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28 March 2023

The Hill | Senate advances AUMF repeal, tees up final passage vote

The Senate on Monday cleared a final procedural hurdle toward repealing two Authorizations for Use of Military Force (AUMF), setting the stage for a final vote on the bill this week.

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Government Executive | VA will no longer use its marquee civil service reform law to punish employees

After a series of setbacks for the measure, the Veterans Affairs Department has informed employees it will no longer use a 2017 law designed to allow it to quickly discipline and fire employees. VA vowed to continue to hold employees accountable, but going forward it will rely on measures in place prior to the passage of the 2017 VA Accountability and Whistleblower Protection Act. The cessation will begin April 3, according to a memorandum sent earlier this month conveying VA Secretary Denis McDonough’s decision.

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Stars and Stripes | New US military aid for Ukraine worth $350M includes fuel tankers, patrol boats, missiles

President Joe Biden has authorized a new $350 million round of military aid for Ukraine that includes fuel tankers, patrol boats and missiles as the country prepares for warmer weather and increased Russian attacks, the Pentagon announced Monday.

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Military Times | US launches Syria strikes after contractor killed, 5 troops wounded

The U.S. launched retaliatory airstrikes against Iranian-linked sites in eastern Syria Thursday after a suicide drone attack killed a U.S. contractor and wounded five troops and another contractor at a U.S. base there.

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Associated Press | US review of Afghanistan withdrawal to be released in April

The results of the long-delayed government review of the chaotic U.S. withdrawal from Afghanistan will be released next month, the White House announced Wednesday, with Congress and the public set to see an assessment of what went wrong as America ended its longest war.

Foreign Affairs | The case for a restrained Republican foreign policy

Acknowledging that the United States faces real limits to its power does not mean accepting a broader narrative of American decline. To the contrary, adopting a more prudent foreign policy will ensure that U.S. power isn’t squandered and provide the means to guarantee the safety and prosperity of future generations of Americans. But if conservative policymakers deny reality and advocate the same failed policies that led the United States to where it is today, they will only guarantee American decline. Conservatives must demand better from their candidates and elected officials when it comes to foreign policy.

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The Hill | The need for VA reform and oversight hasn’t changed in decades

Service to our nation takes many forms. Part of that service can be accomplished by any citizen — simply by asking why the government is not doing more to help our nation’s military veterans overcome challenges. Oversight and accountability are vital when it comes to veterans programs. Simply put, America’s veterans deserve more than to be fighting battles with bureaucracy after their military service.

The Overwatch | Those who served in Iraq deserve to see the end of the way. I know, I was there.

Americans deserve an official end to the Iraq War. America’s veterans and military families deserve a Congress willing to repeal a long unnecessary legal instrument for war. Congress can and should repeal the 2002 AUMF and declare to those who served in Iraq that that chapter of our history is over.

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The Overwatch | Q&A with CVA Policy Director Tyler Koteskey: A look back at the war in Iraq 20 years later

To recognize the 20th anniversary of the Iraq War, we asked CVA Policy Director Tyler Koteskey some important questions about why the U.S. went to war in Iraq, the war’s cost, and how the lessons learned from the Iraq War should guide America’s foreign policy in the future.

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The Overwatch | #VAFail: Arizona veterans face long wait times at VA and unpaid bills from community care

In 2014, the Phoenix Veterans Affairs hospital was exposed for manipulating and hiding veterans’ medical appointment wait times. Thousands of veterans were found on secret wait lists that covered up the extended weeks and months veterans were waiting for care. Veterans were even dying while waiting on those secret lists. Nine years later, veterans in Arizona are still struggling to get timely medical care.

San Diego Union-Tribune | Military veterans at major U.S. companies to mentor Afghans

Afghans who are struggling to find work in line with the careers they had before they fled their country can now sign up to get mentored by U.S. military veterans working in their field.

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