THE CHAIRMAN’S MARK: House Armed Services Chairman Rep. Adam Smith (D-WA) has released his “Chairman’s Mark” of the 2023 National Defense Authorization Act, which the full committee will begin marking up tomorrow. Smith’s version is basically a starting point, and it closely resembles the Biden administration’s proposed budget for the Pentagon, most notably for its absence of any plus-up in spending to account for inflation or to boost acquisition of weapons such as the F-35 joint strike fighter.

While the House panel is just starting work, its Senate counterpart has already passed its version of the NDAA, which will now go to the Senate floor for amendments. The Senate bill would authorize an additional $45 billion in defense spending.