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Lawfare No Bull: Defense Secretary LLoyd Austin Testifies on the Defense Budget

Maya Nicholson
Tuesday, May 21, 2024, 12:25 PM
Lawfare No Bull

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Today on Lawfare No Bull: On May 8, Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin and Joint Chiefs of Staff Chair Gen. Charles “CQ” Brown testified during a Senate Appropriations Subcommittee on Defense hearing on President Joe Biden’s 2025 Defense Budget Request. Several senators inquired about the Biden administration and Defense Department pausing the shipment of aid and weapons to Israel during their ongoing conflict with Hamas. Secretary Austin confirmed that  one shipment of “high-payload munitions” was paused as they “re-evaluated some of the security assistance” that the U.S. was providing. Due to the topic of the conflict, protesters were heard interrupting Secretary Austin’s testimony throughout the hearing. He responded to several of the questions by asserting that the U.S.’s support for Israel remained “iron-clad.” Other topics were covered by the Committee, including deterrence, nuclear capabilities, border security, and more. 


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Maya Nicholson was previously an editorial intern at Lawfare. She graduated cum laude with a B.A. in international relations from New York University in 2023. Maya has interned in several law firms, including Farris LLP, McLaughlin and Stern, and was previously a UN advocacy intern at the International Crisis Group.

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