Mac Thornberry

Despite high-profile exits, most Defense Business, Innovation Boards intact

Ahead of Trump's Monday inauguration, several high-profile members of the Defense Business Board and Defense Innovation Board voluntarily stepped aside.

Thornberry: 4 points to understand in order to meet America’s global challenges

The "American spirit of adaptability that has played such a central role in our past success is even more necessary today if we are to remain a globally competitive country and economy," writes former House Armed Services Chairman Mac Thornberry.

Defense Innovation Board to tackle Pentagon’s investment strategy, inform S&T design

“One of the things that was already useful ... was an understanding that in order to get private capital deployed, you need clarity and some understanding about what the DoD will look like as a customer," said board member and LinkedIn co-founder Reid Hoffman.

New NDIA Spin-Off Focuses On Building Next-Gen Tech Base For DoD

The institute will concentrate on artificial intelligence; autonomy; biotechnology; cyber; directed energy; command, control and communications; hypersonics; microelectronics; quantum science; space; and '5G to Next G.'

Buy America Doesn’t Work; We Need Allies: Rep. Thornberry

This is the last opinion piece Mac Thornberry will write as a member of the House of Representatives (at least, that’s what his staff told us!). I’m personally honored he chose us because Rep. Thornberry is one of the relatively few defense lawmakers I have truly respected for his knowledge, his commitment to quality legislation […]

House GOP Join Dems To Override Trump NDAA Veto; First Crack In Trump’s Hold?

"I’m hopeful that a strong vote can persuade the White House that there’s a better approach to that issue so you’re not punishing the troops for something that is totally unrelated," Rep. Mac Thornberry said during his final press conference. 

AIA: Hill, DoD Must Change Relations For Faster Space Acquisition

Since its creation last December, the U.S. Space Force has been charged with rapidly countering growing threats in an increasingly important domain. To successfully meet this mission, the service will have to adapt in a number of ways. One of the most vital tasks will be reforming an acquisition process ill-suited to protect against these […]

Congress Pushes Forward Defense Bill; Fight with POTUS Looms

Whatever happens with the 2021 budget, ":I suspect that the Pentagon's budgets will start flattening out," Chairman of the Joint Chiefs Gen. Mark Milley said today. "There's a reasonable prospect that they could actually decline significantly."

Do Not Change O&M Spending Rules, Say Former Appropriators

Congress appropriates the amount it believes will be required based on the testimony and documents supplied by the Executive Branch to the Appropriations Committees of the House and Senate. If Congress were to loosen the restrictions on the use of funds it would only serve to weaken a system which is already far too short of discipline.

The Top 5 REALLY Important NDAA Policies

Mackenzie Eaglen knows Congress (after all, she did work there) and she takes readers through the most important policy debates sparked by the two versions of the 2021 National Defense Authorization Act. Read on! The Editor.   Much of the public debate about this year’s National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) has focused on the renaming […]

HASC Passes NDAA 56-0: ‘Yet Hope Remains, While The Company Is True’

Despite COVID-19 and a veto threat from President Trump, the HASC approved the $732 billion defense bill by a unanimous vote.

HASC Wants To Stop Year-End Spending Sprees

To end annual panic spending to use up the budget, HASC wants to let DoD keep 50% of unspent Operations & Maintenance funds – if the appropriators allow it. A floor flight looms.

Space Force Nat’l Guard Likely To Cost $100M/Year: CBO

“The Guard and Reserves have existing space capabilities and talents that fit within the mission of the Space Force," says Rep. Ken Calvert, ranking member on the House Appropriations defense subcommittee.

Support Swells For New Indo-Pacom Funding; Will Money Follow

The National Defense Strategy called the Indo-Pacific the DoD's priority theater. “But all of us also recognize that strategy is budget and budget is strategy, and the budget numbers have not supported, to date, the Indo Pacific’s role as the primary theater.”