Tag: Defense

Compromise defense bill to give 14.5% pay raise for junior enlisted troops

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The House and Senate Armed Services committees’ compromise defense policy bill released late Saturday night could give junior enlisted service members a 14.5% pay raise next year — a historic pay bump for troops in the ranks of E-1 through E-4.  Under the 2025 defense policy bill, all service members will get a 4.5% pay raise, which will take effect at the beginning of the year. Junior enlisted troops will receive an additional 10% pay bump, which will start in April, according to the legislation. The 14.5% pay raise is…

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Trump defense pick Hegseth flagged by fellow service member as possible ‘Insider Threat’ over tattoo

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Pete Hegseth, the Army National Guard veteran and Fox News host nominated by Donald Trump to lead the Department of Defense, was flagged as a possible “Insider Threat” by a fellow service member due to a tattoo he has. The Washington Times stories: White House

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Proposed 2% federal pay raise gets support in 2025 defense authorization bill

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With both Senate and House lawmakers advancing legislation that aligns with President Joe Biden’s 2% federal pay raise request, civilian federal employees appear to be a step closer to a smaller pay bump for 2025. The Senate Armed Services Committee’s version of the fiscal 2025 National Defense Authorization Act last week showed support for a 2% raise for DoD civilian workers and a 4.5% raise for military members. In a vote of 22-3 on June 13, committee lawmakers advanced the 2025 NDAA to the full Senate for consideration. The House…

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Passing 2025 defense spending bill will be ‘particularly difficult’

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While passing the 2024 defense budget was arduous as lawmakers struggled to agree on government funding plans for nearly six months into the fiscal year, negotiating the 2025 defense spending is shaping up to be “particularly difficult.” The Pentagon proposed a fiscal 2025 budget of $ 849.8 billion, about 1% higher than this year’s budget request. The top line figure aligns with the Fiscal Responsibility Act passed last year, which sets limits on defense and non-defense discretionary spending. Defense officials said the 1% increase would not be enough to cover…

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‘I didn’t do that’: Biden goes on defense over honoring Transgender Day of Visibility on Easter

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President Biden stoked more outrage over his decision to honor Transgender Day of Visibility on March 31, which was also Easter, by issuing a head-scratching denial Monday as the White House blamed the political backlash on “misinformation.” The Washington Times stories: White House

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National Defense Authorization Act moves a lot of chess pieces

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The National Defense Authorization Act, which Congress finished just days ago, moves the marker on several matters peripherally connected to the armed forces. Covington and Burling attorneys Alex Hastings and Michelle Pearce dropped by the Federal News Network studios in Chevy Chase, Maryland to talk with the Federal Drive with Tom Temin. Interview Transcript:  Tom Temin Let’s start with the big picture here because there’s a lot of specific provisions throughout this bill. But what fundamentally is Congress and the national security establishment, which informs much of what happens in…

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