Defense, national security & Congress @Politico | Get in touch: Mark.312 on Signal msatter@politico.com
Washington, DC
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Today's my first day on the @politico defense team - covering the Pentagon, Hill and everything in between.
msatter@politico.com / Mark.312 on Signal. Tips always welcome.
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SCOOP: Josh Hawley was booted from his perch on the powerful Armed Services panel last month as retribution for delaying the confirmation of numerous DOD nominees last year, and for his role in challenging Mitch McConnell’s hold as the chamber’s top R.
rollcall.com/2023/02/08/hawl…
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Jared Moskowitz, emerging from the SCIF, says “it’s definitely not about aliens,” and “it confirms there is no intelligent life in Congress.”
So there you have it.
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Surreal scene in NW DC outside of Comet Pizza - the pizza place at the center of the Pizzagate conspiracy theory. Some kind of super religious group yelling about pedophilia, and the restaurant responding by BLASTING Lady Gaga and drowning them out.
Sound on 📢
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The House Intelligence Committee just wrapped its classified briefing on the drone situation in New Jersey.
The overwhelming consensus from members: there’s nothing nefarious going on in the skies there.
Most sightings appear to be manned aircraft, stars, etc., they say.
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National security angle of the McCarthy drama:
Rep. Mike Gallagher says he was supposed to meet with Joint Chiefs Chairman Milley in the SCIF today, but technically he doesn't have a security clearance until the speaker race is settled.
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A lot more cops showing up. Comet staff are still blasting music way louder than the protesters’ megaphones.
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On the Senate floor, Schumer and Rounds discuss their UAP provision to the NDAA, including what was left out.
Schumer said it was unacceptable that House negotiators stripped out pieces of the legislation, and vowed to keep working on the issue.
c-span.org/video/?c5097853/u…
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Per House Majority Leader Scalise, the new heads of the natsec committees:
- Rep. Mike D. Rogers, Armed Services
- Rep. Michael McCaul, Foreign Affairs
- Rep. Mike Bost, Veteran's Affairs
- Rep. Mike Turner, Intelligence
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The U.S. will deliver two NASAM ground-based air defense systems to Ukraine within the next two months, says @PentagonPresSec
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when the existential dread hits right in the middle of a house appropriations hearing
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Breaking: President Joe Biden confirms that the Pentagon will mandate the Covid-19 vaccine for all troops on or before Sept. 15
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Sen. Rounds tells me there is still some movement on his and Schumer’s UAP provision in the NDAA.
Some modifications being discussed but no final word yet.
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ROMNEY: I don’t understand the logic for not getting the Ukrainians the MiGs immediately. It makes no sense. I believe there’s a sentiment that we’re fearful of what Putin might do. It’s time for him to be fearful of what we might do.
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Just in: House Intelligence Committee Chairman Mike Turner said his panel has information available to all members about a "serious national security threat."
He is requesting that Biden declassify the information surrounding it.
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Rounds tells me his and Schumer's UAP amendment will be in the NDAA, but that "we didn't get everything that we wanted."
He indicated resistance to the provision came from the House.
More details to come.
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New: On a call with lawmakers, Army Secretary McCarthy indicated that DOD is aware of further possible threats posed by would-be terrorists in the days up to and including Inauguration Day and is working with local and federal law enforcement to coordinate security preparations.
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Per his office, Rep. Crow has requested expedited investigations and courts martial against active duty military involved in the Capitol riot, and a review of troops deployed for Jan. 20. to weed out those “sympathetic to domestic terrorists.”
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Gallagher:
“But, I'm informed by House security that technically I don't have a clearance. I'm a member of the Intel Committee. I'm on Armed Services, and I can't meet in the SCIF to conduct essential business. My point is, we have work to do that we can't do right now."
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To be clear, multiple sources say Hawley was removed from SASC in retaliation for challenging McConnell, and holding up DOD noms.
Spox for both Hawley and McConnell dispute that, and say it was Hawley's own decision to leave. Those comments are reflected in the story.
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I’m in Hershey, PA attending a Trump rally with @joesnell03. Trump’s remarks start at 7pm — there is already a massive crowd gathered outside.
#TrumpRallyHershey
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Rounds called it "a step in the right direction," and said he intends to keep working on the UAP transparency issue.
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Just in: The Army has concluded its investigation into the June 1 use of National Guard helicopters to disperse protestors in downtown DC. The report on the findings is "imminent," Sec. McCarthy tells reporters at the Pentagon this AM. Unclear if it will come before election day.
