Brownstein Hyatt Farber Schreck’s Post

See below about the most recent movement of this year's review of the NDAA. The House passed their version of the annual defense bill, but the Senate is still in the consideration process. Read the full article for more information about what was included in the version that passed the House, and where the Senate is looking to go this year.

The great work of the Federal Defenders cannot overstated. There is no justice without zealous prosecutors and defenders in the court system. To bias the playing field in one direction undermines our commitment to fairness and democracy. These cuts in funds MUST be reversed! From the letter "The House subcommittee’s mark is $122 million less than requested and could cause the loss of 9% of current federal defender staff. Such layoffs would almost certainly decimate the federal defender system, degrade the overall quality of federal indigent defense, and undermine the administration of justice. To avert the crisis, the Congress must ensure that Defenders Services account is fully funded at the requested amount. Our federal criminal legal system cannot be sustained unless all components – prosecution, judiciary, and defense – receive adequate and stable funding. Federal defender offices have been operating quite leanly, as demonstrated by a recent work  measurement study that indicates the need for an additional 256 employees. Instead, the House subcommittee mark would potentially result in the loss of 368 employees."

This administration's plans are as unconstitutional as they get.... "This is frustrating to federal commanders, but as the Federalist Papers denote, this was part of the plan. James Madison stated in Federalist 46 that “the federal and state governments, are…[to] resist and frustrate the measures of each other.” The military and militia (now National Guard) were intended to be a security for the rights of civilians and a check against a large federal force from the “oppression of the several states.” In fact, it was thought that the federal force should be smaller than the aggregated strength of state military forces as a means of defense from an overreaching federal force. The border situation is one example of where state control of armed forces as a means to fill a void left open by the federal government is so important. Hamilton agreed but thought that the states could also be overpowering if not checked by a federal force answerable to the president. So, a compromise was decided that a federal force combined with the checks of the states would be the best option in the constitutional system. If military space forces are denied the states, who, despite the messaging of some in Washington, DC, that are actively leveraging space systems for state roles and functions, will challenge the idea circulating in the Pentagon and Biden administration that it is necessary to convert all military services to a federal-only single component of part-time and full-time forces? This is a move that is contrary to the Constitution’s purposeful efforts to create a system of checks and balances."

Communication in government is most imperative! I would think all cabinet members inform their Vice President, President and Chief of Staff of their travels and whereabouts at all times, most importantly, Cabinet offices of Secretary of State, Defense Secretary and Secretary of Homeland Security. Each should be apprised to the others condition and situation. The safety and well being of the Nation depends on it What is actually going on in the Biden Administration and the National News Media to ignore this dereliction of duty and the endangerment to our County and its people?

[#Deltek Webinar] Understanding the $143.7 Billion Defense Agencies Landscape in 2024-25 May 2, 2024 The Department of Defense’s Fourth Estate agencies will see a bit more funding in FY 2025, providing business opportunities for industry partners. Take advantage of this free webinar analyzing Defense Agency budgets and contracting trends to learn about the business prospects for fiscal 2025. https://ow.ly/Jlo750Rt0sZ #GovCon #SmallBusiness #Accounting #GovernmentContracting #GovernmentContractor #FederalContracting #FederalGovernment

Is the United States Government headed towards the “off the rails” and “misbegotten” course of the 1930s Isolationist America…? With the World’s martial conflagrations, fomented political threats, environmental changes, institutional disarrays, social upheavals, increasing skepticisms it appears that the World is headed into Troubled Times for the Remainder of this the 20th Decade of the 21st Century…! #unitednations #NATO #AUKUS #QUAD #whitehouse #statedepartment #departmentofdefense ##departmentofstate #congress #republicanparty #democraticparty #independentvoters #australia #newzealand #canada #unitedkingdom #unitedstates #japan #southkorea #india #netherlands #france #norway #sweden #finland #italy #germany #ukraine #israel #taiwan #singapore #vietnam #mongolia #malaysia #thailand #transpacificpartners #mexico #centralamerica #southamerica #latinamerica #northafrica #centralafrica #southafrica #oceania

The Department of Defense updated its guidance on “other transaction” agreements in the Other Transactions Guide, Version 2.0, effective July 8, 2023. Read more about changes, updates, and helpful reminders on MoFo's Government Contracts Insights blog. https://lnkd.in/eVAX4bax

Public Defenders are the second most overlooked and neglected part of the criminal justice system just behind the people we represent. This study should serve as a catalyst to start more discussions about how the failure to adequately fund Public Defender offices across the country has profound effects in contributing to mass incarceration. Public Defender caseloads cannot and should not be shrugged away. It is a moral crisis to people, families, and communities to lock poor people in cages without giving them an adequate Public Defense.

What is the Tiger Act? For those that follow Foreign Military Sales and Conventional Arms Exports, this proposed bill is needed to keep pace with inflation and provide a modest efficiency boost for US arms exports. The bill raises the threshold for which the executive branch can approve an arms sale of major defense equipment without Congressional notification from $14 million to $23 million. It also raises the threshold for the sale of defense articles, upgrades, related training or other services without Congressional notification from $50 million to $83 million. The last time the numbers were adjusted was 21 years ago. In the meantime, defense exports from countries without the same level of oversight or adherence to international norms have increased. #defenseindustry, #foreignpolicy, #exportsales, #nationalsecurity https://lnkd.in/etZShr_Z