Ideas
Reform Pentagon Acquisition By Slowing Down the F-35
John McCain and Ash Carter want real acquisition reform? Great, they can start by slowing – or stopping – the F-35.
Policy
Obama’s ISIS War Powers Request Has Few Limits on Who, Where, How
President Obama’s requested authorization for the use of force against ISIS has few limits on how, where, and whom the fight is against.
Policy
Ash Carter Sails Through Senate Armed Services Committee
The Senate Armed Services Committee voted unanimously to send on Ash Carter’s nomination for a full vote. Lawmakers want him in the Pentagon by week’s end.
Policy
Obama’s War Powers Request Expected to Spark New Debate This Week
New war powers for the Islamic State fight are expected any day now. They will unleash the first real debate on war in more than a decade.
Policy
Defense Cuts Threaten To Split the GOP
Republicans have little room for error in their bid to pass a budget, and sequestration is forcing a rethink of conventional priorities.
Policy
Air Force General's Treason Comments Spark Investigation
The Air Force is now investigating a general who reportedly accused Air Force pilots of committing treason for sharing successes of the A-10 aircraft with lawmakers.
Policy
Obama's New National Security Strategy Could Force Clinton to Take a Hard Line
Critics are attacking Obama's new national security strategy as weak and unfocused -- leaving Democrats on the defensive.
Policy
Democrats Hit GOP Over National Security in Homeland Funding Bill Fight
Citing Paris, ISIS and even 9/11, Democrats try to gain some leverage over the GOP in a fight that leaves the Homeland Security Department's future in limbo.
Policy
Republicans Go Easy on Ash Carter, Keep Focus on White House
Instead of attacking Obama’s national security strategy, lawmakers mostly held off, deciding Ash Carter will have little impact on policy.
Policy
Carter Survives To Fight Another Day
The Defense Secretary nominee plays it safe amid mostly gentle questioning.
Policy
The Pentagon’s Weapon Wish Lists Could Disappear
The military’s billion-dollar wish lists for weapons that did not make it onto the Pentagon’s budget might disappear as lawmakers decide whether they’re worth it.
Policy
Ash Carter May Lean Forward on Iraq, Syria, But Not Too Far
The defense secretary nominee seeks a pragmatic, ‘lasting’ approach to long-term problems in the Middle East.
Policy
How a Lindsey Graham 2016 Bid Could Alter the GOP on National Security
Some see Sen. Lindsey Graham's possible entrance into the presidential ring less as a serious bid and more of an effort to change GOP positions on U.S. policy in the Middle East.
Policy
Why an Inflatable Missile Is Set To Hit the National Mall
Proposed upgrades to America's nuclear arsenal provide the backdrop for this weekend's scheduled appearance of a 'life-size, four-story inflated nuclear missile.'
Policy
Joint Chiefs Warn Against Sequestration, Again
Like a tragic Greek chorus, the Joint Chiefs again warned of the dire consequences of sequestration, although Congress is unlikely to act.
Policy
Military Compensation Reform Commission Prompts a Divisive Debate
Thursday’s recommendations to overhaul military personnel system will set the stage for scrutiny on an outdated system.
Business
Lawmakers Seek Tighter Restrictions on VA Executives' Bonus Pay
A new bill caps the number of VA executives eligible for bonuses, and instructs leaders to switch jobs within the department at least once every five years.
Threats
The US Doesn’t Know How Secure Its Border Is
Without one critical metric, it's hard to make accurate statements on how efficient the U.S. Border Patrol is -- or how a new bill would improve border security.
Policy
Rubio Doubles Down on NSA Surveillance Ahead of 2016
The Florida Republican and national security hawk is calling for a permanent extension of the legal framework that allows the NSA to collect bulk U.S. phone metadata. By Dustin Volz
Policy