Budget/Appropriations

Rep. Adam Smith (D-Wash.), ranking member on the House Armed Services Committee, predicted Thursday that Congress will be able to spare the Pentagon a slew of automatic budget cuts slated for early next year.

"I do not believe that sequestration will happen," Smith said during a Thursday speech in Arlington, Va., but cautioned that lawmakers need to work quickly to restructure legislation requiring those reductions. 

Joint Chiefs chairman said he "misspoke" in earlier remarks about automatic cuts, but warned the military would have "less capacity."

The defense industry is counting on David Hess, chairman of the Aerospace Industries Association to reverse billions in sequestered cuts.

Though some conservatives said they would have cut further than the GOP plan, they wanted to avoid the automatic cuts.

The plan charges that President Obama is weakening national security by cutting spending at the Pentagon.

The leaders of the Senate Armed Services Committee warned the Pentagon against budget moves until Congress acts first.

The Obama administration plans to resume sending military aid to Egypt despite a new congressional mandate that links military aid to the protection of basic freedoms, The New York Times reported.

Secretary of State Hillary Clinton will waive the congressional requirement on the basis of national security as early as next week, after the $1.3 billion in military aid was in jeopardy after Egyptian authorities prevented U.S. non-governmental organization (NGO) workers from leaving Egypt as they faced prosecution for allegedly operating illegally in the country.

One of the workers was Sam LaHood, son of Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood.

Rep. Buck McKeon (R-Calif.) says one of his top priorities is to stop the cuts from the Budget Control Act. 

The retirement of Rep. Norm Dicks (D-Wash.) has already sparked a race to replace him as the top Democratic House appropriator, but a battle to replace him as ranking member of the Defense subcommittee could also be closely contested.

Defense insiders see three possible replacements for Dicks on the subcommittee: Rep. Marcy Kaptur (D-Ohio), Rep. Jim Moran (D-Va.) and Rep. Pete Visclosky (D-Ind.).

Rep. Norm Dicks (D-Wash.) will retire at the end of the year; his seat likely to stay in Dem hands.