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JOHNSON: ‘WE RAN THE RIGHT PLAY’: The vote by House Republicans to reject Rep. Mike Johnson’s (R-LA) hybrid six-month temporary funding measure, that included a proof-of-citizenship voting requirement has sent the speaker, who has a penchant for football analogies, back to the drawing board.
“We came a little bit short of the goal line, so now we go back to the playbook. We’ll draw it up. We’re already hearing good ideas from our members, and we’ve got time to fix this, and we’ll get it done,” Johnson told Sean Hannity on Fox last night.
The bill was doomed. It predictably failed with a vote of 202 to 220, with 14 Republicans voting against the measure, because they opposed using continuing resolutions to fund the government or they were uncomfortable voting for the SAVE Act. The controversial part of the legislation would require voters to produce proof of citizenship when registering before what, for many swing state Republicans, will be a very close election.
“I’ve been traveling the country nonstop, done campaign events in 206 cities across 39 states so far. Without exception, Sean, in every venue, everywhere, when we go to audience questions, the first or second question is about election security,” Johnson told Hannity. “So the bill tonight would have accomplished both objectives. We would have funded the government and secured the election, and I’m very disappointed it didn’t pass.”
TRUMP: SHUT IT DOWN: In a post yesterday on Truth Social, former President Donald Trump attempted to wield his influence with his supporters in Congress by calling for a shutdown of the federal government if the SAVE Act is not part of the temporary funding deal.
“If Republicans don’t get the SAVE Act, and every ounce of it, they should not agree to a Continuing Resolution in any way, shape, or form,” Trump said in his post, in which he accused Democrats of “registering Illegal voters by the tens of thousands.”
“Only American Citizens should be voting in our Most Important Election in History, or any Election! A Vote must happen BEFORE the Election, not AFTER the Election when it is too late,” he argued, ignoring the fact that it’s already illegal for noncitizens to vote in federal elections, and that the voters in the November election are already registered and would therefore be unaffected by the law, if it were ever to pass.
Switching to all caps Trump added, “BE SMART, REPUBLICANS, YOU’VE BEEN PUSHED AROUND LONG ENOUGH BY THE DEMOCRATS. DON’T LET IT HAPPEN AGAIN.”
Johnson brushed off Trump’s demands, saying last night, “I don’t think it’s going to come to a shutdown. I believe we can get this job done. Like I said, we go back to the playbook. We have time. We have time to get it done and we will. We’re going to deliver for the American people.”
SCHUMER: ‘AMERICA CANNOT AFFORD ANOTHER TRUMP SHUTDOWN’: On the Senate floor yesterday, Majority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-NY) said it’s time for Republicans to compromise with Democrats on a bipartisan solution.
“It’s the only thing that has kept the government open every time we have faced a funding deadline. It’s going to be the only thing that works this time, too. Bipartisan, bicameral cooperation. That’s what works. That’s what we’re willing and happy to do,” Schumer said.
In a statement following the vote, Schumer accused Johnson of pursuing “a partisan ploy, knowing full well it had no chance of passing or averting a shutdown.”
“We now have only a few days left for House Republicans to come to their senses, come to the table, and come together with Democrats to craft a bipartisan agreement,” Schumer said. “Speaker Johnson has a simple choice: will he just pay blind obeisance to Donald Trump, or will he side with the American people and avoid a shutdown? America cannot afford another Trump shutdown.”
“The reality is we’re not shutting down the government, with 48 days to go before an election,” Rep. Mike Lawler (R-NY) said last night on CNN, adding the only practical option now is what’s known as a “clean CR,” a short-term funding extension with no strings attached.
“I’m a proud co-sponsor of the SAVE Act. I think very clearly we should reaffirm the point that noncitizens should not be voting in elections,” Lawler said. “But ultimately, at the end of the day, Democrats have refused, in the Senate, to move that legislation. We passed that legislation months ago. They have thus far refused. Without passing it through the House here, we’re going to have to pass a clean CR.””
HOUSE REJECTS STOPGAP SPENDING DEAL AS GOVERNMENT SHUTDOWN LOOMSGood Thursday morning and welcome to Jamie McIntyre’s Daily on Defense, written and compiled by Washington Examiner National Security Senior Writer Jamie McIntyre (@jamiejmcintyre) and edited by Christopher Tremoglie. Email here with tips, suggestions, calendar items, and anything else. Sign up or read current and back issues at DailyonDefense.com. If signing up doesn’t work, shoot us an email and we’ll add you to our list. And be sure to follow me on Threads and/or on X @jamiejmcintyre.