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Sen. Rand Paul tells me GOP leadership appears to be "backpedaling" on ending the Pentagon's covid vaccine mandate via the NDAA.
"We're disappointed," he said, "but still fighting for it."
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Schumer on the Senate floor blames House Republicans for trying to kill the UAP provision he and Sen. Rounds sponsored in the NDAA.
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Just now: The Senate confirmed, 95-1, the nomination of Lisa M. Franchetti to be chief of naval operations of the Navy.
She is the first woman to serve on the Joint Chiefs of Staff.
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ROMNEY: "The idea that we’re calculating what the Ukrainians need to run their war makes no sense."
Suggests also sending A-10s.
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In a statement released just now by Rep. Crow, McCarthy said that at least 25 domestic terrorism cases have been opened as a result of the assault on the Capitol.
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NEW: The White House confirms the U.S. will send Bradley Fighting Vehicles to Ukraine, likely as part of a forthcoming aid package.
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Well, that’s big: The House adopted, 221-213, the Jackson, R-Texas, NDAA amendment that would repeal a 2022 Defense Department memorandum regarding access to reproductive health care and prohibit the department from paying for or reimbursing expenses relating to abortion services
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News: On a call with reporters, Army Secretary Ryan McCarthy says 6,200 National Guardsmen will be deployed to DC through the weekend and will remain for AT LEAST 30 days, through the inauguration.
Guardsmen mobilized from DC, MD, VA, PA, NY and NJ.
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NEW: Former Air Force pilot Senator Martha McSally (R-AZ) has formally conceded the Senate race for her seat to former NASA astronaut and Navy Captain Mark Kelly (D-AZ), per a release from her office.
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NEWS: HASC Ranking Member Mike Rogers tells me the NDAA will be released today, and WILL include language to end the Pentagon’s covid vaccine mandate.
House will vote on it Thursday, he says.
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RISCH: "I usually don't feel comfortable speaking for the Republican Caucus but I will in this case: Get them the airplanes."
"It's an embarrassment" that they have not been sent to the Ukrainians, he says."
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Absolute madness in downtown DC right now just blocks from the White House. Total party atmosphere here following Biden’s win.
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New:
The NDAA released last night would take what is likely the most ambitious step yet toward government transparency surrounding UAPs.
It would compel the government to compile all of its UAP records into a collection, and make that public over the next 25 years.
🧵
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"We should stop overthinking it and cough up aircraft" for the Ukrainian Armed Forces, Sen. RISCH says during Senate Foreign Relations Committee hearing.
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New: Army Secretary McCarthy says the entire DC National Guard, approx. 1100 personnel, are being deployed to the city.
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Some news!
Next week, I'll be joining the team at CQ/Roll Call (@rollcall) as a defense reporter covering Congress and writing the defense newsletter. I can't wait to get started.
Tips? DMs open here and on Signal.
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I have spotted 6 people downtown so far with personal bottles of champagne. I will keep you updated as the situation develops.
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Schumer on the Senate floor says he called Mike Johnson last night and urged him to keep the House in session to allow a national security supplemental deal to come together.
Congress is currently slated to wrap up for the year this week.
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KARLIN, Asst. Sec Def for Strategy, says Pentagon is focusing on getting Ukraine anti-armor and air defense capabilities.
MENENDEZ asking about fighter jets. "If we cannot be moved by photos of the maternity hospital bombing I don’t know what we’ll be moved by," he said.
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Breaking: President Biden has overturned a ban on transgender people serving in the military. The ban was imposed by the Trump administration in 2017.
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I'm humbled and thrilled to have won a White House Correspondent's Association scholarship.
Thank you to the @whca and a special thanks to @ellenshearer and all of my professors and mentors at @MedillSchool who made the past year so incredible.
See you at the dinner!
Congratulations to @silmartelli, @sambucabral and @markdsatter, students at @NorthwesternU and @MedillSchool, winners of 2020 #WHCA Scholarships. For more on our terrific scholarship winners – or to donate to help finance scholarships – go to whca.press/scholarships/
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A defense official confirms to me that some DOGE personnel attended meetings in the Pentagon on Friday.
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SCHUMER on the Senate floor, confirms the Senate will go to formal NDAA conference with the House.
