attack aircraft this spring, the National Defense magazine reported Wednesday. Vivienne Machi writes Goldfein said at an American Enterprise Institute event the military branch plans to collaborate with defense contractors to conduct an …
Read More »Adm. John Richardson: Navy Should Exercise Caution in Warship Design Replacement
Chief of Naval Operations Adm. John Richardson has said he agrees with Sen. John McCain’s (R-Arizona) plan to increase the U.S. Navy’s fleet of ships, but caution should be exercised when it comes to the replacement of existing designs, such as littoral combat ships, with new combat vessels, Breaking Defense …
Read More »