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DAY 2 IN LEBANON: EXPLODING WALKIE-TALKIES: A day after Hezbollah members were targeted by booby-trapped pagers, which exploded, killing at least 12 people and wounding thousands more, a second round of detonations in Lebanon — this time from sabotaged walkie-talkies — killed another 20 people and seriously maimed 450 others.
Israel, which U.S. officials say is behind the unprecedented asymmetrical attacks, has said nothing publicly about the deadly explosions. However, yesterday, Israeli Defense Minister Yoav Gallant told Israeli troops, “We are at the start of a new phase in the war.”
Speaking at a news conference alongside the Egyptian foreign minister in Cairo on Wednesday, Secretary of State Antony Blinken said the U.S. “did not know about, nor was it involved” in the attacks and warned against the danger of escalation.
“We’ve been very clear, and we remain very clear, about the importance of all parties avoiding any steps that could further escalate the conflict that we’re trying to resolve in Gaza, to see it spread to other fronts,” Blinken said. “It’s clearly not in the interest of anyone involved to see that happen. And that’s why, again, it’s imperative that all parties refrain from any actions that could escalate the conflict.”
“We’re focused on getting this ceasefire over the finish line,” he said. “That’s clearly the best path forward for everyone involved.”
WHAT WE KNOW ABOUT HEZBOLLAH’S PAGER AND WALKIE-TALKIE EXPLOSIONS
TWO TAKES ON IRANIAN HACKERS: After the FBI revealed that Iranian hackers tried to funnel stolen documents from former President Donald Trump’s campaign to President Joe Biden’s campaign, Kamala Harris’ campaign sought to downplay the attempt at election interference, saying the recipients of Iranian emails dismissed them as suspicious spam or phishing attempts.
“Iranian malicious cyber actors in late June and early July sent unsolicited emails to individuals then associated with President Biden’s campaign that contained an excerpt taken from stolen, non-public material from former President Trump’s campaign as text in the emails,” the FBI, Director of National Intelligence, and the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency said in a statement. “There is currently no information indicating those recipients replied.”
Trump, on the other hand, played up the revelation as evidence of a major scandal. “WOW, JUST OUT! THE FBI CAUGHT IRAN SPYING ON MY CAMPAIGN, AND GIVING ALL OF THE INFORMATION TO THE KAMALA HARRIS CAMPAIGN,” Trump posted on Truth Social. “THEREFORE SHE AND HER CAMPAIGN WERE ILLEGALLY SPYING ON ME. TO BE KNOWN AS THE IRAN, IRAN, IRAN CASE! WILL KAMALA RESIGN IN DISGRACE FROM POLITICS?
“This is further proof the Iranians are actively interfering in the election to help Kamala Harris and Joe Biden because they know President Trump will restore his tough sanctions and stand against their reign of terror,” Karoline Leavitt, national press secretary for the Trump campaign, said in an email to supporters.
“Iran sent President Biden and Vice President Harris information by hacking the Trump campaign. What did they do with Iran’s espionage?” House Intelligence Committee chairman Mike Turner (R-OH) asked in a statement. “Did they contact law enforcement? Is the Biden-Harris Administration colluding with Iran?”“With Russia’s 2016 playbook out in the open, it’s no surprise that other malign actors would seek to follow suit. Our adversaries understand that there is an opportunity to exploit the pace and intensity of political campaigns by offering hacked or otherwise misappropriated materials to malicious ends,” Mark Warner (D-VA), chairman of the Senate Intelligence Committee, said in a statement. “That’s why our Committee’s exhaustive report on Russian interference included a bipartisan recommendation that campaigns should ‘reject the use of foreign original material.’ With fewer than 50 days to go until Election Day, I continue to urge all Americans to be aware of, and stand guard against, efforts by foreign adversaries to influence your votes.”
IRANIAN HACKERS SENT STOLEN TRUMP MATERIALS TO BIDEN CAMPAIGN: FBI
THE RUNDOWN:
Washington Examiner: House rejects stopgap spending deal as government shutdown looms
Washington Examiner: Race to boost Secret Service funding hits GOP snag after Trump assassination attempt
Washington Examiner: Senate Intel chairman warns of foreign interference in days after election
Washington Examiner: Iranian hackers sent stolen Trump materials to Biden campaign: FBI
Washington Examiner: Hezbollah walkie-talkies explode in second day of surprise attacks
Washington Examiner: What we know about Hezbollah’s pager and walkie-talkie explosions
Washington Examiner: Mediators struggle to clear final hurdles in Israel-Hamas ceasefire deal
Washington Examiner: Gallant announces ‘new phase in the war’ after Hezbollah pager operation
Washington Examiner: Hezbollah walkie-talkies explode in second day of surprise attacks
Washington Examiner: What we know about Hezbollah’s pager and walkie-talkie explosions
Washington Examiner: Former senior Border Patrol agent alleges Biden-Harris had him hide border crisis
Washington Examiner: House passes bill requiring deportation of illegal immigrants with history of sex offenses
Washington Examiner: Harris emphasizes ‘earned pathway’ to citizenship
AP: US Wants More Clarity from Ukraine on Possible Use of Long-Range Weapons
AP: Is Israel preparing for a war with Hezbollah?
