The Veterans Affairs omnibus bill (see above) also contains a provision inserted by Sen. Larry Craig, (R-Idaho), chair of the Senate Veterans’ Affairs Committee, to have the remains of double murderer Russell Wayne Wagner removed from Arlington National Cemetery. Wagner’s cremated remains had been placed at Arlington due to a loophole in a 1997 law prohibiting burial of veterans who have committed capital crimes in national cemeteries.
The U.S. supports “a stronger and more capable” European defense, Defense Secretary Lloyd J. Austin III said during an Oct. 22 press conference in Brussels—but that defense should not duplicate the functions and capabilities of the NATO alliance.