Defense Communities 360 Headlines

Senate Republicans succeeded in postponing a final up-or-down vote on former Nebraska Sen. Chuck Hagel (R) to become the next defense secretary when they defeated Democrats’ effort Thursday to end debate on his nomination. Four Republicans joined the Democrats to support Hagel’s nomination, but the majority party still was unable to reach the 60-vote threshold needed to approve cloture and end the apparent filibuster …

Defense spending would be reduced by $27.5 billion over a seven-year period, rather than $40-plus billion all in fiscal 2013, under the plan Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-Nev.) outlined Thursday to replace the $85 billion in government-wide spending cuts slated to go into effect March 1. Half of the $110 billion plan would be made up of spending reductions, with the other $27.5 billion in cuts coming from the elimination of direct subsidy payments to farmers …

A local school board is considering establishing a K-8 charter school for the children of military personnel and civilian workers at Marine Corps Logistics Base Albany to better improve local support for the installation in southwestern Georgia. “School systems are very important to military families, and I think a charter school with the Marine Base would be of benefit to the community, especially during the next round of BRAC hearings,” a member of the Dougherty County School Board said Monday. The school would be intended to stem the loss of children from the base to the school systems of surrounding counties, reported the Albany Herald. The school board endorsed the proposal to form an ad hoc committee to begin exploratory discussions with the base.

The threat of a filibuster over the vote to confirm former Nebraska Sen. Chuck Hagel (R) as the next defense secretary forced Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-Nev.) to schedule a cloture vote to end debate on Friday. Hagel will need the votes of the 55 senators caucusing with the Democrats and five Republicans to overcome the threatened filibuster. If 60 senators vote to end debate, a final vote on the candidate likely would wait until the Senate returns from the Presidents Day recess …

Despite attempting to address spending cuts that will have “an irreversible and debilitating impact on the Navy’s readiness through at least 2014,” the chief of naval operations said Wednesday he would fight to preserve funding for family readiness and wellness programs. “Family programs are important,” said Adm. Jonathan Greenert, reported Navy public affairs. “I do not want those constrained.”

The Defense Department’s senior leadership took some unexpected flak from lawmakers Wednesday during what was expected to be the second of two congressional hearings this week on the readiness crisis stemming from the deep spending cuts imposed under sequestration. As they did Tuesday, the Pentagon’s top military officers painted a gloomy picture of sequestration’s impact on the military. The department would be forced to absorb $46 billion in automatic cuts during fiscal 2013, and up to $500 billion in spending reductions through FY 2021 …

A continuing resolution being put together in the House is expected to offer the Defense Department the flexibility to move funds across accounts as a way to help officials deal with the severe funding constraints caused by sequestration. The bill, which would fund the federal government past March 27, largely would extend fiscal 2012 spending laws, but also would include appropriations bills for defense and military construction-veterans affairs. The measure would provide the Pentagon some flexibility to allocate funds where they are needed and make other changes that normally would be restricted under a stopgap spending bill …

The Pentagon’s senior military officers rendered a dire portrait of how automatic spending cuts combined with operating under a continuing resolution for the remainder of fiscal 2013 would harm the nation’s military, during their testimony Tuesday before the Senate Armed Services Committee. If the automatic defense cuts — which would approach $500 billion through FY 2021 — go ahead, the Army will curtail training for 80 percent of its ground forces and across all of its specialties, Army Chief of Staff Gen. Ray Odierno said. The service already has imposed a civilian hiring freeze and will terminate an estimated 3,100 temporary and term employees …

The Army’s delay in cleaning up 1,100 acres at the former Lone Star Army Ammunition Plant is slowing the LRA’s redevelopment plans for the northeastern Texas facility that closed following the last round of base closures. “Some of the work has been completed, but the vast majority of it has not. The property is still pretty encumbered by permit regime that makes it very difficult to sell,” said Bill Cork, CEO of TexAmericas Center …

A Senate vote to confirm former Nebraska Sen. Chuck Hagel as the next defense secretary could come before the end of the week, following Tuesday’s party-line decision by the Senate Armed Services Committee to advance the candidate’s nomination. Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid earlier said he plans to schedule a vote on the floor today or Thursday, but a decision by the chorus of Republicans who oppose Hagel’s nomination to filibuster it would slow the process down …