Anybody want to talk about the Senate’s legislative effort? Us neither. Suffice it to say that, after working through scores of large and small amendments added at the nth hour, 98 Senators finally voted “yes” for the 2006 defense authorization measure, which authorized new spending of nearly $492 billion. Now the House and Senate must resolve differences. Wake us up when it’s over.
The rate of building B-21 bombers would speed up if the fiscal 2026 defense budget passes. But it remains unclear how much capacity would be added, and whether the Air Force would simply build the bombers faster, or buy more.