Category Archives: Fiscal Freedom

The Freedom-class littoral combat ship St. Louis (LCS-19) flies ceremonious flags during its commissioning at Naval Station Mayport. (U.S. Navy photo by Mass Communication Specialist 2nd Class Alana Langdon/Released)

WASHINGTON: The littoral combat ship St. Louis (LCS-19) is currently undergoing a maintenance availability where it will receive the fix to a class-wide problem discovered in the vessels combining gear.

That wouldnt be very noteworthy except for one thing: The ship is on the Navys list of vessels it wants to decommission in fiscal 2023. So why spend time and money to fix a ship ostensibly headed for its exit from service?

Navy spokesperson Jamie Koehler said its because the repairs were commenced as part of the new construction funded post-shakedown availability, prior to final decisions regarding planned decommissioning as part of the 2023 presidents budget and noted that the repair is expected to be completed by December 2022. Further, the repairs will allow unrestricted operations on LCS-19 prior to decommissioning and placement in out of commission, in reserve (OCIR) status, Koehler told Breaking Defense.

Between the lines, though, the choice of whether to fix a ship is more complicated than simply a matter of if it is up for decommissioning and the St. Louis might not really be going anywhere.

St. Louis is the only LCS currently receiving the combining gear fix, but its far from the only LCS up for decommissioning. For years, the service has proposed mothballing certain LCSs for any number of reasons. To justify decommissioning the nine included in this years budget request, the service has problems with the anti-submarine warfare mission module package as well as a desire to use the money elsewhere, such as resupplying its missile stockpiles.

And for years Congress has pushed back, arguing the money is spent, the fleet is already smaller than statutorily mandated and, as problematic as the LCSs have been, they can still serve a purpose. Lawmakers in previous years have compromised with Navy brass, allowing a limited number of vessels to leave the fleet, but have rarely obliged the services requests in full. This year is not looking any different.

The LCS has not been a platform that has achieved its goal. We all know that, Rep. Elaine Luria, D-Va., told Breaking Defense in an interview last month. But it is a platform that can do low-end missions. So if you get rid of the LCSs, what are you going to replace them [with]? Are you then going to need a DDG to go do every one of those ops, or are those ops not going to happen?

RELATED: Dont scrap LCS now that theyre finally useful, Luria says

Koehler said the fix to the defect, which was discovered on all Freedom-class LCS in late 2020, has been implemented on both LCS-21 and LCS-23. Lockheed Martin included the fix already incorporated into LCS-31 before delivering that vessel.

Navy brass during congressional hearings last week acknowledged LCSs that have not received the fix, such as the Sioux City (LCS-11), can be deployed but are restricted in their operations. Its an interesting admission because it shows the service has figured out how to work around the troubled combining gear. If the Navy becomes stuck between declining budgets and lawmakers unwilling to allow more LCSs to be retired, then which ships get the fix and which dont could come down to an internal budget fight.

In the meantime, as one of the youngest ships on the Navys proposed retirement list, it wont be a surprise if lawmakers force the Navy to keep the St. Louis in service for many years to come.

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Why the Navy wants to fix a ship it is asking to decommission - Breaking Defense

Washington

Recent assessments by U.S. military officials are raising questions about Afghanistans Taliban rulers and what they are willing to do to keep the al-Qaida terror group in check.

As part of the February 2020 Doha Agreement with the United States that paved the way for the U.S. withdrawal from Afghanistan, the Taliban agreed to make sure Afghanistan would never again be used as a launchpad for terror attacks against the West.

But the assessments by U.S. Central Command, which oversees U.S. military forces in the Middle East and South Asia, and shared with the Department of Defense Office of Inspector General indicate that while that pledge is holding for now, the Taliban may be ready to consider a change.

"The Taliban will likely loosen these restrictions over the next 12 to 24 months, allowing al-Qaida greater freedom of movement and the ability to train, travel, and potentially re-establish an external operations capability," according to an inspector general report released Tuesday.

CENTCOMs assessment does not explain why the Taliban appear willing to let al-Qaida operate more freely, though the inspector general report points to military intelligence estimates that note both al-Qaida and its regional affiliate, al-Qaida in the Indian subcontinent (AQIS), certainly aspire to attack the U.S. and U.S. targets.

However, the U.S. Defense Intelligence Agency has also said that al-Qaidas progress has been stunted despite the lack of a U.S. counterterrorism presence in Afghanistan.

"Al-Qaida has had some problems with reconstitution, leadership and, to a degree, I think the Taliban have held to their word about not allowing al-Qaida to rejuvenate," DIA Director Lieutenant General Scott Berrier told lawmakers in Washington on May 10.

"Its something that we watch very, very carefully," he said, adding that it would likely take more than a year for al-Qaida to be able to launch or direct attacks against the U.S.

Recent intelligence estimates from the United States and from other countries put the number of al-Qaida followers in Afghanistan at several hundred, including al-Qaida leader Ayman al-Zawahiri.

A United Nations report issued this past February, however, cautioned that, "some of its [al-Qaida's] closest sympathizers within the Taliban now occupy senior positions in the new de facto Afghan administration."

Intelligence shared by U.N. member states indicates AQIS has up to 400 fighters in Afghanistan spread across at least six provinces, though the recent U.S. assessments put the number at about half that.

Taliban officials rarely speak publicly about al-Qaida, likely given the close relationship between the two groups. However, U.S. military and diplomatic officials have said that, at least until now, the Taliban have taken steps to make good on their counterterrorism commitments.

