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Defense

Foreign policy

Military spending and national defense.

CivicGate finds who represents you and readies a neutral note — you choose the words and whether to send.

Positions (159)

Stated positions are documented + sourced; derived positions come from a member's votes on bills tagged to this issue (Yea on a bill that advances it = support, and so on). 1925 bills tagged · 525 members with related votes. A member with no cited stance or directional vote is left off, not guessed.

Recent activity

Everything happening on this issue in one stream — the latest bills tagged to it and news that references it, newest first. Each item links to its source. Coverage-honest: only what we've ingested and tagged appears here.

  • News
    Man arrested for alleged terror threat on US airbase RAF Fairford released on bail

    Oct 3, 2026 ·The Hill(Center)

    The U.K.-Iranian dual national who was arrested in connection with an alleged terror threat against a U.S.-operated military base in England was released on bail, British authorities confirmed Saturday. The 25-year-old man was taken into custody in the City of Westminster, London, earlier this week on “suspicion of preparation of terrorist acts" targeting RAF Fairford...

  • News
    Scoop: Trump's top national security aides meet secretly at Camp David on Iran, Yemen

    Oct 3, 2026 ·Axios(Lean left)

    President Trump's top cabinet members huddled for hours at Camp David on Friday to discuss next steps in the Iran war and the Saudi-Houthi conflict in Yemen, three U.S. officials told Axios. Why it matters: The highly unusual meeting was not announced by the Trump administration. The last time a similar meeting took place was in June 2025, just days before Israel went to war against Iran. Behind t

  • News
    A look at how overseas ballots are verified and counted in the midterms

    Oct 2, 2026 ·PBS NewsHour(Lean left)

    Defense Secretary Hegseth directed military commanders to have a one-day "stand down" this month so service members have time to vote in the midterms. In King County, Washington, ballots are already being processed from service members and Americans living abroad. Some arrive by mail. Some by email. Liz Landers takes a look at how those ballots are verified and counted and how secure they are.

  • News
    Kushner pushes back on CNN report about Israeli investments tied to military

    Oct 2, 2026 ·The Hill(Center)

    Jared Kushner, President Trump’s son-in-law and U.S. special envoy, is pushing back on a CNN report alleging his private equity firm had ties to a company heavily involved in Israel’s military. “CNN published a deeply misleading story and headline suggesting that my diplomatic work in the Middle East somehow benefited investments in Israeli defense companies,”...

  • News
    Marines exceed 2026 recruiting goals

    Oct 2, 2026 ·The Hill(Center)

    Welcome to The Hill's Defense & NatSec newsletter {beacon} Defense &National Security Defense &National Security The Big Story Marines exceed 2026 recruiting goals The U.S. Marines said they exceeded their fiscal year 2026 recruiting goals across every component and category, enlisting over 31,000 new recruits. U.S. Central Command via AP The Marines brought in 31,250...

  • News
    As Trump's proposed arch looms over D.C., protesters pin their hopes on the midterms

    Oct 2, 2026 ·NPR(Lean left)

    Democratic lawmakers, veterans and concerned citizens gathered in Memorial Circle to protest the arch Trump wants to build there. Their hopes lie primarily in a lawsuit and next month's midterms. (Image credit: Saul Loeb)

  • News
    David Flippo Blamed Staff For Exaggerating His Military Record. His Own Hat Tells a Different Story.

    Oct 2, 2026 ·Mother Jones(Left)

    Last week, The Washington Post reported that David Flippo’s congressional campaign falsely claimed on multiple occasions that the Nevada Republican earned a Bronze Star with valor as an Air Force officer. Flippo’s response was to blame anonymous staffers who he claimed had accidentally conflated two different awards he received for his service in Iraq. But there is a major problem with that explan

  • News
    Wall Street Journal editorial board knocks Hegseth's 'weirdos' line in speech

    Oct 2, 2026 ·The Hill(Center)

    The Wall Street Journal’s conservative editorial board on Friday criticized Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth’s fiery comment during a Wednesday speech to active-duty officers that he wants “warriors” not “weirdos” in the military. While the opinion piece praised new initiatives introduced by the secretary during this address, including the development of autonomous warfare technology and partnering.

  • News
    500 troops deployed to Texas' Rio Grande Valley after Coast Guard shooting

    Oct 2, 2026 ·NewsNation(Center)

    From August to September, the military used a high-energy laser in the Rio Grande Valley to take down at least 11 cartel drones.

