Shutdown Almost Certain; Next Question: For How Long?
Lawmakers are planning to work through the weekend on a solution to a government shutdown that now seems almost sure to happen when the fiscal year ends Saturday night. A bipartisan continuing resolution in the Senate is on hold while a group of Republicans and Sen....
A Shutdown’s Impact on Military Families
When the government shuts down this weekend, as now seems likely, service members will be expected to report to duty as normal, but their pay will be delayed. That will hurt military families, especially those who are food-insecure or living paycheck to paycheck,...
House Passes Defense Spending Bill Loaded with Conservative Policies, Stripped of Ukraine Aid
After several attempts, the House passed a full-year defense spending bill late Thursday on a near party-line vote. The bill includes multiple policy items championed by the House Freedom Caucus that make it drastically different from the version awaiting a Senate...
Snap of the Week
An Air Force Academy cadet participates in the Commandant’s Challenge in Colorado Springs, Colorado Sept. 27. The cadet wing executed military training and development, with a focus on leadership, teamwork, agile combat employment skills and a strategic understanding...
Senate Rejects Bill to Pay Service Members During a Shutdown
The Senate Wednesday rejected a unanimous consent request to consider Sen. Dan Sullivan’s (R-Alaska) bill to ensure military pay during a government shutdown. The objection came from Appropriations Committee Chair Patty Murray (D-Wash.), who said lawmakers should...
OLDCC Releases Annual State-by-State Spending Report
The DOD Office of Local Defense Community Cooperation this week released its annual report on the level of defense spending by state. The assessment will “help states and communities better understand how defense procurement, personnel spending and grants impact their...
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PAST STORIES
Franchetti, Allvin Clear Committee Vote and Advance to Tuberville Block List
The Senate Armed Services Committee approved the nomination of Navy Adm. Lisa Franchetti to become the next chief of naval operations and Air Force Gen. David Allvin to become the next Air Force chief of staff, Stars and Stripes reported. Their nominations are now...
Despite Some Progress on a Stopgap Bill, Shutdown Chances Grow
The country is inching closer to a government shutdown when the fiscal year ends Saturday night. Here’s the latest: “Based on what we know right now, it seems exceedingly likely that the federal government is going to shut down this weekend. Full stop.” That’s how...
Pentagon Creating Eight Regional Microelectronics Hubs
DOD is awarding a total of $238 million to eight partnerships in seven states to help boost the semiconductor-industrial base in the U.S., C4ISRNET reported. “The regional hubs will spur economic growth, not just locally but more broadly,” Deputy Defense Secretary...
In Our Communities
The Beavercreek City Council passed an ordinance this week to deter potential investors with “malicious intent” from purchasing land near Wright-Patterson Air Force Base, Ohio, according to WHIO TV. “We expect all developers to comply with any applicable federal...
Senate Working on Clean Stopgap Bill as Saturday Deadline Approaches
There are four days until the government could shut down Saturday night. Senate leaders and appropriators from both sides of the aisle are working on a “clean” continuing resolution to keep the government open for 45 more days at current spending levels. The plan...
Pentagon: Shutdown Would Affect Troop Pay, Readiness
If Congress doesn’t extend government spending and the government shuts down Saturday night, service members could go without pay for an unknown period of time. Here’s what we know about the potential shutdown’s impact: As On Base reported, DOD released preliminary...
House to Try Again to Pass Defense Spending Bill
House Speaker Kevin McCarthy (R-Calif.) is trying again today to begin debate on a defense appropriations bill, along with three other spending bills, according to news reports. As On Base reported, a few House Freedom Caucus members have blocked recent attempts to...
Six Partnerships Receive DMCSP Grants
The DOD Office of Local Defense Community Cooperation on Monday announced six grant awards through the Defense Manufacturing Community Support Program. The program’s goal is to strengthen the national security innovation base through “long-term investments in critical...
DCIP Grants Awarded to 17 Projects in 12 States; Owens Cites ‘One Community’ Approach
The DOD Office of Local Defense Community Cooperation announced Friday this fiscal year’s recipients of the Defense Community Infrastructure Pilot (DCIP) Program, naming 17 projects in 12 states. The awards totaled about $100 million, with additional funding committed...
ADC Podcast: Foreign Investment Near Defense Communities
The latest episode of America’s Defense Communities | The Podcast looks at the challenge communities face when assessing investment offers near national security sites. It includes discussions from the June 2023 ADC Connect event, “Foreign Investment Near Military...
