Policy & Strategy

The Central Intelligence Agency, and not the Pentagon, will lead the Obama administration's program to provide arms to Syrian rebels.

Langley will coordinate weapon deliveries to opposition forces battling to oust longtime Syrian president Bashar Assad from power, according to reports in the Wall Street Journal. 

The House Friday passed a new defense bill that that seeks to reverse an increase in sexual assaults in the military.

The House on Friday rejected a Democratic proposal to allow nonreligious chaplains to serve nonreligious service members in the military.

Rep. Jared Polis (D-Colo.) said nearly a quarter of people serving in the military are nonreligious, but under current law, spiritual advisers must be appointed by religious organizations, like the Catholic Church. His amendment to the National Defense Authorization Act would have changed that to allow "nontheistic" organizations to appoint people to the military's chaplain corps.

The House voted 236-188 to prohibit using Defense funds to transfer detainees to Yemen.

The House on Friday morning approved language saying it is the sense of Congress that members of the military should be exempt from Washington, D.C., gun laws.

The language, from Rep. Phil Gingrey (R-Ga.), says military personnel living in or stationed in Washington would be exempt. It was attached to the 2014 National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) as part of the last en bloc amendment package approved by voice vote.

The House worked into Thursday evening on dozens of amendments to the National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA), and will return Friday morning at 9 a.m. to work on just a few dozen more before passing the bill.

On Thursday night, the House voted to block the United Nations Arms Trade Treaty, prohibit the Defense Department from killing U.S. citizens with drones, selling F-16 fighter planes to Taiwan, preventing recreational upgrades to detention facilities in Guantanamo Bay, and even give free Internet access to members of the Armed Forces in combat areas.

The House approves several amendments to the National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) late Thursday that stress ongoing vigilance on Iran and North Korea, as well as Russia and other countries.

Members approved an amendment from Rep. Brad Schneider (D-Ill.) requiring an analysis on how sanctions are affecting Iran's Threat Network. Another proposal from Schneider that was approved adds a sense of Congress that the president should limit the transfer of arms from Russia, Lebanon and Iran to Syria.

The House passed several hot-button amendments as part of the 2014 National Defense Authorization Act on Thursday night.

One of them, from Rep. Mike Kelly (R-Pa.), would ban the use of funds to implement the United Nations Arms Trade Treaty unless it has been signed by the president, has "receive the advice and consent of the Senate" and is the subject of implementing legislation by Congress. Republicans have long opposed this treaty and say it threatens to undermine the right to bear arms under the Second Amendment.

The House has approved language that would prevent the Defense Department (DOD) from using any taxpayer funds to add or upgrade recreational facilities at detention facilities in Guantánamo Bay, Cuba.

The language, from Rep. Dennis Ross (R-Fla.), is a reaction to reports from last year that cable TV and other amenities — including a soccer field — were being built for detainees.

The House approved language late Thursday that would prevent the Department of Defense from engaging in any "collaborative cyber-security activities" with the People's Republic of China.

The language, from Rep. Ron DeSantis (R-Fla.), was attached to the 2014 National Defense Authorization Act in a voice vote.