  • News
    Elon Musk Is Back In The US Government, This Time At The Pentagon

    Oct 2, 2026 ·The Daily Wire(Right)

    Elon Musk is returning to an advisory role in the Trump administration, this time to help lead a Pentagon study on the future of warfare, Secretary of War Pete Hegseth announced Wednesday. The initiative, dubbed “Project Meridian,” will draw on expertise outside the military. “ We are leveraging a unique source of American advantage, one our adversaries do not have: our innovators, our senior lead

  • News
    U.S. Ushers $320 Million In Military Aid To Country That Just Completed Exercises With China

    Oct 2, 2026 ·The Daily Wire(Right)

    Secretary of State Marco Rubio approved the flow of $320 million to Egypt on Thursday, bypassing human rights restrictions on foreign military aid to reward Cairo for aiding diplomacy in the Iran war. The funds, part of Washington’s annual $1.3 billion payment to Cairo, give President Abdel Fattah el-Sisi free rein to go shopping for American-made weapons. The State Department claims the move is c

  • News
    Iraq sounds alarm on terror threat from Syria one day after US troops leave

    Oct 2, 2026 ·Fox News (Politics)(Right)

    Iraq is preparing for the possibility that Islamic State fighters could spill across the border from Syria, the country's foreign minister said Thursday. It comes just one day after the U.S. military formally ended its counter-ISIS mission in Iraq. Foreign Minister Fuad Hussein told reporters in Washington, D.C., on Thursday that Baghdad is closely watching recent ISIS activity in neighboring Syri

  • News
    Abdul El-Sayed Billed County Taxpayers $9,000 a Month in ‘Consulting’ Fees While Running for Senate

    Oct 2, 2026 ·Washington Free Beacon(Lean right)

    Michigan's left-wing Democratic Senate hopeful Abdul El-Sayed billed county taxpayers $ 9,000 per month in consulting fees while running for Senate, according to public records obtained by the Washington Free Beacon . The Wayne County Department of Health, Human and Veterans Services approved a contract to hire El-Sayed for "consulting services" on April 23, 2025, six days after El-Sayed announced

  • News
    Becerra vs. Hilton, Hegseth's Hard Reset of the Military

    Oct 2, 2026 ·RealClearPolitics(Lean right)

  • News
    Scoop: U.S. sent more Patriots to protect Saudi, Qatari energy sites

    Oct 2, 2026 ·Axios(Lean left)

    The U.S. military in recent weeks sent two additional Patriot missile batteries to protect oil and gas facilities in Saudi Arabia and Qatar, two U.S. officials and one regional source said. Why it matters: The U.S. wanted to reassure both allies that it would protect their key energy facilities in case President Trump decides to resume major combat operations against Iran. Trump said on Thursday t

  • News
    Pentagon increases pay for troops in hostile fire for first time in more than 20 years

    Oct 1, 2026 ·The Hill(Center)

    Welcome to The Hill's Defense & NatSec newsletter {beacon} Defense &National Security Defense &National Security The Big Story Pentagon increases pay for troops in hostile fire for first time in over 20 years The Pentagon increased the pay for U.S. troops in hostile fire and imminent danger, marking the first rate adjustment for those...

  • News
    A look at Hegseth's attempts to reshape the Pentagon

    Oct 1, 2026 ·PBS NewsHour(Lean left)

    Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth says he is fundamentally reshaping the culture of the U.S. military. He's removing senior officers, dismantling diversity initiatives and putting a new emphasis on religious faith and what he calls a "warrior ethos." Beyond the cultural changes, Hegseth is accelerating autonomous weapons and other emerging technologies. Geoff Bennett discussed more with Peter Feaver.

  • News
    On the ground with UN peacekeepers as Lebanon-Israel mission nears its end

    Oct 1, 2026 ·PBS NewsHour(Lean left)

    After 48 years, the United Nations peacekeeping mission in southern Lebanon is nearing the end of its mandate. Its planned withdrawal comes at a time when the Israeli military occupies around 6% of Lebanese territory. Special Correspondent Simona Foltyn and videographer Adrian Hartrick gained rare access with the peacekeepers, traveling south of Israel's "yellow line."

  • News
    State's largest mosque leader’s deportation fight takes dramatic turn as Trump admin scores major win

    Oct 1, 2026 ·Fox News (Politics)(Right)

    An immigration judge ruled Wednesday that federal authorities can deport the leader of Wisconsin’s largest mosque on national security grounds. Secretary of State Marco Rubio invoked federal immigration law in June 2025 to determine that Salah Sarsour, the president of the Islamic Society of Milwaukee, could be deported because his presence in the United States could have potentially serious adver

  • News
    Pentagon is latest federal agency hit by hackers

    Oct 1, 2026 ·Straight Arrow News(Center)

    Hackers have stolen the personnel records of millions of military service members following a months-long breach of a Pentagon server.