Gen. Smith Formally Takes USMC Helm, ‘Mindful’ that Junior Officers’ Promotions Are in Limbo
Gen. Eric Smith formally became Marine Corps commandant Friday but without a full Marine Barracks ceremony. “[I]t was in a small ceremony at the Pentagon,” Marine Corps Times reported. “Smith was dressed in his service uniform, the typical Marine uniform for a typical...
House Takes a Break from Spending Talks with Days until Shutdown
In Thursday’s edition of On Base, we mentioned that House Republican leaders hoped to work into the weekend to pass a defense appropriations bill and a continuing resolution. By Thursday afternoon, they’d headed home for the weekend. Speaker Kevin McCarthy (R-Calif.)...
Senate Confirms Smith, George as Tuberville’s Broader Blockade Continues
The Senate Thursday confirmed Gen. Eric Smith to formally advance to Marine Corps commandant and Army Gen. Randy George to become Army chief of staff. Those confirmations follow Wednesday’s vote to confirm Air Force Gen. CQ Brown to become the next Joint Chiefs of...
Snap of the Week
Airmen assigned to the 432nd Wing/432nd Air Expeditionary Wing and Nellis Air Force Base prepare for the boot camp on the Allegiant Stadium’s field after finishing their VIP tour of the stadium at Las Vegas, Nevada Sept. 19. It was part of the Salute to Service Boot...
Senate Confirms Brown, Tees Up Two More Confirmations; Broad Blockade Continues
The Senate confirmed Air Force Chief of Staff Gen. CQ Brown Jr. to become chair of the Joint Chiefs of Staff when Gen. Mark Milley leaves the position Oct. 1. The Senate is expected to take votes today on Gen. Randy George’s nomination to become Army chief of staff...
McCarthy Tries Another CR Approach
House Speaker Kevin McCarthy (R-Calif.) is trying again to rally support among Republicans for a continuing resolution that is loaded with things the most conservative faction of his conference wants, including border security language and a call for a commission to...
House to Consider Defense Spending Again
House leaders are trying once again to pass a defense spending bill and are expected to debate the procedural rule today, hoping it can pass this time. A handful of far-right Republicans brought it down earlier in the week, delaying consideration of the annual...
The Pentagon’s Plans for a Shutdown
If the government shuts down Oct. 1 without a spending agreement, active duty service members and a limited number of civilian defense employees would remain on the job but may do so without pay, as Stars and Stripes reported. The Pentagon has not fully detailed how...
House GOP Balks on Defense Approps, Stopgap Bill
The House was unable to pass a procedural rule Tuesday that would have led to consideration of the defense appropriations bill. Rules are typically approved on party-line votes, but five hard-right Republicans joined Democrats to bring the rule down. “They just handed...
Tuberville Wants to Work Around His Blockade to Confirm USMC Commandant
Sen. Tommy Tuberville (R-Ala.) told Republican colleagues he will try to force a one-off vote on the Senate floor to confirm Gen. Eric Smith as commandant of the Marine Corps, The Hill reported. The move would be a way to get around Tuberville’s own hold on hundreds...
Shutdown Becomes More Likely
There are 11 days left in the fiscal year and no guarantee that Congress will find a way to fund the government beyond that, with more and more in Washington seeming resigned to the fact the government may shut down, at least temporarily. Rep. Anna Paulina Luna...
Report: House, Senate to Move Forward on NDAA this Week
The House will consider a procedural motion this week to allow negotiators to start working on a compromise version of the National Defense Authorization Act, according to CQ, which cited Politico. The Senate would then follow suit, the report said. Negotiations won’t...
In Our Communities
“More than 4,600 military family members and civilians have filed legal claims against the U.S. over illnesses they say were caused by consuming and bathing in water tainted with jet fuel at Joint Base Pearl Harbor-Hickam in Hawaii,” Military.com reported. The...
House GOP Plans Votes on CR and Defense Spending but May Not Have the Votes
House Republicans are trying to build support among themselves for a stopgap spending bill that would fund the government through October, as NBC News and others reported. The draft measure released Sunday night also includes conservative policy riders such as border...
Milley Says Tuberville Hold Threatens to Politicize Military
Joint Chiefs Chair Gen. Mark Milley said Sunday that Sen. Tommy Tuberville’s (R-Ala.) blockade of hundreds of military nominations and flag officer promotions threatens to politicize the military. “We in uniform, we are an apolitical, nonpartisan institution,” he told...