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New: After nearly a decade of bureaucratic slowdowns, advocacy efforts and stalled legislation, veterans may be getting increased access to one of the more effective treatments for combat-related mental health conditions: a dog.
rollcall.com/2021/08/09/cong…
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🚨NEW: Senate Republicans are hoping to use the latest COVID relief funding measure to refill Defense Dept. coffers that were raided by the White House to fund the border wall with Mexico.
@SpeakerPelosi called the bill a "slush fund" for defense contractors.
@CQnow
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I went to the pro-gun rally in Richmond, VA last week. What I found there surprised me in part because it was so far removed from what the press had predicted.
My piece for @dallasnews 👇🏼
dallasnews.com/opinion/comme…
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The compromise NDAA has been filed.
docs.house.gov/billsthisweek…
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Witnesses are getting nonstop questions about fighter jets to Ukraine.
"There is bipartisan support to provide these planes. It's coming across as bickering and indecision within the administration," says SHAHEEN.
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🛸UAP news:
Reps @realannapaulina @mattgaetz @RepTimBurchett and others held a press conference on UAPs, transparency and the NDAA this afternoon.
They accused the intelligence community, the DOD and other lawmakers of stonewalling on UAP disclosure.
Some highlights below.
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In a letter sent today to DOD Acting IG Sean O’Donnell, 15 senators urge the Pentagon to investigate the extent of white supremacy within the military in the wake of last week's deadly Capitol riot.
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Breaking: The Pentagon will now mandate the Covid-19 vaccine for all troops following the FDA’s approval of of the Pfizer shot today, Pentagon Spox Kirby tells reporters.
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Just in: The Pentagon is examining the Supreme Court's decision on Roe v Wade and evaluating its policies to ensure "seamless access to reproductive health care as permitted by federal law," per @SecDef
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News: The National Guard has confirmed that *some* units, not all, will remain in Washington, D.C. for the next 30 days - through Jan 20. More info to come.
Important to note, some units were already going to be deployed for the inauguration. Now, we may see an increase.
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Zelensky, addressing some accusations from lawmakers that Ukraine aid lacks oversight:
"Your money is not charity. It's an investment in the global security and democracy that we handle in the most responsible way," he says.
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Now: The Senate agreed, 81-13, to invoke cloture on the nomination of Celeste Wallander to be an assistant secretary of Defense.
A confirmation vote is expected this afternoon.
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Per Majority Leader Charles E. Schumer, D-N.Y., the Senate will vote on confirming Lloyd Austin tomorrow, Friday, at 10:30 a.m.
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Breaking: The House votes, 326-78, to grant Lloyd Austin a waiver to become the next Secretary of Defense.
The Senate will vote on the waiver in the next hour. Austin could be on the job by tonight.
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First alignment at this satellite location - only viable options are @SenSanders and @ewarren.
Some concern about the rules here - verifying that the only people aligning themselves with camps are actual Iowans.
#iowacaucus2020
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On a call with reporters, Blumenthal says he regrets voting to confirm VA Sec. Doug Collins in light of the DOGE-related cuts at his agency.
Blumenthal said Collins has failed to stand up for veterans, and to respond to 20+ Senate inquiries so far.
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NEW: Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin will direct the Pentagon to remove the prosecution of sexual assault, domestic violence, child abuse and retaliation from the military chain of command -- a seismic shift in how the military will handle such crimes.
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BIDEN: Additional U.S. troops, already stationed in Europe, are being moved to NATO's eastern flank.
"We will defend every inch of NATO territory," Biden says.
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Interesting thing about covering a Trump rally - everyone is very nice when you talk to them one on one.
Then Trump starts attacking the media, and you get this sort of thing. View from the press pen at tonight’s #TrumpRallyHershey in Hershey, PA:
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Breaking: The Senate votes, 69-27, to grant Lloyd Austin a waiver to become the next Defense secretary.
There is now one final step in the process - a confirmation vote on the Senate floor. That vote will likely happen tomorrow, Sen. Sullivan tells Hill pool.
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Inbox: President Joe Biden has formally announced the nomination of Christine Wormuth for Secretary of the Army. If confirmed by the Senate, Wormuth would be the first woman to hold the position.
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NDAA news: The compromise version of the bill will likely be released Friday afternoon, a congressional aide tells me and @johnmdonnelly.
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BREAKING: The U.S. will impose sanctions on Russia in response to its invasion of Ukraine.
— Sanctions on VEB, one of Russia’s largest investment companies, and it’s military bank
— Cut off Russia from western financing
— Sanctions on Russian elite and their families tomorrow
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Proud to stand with my tireless colleagues today as we launch the @CQRollCallGuild.
