BRAC squabbling pushed Senate Majority Leader Bill Frist (R-Tenn.) temporarily to table the annual defense authorization bill. It’s resurrection is more uncertain every day. The Hill reports that the measure will not surface on the Senate floor until Oct. 1, or later, prompting Capitol Hill staffers to predict a continuing resolution before the fiscal year ends on Sept. 30.
The U.S. military is maintaining a beefed-up presence in the Middle East, including fighters and air defense assets, following the U.S. strikes on Iranian nuclear facilities June 22 and subsequent retaliation by the Iranians against Al Udeid Air Base in Qatar.
