Republicans have selected a traditional defense hawk and Ukraine aid proponent as the new House appropriations chairman. Our latest reader survey asks feds what issues they’re tracking mostly closely come Nov. 5. The House's China panel is pushing Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin to add several biotech firms to the Pentagon list of Chinese military companies. Rep. John Moolenaar will replace the outgoing Rep. Mike Gallagher as head of the House China panel, a bipartisan committee in a fractious Congress. Congress has passed an $825 billion FY24 defense spending bill, but the plan to get Ukraine military assistance across the finish line remains uncertain. Kay Granger steps down as appropriations chair and China panel chair Mike Gallagher announces his resignation in April, shrinking the GOP majority. Congress released the text of the $825 billion FY24 defense spending bill, which includes some Ukraine aid and funding for multiyear munitions contracts. Indo-Pacific Command says it faces an $11 billion funding gap for regional military construction, space programs, munitions and Guam missile defenses. Defense and veterans hearings on Capitol Hill for the week of March 18, 2024. Five people died in the riot and its immediate aftermath, including a police officer, and other officers died later by suicide. Load More