Defense

The House next week is expected to work on legislation that would reauthorize U.S. intelligence agencies for 2013, and also authorize a newly created spy operation within the Department of Defense (DOD).

The Intelligence Authorization Act, H.R. 5743, would formally authorize DOD's Defense Clandestine Service, which is aimed at gathering intelligence beyond the countries in which U.S. forces are already engaged. DOD has said this will improve its military readiness and help it decide how to deploy forces around the world. The new service will also see increased cooperation between DOD and the Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) on intelligence issues.

Delegates to Congress from the Northern Mariana Islands and Puerto Rico were able to have their voice heard last week by getting three of their four amendments to the National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) approved by the House, even though they were not permitted to vote on those amendments or the final bill.

Del. Gregorio Sablan of the Northern Mariana Islands (I) offered an amendment that would require the flags of all U.S. territories to be displayed at military installations when all the state flags are flown. Sabalan said Monday that this requirement recognizes that the military is made up of soldiers from these territories.

The 2013 National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) bill that passed the House last week includes an amendment from Rep. John Lewis (D-Ga.) that requires the Defense Department to calculate and publish the costs of wars in Iraq, Afghanistan and Libya.

The amendment was one of several included in an en bloc amendment package last week, and was praised by Lewis as a victory for taxpayers, regardless of their position on the wars.

The bill obligates $100 million next year to plan for the site, but billions would be needed to complete it.

The House accepted an amendment to the National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) that would replace the sequester of discretionary defense spending for fiscal 2013, making the bill compatible with the House-passed budget resolution.

The amendment from Rep. Scott Rigell (R-Va.) was approved 220-201 Friday morning, and reflects the ongoing Republican effort to spare the Defense Department from sequester cuts and take required budget savings from other departments.

The House on Friday voted to limit the Obama administration's flexibility to reduce the U.S. nuclear stockpile or work with Russia on nuclear nonproliferation activities.

Approval of the Republican amendments to the National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) were a measure of retaliation against President Obama, who was caught telling Russian President Dmitry Medvedev that he would have "more flexibility" on European missile defense after the 2012 election.

In two votes Friday morning, the House backed the president’s powers to indefinitely detain terror suspects captured on U.S. soil.

The House got through 92 amendments to the National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) Thursday and early Friday morning, but finally adjourned shortly after 1:30 a.m. and planned to return later Friday morning for votes and consideration of the last 50.

The House approved several amendments throughout the long day, including language that requires the sale of new F-16 aircraft to Taiwan, establishes a Sexual Assault Oversight Council in the Defense Department, requires studies of the health of service members and gives the president the authority to move satellites from the U.S. Munitions List in certain cases.

House members clashed at midnight over how to fix language allowing the permanent detention of terrorist suspects.  Read more...

The House late Thursday approved more than a dozen amendments to the 2013 National Defense Authorization act (NDAA) by voice vote, including language from Rep. Kay Granger (R-Texas) that would authorize the sale of 66 F-16 fighter aircraft to Taiwan.

Others approved would prohibit DOD contracts with anyone that has business operations located in a state sponsor of terrorism, require DOD to assess what military equipment shortages exist, and establish a Sexual Assault Oversight Council within DOD.