NDAA PASSES SENATE 87-13: With an overwhelming bipartisan vote, the Senate has passed and sent to the House the annual National Defense Authorization Act for fiscal 2024, which began Oct. 1. The bill supports $883.7 billion in defense spending, including $841.4 billion for the Pentagon, a roughly 3% increase over last year.
Senators praised the passage as a sign that Democrats and Republicans are capable of working together and finding compromise when U.S. national security is at stake, and they were anxious to tout the 5.2% pay raise for both the military and civilian DOD employees.
Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-NY) pronounced the bill as “precisely the kind of bipartisan cooperation the American people want from Congress.”
“While no bill is perfect, the passage of the defense authorization bill makes us a stronger nation and provides certainty and predictability to our armed forces at a time of growing threats,” Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-SC) said.
“This NDAA takes care of our servicemembers and their families, providing the largest pay raise in decades and improving housing, education, and childcare access,” Sen. Jack Reed (D-RI), chairman of the Senate Armed Services Committee, said in a statement.
“Our bill should signal to China, Russia, and others that we will not accept a world where America does not have the best fighting force,” Sen. Roger Wicker (R-MS), the top Republican on the committee, said. “While I would have preferred to send the president a substantially larger proposed investment in our industrial base, he now should approve the monumental investments Congress intends to make in our servicemembers, warships, submarines, aircraft, and technology.”
SENATE OVERWHELMINGLY PASSES ANNUAL DEFENSE BILL, SENDING MEASURE TO HOUSE
WHAT’S NOT IN THE NDAA: Stripped from the final bill by House and Senate negotiators were a host of deeply partisan provisions on abortion, transgender care, and diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) initiatives that were in the House version.
“‘Compromise’ in DC always means Conservatives lose,” Rep. Eric Burlison (R-MO) posted on X, along with a chart noting which House provisions were eliminated or watered down.
Among the provisions killed in the conference committee were amendments that would have revoked the Pentagon’s policy to reimburse travel expenses for abortions, banned taxpayer-funded gender transition surgery, prohibited race-based admissions to military service academies, eliminated chief diversity officers, banned drag queen shows and story hours, and created an inspector general for Ukraine aid accountability.
“The proposed 2024 NDAA should die and be reborn into something that aligns with what the American people actually want,” Burlison said.
FOUR-STAR OFFICER PROMOTIONS STILL IN LIMBO DESPITE TUBERVILLE RELENTING ON PENTAGON BLOCKADE
THE CONTROVERSIAL FISA PROVISION: The bill contains a highly controversial short-term extension for the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act (FISA) Section 702, which allows warrantless surveillance of foreign nationals outside the United States.
The provision, which critics say invites widespread abuse and threatens the privacy of ordinary Americans, was opposed by more than 50 members of Congress, including both the House Freedom Caucus and Congressional Progressive Caucus.
Sen. Rand Paul (R-KY) tried to eliminate the extension provision but failed to get enough votes. “That means that once again, the intelligence agencies that ignore the constraints on their power will go unaddressed and unpunished, and the warrantless surveillance of Americans in the violation of the Bill of Rights will continue,” he said.
“The Senate just voted to waive the point of order against the NDAA. 35 of us opposed the motion to waive. We needed only 41 to prevent this outcome, and to remove FISA 702 from the NDAA,” Sen. Mike Lee (R-UT) posted on X. “This is not good. The House should #StopTheNDAA.”
“702 allows us to stay a step ahead of foreign actors located outside the United States who pose a threat to national security. And the expiration of our 702 authorities would be devastating to the FBI’s ability to protect Americans from those threats,” FBI Director Christopher Wray told Congress earlier this month.
‘DISGRACEFUL’: SEN. MIKE LEE BLASTS FBI MONITORING OF U.S. CITIZENS WITHOUT A WARRANT
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HAPPENING TODAY: The House is expected to vote today on the NDAA before heading out of town without taking action on the $110 billion supplemental appropriations bill to provide money for Ukraine, Israel, Taiwan, and border security,
The NDAA is being fast-tracked under a House procedure that will require it to get a two-thirds majority to pass, which should not be a problem since, as was the case in the Senate, the annual must-pass bill enjoys widespread bipartisan support.