Taliban officials have been willing to publicly discuss the Islamic State affiliate in Afghanistan, also known as IS-Khorasan Province or ISIS-K. And in a statement Tuesday, Taliban Foreign Minister Mawlawi Amir Khan Muttaqi assured the U.N. Mission in Afghanistan that that IS-Khorasan has been eradicated.

Islamic State

U.S. military and intelligence officials, though, caution that contrary to the Talibans assertions, IS-Khorasan may be poised to expand its operations in Afghanistan and beyond.

DIA officials told the Pentagon Inspector General that IS-Khorasan likely has about 2,000 fighters across Afghanistan and that the group could direct an attack in the West within the next year if the terror group so chooses.

The DIA also warned IS-Khorasan has increased its efforts to recruit inside Afghanistan and that it had made a concerted effort to recruit from Afghanistans neighbors.

"Since January ISIS-K has been publishing media in Central Asian languages to reach ethnic minorities in the region," the report said. "[It] aims to inspire supporters in these regions to travel to Afghanistan or conduct attacks where they are located, potentially against Western personnel and interests."

Western intelligence and humanitarian officials warned VOA last year that IS-Khorasan was busy laying the groundwork to expand its reach into Central Asia.

"They are building local infrastructure for the recruitment, logistics, economic support, economic infrastructure to support that," one humanitarian official who asked not to be named for fear they might be target, told VOA last July.

The focus was on "more quality and less numbers," the official said.

No counterterror strikes

The U.S. has not conducted any counterterrorism strikes in Afghanistan since the last U.S. forces left the country last year, with the Pentagon saying on Tuesday airstrikes have not yet been necessary.

"We haven't felt the need to do that," Pentagon press secretary John Kirby told reporters.

"Were not just sitting idly by," he added. "Were working continually on making sure we have strong over-the-horizon counterterrorism capabilities."

Kirby also said the Pentagon is watching the situation with the Taliban and al-Qaida as closely as it can.

"We've long said that we're going to judge the Taliban by what they do, not what they say," Kirby said in response to a question from VOA. "Nobody wants to see al-Qaida regain any kind of tangible footprint in Afghanistan or any ability to plan or attack outside the region."

According to the Defense Department Inspector General report, Pentagon financial officials estimate the U.S. will spend about $19.5 billion in fiscal 2022 to support its counterterrorism operations in Afghanistan out of a headquarters in Doha.

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Taliban Poised to 'Loosen' Restrictions on al-Qaida - Voice of America - VOA News

Each week, this series shares MarionMade! stories of our many wonderful people, places, products and programs in the greater Marion community. To read more positive stories of Marion, or to share some of your own, visit us at marionmade.org or on social media.

Theresa Lubke began her career with the YMCA over 30 years ago. She will be retiring June 30 after serving as the Marion Family YMCA executive director for the past 13 years.

She teaches national YMCA facility training courses. Lubke also was a member of the YMCA national planning advisory council and represented the United States on the 2006 leadership team at the YMCA world council in South Africa.

My husband, Dean Wenger, and I have lived in Marion for 15 years, said Lubke. I'm originally from Minnesota, but Ohio has become my adopted home state.

While serving as executive director of the Marshall YMCA, Lubke received the 2007 Human Rights Award by the League of Minnesota Human Rights Commission for her inclusive work with the Somali community in southwest Minnesota.

I think a community's local YMCA is one of its greatest assets. Governed by a local board of directors, the Y is nimble and can adapt to meet its community's greatest social needs. In Marion, that has meant stepping up with child care over the past two years, Lubke noted. We also serve as Marion's community center, where people of all ages and walks of life come together. Every weekday, older adults sitting in the lobby wave at the preschool students while they quietly walk through. Both age groups smile.

Lubke has expanded YMCA partnerships and is always ready to work with other organizations in support of a stronger Marion. She developed a partnership with Marion Public Health on the Creating Healthier Communities Coalition and served as fiscal agent and lead partner for Marion Mentors. Lubke responded to the Marion Community Foundations request for proposals and services that expanded Summer Day Camp as well as the Ys work on racial and social justice.

What motivates me the most is knowing we're helping families with the support they need to thrive. For example, we have a family in our child care program that was recently homeless, Lubke said. With the help of having affordable child care, the parent was able to find a job and then an apartment. We receive donations from hundreds of generous supporters, but you can't put a price on helping move a family from homelessness to stability.

Lubke is active in other areas of the Marion community.

In late 2020, I joined Marion's Peace and Freedom Committee. I joined knowing only a little about the group, mostly that they conducted Marion's annual Martin Luther King Day Breakfast and Speech Contest, Lubke said. Over the last 18 months, I've developed a passion for this group's workto unite youth, young adults and seniors of all cultures around in the doctrine of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. The women in the committee are dedicated to our community, to each other and to their neighborhoods. Their love for Marion and for each other is palatable and something I greatly admire.

Additionally, Lubke is part of the Marion Rotary Club (past board member), MARCA Industries board (past president) and the Marion Technical College Foundation board. She is a past board member of Rushmore Academy and Ohio Heartland Community Action.She also serves as an adjunct faculty member with Marion Technical College, teaching human resource management in Marions prisons.

As her time at the Marion Family YMCA is ending, Lubke notes her belief others should become involved in their community.

