Policy

Scalise Emerges as Defense Hawks' Pick for House No. 2

The majority whip backed their plan to evade spending limits by using the wartime contingency fund.

Policy

How Fear Slammed America’s Door on Syrian Refugees

As millions flee from war to uncertainty or death, ‘national security concerns’ have kept US arrivals to a trickle.

Policy

Defense Policy Bill Heads to Obama, Who Readies Veto Pen

The 2016 NDAA would give the Pentagon all the money the White House requested — but without resolving four-year-old budget caps.

Policy

U.S. Commander in Afghanistan: Now Is Not the Time to Leave

Gen. Campbell tells lawmakers he has sent the White House various options for keeping troops beyond 2016.

Policy

Lawmakers' Defense Spending Agreement Ignores Obama on War Fund, Guantanamo

House and Senate members agreed to military personnel and acquisition reforms, yet set up a showdown over the offshore prison and wartime supplemental funding.

Policy

The Real Audience for Obama’s U.N. Speech Was Republicans

Though he was speaking in an international forum, the president’s message actually seemed targeted at the 2016 GOP field.

Policy

Putin Makes the Case For Dictators With UN Speech

Obama and Putin both want to defeat ISIS. But their visions for how the world should look after its defeat don't match up.

Policy

Who Cares If Russia Helps Stabilize Syria

If Putin and Obama don't want a fight, Moscow and Washington should get over themselves and let this work.

Policy

Congress Plans To Keep Government Open

A short-term spending measure would keep the government running until early December.

Policy

Obama Administration: Terror-War Authorizations Don't OK Defending US-Trained Syrians Against Assad

Instead, administration officials say, the Constitution gives the president the authority, in certain circumstances, to order action against Assad’s forces.

Policy

Can the U.S. Trust China to Stop Stealing Business Secrets?

Obama threatened sanctions, but proving responsibility for a cyberattack will be difficult.

Policy

Obama, Xi Reach Agreement Over Chinese Data Thefts

The two leaders agreed that neither government would conduct or knowingly support web enabled theft of intellectual property.

Policy

NSA Head: Loss of Access to Metadata Will Hurt Intelligence

The director of the NSA says the Freedom Act will slow and hamper intelligence gathering. Too bad it’s already law.

Policy

Would Sun Tzu Endorse Donald Trump's Total-War Political Strategy?

Forget The Art of the Deal—what does The Art of War have to say about whether the Republican frontrunner’s campaign has peaked?

Policy

Hillary Clinton: Come Clean or Get Out

If Clinton won't say how and why she hid her State Department emails related to national security, why should the public--much less the FBI--believe her on anything?

Science & Tech

White House: No Cyber Attack Pact with China, For Now

The Chinese president’s visit to Washington will highlight how far apart the two nations are on cyber issues.

Policy

McCain Vows One Continuing Resolution Only, Then It’s Budget Deal or Bust

The Armed Service Committee chairman compared his own majority leader’s strategy on defense spending to the administration’s in Iraq and Syria: nonexistent.

Policy

Is Joni Ernst the Next John McCain?

The freshman Iowa senator and Iraq vet is making her way into the GOP’s national-security leadership.

Policy

Lawmakers Reheat War Over Defense vs Non-Defense Spending

The an­nounce­ment from Kentucky Senator Mitch Mc­Con­nell is seen as a coup for Demo­crats who want a plan to raise budget caps on both de­fense and nondefense spend­ing.

Policy

Debate Shows GOP Candidates Remain Divided Over How To Use the Military—and When

On national security, the Republican field continues to offer as many plans filled with blanks as criticisms.