With Democrats fighting to retake the Senate and the White House in the Nov. 3 elections, Sen. Jack Reed is favored to move into one of Congress' most visible positions and become a major defense figure for his party ― and just as the military’s transition toward competition with China and Russia is gaining momentum.
Pentagon leaders need “around $10 billion” in the next pandemic aid package to cover defense contractors’ coronavirus-related costs. But it’s unclear how the hefty funding handout will square with Republican skepticism of new deficit spending.
Even if the U.S. administration decided to leave — or was evicted from — Iraq immediately, the bill of war to the U.S. to date would be an estimated $1.922 trillion in current dollars.