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{beacon} Welcome to The Hill's Defense & NatSec newsletter {beacon}
Defense &
National Security
Defense &
National Security
The Big Story
House may take up vote soon on national security bill
Speaker Mike Johnson (R-La.) is already facing a revolt from far-right lawmakers as he prepares to move on aid to Ukraine, Israel and Taiwan.
© Photo Credit
Johnson is vowing that the priorities of funding Israel, Ukraine and Taiwan will get separate votes by the end of the week.
That plan has Democrats on board, but Johnson is facing threats from Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene (R-Ga.) and Rep. Thomas Massie (R-Ky.), who are pushing to oust him for moving on the package.
Greene has already introduced a motion to dismiss Johnson as speaker, and Massie signaled support on Tuesday.
“Mike Johnson’s going for the Triple Crown here against our base,” Massie said, citing the House leader's move on passing a national security surveillance bill and an omnibus spending bill.
Many far-right lawmakers oppose sending more aid to Ukraine specifically, and others are worried about piling on to the national debt.
Rep. Bob Good (R-Va.), chair of the Freedom Caucus, expressed concerns that Johnson wasn't allowing border security to be a part of the package.
"That's a big, big problem," he said.
The Senate passed a $95 billion national security supplemental bill in February after lawmakers across Congress failed to reach a deal tying border security to Ukraine and foreign aid funds. The Senate bill stripped out border security from the package but it still includes foreign aid funding.
But the House, harried by far-right lawmakers, has not moved on the package.
Amid the debate, Ukraine is struggling to fend off an approaching Russian military on the battlefield as U.S. aid has been on hold for more than a year.
Passing a national security supplemental has also become more urgent after Iran sent more than 300 missiles and drones at Israel over the weekend.
Johnson is signaling that he will not be swayed by the pressure from some lawmakers.
"I am going to do my job, and I think that’s what the American people expect of us,” he said.
Read the full report here.
Welcome to The Hill’s Defense & National Security newsletter, I'm Brad Dress — your guide to the latest developments at the Pentagon, on Capitol Hill and beyond.
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Essential Reads
How policy will affect defense and national security now and in
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Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin on Tuesday morning spoke with his Chinese counterpart, reestablishing top-level military communications between the two countries for the first time in nearly two years. Austin and Chinese Minister of Defense Adm. Dong Jun, who spoke via video teleconference, discussed U.S.-China defense relations, operating in the South China Sea and U.S. policy toward Taiwan, as well as the war in …
Full Story Conservative Senate GOP targets House-passed warrantless surveillance bill
Senators in both parties are warning the expanded surveillance authority under the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act (FISA) could lapse after Friday because of a battle over amending the House bill, which has become a target of conservative Republicans and some Democrats. Opponents of the bill could drag the Senate debate past the 11:59 p.m. Friday deadline, which threatens to cause a lapse in warrantless surveillance authority …
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The massive Iranian attack on Israel over the weekend thrust the decades-long shadow war between the two countries out into the open, highlighting a spiraling conflict that threatens to grow even more dangerous in the future. Iran’s brazen attack, which included some 300 ballistic and cruise missiles along with explosive drones, was largely defeated by Israeli and allied defense systems. But Tehran’s bold move to directly …
Full Story White House opposes stand-alone Israel aid bill following Iranian attack
The White House said Monday it would not support a stand-alone bill only providing aid to Israel in the wake of Iran’s recent attack, urging the House to pass a national security supplemental that included assistance for Ukraine, Israel and other allies. “We are opposed to a stand-alone bill that would just work on Israel, as we’ve seen proposed. We would oppose a stand-alone bill, yes,” National Security Council …
Full Story On Our Radar
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Full Story On Tap Tomorrow
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- The Center for Strategic and International Studies unpacks the humanitarian crisis in Gaza for a 12:30 p.m. online event.
- The Senate Armed Services Committee holds a 9 a.m. hearing on the Department of Energy's national security budget.
- Air Force officials will testify during a 10 a.m. hearing with the House Armed Services Committee on the military branch's 2025 budget request.
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What We're Reading
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Opinions in The Hill
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You're all caught up. See you tomorrow!
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