Wall Street Journal: Pentagon Worries Israel Is Close to Launching Ground War in Lebanon
AP: US Military Acknowledges Yemen’s Houthi Rebels Shot Down 2 MQ-9 Reaper Drones
AP: Lessons From Red Sea And Ukraine’s Black Sea Fight Help Prep Navy For Possible Conflict With China
Air & Space Forces Magazine: Here’s How a Continuing Resolution Could Hurt the Air Force in 2025
Air Force Times: US Has Accepted 36 Upgraded F-35s Since Lifting Delivery Pause
Defense One: AFSOC Still Wants 75 Light Attack Aircraft Despite Congress’ Doubts
Air & Space Forces Magazine: AFSOC Will Deploy Ospreys in ‘Weeks,’ But Full Fleet Readiness Is Still Months Away
Air & Space Forces Magazine: USAF Experiments with Drones to Better Monitor Russia in the Arctic
Bloomberg: Microsoft Teams with Startup Anduril on Army Combat Goggle System
AP: Boeing CEO says the company will furlough employees soon to preserve cash during labor strike
Air & Space Forces Magazine: New B-21 Bomber Now Flying Up to Twice a Week
The War Zone: Work Toward KC-135 Tankers That Fly Themselves, Uncrewed Cargo Aircraft Pressing Ahead
SpaceNews: Boeing to Demonstrate Air-Space Sensor Fusion for US Military Operations
Breaking Defense: Lot Full? In an Increasingly Crowded Orbit, MITRE Studies How Many LEO Sats Are Too Many
Air & Space Forces Magazine: Space Force Close to New Launch Contracts—But Only If Congress Passes a Budget
National Security Journal: Can Low-Cost Weapons Save the U.S. from Running Out of Missiles in the Next War?
The Cipher Brief: Mass Pager Attacks Against Hezbollah: ‘Unprecedented Blow,’ Unclear Road Ahead
Air & Space Forces Magazine: Could Trainees Start Carrying Real Rifles in BMT? There’s Interest, but No Timeline Yet
Air & Space Forces Magazine: AI Will Enhance Logistics—If Systems Get Modernized First, Vendors Say
THE CALENDAR:
THURSDAY | SEPTEMBER 19
8 a.m. 7920 Jones Branch Dr., McLean, Virginia — Potomac Officers Club 2024 Intel Summit, with CIA Chief Technology Officer Nand Mulchandani; Matthew Ross, executive director of global integration, Defense Intelligence Agency; and Executive Assistant FBI Director Ryan Young https://potomacofficersclub.com/events
8:30 a.m. — The Hill virtual Future of Defense Summit: “Accelerating Innovation and Next-Gen Defense,” with Sen. Deb Fischer (R-NB); House Armed Services ranking member Adam Smith (D-WA); Rep. Robert Wittman (R-VA): Arnold Punaro, founder and CEO of the Punaro Group and chair of the National Defense Industrial Association; and Becca Wasser, senior fellow at the Center for a New American Security https://thehill.com/events/4816163-future-of-defense-summit
8:30 a.m. — Foundation for Defense of Democracies and Cyberspace Solarium Commission discussion: “America’s Cyber Resiliency in 2024: A Conversation with CSC 2.0 Co-Chair Sen. Angus King,” with Tom Fanning, former executive chairman of Southern Company; and former executive director retired Rear. Adm. Mark Montgomery, senior director, FDD Center on Cyber and Technology Innovation; and Sam Sabin, cybersecurity reporter at Axios https://www.fdd.org/events/2024/09/19/americas-cyber-resiliency
8:45 a.m. 1201 Pennsylvania Ave. NW — Hudson Institute discussion: “The report of the Commission on the National Defense Strategy,” with Eric Edelman, commissioner of the Commission on the National Defense Strategy; Mariah Sixkiller, commissioner of the Commission on the National Defense Strategy; and Rebeccah Heinrichs, director of the Hudson Keystone Defense Initiative https://www.hudson.org/events/conversation
9 a.m. — PunchBowl News in-person and virtual discussion: “The Future of Defense Aviation,” with Rep. Stephanie Bice (R-OK); Jill Albertelli, president of military engines at Pratt and Whitney; Anna Palmer, co-founder of PunchBowl News; https://events.punchbowl.news/futureof_bice/Sept19
