Posts Tagged ‘Congress/DOD’

The military’s existing force structure in the Asia-Pacific needs to realigned and should include a greater presence on Guam and the Mariana Islands, the authors of an independent review of the nation’s force posture in that region told lawmakers this week. Some steps can be taken immediately, David Berteau, senior vice president and director of the international security program at the Center for Strategic and International Studies, told the House Armed Services’ Readiness Subcommittee on Wednesday. “There are some initial investments in Guam and the Marianas that make sense, both in terms of robust infrastructure and in terms of training capability that are to some extent not dependent on the total number of Marines that are going to move …

The Senate Appropriations Committee on Thursday rejected an amendment requiring defense contractors to issue layoff notices ahead of sequestration. The amendment, introduced by Sen. Lindsey Graham, was defeated along party lines. Earlier this week, the Labor Department issued guidance saying the federal law requiring employers to provide 60 days’ notice to workers of impending layoffs does not apply to the pending budget sequester until federal agencies announce which contracts would be affected …

The Defense Department will consider basing attack submarines and a squadron of B-52 bombers on Guam following the recommendations of an independent review of the nation’s force posture in the Asia-Pacific, Robert Scher, deputy assistant secretary of defense for plans, told the House Armed Services’ Readiness Subcommittee on Wednesday. The Center for Strategic and International Studies recommended basing one or more additional attack submarines on Guam to counter “anti-access, area-denial” technologies under development by China …

The dispute over pending spending cuts mandated by last year’s debt ceiling law has become increasingly partisan as political campaigns approach full steam prior to the November election, and the rhetoric did not let up during Wednesday’s House Armed Services Committee hearing on the possible impacts of sequestration. The session was marked by testy exchanges between Jeffrey Zients, acting director of the Office of Management and Budget, and Republican lawmakers, with both sides accusing the other of not doing enough to come up with a solution to replace the cuts …

A $55 billion reduction in fiscal 2013 spending would cause ripples throughout the military, resulting in possible civilian furloughs or hiring freezes, and delays in military construction projects, Deputy Defense Secretary Ashton Carter said Wednesday as he outlined the effects of sequestration during a House Armed Services Committee hearing. If lawmakers fail to agree on deficit reduction plan to replace the automatic spending cuts, officials may be forced to impose a partial hiring freeze or unpaid furloughs, Carter said, according to his written testimony. Military families would have to cope with cuts in base support services, facility maintenance and maintenance of government-owned family housing …

Top administration officials now say the Defense Department never intended to carry out a BRAC round in 2013. That revelation came out at a House Armed Services Committee hearing Wednesday on the potential impact of budget sequestration when the panel questioned Deputy Defense Secretary Ashton Carter and Acting Director of the Office of Management and Budget Jeffrey Zients. Rep. Rob Wittman asked the two witnesses to reconcile the Pentagon’s request at the beginning of the year for new BRAC rounds in 2013 and 2015 with President Obama’s comment last month that he does not support a new round of base closures …

The leaders of the House and Senate reached agreement Tuesday on a six-month continuing resolution for fiscal 2013 that would fund the federal government from October to March and avoid talk of a government shutdown during the run-up to the November election. The agreement means that lawmakers can focus during a lame duck session on the automatic spending cuts set to go into effect in January and the Bush-era tax cuts scheduled to expire at the end of the year …

The Air Force’s far-reaching plan to trim the force structure of the Air National Guard and Air Force Reserve would be shelved for one year, under the fiscal 2013 spending bill approved Tuesday by the Senate Defense Appropriations Subcommittee. The panel largely ignored the Air Force’s effort to shed aircraft and personnel, including the Guard’s C-27Js. Senate appropriators included more than $800 million in the measure to sustain the Air Force’s existing force structure over the coming year …

The federal law requiring employers to provide 60 days’ notice to workers of impending layoffs does not apply to the potential budget sequester until federal agencies announce which contracts would be affected, the Labor Department ruled Monday. As a result, contractors should refrain from giving employees notices before automatic spending cuts are imposed starting Jan. 2. “Although it is currently known that sequestration may occur, it is also known that efforts are being made to avoid sequestration …

House and Senate leaders are expected to reach agreement shortly on a spending measure that will fund the federal government for the first six months of fiscal 2013. While the announcement of a deal on a continuing resolution is expected before lawmakers leave Washington this week for their August recess, a vote would not be held until they return in September, reported CQ Today. A deal so far in advance of the Oct. 1 start of the new fiscal year would be highly unusual, but with the election coming up, lawmakers in both parties appear ready to eliminate one partisan issue from the political races …