It's only through involvement and action that we create change. Every person can be part of positive change. Each of us just must find the right organization or group and jump into action, Lubke said. The United Way has an online platform to connect people to Marion volunteer opportunities:Get Connected Marion, OH (getconnectedmarionoh.com). Or, call your neighborhood school, stop by the Y or ask your elected officials how to get involved.

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MarionMade!: Theresa Lubke nearing end of 30 years with the YMCA - Marion Star

As insurance regulator Irdai has allowed the general insurance companies to design new and customised products for dwellings, micro and small enterprises for fire and allied perils, this new guideline will provide policyholders more options to select products. And, competition among the insurers on product features is expected to bring innovation to the industry.

The insurers are expected to continue to price the new and tailor-made products and coverage extensions more competitively to achieve greater market shares in fire and allied perils insurance, which has been a profitable line of business, according to industry experts.

In its endeavour to increase insurance penetration and provide a wider choice to policyholders, Irdai on May 12 allowed general insurers to design new and customised products for dwellings, micro and small enterprises for fire and allied perils. Currently, the insurance companies offer standard fire and special perils insurance policies, which provide insurance covers for physical loss, destruction and damage to insured properties due to fire, lightning, storm, explosion, flood, earthquake, landslide, cyclone, riots, strikes and terrorism, among others.

The new guidelines from the Irdai permitting insurers to design new and customized insurance products for fire and allied perils is a very welcome move for the benefit of policyholders. Allowing freedom for the insurers to sell customised products and policyholders getting more options to select, will greatly benefit customers as competition on product features will bring innovation, Sanjay Kedia, country head and CEO, Marsh India Insurance Brokers, told FE.

According to Kedia, it has been seen globally that competition on price, coverage, and service helps customers and leads to rapid growth in the market. This is a right step to boost insurance penetration in the country, he said, adding the leading insurance broker hopes that the regulator soon also starts allowing insurance companies and intermediaries to bundle allied services to truly extend solutions to customers and just not insurance products. A case in point is that already for Motor insurance allied services of Road Side Assistance is allowed to be sold along with insurance, he pointed out.

The insurance regulator had allowed pricing freedom i.e; de-tariff in 2008-09, which allows price competition in the general insurance industry. Earlier, the pricing of almost all general insurance products was determined by the Tariff Advisory Committee, supervised by Irdai. Further, in the financial year 2021-22, the regulator decided to allow the insurers to file three insurance policies for the dwelling risks, micro risks, and small & medium risks and permitted the insurance companies to decide the premium rates based on their own experience and underlying risk quality. This has resulted in favourable pricing for the policyholders.

In our view, the trend would continue and the insurers would continue to price the new products and coverage extensions more competitively to achieve greater market share in this (fire and allied perils) profitable line of business, Kedia said on the pricing of the new and customised fire and allied perils insurances.

According to him, reinsurance companies should allow the insurers to innovate on coverage on their part and can contribute by aligning their reinsurance support by providing reinsurance capital and extending product knowledge expertise and allowing the insurers to cede risks. They can further contribute by offering their global expertise in these segments and helping the insurers develop more innovative covers, Kedia added.

Irdai has permitted general insurers to design and file alternative products covering fire and allied perils after considering the increasing demands for new covers in the fire line of business. Such alternative products may be variations of the standard product and may include already approved add-ons as part of the base product or may delete an existing provision, the regulator has said.

However, the definitions and wordings of terms used in the standard product will be the reference point for those terms when used in the alternative products as well. And, the pricing of the new products will be commensurate with the risks involved.

For the countrys non-life insurance industry, gross premium underwritten by the insurance companies under fire insurance stood at `21,545.25 crore for the last fiscal, registering a 7.02% growth year-on-year.

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Irdais move to allow insurers to design new policies expected to bring in innovation - The Financial Express

TGIF! Were wishing all the moms out there a very happy Mothers Day on Sunday. Heres the latest.

The U.S. economy added 428,000 jobs in April, with the unemployment rate holding steady at a pandemic low of 3.6%, the Labor Department announced Friday.

The report reveals a labor market that continues to expand with impressive vigor, adding 2.1 million jobs since the beginning of the year and more than 400,000 jobs for 12 straight months, the strongest streak since 1939, according to Morgan Stanley. Demand for workers in the service sector in particular remains strong, with a gain of 340,000 jobs during the month.

The economy has now regained nearly 95% of the 22 million jobs lost during the pandemic. One area of concern, though, is labor force participation. The labor force shrank by 363,000 during the month, and although that number is not statistically significant, it does contribute to worries about the number of workers who remain on the sidelines despite solid wage growth.

Plenty of economists think the decline in the labor force participation rate, which fell two-tenths of a point to 62.2%, will prove to be temporary. The rate "has been trending strongly in the right direction for months," said Elise Gould of the Economic Policy Institute, adding that she is "optimistic this will simply be a blip on the way to a full recovery in [the employment-to-population ratio] by the end of 2022."

Other analysts arent so sure. Bloombergs Jonathan Levin argued Friday that the number of workers available to rejoin the labor force is getting smaller, and "the notion that a pool of untapped labor could somehow resolve the U.S.s massive labor supply-demand imbalance was increasingly looking like wishful thinking."

Wage gains slow: Wages grew by 0.3% during April, and by a very robust 5.5% over the last year, but the three-month moving average dropped from 5.2% in March to 4.4% in April easing concerns about the development of a wage-price spiral that could make inflation harder to combat.

