House Armed Services Committee

• April showers bring legislative flowers for defense

  This spring will see new acquisition reforms from the House Armed Services Committee along with hopes to pass appropriations bills.

  Congress

  February 16, 2017
• Lawmakers push for more exemptions to hiring freeze

  Lawmakers introduced five bills to ensure the readiness of the federal workforce in the face of the hiring freeze or potential furloughs.

  Hiring/Retention

  February 13, 2017
• Senior House Democrat pushes new BRAC legislation, with possible support from Senate

  The House Armed Services Committee’s top Democrat said Thursday that he plans to reintroduce legislation that would allow the Defense Department to conduct a new round of base realignments and closures (BRAC).

  Defense

  January 27, 2017
• Widespread congressional support for Mattis as Defense secretary suddenly devolves along partisan lines

  Just hours after the conclusion of James Mattis' confirmation hearing to be the next secretary of Defense, a broad bipartisan majority of 81 senators voted Thursday to make an exception from the seven-year cooling off period for military officers and allow him to become the department's top civilian leader.

  Defense

  January 13, 2017
• House, Senate committees meet to ponder civilian-military relations under President Trump

  Congress’ two defense policy committees were set to meet Thursday to consider whether retired Gen. James Mattis should be the next secretary of Defense, something both houses of Congress will have to approve since his confirmation would require the suspension of a federal law that demands military officers be out of uniform for seven years before they become the military’s civilian boss.

  Defense

  January 12, 2017
• Congressional leadership changes feds should know about

  Leadership is changing in six congressional committees with jurisdictions that could affect the way feds do business governmentwide.

  Congress

  December 13, 2016
• NDAA mixes up DOD’s acquisition posts

  Congress is doing away with Frank Kendall's position and is authorizing more troops for the services.

  Congress

  November 29, 2016
• Congress tightens screws on DoD for supplemental budget

  A prominent Republican on the House Armed Services Committee is the newest lawmaker to ask the White House for a budget request to pay for additional troops in Afghanistan.

  Defense

  September 29, 2016
• DoD supplemental war budget coming in November

  The Defense Department will ask Congress for another wartime find when lawmakers come back from their fall recess.

  Defense

  September 27, 2016
• Is the National Security Council too big? Yes, but it’s complicated

  Among hundreds of provisions in the House Armed Services Committee’s version of the annual Defense authorization bill, a restraint on the size of the National Security Council is one of a relative handful singled out by Mac Thornberry (R-Texas), the committee's chairman.

  Congress

  September 12, 2016
• Experts give House positive reviews on DoD reforms

  Former DoD officials told the House Armed Services Committee that most of the Senate's reforms to the Pentagon are a good idea.

  Defense

  July 07, 2016
• U.S. paying $100 million to keep troops out of Afghanistan

  The United States is hiring contractors to maintain aircraft in Afghanistan to keep the number of deployed troops lower.

  Defense

  July 06, 2016
• When should DoD respond to a cyber attack? No one really knows

  The Defense Department is still searching for a solid answer on how it will respond to a cyber attack on U.S. infrastructure.

  Defense

  June 23, 2016
• Congress hits back at White House over NDAA

  Congressional staffers addressed some of the President's concerns with the 2017 defense authorization bill.

  Defense

  June 21, 2016