Defense spending Archives - Tennessee Star

NATO Countries Talk Big About Beefing Up Defense Spending, But Most Haven’t Backed Up Pledges

May 25, 2023May 24, 2023 Admin

Most NATO countries have failed to meet pledges to inflate defense spending made in reaction to Russia’s invasion of Ukraine despite voicing concerns about the intense security environment in Europe, according to The Wall Street Journal.

NATO countries on the eastern flank, most notably Poland, are girding for war as the conflict in Ukraine shows no sign of abating in the near term, prompting renewed commitments to beefing up their own and Ukraine’s militaries in line with the U.S., according to the WSJ. Others believe that Russia’s poor performance in Ukraine, illustrated in recent days by an incursion of pro-Ukrainian partisans into a Russian border territory with little initial resistance, means there is less urgency to increase spending on weapons and military equipment than previously imagined, according to the outlet.

Congress’ Massive Spending Bill Sets Aside Another $45 Billion for Ukraine

December 21, 2022December 20, 2022 Admin

Congress appropriated an additional $45 billion in emergency assistance to help Ukraine repel Russia’s invasion in its yearly spending bill released early Tuesday.

The bill is Congress’ largest assistance package for Ukraine to date, following a $40 billion package signed into law in May, a $12 billion supplement in September and $800 million authorized in Congress’ defense spending budget, bringing the total anticipated support for Ukraine in 2022 to nearly $100 billion. It exceeds President Joe Biden’s $37 billion request for military, economic and humanitarian support for Ukraine despite some Republican opposition to offering a “blank check” to Ukraine.

Anti-Second Amendment Professor Speaks About His New ‘Weaponized Whiteness’ Book

November 10, 2021November 9, 2021 Admin

The Literati Bookstore, an independent book shop in Ann Arbor, Michigan, invited progressive author and Wayne State University professor emeritus Fran Shor to discuss his book Weaponized Whiteness: The Constructions and Deconstructions of White Identity Politics.

Literati Bookstore advertised the Oct. 12 event as a discussion on “the meanings and implications of white supremacy and, more specifically, white identity politics from historical and sociological perspectives.

But Shor’s presentation, “Weaponizing whiteness: past terrors, present predicaments,” also criticized a range of conservative policy including gun rights, policing, voter ID laws, the large defense budget, and the pro-life movement.

Study: Virginia Is the 10th Most Patriotic State

June 28, 2021June 27, 2021 Eric Burk

Virginia is the 10th-most patriotic state, according to a WalletHub study that looks at citizens’ civic and military engagement. Montana, Alaska, and Maryland make up the top three, while New York, Florida, and Connecticut are the U.S.’ least-patriotic states, according to the study. High military engagement in Virginia helped boost the commonwealth’s score despite a mediocre civic engagement score.

Rep. Green Appointed to National Defense Authorization Act Reconciliation Committee

November 20, 2020November 19, 2020 Jason M. Reynolds

U.S. Rep. Dr. Mark Green (R-TN-07) was appointed to a committee to work out differences between the House and Senate on the annual defense funding act.

House Republican Leader Kevin McCarthy (R-CA-23) made the announcement Wednesday.

Green: Senate Democrats Refuse to Send the Ukraine the Military Aid They Accuse Trump of Holding Up

November 5, 2019November 4, 2019 Jason M. Reynolds

U.S. Rep. Dr. Mark Green (R-TN-07) pointed out a huge irony in the Democrats’ impeachment effort against President Donald Trump over Ukraine and military aid.

Green tweeted, “It’s shocking that Democrats are impeaching the President over withholding aid from Ukraine, when they just voted in the Senate to withhold aid from Ukraine by blocking the spending bill.”

Rep. Green Files Bill to Require Defense Department to Resume Sending Congress Report on Defense Spending by U.S. Allies

April 4, 2019April 3, 2019 Jason M. Reynolds

U.S. Rep. Dr. Mark Green (R-TN-07) said he is working to strengthen the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) and America’s other treaty alliances by trying to make clear how much allies spend on the common defense. Green, a former Army special operations flight surgeon and West Point graduate, introduced the…

Ohio Legislators Push for New Missile Defense Site to be Located in Ohio

March 29, 2019March 28, 2019 Andrew Shirley

A group of Ohio Legislators in an open letter Thursday called on Acting U.S. Secretary of Defense Patrick Shanahan to select Ohio as the location for a new missile defense site and complex. The Continental United States Interceptor Site (CIS) is the only ground-based segment of the total U.S. defense system.…

Commentary: America’s Defense Establishment Appears Too Big to Succeed

March 21, 2019March 20, 2019 Admin

by Brandon J. Weichert The United States has a problem: It has a military-industrial complex built on assumptions about international security dating from the last century. Despite maintaining a larger defense budget than the next 10 countries behind it, the United States has been painfully slow to respond to…

Pence Christens New Attack Submarine, Urges Congress to Boost Defense Spending

April 29, 2017 Tennessee Star Staff

Vice President Mike Pence marked the Trump administration’s 100th day Saturday by christening a new Virginia-class fast attack submarine and calling on Congress to meet President Trump’s request for an extra $30 billion for defense in a short-term spending bill. Mr. Pence christened the U.S.S. Indiana in a ceremony at…