"Wage growth was a little bit slower than I expected that could conceivably be a sign of positive things to come on inflation," said former Treasury Secretary Larry Summers, a prominent inflation hawk. "The Feds moving in the right direction," Summers added, referring to the central banks decision earlier this week to step up its effort to tighten monetary conditions. "Whether theyre moving strongly enough and whether its going to be enough to bring inflation durably under control I think is still very much in question.

EPIs Gould said theres little evidence of a wage-price spiral. "On a quarterly or monthly basis, nominal wage growth is actually falling even in the face of continued inflation," she wrote. "We can keep labor markets tight without feeding inflation."

How long can it last? The continued strength of the labor market has surprised some experts, and many assume that hiring will ease up in the coming months. "We expect that as the economy evolves, both growth and monthly hiring will slow to more familiar long-term trends of around 2% growth for the economy and increases of 200,000 in hiring," Joseph Brusuelas, chief economist at the consulting firm RSM, said in a note Friday.

Oren Klachkin of Oxford Economics said that while hiring may slow, the job market will remain "a key source of resilience for the economy" for months to come. "Job creation will eventually settle into a slower pace as businesses feel the pinch of soaring inflation and tighter financial conditions, but gains will stay healthy," Klachkin said. "We think the economy has enough strength to create over 4 million jobs this year."

President Joe Biden said Friday that the U.S. is sending more military aid to Ukraine.

"I am announcing another package of security assistance that will provide additional artillery munitions, radars, and other equipment to Ukraine," Biden said in a statement. "We are sending the weapons and equipment that Congress has authorized directly to the front lines of freedom in Ukraine. U.S. support, together with the contributions of our Allies and partners, has been critical in helping Ukraine win the battle of Kyiv and hinder Putins war aims in Ukraine."

A separate White House document specified the value of the aid package at $150 million. Its the ninth drawdown from the larger aid fund approved by Congress soon after Russian invaded Ukraine, and Biden said that fund is now almost empty.

The president reminded lawmakers that his request for $33 billion in additional aid has gone nowhere. "With todays announcement, my Administration has nearly exhausted funding that can be used to send security assistance through drawdown authorities for Ukraine," Biden said. "Congress should quickly provide the requested funding to strengthen Ukraine on the battlefield and at the negotiating table."

A group of 19 Democrats is urging House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-CA) and congressional leaders to hold a vote on bipartisan legislation to increase funding for local police departments across the country.

"We write to request that the House bring legislation to the floor in the coming months to infuse our local police departments and their personnel with new resources to ensure our communities and officers are safe and secure and invest in our officers," the House Democrats wrote in a letter first reported by NBC News. "Now is the time to send a clear message that we support investing in our women and men in blue.

Republicans have been hammering President Joe Biden and Democrats over an increase in violent crime in major cities. Democrats have responded by pulling back to some extent on calls for criminal justice reform and pushing back on progressive calls to defund the police. "The answer is not to defund the police. Its to fund the police," Biden said in his State of the Union Address earlier this year. His budget called for increasing funding for law enforcement.

The Democrats behind the letter are mostly centrists, led by Reps. Josh Gottheimer of New Jersey and Cindy Axne of Iowa. Gottheimer, the co-chair of the Problem Solvers Caucus, is an author of the Invest to Protect Act of 2022, which would create a new grant program to fund officer training, recruitment and mental health resources as well as body cameras and other equipment for police departments with fewer than 200 officers. The House bill has 55 co-sponsors, including 36 Democrats and 19 Republicans. A companion bill recently introduced in the Senate also has bipartisan support.

The White House is preparing for a cold-weather Covid wave later this year that could infect as many as 100 million Americans if Congress doesnt provide additional pandemic funding, The Hills Peter Sullivan reports: "A senior administration official told a small group of reporters on Friday that the estimate is the median of a range of models from outside experts that the administration consults, meaning it is also possible significantly more Americans catch the virus, especially if there is a major new variant."

The omicron wave this winter infected about 130 million to 140 million Americans, Sullivan says, adding that the Biden administration projects that case numbers this fall and winter could be lower if funding is made available for increased testing and updated vaccines expected to be ready by the fall. A bipartisan package providing $10 billion in pandemic funding is stalled in Congress as Republicans demand a vote on an amendment to prevent the lifting of pandemic-era immigration restrictions. Democrats may look to tie the Covid funding to an aid package for Ukraine.

"The senior administration official said the contingency plan if Congress does not provide new money is to take all funding out of testing, new treatments and vaccine education and outreach, and try to pile it up to have enough to maybe be able buy enough updated vaccines only for the elderly," Sullivan reports.

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The Strongest Jobs Streak Since 1939 | The Fiscal Times - The Fiscal Times

Ambassador Mike Hammer

Op-Ed for World Press Freedom Day: May 3, 2022

Freedom of expression, including for members of the press,is a foundational component of a vibrant, fully functioning democracy. Peaceful, prosperous, and inclusive societiesdependon thefreeflowof informationand ideas, including the freedom to seek, receive, and impart information both online and offline.

During my 3 1/2 years here, I have consistently highlighted the importance of press freedom and access to information for the Democratic Republic of the Congos (DRC) development and democratic success. I have tried to model this value by being open and accessible with Congolese and international journalists and by sharing information about my meetings and activities through social media where I now have over 220K followers. I welcome tough questions, accepting that some will be critical, and embracing dialogue with journalists based on mutual respect. This dialogue is absolutely critical to promoting greater understanding between our countries and empowering vibrantdemocratic societies.

