Defense
The White House says it strongly opposes the defense spending bill passed by the House Appropriations Committee in May because it exceeds the funding caps mandated by the Budget Control Act, and would veto the bill in its present form. – Defense News
The U.S. Defense Logistics Agency is anticipating a steep drop in business as the war in Afghanistan winds down, but it is not planning for any drawdown, according to the agency’s director. – Defense News
Missile Defense
Defense Secretary Leon Panetta and his top weapons buyer warned U.S. lawmakers that failure to fund the final year of development work on a joint ground-based missile defense program with Italy and Germany could have serious diplomatic and financial consequences. – Reuters
Law of the Sea Treaty
Thomas Donohue, the president and CEO of the U.S. Chamber of Commerce — and no friend of the Obama administration — said Thursday that he helped instigate the latest push to get the United States to accede to the United Nations’s Law of the Sea Treaty. – The Hill’s Global Affairs
The War
A new study finds that nearly a quarter of the 4,596 combat deaths in Iraq and Afghanistan between 2001 and 2011 were “potentially survivable,” meaning that under ideal conditions — and with the right equipment or latest medical techniques — the troops may have had a fighting chance. – Military Times
