The two-year budget deal that passed the House this week and is expected to make its way through the Senate will provide much-needed certainty for the Defense Department and the industrial base, which has grown wary of uncertainty and possible furloughs in the face of the sequestration threat, said Sen. Tim Kaine. Congress has worked to normalize the budget process after going through the “hell” of reaching a two-year budget deal, Kaine (D-Va.) told reporters in Washington, D.C., on Thursday. The biggest concern with the on?going budget uncertainty has been the inability to make stable long-term plans, Kaine said.
As the U.S. continues to pursue a diplomatic resolution with Russia over its troop buildup on the Ukraine border, the Defense Department is looking into what capabilities it will need to reassure NATO allies if Russia does launch an invasion, its top spokesperson said Jan. 21.