World Press Freedom Day is an opportunity for governments to reflect on their commitment to press freedom in deed as well as in word and for media professionals to reflect on journalism ethics and their sacred role in a healthy democracy. Importantly, it is also a day to commemorate those journalists, like Joel Mumbere Musavuli of Radio Tlvision Communautaire de Babombi who was killed last year and all others who have lost their freedom, and in too many instances, their lives, for reporting the truth and for bearing witness to conflict, oppression, and despair.

In the DRC, this years World Press Freedom Day is also an opportunity for government and media stakeholders to follow up on the recommendations from the [meeting of the] Etats Gnraux de la Communication et des Mdias that took place in late January of this year.

Media professionals, alongside the DRC government, made commitments to improve the media sector and the status of journalists. The Union Nationale de la Presse Congolaise (UNPC) committed to strengthening self-regulation of journalists and creating a status for bloggers. Improving self-regulation of the media profession will improve journalistic integrity and ultimately protect the profession from attacks by those who seek to discredit journalism and the truth. Furthermore, resource mobilization and fair regulation for independent media outlets must be addressed through improved fiscal policy. Journalists who cant feed themselves are journalists vulnerable to unethical practices. There is also growing fiscal pressure on media outlets. Recently four media outlets were forced to close in East Kasai for non-payment of advertising fees that exceeded their revenues. Over-taxation and levying fees against media to close their operations harms free speech and a free press.

To protect journalists, the Government of the DRC must also revise the 1996 Press Freedom Law to de-penalize press offenses, including defamation. Threats of defamation should not bring jail-time and the burden of proof for defamation should rest with the accuser; otherwise, this law can be used to intimidate and silence journalists. The United States condemns threats, harassment, and violence targeting journalists and media workers. No members of the press should be intimidated, threatened, or attacked by anyone for any reason, or arrested simply for doing their job. Journalism is not a crime.

The Government of the DRC should also follow through on its commitment at the Etats Gnraux to push the National Assembly to adopt the Access to Public Information Law. Access to government information is not only crucial to improving public service delivery standards and improving the local business environment, but it allows journalists, civil society, DRC institutions, and even the parliament itself, the opportunity to provide oversight of officials actions.

Access to information ensures an informed citizenry and enables them to hold their officials accountable. An Access to Public Information law is at the heart of transparency and anti-corruption, an important tool in combating the illegal logging and wildlife trafficking that endangers the precious First Lung of the Congo Basin and robs Congolese citizens of their natural resources and economic opportunity. Passage of this law would be celebrated by the Congolese and the international community as a true demonstration of the governments commitment to anti-corruption.

Today, we also cannot ignore that in the digital age, while it is easy to spread accurate information, it is also easier to spread misinformation to the public. This dangerous reality makes it even more important that governments, journalists, and civil society disseminate timely, accurate information to the people. Weve seen all too well in recent years that around the world, democracy and human rights have been threatened and undermined by disinformation, misinformation, and outright lies. Government and journalists must work together to bring the facts to the table.

That is why the United States, through USAID, is proud to announce an additional $1.5 million to the Media Sector Development Activity, implemented by FHI360 and Internews. This additional funding will help counter misinformation, hate speech and false information ahead of the DRCs 2023 election.

To have a free and fair election, the Congolese people must have access to accurate information about the political process. We are happy to see that the Government of the DRC recognizes the importance of a clear communication strategy and providing real time information to the public.

Trustworthy information is a public good, a shared resource for the whole of humanity. Lets all work together to protect it.

Michael Hammer

U.S. Ambassador to the DRC

By U.S. Embassy Kinshasa | 3 May, 2022 | Topics: News, Press Releases | Tags: democracy, human rights, human rights issue, journalism, Mike Hammer, Press Freedom, U.S.-D.R.C partenrship

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Op-Ed for World Press Freedom Day - US Embassy in the Democratic Republic of the Congo - U.S. Embassy Kinshasa

A great thanks to Roger and the full team here at the Reagan Institute for hosting todays event. I have had the great pleasure of working with Roger for years in the past, and attending, of course, the events out west.

And you all do really important work, and I will say, I think its a testament, todays event, I hope, to our ability to continue to bridge across really challenging political divides - to have a conversation on serious topics and keep that going on across the political spectrum.

So, thank you all for hosting me. So, Im here to talk a little bit today about the National Defense Strategy and the Presidents Fiscal Year 2023 defense budget request.

As Secretary Austin noted when he was addressing the Reagan National Defense Forum back in December, Ronald Reagan the 40th President was someone who loved democracy and had an implacable opposition to autocracy.

Just walking through the halls here today really reinforces that - from the many quotes and artifacts that are here in this building.

President Biden shares those core convictions about the importance of protecting our democracy, which today faces a myriad of challenges.

The people in Ukraine remain foremost on our minds. Russia poses an acute threat to the international system, as illustrated by its ongoing war of choice and its brutal tactics. Our National Defense Strategy fully accounts for Russias threats in Europe and beyond.

But even as we confront Russias aggression and malign activities, the strategy is clear that China is our militarys most-consequential strategic competitor and pacing challenge.

And our strategy also acknowledges that we face additional, persistent, regional threats; including those emanating from Iran, North Korea, and violent extremist organizations, as well as trans-boundary challenges, like climate change, that affect our missions and operations.