PROGRESSIVES WARN BIDEN AGAINST TRADING BORDER REFORMS FOR UKRAINE AID
SULLIVAN IN ISRAEL: National security adviser Jake Sullivan is in Israel today for what the White House calls “extremely serious conversations” about the need to get more humanitarian aid into Gaza and to do more to limit civilian casualties.
“Our support for Israel is not diminished, but we have had concerns, and we have expressed those concerns about the prosecution of this military campaign, even while acknowledging that it’s Hamas that started this and it’s Hamas that is continuing it,” NSC spokesman John Kirby said yesterday.
Sullivan’s visit follows an hourlong phone call between President Joe Biden and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu Friday, during which Biden expressed concern about the civilian death toll and pressed for Israel to reopen its border crossing at Kerem Shalom to allow aid directly into Gaza.
“Jake will also discuss the next phase of the military campaign and efforts to be more surgical and more precise and to reduce the harm to civilians,” Kirby said. “That is an aim of ours, and the Israelis say it is an aim of theirs, but it’s the results that count.”
“I’m not going to get ahead of the conversations that Jake will be having, but I would like to just say that these are extremely serious conversations and we hope they’ll be constructive as well,” Kirby said.
Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin will travel to the region next week, including stops in Bahrain, Qatar, and Israel. He spoke by phone to Israeli Defense Minister Yoav Gallant yesterday.
ISRAELI MILITARY SUFFERS ONE OF ITS DEADLIEST DAYS SINCE GAZA GROUND INVASION BEGAN
MILITARY ENDS YEAR 41,000 TROOPS SHORT: The Pentagon has informed Congress that the Army, Navy, and Air Force all missed their recruiting goals for fiscal 2023 that ended Sept. 30, resulting in a shortfall of about 41,000 new troops.
“That number understates the challenge before us as the services lowered end-strength goals in recent years, in part because of the difficult recruiting environment,” Ashish Vazirani, acting undersecretary for personnel and readiness, testified before the House Armed Services Military Personnel Subcommittee yesterday, adding “The all-volunteer force faces one of its greatest challenges since inception.”
The smaller services, the Marine Corps and Space Force, met their goals, but the Air Force missed its goal for the first time in 24 years.
“Several factors contributed to this, a lingering lack of access during COVID, a declining propensity to serve, intense competition for talent in a surplus U.S. job market and a lack of familiarity of the civilian population with the U.S. military,” Brig. Gen. Christopher Amrhein, commander of the Air Force Recruiting Service, told a Senate subcommittee earlier this month. “All of these issues culminated to create a very challenging recruiting environment for all services.”
“If we were assigning grades, those two services got an A. While the Air Force earned a B+, the Army got a B- and the Navy a C+, and I think that’s grade inflation,” Sen. Elizabeth Warren (D-MA) said at the Dec. 6 Senate subcommittee hearing. “This track record would be worrisome on its own, but it is even more troubling because it appears to be part of a long-term trend that shows that for years now the military has failed to connect with young people that we need to keep this country safe.”
MARINE KILLED IN ROLLOVER ACCIDENT: A U.S. Marine was killed and 14 others were hospitalized after an amphibious combat vehicle rolled over during a training exercise at Camp Pendleton, California.
“The rollover occurred at around 6 p.m. local time as the vehicle was making a ground movement during training,” the Marine Corps said in a release last night that provided few other details.
“Fourteen other Marines were in the Amphibious Combat Vehicle at the time and were taken to local hospitals and Naval Hospital Camp Pendleton for evaluation and treatment,” the statement said. “The incident is under investigation.”
The rollover comes after a 2020 accident in which an amphibious combat vehicle sank off the Southern California coast, killing eight Marines and one sailor, one of the Marine Corps’s deadliest training accidents.
A subsequent investigation blamed inadequate training, shabby maintenance, and poor judgment by leaders for the accident.
