"Inside the DoD's Reporter's Notebook" is biweekly feature focused on news about the Defense Department and defense community as gathered by Federal News Radio DoD Reporter Jared Serbu.
The Pentagon says its spending plan acknowledges defense spending is on a downward trajectory, and reduces force structure in order to balance other priorities such as readiness. If sequestration stays in place, the calculus will change, Defense officials say.
As part of the annual Defense authorization bill, House lawmakers will take up a provision designed to let federal employees gain experience and share expertise while working temporarily in other agencies.
The chairman and the ranking Democrat on the House Armed Services committee are determined to find a near-term way to pass a Defense Department budget, and not merely a continuing resolution, for fiscal year 2011, the panel\'s top Democrat said Tuesday.
Top Pentagon officials defended Defense Secretary Robert Gates\' proposed multibillion-dollar cuts in military spending.
The House Armed Services Committee held its first meeting of the 112th Congress on Thursday, approving new rules, an oversight plan, and announcing the leaders and members of subcommittees. Committee Chairman Buck McKeon said the panel will hold its first oversight hearing next week.