Scoop w/John M. Donnelly: Senate appropriators are planning on adding $34.5 billion in emergency $ to their fiscal 2025 bills above the levels laid out in last year's debt limit deal, with $21 billion for defense and $13.5 billion for nondefense. Story: plus.cq.com/doc/news-80475…

Nice joint effort here from Aidan Quigley and John M. Donnelly on a deal taking shape to add $21 billion to defense funding (and $13.5 billion to nondefense) in emergency spending above existing, agreed-upon levels.

BREAKING: Biden drops bid for second term under intense pressure from Democrats rollcall.com/2024/07/21/bid…

Hey I won an award for this story today. Invest in reporters who care about telling the human stories behind the multibillion-dollar defense budget and U.S. military policy. (Hire me) airforcetimes.com/news/your-air-…

1/1 Walz sat on House Veterans' Affairs Democrats and was ranking member. Sponsored bills include the Clay Hunt Act via Military Times Leo Shane III militarytimes.com/news/pentagon-…

Minnesota Gov. Walz brings rural, military background to Harris ticket rollcall.com/2024/08/06/min…

How selection of Gov. Tim Walz as Harris’ running mate is playing rollcall.com/2024/08/06/how…

Bald eagle above the fall foliage in NoVa this morning.

Today's front page — November 5, 2024:

Pete Hegseth must be ready with “good, sound answers” about his credentials, said Sen. Thom Tillis, R-N.C., because the Pentagon “is a large, complex, very, very important agency.” ow.ly/VFbg50U6WRA

It's time for Roll Call's best photos of the year, part 1: ow.ly/L28W50UsFK2

Members of the House Intelligence Committee left a classified briefing on Tuesday sounding satisfied that there was nothing nefarious behind the uptick in alleged drone sightings over New Jersey. ow.ly/9mLn50UtwX5

Senate narrowly confirms Pete Hegseth as the next defense secretary, with Vice President JD Vance casting a tie-breaking vote. ow.ly/BsEE50UN07x

For media colleagues writing on Trump-Israel-Iran, a reminder that Roll Call's Factbase has a transcript (below) of POTUS talking about this yesterday in the East Room: rollcall.com/factbase/trump…

Check out the latest from CQRC's Briana Reilly detailing some of the covert ops Mossad commandos carried out as part of Israel's strikes on Iran. Covert actions key to Israel’s strikes on Iran: Mossad rollcall.com/2025/06/13/cov…

Friends, CQ Roll Call is hiring a reporter to join our defense team. If you're a hard-charging journalist who wants to delve into the intersection of Congress, defense policy and the politics of national security, this opportunity may be a good fit. jobs.lever.co/fiscalnote/d10…

Defense reporters: come work with us! jobs.lever.co/fiscalnote/d10…

When Spike Lee wanted to use Springsteen's song "The Fuse" for the closing credits of 25th Hour, Bruce Springsteen said yes right away.

We are delighted to have Rebecca joining our team. If you aren't already familiar with her work, you soon will be, as she has a history of stellar reporting on Congress and defense.

Yesterday's SCOOP now up on Roll Call - The White House organized a briefing on Venezuela, and excluded Democrats -- a departure from the bipartisan nature of most national security briefings. Mark Warner to give a press conference on this shortly. rollcall.com/2025/10/30/sen…