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The Rundown
Washington Examiner: Senate overwhelmingly passes annual defense bill, sending measure to House
Washington Examiner: Four-star officer promotions still in limbo despite Tuberville relenting on Pentagon blockade
Washington Examiner: Congressional Republicans advance measure to exclude illegal immigrants from VA benefits
Washington Examiner: Progressives warn Biden against trading border reforms for Ukraine aid
Washington Examiner: Biden’s proposed return to Trump immigration policy met with press questioning
Washington Examiner: FBI, DHS warn of possible violence at public gatherings due to tension from Israel war
Washington Examiner: ‘Clock is ticking’ for hostages still held in Gaza, former negotiator says
Washington Examiner: Israeli military suffers one of its deadliest days since Gaza ground invasion began
Washington Examiner: US brushes aside Netanyahu distaste for Palestinian Authority’s role in post-war Gaza
Washington Examiner: White House under fire over Biden’s mixed messages on Israel
Washington Examiner: Israel admits viral photos of stripped detained Palestinian men ‘should not have been taken’: US
Washington Examiner: ‘Squad’ Democrat Rashida Tlaib’s Palestinian flag covered by protester: ‘Shame on you’
Washington Examiner: US deputy Iran envoy silent on cause of Malley clearance review
Washington Examiner: Opinion: Purge the liquid and laptop ghosts of Rashid Rauf and Ibrahim al Asiri
Washington Examiner: Opinion: Sen. John Barrasso: No more free climate rides for China
Washington Examiner: Editorial: Biden must be clear with China over cyberattacks
AP: Putin says there will be no peace in Ukraine until goals are achieved, while offering rare details
Politico: Pentagon Chief Heads to Middle East as Attacks on US Forces Spike
Stars and Stripes: US Cuts Military Presence in Post-Coup Niger as Counterterrorism Efforts Stop
AP: Biden considers new border and asylum restrictions as he tries to reach Senate deal for Ukraine aid
AP: Putin says his goals in Ukraine remain the same and there will be no peace until they’re achieved
New York Times: As Russia Gains Confidence, a New Urgency Grips Ukraine
Wall Street Journal: Snubbed By The U.S. On Aid, Ukraine Turns To Bickering Europe
Washington Post: U.S. Officials Were ‘Furious’ About Leaks Exposing Ukraine War Concerns
AP: Dismayed by Moscow’s war, Russian volunteers are joining Ukrainian ranks to fight Putin’s troops
Defense News: Norway to Provide More Air Defense Systems to Ukraine
AP: The European Union is sorely tested to keep its promises to Ukraine intact
The Atlantic: The Most Consequential Act of Sabotage in Modern Times: The destruction of the Nord Stream pipeline
Washington Post: Ukrainian military officer coordinated Nord Stream pipeline attack
Reuters: Why The Indian Ocean Could Be China’s Achilles’ Heel In A Taiwan War
NBC News: How China Is Challenging the US Military’s Dominance in Space
Breaking Defense: ‘Let’s Bring That Margin Back’: China, Russia Too Close for Comfort in Electronic Warfare, Say Generals
Air & Space Forces Magazine: Air Force Eyes Big Changes for Major Commands
Air & Space Forces Magazine: Saltzman: ‘Probably No Coincidence’ X-37 and Chinese Space Plane Will Launch Near Each Other
Air & Space Forces Magazine: Space Force Working on Changes to How It Develops Enlisted, Civilian Guardians
DefenseScoop: Congress Wants Alerts on Any DOD Autonomous Weapons Policy Revamps
C4ISRNET: Pentagon Eyes Successor to Joint Warfighting Cloud Capability Contract
Military.com: Advocates Call for Overhaul of Program to Help Military Personnel Move into Civilian Jobs
Military.com: Air Force Issues Smartwatches and Rings to 1,000 First Sergeants to Manage Their Health
Calendar
THURSDAY | DECEMBER 14
8 a.m. 1700 Richmond Hwy., Arlington, Virginia — Armed Forces Communications and Electronics Association Northern Virginia Chapter Air Force IT Day forum: “Data Superiority Across All Domains: A Must for the High End Fight,” with acting Undersecretary of the Air Force Kristyn Jones; Joe McDade, assistant deputy chief of staff for plans and programs at the Air Force; and Maj. Gen. David Snoddy, assistant deputy chief of staff for cyber effects operations at the Air Force https://afceanova.swoogo.com/AirForceITDay2023
