House Approves Vet, MilCon Bill: The full House has approved the 2007 Military Construction, Military Quality of Life, and Veterans Affairs Appropriations Act, raising VA funding by nearly 12 percent more than the amount enacted for 2006. Overall, the House version of the bill at $94.7 billion is about $80 million shy of the Administration’s request of $95.5 billion. The House would increase funding for the care of veterans returning from operations in Afghanistan and Iraq by 6.3 percent.
The Pentagon’s fiscal 2026 defense budget, submitted to Congress last week, accelerates the downsizing of the U.S. Air Force. It proposes divesting 340 aircraft, while only acquiring 76. These cuts risk the Air Force’s ability prevail. “Peace through strength” has...