Ideas

'Some of You on this Committee Appear to Believe' That Russia Didn't Meddle in 2016

In testimony, a former senior director for European and Russian affairs on Trump's National Security Council tells lawmakers to stop spreading Moscow's lies.

Science & Tech

What to Expect from Congress’ Cyber Strategy Brain Trust 

The Cyberspace Solarium Commission aims to have policy recommendations ready to plug into the next defense authorization bill, Co-Chairman Rep. Mike Gallagher said.

Ideas

Pompeo Can’t Escape

The secretary of state has been trying to distance himself from the impeachment hearings, but today’s explosive testimony put him at center stage.

Policy

Volker: I Didn’t Realize White House Was Asking for Biden Dirt

In Tuesday testimony, the special envoy to Ukraine said he was not part of the Giuliani-Perry-Sondland backchannel.

Business

What Does the US Military Need For A War In Space? It’s Hard to Say

The plans for war above the atmosphere remain so tightly classified that industry can’t start building the things that will be needed.

Ideas

Democrats Should Debate Arms Policy, Not Just Impeachment

With Congress and the president at odds over Saudi exports and other questions, it’s time to press the candidates about their views.

Ideas

We Haven’t Done Enough to Ensure That America Never Tortures Again

The first post-9/11 commander of the Gitmo detention facility maps out what’s done and what still needs doing.

Ideas

What’s Wrong with Boeing?

From sloppy work to blown deadlines to deadly failures, the company has lost its way. It needs tough love — in the form of Congressional investigations.

Policy

McConnell Asked White House For Sanctions Position, Dem Senator Says

The Senate majority leader is weighing the myriad sanctions proposals on the Hill, Sen. Van Hollen said at the Defense One Outlook 2020 conference. 

Ideas

National Security Is Made of People

We need a way to measure the readiness of our civilian national-security workforce. Then we need to fix it.

Ideas

Do Americans Still Want The US to Be the World’s Security Leader?

The post-Trump awakening of political activism is inspiring, but seems to end at the border. We’re teaming up with CNAS to find out why.

Ideas

The Pentagon Doesn't Need a ‘Skinny’ Authorization Bill

Sen. Inhofe’s proposal for a place-holder NDAA isn’t necessary, and could be counterproductive.

Threats

Trump’s STRATCOM Pick Declines to Endorse Open-Skies Withdrawal

The Trump administration is weighing pulling out of the 1992 surveillance agreement amid complaints that Russia is out of compliance.

Threats

US Lawmakers Fear The Damage Is Done On Syria

“The egg may be scrambled,” said one Armed Services Committee lawmaker amid a welter of efforts to salvage the situation.

Ideas

Donald Trump Looks More and More Like Oliver North

Iran-Contra was also about a foreign policy run from inside the White House and outside the law.

Ideas

The White House Abused the Classification System

The question now is whether Congress can summon the will to hold the president to account.

Ideas

Does America Need a Space Force?

A new service branch would put more bureaucracy between critical capabilities and the troops who need them.

Ideas

A National-Security Problem Without Parallel in American Democracy

Democrats — candidates and lawmakers alike — should make it clear that they will impose consequences on any country that meddles with voting.

Ideas

Democrats Should Not Give New Nukes to a President They Want to Impeach

National security concerns about Trump are only the latest reason Sen. Jack Reed should kill the new sub-launched warhead.

Threats

White House Used Classified System to Hide Trump’s Phone Call: Whistleblower

The IC employee wrote that the July 25 call to Ukraine was not the only time documents had been improperly hidden in codeword-level systems.