8:30 a.m. 1201 Pennsylvania Ave. NW — Hudson Institute discussion: “The B-21 Bomber and Its Deterrence Mission,” with Sen. Mike Rounds (R-SD) and Rebeccah Heinrichs, director of the Hudson Institute’s Keystone Defense Initiative https://www.hudson.org/events/senator-mike-rounds-b-21-bomber-its-deterrence-mission
9:30 — Center for Strategic and International Studies virtual discussion: “Looking Ahead: Emerging Security Issues in Northeast Asia in 2024,” with retired Army Gen. Robert Abrams, former commander of U.S. Forces Korea https://www.csis.org/events/looking-ahead-emerging-security-issues
10 a.m. — Middle East Institute virtual discussion: “The Middle East and Navigating the U.S.-China Tech Cold War,” with Rishi Iyengar, global technology reporter at Foreign Policy magazine; Alicia Chavy, MEI nonresident scholar; Suhayla Sibaai, MEI nonresident scholar; and Mohammed Soliman, director of the MEI Strategic Technologies and Cyber Security Program https://www.mei.edu/events/middle-east-and-navigating-us-china-tech-cold-war
11 a.m. — Washington Institute for Near East Policy virtual forum: “The Hamas-Israel War: End of the Beginning or Beginning of the End?” with former Israel Defense Forces Brig. Gen. Assaf Orion, WINEP fellow; Hanin Ghaddar, WINEP senior fellow; and Matthew Levitt, WINEP fellow https://washingtoninstitute-org.zoom.us/webinar/register
12 p.m. — Middle East Institute virtual discussion: “The Israel-Hamas War: The Iran Factor,” with Nasser Hadian, professor of political science at the University of Tehran; Eckart Woertz, director of the GIGA Institute for Middle East Studies; Maha Yahya, director of the Carnegie Middle East Center; and Alex Vatanka, founding director of the MEI Iran Program https://www.mei.edu/events/israel-hamas-war-iran-factor
2 p.m. — Center for Strategic and International Studies International Security Program virtual discussion: “Russian Influence in the Balkans,” with Kosovo Defense Minister Ejup Maqedonci, moderated by Kathleen McInnis, senior fellow, International Security Program and director, Smart Women, Smart Power Initiative https://www.csis.org/events/russian-influence-balkans
2 p.m. — Brookings Institution virtual discussion: “Previewing the 2024 Taiwan election,” with Richard Bush, nonresident senior fellow of foreign policy at the Brookings China Center and the Brookings Center for East Asia Policy Studies; Shelley Rigger, vice president for academic affairs, dean of faculty, and professor of Asian politics at Davidson College; Kharis Templeman, research fellow and project manager of the Stanford University Hoover Institution’s Project on Taiwan in the Indo-Pacific Region; and Ryan Hass, director of the Brookings China Center, senior fellow of foreign policy at the Brookings China Center and the Brookings Center for East Asia Policy Studies, and chairman in Taiwan studies at the Brookings Institution https://connect.brookings.edu/register-to-watch
2 p.m. — Government Executive Media Group and Microsoft virtual discussion: “Modernizing Operations: The Role of Trusted Artificial Intelligence (AI) in the DOD,” with Air Force Lt. Col. Joseph Chapa; William Streilein, CTO of the Defense Department’s Chief Digital and AI Office; Adarryl Roberts, CIO at the Defense Logistics Agency; and Mark Munsell, director of the National Geospatial-Intelligence Agency’s Data and Digital Innovation Directorate https://events.govexec.com/microsoft-federal-modernizing-operations
FRIDAY | DECEMBER 15
10 a.m. — Asia Society Policy Institute virtual discussion: “Taiwan Elections in 2024: Who is Running and What to Expect,” with Rorry Daniels, managing director of the Asia Society Policy Institute; Simona Grano, senior fellow on Taiwan at the Asia Society Policy Institute’s Center for China Analysis; and Lyle Morris, senior fellow for foreign policy and national security at the Asia Society Policy Institute’s Center for China Analysis https://asiasociety.zoom.us/webinar/register
10 a.m. 1775 Massachusetts Ave. NW — Brookings Institution discussion: “U.S.-China Relations,” with U.S. Ambassador to China Nicholas Burns https://www.brookings.edu/events/a-conversation-with-us-ambassador-to-china
QUOTE OF THE DAY
“Youth of today are not saying no to what the military has to offer. They simply don’t know much about military service.”
Ashish Vazirani, acting undersecretary for personnel and readiness, in testimony before the House Armed Services Military Personnel Subcommittee on the shortfall of 41,000 recruits for fiscal 2023.