In an address to the American people in 1983, President Reagan spoke about his defense budget request in this way: Budget is much more than a long list of numbers, for behind all the numbers lies Americas ability to prevent the greatest of human tragedies and preserve our free way of life in a sometimes-dangerous world.

Similarly, this Administration built our budget request in direct response to the objectives of our National Defense strategy.

Our strategy has four priority objectives:

First defending the homeland paced to the multi-domain threat that China poses today and can in the future.

Second deterring strategic attacks.

Third deterring aggression, while being prepared to prevail in conflict prioritizing the PRC challenge in the Indo-Pacific, then the Russia challenge in Europe.

And finally building a resilient Joint Force defense ecosystem.

The Presidents Fiscal Year 23 request of $773 billion a roughly 8.1% increase over the 22 request, and 4% above the just-inked FY2022 omnibus, makes the investments we need to implement the strategy by pursuing three approaches which connect our means to our ends.

Our first approach is integrated deterrence. We seek to network our efforts across domains, theaters, and the spectrum of conflict to ensure that the U.S. military, in close cooperation with the rest of the U.S. government and our Allies and partners, makes the folly and costs of aggression very clear.

The combat credibility of the U.S. military to fight and win is the cornerstone of integrated deterrence.

That is why our topline request for Fiscal Year 23 includes $276 billion for procurement and for research, development, testing, and evaluation and that is across land, air, sea, cyber, and space domains that must be netted together for integrated deterrence.

Of note, across that spectrum of conflict, we also are investing $34.4 billion in recapitalizing the nuclear triad.

Campaigning is our second approach, and its related. Campaigning strengthens deterrence and enable us to gain advantage against the full range of competitors coercive actions.

The United States will operate forces, synchronize broader department efforts, and align department activities with other instruments of national power, to undermine acute forms of competitor coercion, complicate adversaries military preparations, and develop our own warfighting capabilities together with Allies and partners.

Readiness for the threats of today is central to campaigning, which is why we invest almost $135 billion in military readiness.And while we maintain the ability to respond across the globe, our campaigning efforts will be focused on the Indo-Pacific and Europe.

Through the Pacific Deterrence Initiative and other regionally-focused efforts, we make investments that support our comparative military advantage and bolster our posture and logistics in the Indo-Pacific region.

Regarding Europe, our request supports the European Deterrence Initiative, U.S. European Command, and our iron-clad commitment to NATO.

Americas ongoing support to the people of Ukraine exemplifies these priorities in Europe. As President Biden has stated, in the perennial struggle for democracy and freedom, Ukraine and its people are on the front lines.

Thanks to the responsiveness of this Administration and the Unites States Congress, weve already delivered over $4 billion in security assistance to Ukraine since the start of the Administration and over $3 billion since the invasion on February 24th. Thats remarkable.

To ensure the Ukrainians continue to get the capabilities they need to defend themselves, the President has recently made a request for an additional $33 billion dollars of assistance $16 billion of which will be for the Department of Defense.

Earlier this week, I was in Troy, Alabama, with President Biden, visiting the Lockheed Martin facility where our Javelin missiles, which were an early game-changer in Ukraine, where they are produced.

We were there to thank the women and men who work at that facility for their tireless efforts in supplying the Department of Defense and our Allies and partners.

The work they do in Troy, and across our entire defense industrial base, is central to the execution of our National Defense Strategy. Thats the third approach for connecting our ends to our means building enduring advantage.

This requires us to invest in our people, like providing the largest pay raise in 20 years to our military personnel, investing in affordable childcare, and ensuring their food and housing security.

Building enduring advantage also means focusing intensely on innovation and modernization. And that is why we invest roughly $130 billion in RDT&E our largest request ever.

Finally, to combat the effects climate change on our military, we invest $3 billion to deploy new technologies, create efficiencies, and prepare our infrastructure.

As Ive outlined, our budget request makes the critical investments we need to defend our nation. But, our security depends on more than just dollars.

We must out-perform and out-innovate would-be threats.

This means making sure that at the department, we knock down barriers that stymie innovative thinking. Simultaneously, DoD faces external barriers to innovation like delays in annual appropriations.

Moving forward both inside and outside the five sides of the Pentagon we must work to find solutions to problems such as these to realize the concepts and capabilities that this century demands.

Im going to conclude by just thanking you once again for inviting me to speak this morning.

The Department of Defense today is ready to play its vital role in advancing President Bidens national security objectives, as articulated in the National Defense Strategy.

In connecting our ends, ways, and means, we have proceeded with the objectivity and rigor that our national security demands.

As Secretary Austin has said, in doing so, we seek a 21st century that is far more secure and far less bloody than the world of the 20th.

I look forward to the discussion.

The rest is here:

Deputy Secretary of Defense Dr. Kathleen Hicks' Remarks on the National Defense Strategy and Fiscal Year 2023 Budget Request at the Reagan Institute...

President Biden meets with small business owners as economic concerns mount.

For being the backbone of the economy, small businesses certainly havent been treated with care.

Despite accounting for around half the jobs and GDP pre-covid, including around 64 percent of new jobs, they have borne the brunt of government overreach over the past couple of years. And, if we want to turn the economy around and avoid a lengthy and deep recession, they deserve everyones attention.