We’re proud to announce the CQ Roll Call Guild, part of @newsguild. Congressional Quarterly has covered Congress since 1945 and Roll Call has been a trusted source of Capitol Hill news since the Eisenhower administration.
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Just in from a group of Senate Armed Services Committee Democrats —
“We request that Mr. Hegseth meet privately with every interested lawmaker on the cmte before the Senate votes on his nomination so that we can have frank discussions about the new info that has come to light.”
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Breaking: The House has overwhelmingly passed, 424-8, legislation to suspend permanent normal trade relations with Russia and Belarus.
It would also expand and indefinitely reauthorize the Global Magnitsky Human Rights Accountability Act.
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Very excited to be helping out @business with their White House coverage as a stringer. My first byline, from President Trump's golf outing this morning 👇
NEWS: Trump visits one of his golf courses for the first time since March 8. Birx mentioned golf three times at a White House news conference on Friday while discussing safe outdoor activities.
By @markdsatter + @RosKrasny
bloomberg.com/news/articles/…
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NEW: A disturbing trend of military training deaths is emerging.
Now, the families of those killed are now banding together to push the military and Congress for change. But progress has been painfully slow.
My first long feature for @rollcall @CQnow
rollcall.com/2020/09/28/as-m…
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Breaking: The Senate just passed the NDAA, 89-10, clearing the way for Biden to sign the $768.1 billion measure into law.
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Just in: The Congressional Budget Office estimated the new compromise veterans toxic exposure legislation the Senate is expected to take up this week would cost nearly $278.5 billion billion over a decade.
More here - rollcall.com/2022/06/03/toxi…
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Six members of the House Foreign Affairs Committee just intro'd a bipartisan resolution to immediately supply Ukraine with ATACMS, long-range missiles that the Biden administration has declined to give so far.
Resolution here:
foreignaffairs.house.gov/wp-…
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Huge thank you to @juliemmoos and @NPCInstitute for running my profile in today's National Press Club newsletter.
Within, I talk about one of the weirdest stories I've covered (hint: luxury gym in Kyiv), and my goals in journalism.
Employers: 👇!
pressclubinstitute.org/intro…
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My story on Sen. Tammy Duckworth's refusal to release her hold on military officer promotions, despite the retirement of Lt. Col. Vindman, was spotlighted on Rachel Maddow's @maddow show this week.
ICYMI, here's the full story from @CQnow @rollcall:
rollcall.com/2020/07/08/alex…
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Story: Some 6,200 National Guardsmen will deploy to Washington through Sunday. And they'll be here for a while.
rollcall.com/2021/01/07/nati…
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Just walked past the scene at the DNC — no protesters left, but hundreds of Capitol Police officers still lining streets. Some in riot gear.
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🚨The NDAA is out:
> $857.9 billion topline, a $45 billion increase over Biden's budget request
>Ends DOD's Covid vaccine mandate
>Bans federal contractors from using Chinese-made semiconductor chips
NOT in the bill:
>Permitting, SAFE banking, journalism protection
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you have not lived until you've sat in the Senate press gallery at 1 am with nothing but the constant hum of the vending machine to accompany you while Mike Lee yells at Biden from the chamber
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Breaking: The Senate has voted 84-13 to PASS the NDAA, joining the House in passing the bill with a veto-proof majority, defying President Trump's veto threat.
The bill now goes to Trump. Once received, Trump can take up to 10 days, excluding Sundays, to sign or veto.
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All Medill kids are taught this during the first week of class, shoutout @rdmersey
A new study of Twitter use by D.C.-based journalists shows they’re “isolated from the broader public, talking too much to each other” nie.mn/33tVQJ9
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New: President Trump approves DC’s emergency declaration “due to emergency conditions resulting from the 59th Presidential Inauguration from January 11 to January 24, 2021.”
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New: The House Armed Services Committee is getting a new subcommittee that will focus on cyber security, according to a release from @RepAdamSmith
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NEW via @johnmdonnelly: Republicans' new coronavirus relief bill would fund billions of dollars worth of military hardware.
It's unclear how maritime surveillance jets and Apache helicopters will help us combat the pandemic. Or keep the unemployed afloat. 👇
I count at least $7 billion for new military hardware tucked into Senate Republicans’ new coronavirus relief bill, most of it for top contractors who are heavy campaign donors, led by Lockheed Martin and Boeing.
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