10 a.m. 1616 Rhode Island Ave. NW— Center for Strategic and International Studies International Security Program and the U.S. Naval Institute for a Maritime Security Dialogue in-peron and virtual discussion: “America Warfighting Navy,” with Chief of Naval Operations Adm. Lisa Franchetti; Seth Jones, CSIS senior vice president and ISP director; and retired Navy Capt. Bill Hamblet, editor-in-chief, Proceedings, U.S. Naval Institute https://www.csis.org/events/americas-warfighting-navy
11:30 a.m. — Center for Strategic and International Studies virtual discussion: “On Day One: A U.S. Economic Contingency Plan for a Taiwan Crisis,” with Eyck Freymann, nonresident research fellow, Naval War College China Maritime Studies Institute; and Hugo Bromley, affiliated research associate, Cambridge University Robinson College https://www.csis.org/events/day-one-us-economic-contingency-plan-taiwan-crisis
1 p.m. 2212 Rayburn — House Armed Services Military Personnel Subcommittee hearing: “Oversight of Extremism Policies in the Army,” with testimony from Agnes Schaefer, assistant Army secretary for manpower and reserve affairs; and Lt. Gen. Patrick Matlock, deputy Army chief of staff https://armedservices.house.gov/committee-activity/hearings
3 p.m. 1775 Massachusetts Ave. NW — Brookings Institution in-person and virtual discussion: “Great power competition and overseas bases,” with Michael O’Hanlon, Knight chair in Defense and Strategy, senior fellow and director, Strobe Talbott Center for Security, Strategy, and Technology, Brookings; Geoffrey Gresh, professor, College of International Security Affairs, National Defense University; Dawn Murphy, associate professor, National Security Strategy, National War College; Andrew Yeo, senior fellow and SK-Korea Foundation Chair in Korea Studies, Brookings; and Isaac Kardon, senior fellow for China Studies, Asia Program, Carnegie Endowment for International Peace https://connect.brookings.edu/register-to-watch
4 p.m. 1779 Massachusetts Ave. NW — Carnegie Endowment for International Peace discussion: “The International Side of Industrial Policy,” with Deputy National Security Adviser Daleep Singh https://carnegieendowment.org/events
6:30 p.m. 2340 S St. NW— President Woodrow Wilson House discussion: “The challenges of American foreign and defense policy in a world in which America opponents and enemies are, if not allied, increasingly in alignment with one another,” with Eliot Cohen, chair in strategy at the Center for Strategic and International Studies https://fareharbor.com/embeds/book/woodrowwilsonhouse
FRIDAY | SEPTEMBER 20
8:30 a.m. — Center for a New American Security virtual discussion: “Confronting the Axis of Upheaval,” with House Armed Services ranking member Adam Smith (D-Wa); Rep. Robert Wittman (R-VA), vice chairman, House Armed Services Committee; and Jonathan Lord, senior fellow and director of the CNAS Middle East Security Program https://www.cnas.org/events/virtual-event-confronting-the-axis-of-upheaval’
9:30 a.m. — Hudson Institute virtual discussion: “The Future of U.S. and Allied Hypersonic Missile Programs,” with Rep. Doug Lamborn (R-CO); Rep. Don Bacon (R-NE); Rep. Donald Norcross (D-NJ); Rep. Vince Fong (R-CA); retired Air Force Gen. Heather Pringle; former Joint Chiefs of Staff Vice Chairman Adm. James Winnefeld; former Assistant Defense Secretary for Space Policy John Plumb; and Mike White, former principal director for hypersonics in the Office of the Defense Secretary https://www.hudson.org/events/future-american-hypersonic-missile-program
10 a.m. Pentagon Parade Field — Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin and Joint Chiefs Chairman Gen. Charles Q. Brown Jr. make remarks at the National POW/MIA Recognition Day Ceremony https://www.defense.gov/News/Live-Events
TUESDAY | SEPTEMBER 24 10 a.m. — Senate Judiciary Committee hearing: “Ramifications of the Supreme Court ruling in Trump v. U.S. http://judiciary.senate.gov
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