WHITE HOUSE TOUTS SMALL BUSINESS BOOM AHEAD OF MIDTERM ELECTIONS

Small businesses were among the first and longest shuttered via local and state government mandates. They received a tiny fraction of the overall federal COVID relief funds, certainly not enough to compensate for the subjugation of their property rights. Larger competitors, who often received the benefit of staying open during the pandemic, also were the beneficiaries of the Federal Reserves policy of cheap and available credit, strengthening those big companies balance sheets and giving them an unfair advantage over small businesses.

Then, those small companies that survived, battered and bruised by incongruent and incompetent monetary, fiscal and other government policies, had to deal with the long-tail effects caused by them. Inflation, labor shortages and supply chain issues delivered blow-after-blow to the foundation of the economy.

If we want to ensure that the backbone of America is preserved and healthy, it must be a focus.

Job Creators chief communications officer reacts to a Congressional proposal that would take away money already allocated for small business and put it towards COVID response funding.

It needs to be easier to start. It needs to be easier to hire your first employee. It needs to be easier to stay in business. All of this can be accomplished by removing government barriers imposed at all levels on small business owners.

On the labor front, we have too few people in the workforce, particularly for the job openings; about 1.8 jobs available for every worker looking. Allowing small businesses to hire more flexibly, such as expanding the use of contractors or gig workers, and not having additional costs and penalties from bringing on workers would be a great start.

This would allow small businesses to raise wages, helping to bridge the gap that currently exists between inflation and wages. These price increases and flexibility on how work is performed are also key in getting more workers back into the workforce to level the labor markets supply/demand imbalance.

Some small businesses are feeling the financial crunch as inflation rates surge to record highs. One furniture maker in North Carolina says manufacturing materials are much more expensive now than they were a year ago.

Removing or lessening other government-imposed barriers, regulations, costs, taxes and more that make it harder for small companies to compete with bigger, better-capitalized entities can also help stave off a recession. With the Federal Reserve tightening their policy in an effort to cool off demand, those who are most vulnerable to these measures are small companies. After the last two years of policy abuse, they need a government cost- and restriction-holiday or else we risk even more of them closing for good.

CLICK HERE TO READ MORE ON FOX BUSINESS

Not all of these decisions are made at the federal level, but the federal government can certainly do its part and also provide direction for state and local jurisdictions to follow.

Also, many small businesses are domestically focused, and spending with local small businesses supports local economies. American Expresss Small Business Impact study estimated that around 67 cents of every dollar spent with a local small business stays in the local economy. Having a number of small businesses fail at once could wreak havoc on entire communities.

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Providing more support to small businesses ensures that we do not erode GDP, consolidate jobs, lessen consumer choice and stifle innovation. It preserves economic freedom and wealth creation opportunities for Americans today and those immigrants who come to America from all over the world to pursue the American Dream.

Big businesses have long had the upper hand. They get special treatment, as well as policies and legislation shaped in their favor. Its time to tilt the playing field back to support the backbone of America, small business. If we dont, we will all pay a price.

Carol Roth, a former investment banker & entrepreneur, is author of "The War on Small Business."

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Small businesses can save our economy, and economic freedom - Fox Business

Prior to the upcoming primary elections, we decided to review how some of the Idaho Freedom Foundation favorites in the Idaho Legislature performed on a number of education bills that will have a major impact on the future of education in Idaho.

According to the Boise State University Annual Public Policy Survey (2022) Idahoans continue to consistently identify education as their top legislative priority. So lets review a few of the education bills that were addressed in the most recent legislative session.

We selected several education funding bills that were passed in both the house and senate chambers of the legislature and signed by the governor into law, with one exception. House Bill 723, vetoed by Gov. Little, would have changed the state formula from funding schools based on their average daily attendance (ADA) to basing funding on student enrollment. The issue will likely reemerge in the future as Idaho is only one of seven states that continues to use the controversial and archaic ADA formula.

Other bills we reviewed included:

The legislators whose voting records we chose to review represent the Idaho Freedom Foundations highest ranked representatives, according to their IFF Freedom Index. We include the five representatives who scored 100% (A+) on that index: Chad Christensen (Iona), Karey Hanks (St. Anthony), Ron Nate (Rexburg), Tammy Nichols (Middleton), and Heather Scott (Blanchard). They are the IFF All-Stars.

We also included five representatives who serve on the House Education Committee, are up for reelection, and whose IFF Freedom Index scores were 75% (C) or higher: Judy Boyle (Midvale), Ron Mendive (Coeur dAlene), Gayann DeMordaunt (Eagle), Barbara Ehardt (Idaho Falls), and Tony Wisniewski (Post Falls). These are the IFF Fab Five. Dorothy Moon, a member of the House Education Committee with an IFF Index score of 95% (A), is running for a statewide office and not included in this analysis.

The other members of the House Education Committee all received grades of D or F from the IFF Freedom Index, including House Education Committee Chairman Lance Clow (R-Twin Falls, 59%, F) and Vice Chairman Ryan Kerby (R-New Plymouth, 59%, F).

THE ALL-STARS

The Freedom Foundation All-Stars voted against nearly all of the eight bills included in our review:

THE FAB FIVE

As for the IFF Fab Five (Boyle, Mendive, DeMordaunt, Ehardt, and Wisniewski), theirs was a mixed bag of votes. All five voted NO for the literacy enhancement bill, which passed the House on a 40-29-1 vote, was approved by the Senate and signed into law by the governor. All of the House Ed committee members, except Boyle, voted NO for creating a financial incentive to attract and retain educators to work in rural schools, an interesting negative from members of the germane committee who know about the shortage of educators in mostly rural Idaho and still voted against a bill that found its way to the governors desk for his signature.

