Heritage Foundation
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Two women will graduate from the Army's Ranger School Friday. They are the first females to pass the grueling combat training program. But they're not guaranteed assignments with the Ranger regiment. New Army Chief of Staff Mark Milley will likely recommend which jobs should be open to women. Steve Bucci is a senior fellow for homeland security and defense issues at the Heritage Foundation and former assistant deputy secretary of defense and retired Army Special Forces officer. He tells In Depth with Francis Rose, what's next for the Ranger graduates.
August 18, 2015 -
The military lacks the resources it needs for nearly every one of its forces. The Marines are running with two-thirds of the number of battalions it has needed in the past to meet its daily operational needs. The Army is losing 40,000 active duty troops in the next two years. And advanced missile defense programs are underfunded and behind schedule. Michaela Dodge is a senior analyst for defense and strategic policy at the Heritage Foundation. She tells In Depth with Francis Rose that DoD and the next administration are in desperate need of a new nuclear game plan.
July 22, 2015 -
Civilian personnel cuts are on the table as Congress debates the 2016 National Defense Authorization Act and defense appropriations bills. The Office of Personnel Management says seniority is the first factor agencies should consider when making reductions in force. Justin Johnson is a senior policy analyst for defense budgeting policy at the Heritage Foundation. He tells with Francis Rose that DoD shouldn\'t decide who to cut based on how much experience they have, but how well they\'re performing.
June 12, 2015 -
Some members of Congress propose relying on special operations forces more as defense budgets shrink. But there is a reason special ops is called "special." Steve Bucci is director of the Douglas and Sarah Allison Center for Foreign and National Security Policy at the Heritage Foundation, former assistant deputy secretary of defense, and a retired Army Special Forces officer. He's one of the contributors to the new 2015 Index of U.S. Military Strength just out from the Heritage Foundation. His piece is titled "The Importance of Special Operations Forces Today and Going Forward." His piece includes five truths about special forces, and on In Depth with Francis Rose, he said he didn't make them up.
February 25, 2015 -
Jim Carafano, director of the Kathryn and Shelby Cullom Davis Institute for International Studies at the Heritage Foundation, and Ron Sanders, vice president and fellow at Booz Allen Hamilton, count down the week's top federal headlines with Francis Rose.
February 20, 2015 -
The budget will be one of the first things the new Congress takes up, according to leadership on both sides of Capitol Hill. The Defense Department is already starting its push to end -- or at least cut back on -- sequestration. James Jay Carafano is director of the Davis Institute for International Studies at the Heritage Foundation. He shared his Top 3 for 2015 on In Depth with Francis Rose. He says he thinks Congress will do a real defense budget in 2015, but that doesn't mean sequestration will go away.
January 06, 2015 -
The Pentagon announces more successful air strikes against the Islamic State militants in Iraq and Syria. The new year hasn't brought a new policy in dealing with the Islamic State, but more American advisers are on the ground in Iraq. And 2015 may be the year that calls for more of an American military presence in both countries to get louder. Steve Bucci is Director of the Allison Center for Foreign and National Security Policy at the Heritage Foundation. He's former Deputy Assistant Secretary of Defense, and a retired Army Special Forces officer. He shared his Top 3 for 2015 on In Depth with Francis Rose. He said decisions the enemy makes may force the hand of the United States.
January 02, 2015 -
Sharon Burke, senior adviser of the International Security Program at the New America Foundation, and Steve Bucci, director of the Douglas and Sarah Allison Center for Foreign and National Security Policy at the Heritage Foundation, count down the week's top federal stories with Francis Rose.
December 05, 2014 -
The Ebola crisis in West Africa and the ongoing combat operations against the Islamic State militants could hollow out the nation's military forces. That's according to Jim Carafano, vice president of the Kathryn and Shelby Cullom David Institute for National Security and Foreign Policy at the Heritage Foundation. He tells In Depth with Francis Rose about three recommendations to keep the military from declining in capability as demands increase.
October 22, 2014 -
Federal officials say Chinese hackers broke into the networks of the Government Accountability Office and the Government Printing Office back in March. While news of Chinese cyber attacks on federal agencies isn't unprecedented, the March attacks, first reported by the New York Times, have some observers scratching their heads. They say it's unclear why those two agencies would be targeted -- particularly in the case of GPO. Steve Bucci is director of the Douglas and Sarah Allison Center for Foreign and National Security Policy at the Heritage Foundation. He's also former deputy assistant Defense secretary. He said the attacks shouldn't come as a surprise on In Depth with guest host Jared Serbu.
July 18, 2014 -
President Barack Obama has rarely used his power to pardon people convicted of crimes. The Justice Department says that's about to change. It gave federal inmates hope by publishing new criteria last week. If you are a low-level drug offender with no history of violence or ties to organized crime, and you've served at least 10 years, then you've got a chance. Now the department is bracing for thousands of petitions. John Malcolm, a senior legal fellow at the Heritage Foundation, told Federal Drive hosts Tom Temin and Emily Kopp why presidential pardons have declined over the years.
April 28, 2014 -
Congress returns to work today with a crowded agenda and little time. Lawmakers must come to agreement on 2014 funding before the fiscal year ends Sept. 30 or risk a government shutdown. Also on the agenda: coming up with an alternative to the automatic spending constraints known as sequestration and negotiating a raise in the government's borrowing limit. There are also other measures affecting federal employees that remain to be worked out, including legislation to overhaul the cash-strapped Postal Service and a potential 1 percent pay raise for civilian federal workers.
September 06, 2013 -
The annual appropriations process is a complex and arduous Washington practice. But sequestration has snarled the process this year. As appropriators work to set agency funding, the House and the Senate disagree about how to account for the cuts in next year's spending plans.
July 07, 2013 -
Heritage Foundation security expert James Carafano will discuss the terrorist bombings in Boston, and what the U.S. government can do to prevent future attacks. April 19, 2013
April 19, 2013 -
The Republican leader said today on the Senate floor that after the debates over the DoD and Intelligence authorization bills, lawmakers could address concerns about the Cybersecurity Act of 2012.
November 15, 2012