The debt ceiling debate could complicate Congress' attempt to pass a defense budget and additional Ukraine emergency spending. Administration officials are accusing far-right Republicans of undermining national security with their fiscal goals. The Pentagon is opting to keep funding Ukraine with emergency spending bills despite previous testimony it was working to integrate it in the base budget. Republicans lay the groundwork to boost the president's defense budget request, even as they vow to slash overall spending. Biden is proposing a 3.2% increase in Defense Department spending with an eye on the Pacific and bolstering the naval industrial base. Pentagon officials suggest that they will need Congress to keep passing Ukraine aid over the long-haul as Republican skeptics harden their opposition. In an exclusive interview with Defense News, Ken Calvert previews areas where House Republicans believe they can trim defense spending. Ken Calvert's competitive election victory puts him on track to chair the defense appropriations panel next year if Republicans take the House. A number of key defense policy leaders on Capitol Hill could be ousted from Congress on election night. "I am left with this last opportunity to make a difference,” wrote Col. Ken Bode, commander of the 959th Medical Operations Squadron. Load More