The Fab Five were varied in their support and opposition for the appropriations bills that will make up the Fiscal Year 2023 state school budget. They were nearly unanimous however, except Ehardt, in their opposition to the bill to finance a raise for school administrators. Perhaps an attempt to send a message to administrators across the state? In any case, the bill passed the House by a 51-17-2 vote, the Senate by a large majority and was signed by the governor, so a message was clearly sent, and received.

Its important to note that there was one bill that was held in the Education Committee on an 8-7 vote. House Bill 669 would have allocated up to nearly $6,000 in state funds per student that could be used to pay for their private school tuition. All of the Fab Five on the House Education Committee voted in favor of the voucher bill and against public schools. Ultimately the bill failed and the Idaho State Constitution was upheld. Preventing the bill from advancing supports our organizations (RISE) public opinion poll conducted last fall revealing that a vast majority of Idahoans want the legislature to focus on funding public schools and NOT promoting private schools vouchers.

So as we prepare to vote in the May 17 primaries, we encourage you to consider how the legislative candidates in your district have or have NOT, will or will NOT, support our Idaho public schools in the future. Choose wisely.

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A K-12 scorecard for IFF favorites in the Idaho House - Idaho EdNews

Endorses Holmquist

I am always thankful for citizens stepping up to run for office. It shows their commitment to make a difference in all of our lives.

Its nice to see several candidates vie for the Flathead County Commissioners role, a vital one in the Flathead. A team of three make huge decisions for all of us especially where our taxpayer dollars go.

Pam Holmquist has been part of this team and shows the fiscal restraint we all deserve. She has made decisions that sometimes are not popular but done it with reason and thought. Her background of knowledge is one we should keep with huge inflation rates swirling, real estate appraisals rising and costs going up on every level.

I will be marking my ballot for Pam to stay on the team of fiscal sanity. We need to stay the course during turbulent times. Again, thanks to those who want to serve!

Dee Brown, Hungry Horse

I am pleased to offer my full and heartfelt support for Brian Friess, as he runs for the office of county commissioner here in Flathead County. I have known Brian for several years and gotten to know him and his family well during that time.

Flathead County has some tall tasks to meet. We are seeing massive growth in the population, as well as home prices and rent. Infrastructure is becoming heavily burdened with this growth. There are a number of education and community topics that have become of significant interest in the past few years, as well. Thoughtful, steady and innovative leadership is always needed, but ever more in the times we live in.

I know Brian will be able to provide these qualities of leadership, in addition to many others he also has. I have always found Brian to be an exceptional man of faith. His ethics and character have always set a high bar when it comes to morals. He is a diligent worker and loving father, working hard to provide for his family over the years.

Again, our county is currently facing some significant circumstances and probably other unforeseen ones in the future. For success in meeting these needs, we need great leadership and vision to get in front of some of those challenges. Brian can do that and collaborate with other leaders to meet these challenges head on. Good leadership is being a good leader when that is needed and knowing how to be a good supporter other times, when that is needed. Good leadership always looks to serve others first. All of these reasons are why I support Brian Friess for Flathead County Commissioner.

Justin Burt, Kalispell

I am writing in support of Jason Parce for Flathead County Commissioner.

Pam Holmquist, the incumbent, has become the Flatheads version of a career politician, having been a fixture on the commissioners board since 2011 while simultaneously sitting on the Health Board. During her tenure, when it has counted the most her record has been mixed at best. She has displayed a fundamental misunderstanding of proper legislative and constitutional authority.

In March, 2020 Holmquist thought it wise to support the health officers call for restaurant lockdowns. Later, she voted in favor of all-mail ballots in the 2020 election. She has tacitly supported school mask mandates, and seemingly intoxicated with authority, she has resorted to arbitrary rescheduling of health board meetings and shutting down public comment there. I find Holmquists lack of sound judgment in these times of uncertainty to be revealing. I believe she is unfit for leadership and it is time for a change.

Jason Parce supports constitutional rights, medical freedom and accountability, all having been sadly ignored over the past two years. Combined with his experience and leadership, I believe he will bring the change and fresh air this county needs.

Chris Weil, Kalispell

Our family has known county commissioner candidate Jack Fallon for over 10 years. He is an outstanding citizen and will make an excellent representative of our community. Jack is well known for his work as a hockey and soccer referee as well as a hockey player where we first got to know him. He is a thoughtful decision maker on and off the ice demonstrating honesty and integrity on a daily basis.

During Jacks many years of experience on the Kalispell and Evergreen school boards, the Evergreen Water and Sewer Board, and the Evergreen Fire District, he has demonstrated his understanding of complicated budget issues. His fellow school board trustees admire Jacks ability to look at the consequences of decisions, both short term and long term, and plan accordingly. He thinks before he speaks, especially on difficult topics, and is able to make tough decisions in a tactful, respectful way. He believes in open discussion and transparency before making decisions. Jack is honest and will not be unduly influenced by special interests.

Flathead Countys population is growing rapidly. We need leaders who are fiscally conservative, know how to leverage funding opportunities, and have extensive experience with budgets and balance sheets. Please join me in voting for Jack Fallon in the Republican primary this June.

Stan and Liz Makman, Kalispell

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Letters to the editor May 1 | Daily Inter Lake - Daily Inter Lake