The Congressional Research Service has cranked out a 76-page overview of the major issues that lie ahead for the new Congress. Heading the list, of course, is “what to do in Iraq.” The CRS notes that lawmakers must, in addition to evaluating the Iraq Study Group recommendations, decide what role Congress must play, suggesting that the issue of supplemental appropriations for Iraq and Afghanistan could be the pivotal tool in any debate. CRS includes overall defense spending in its list of “major issues.”
A record investment in research and development by the Department of the Air Force will help the United States win the long-term technology race with China, even while shrinking the fleet size before a possible mid-decade Taiwan contingency, Air Force Secretary Frank Kendall said May 17. “With the Air Force,…