All articles tagged with #briefing
At a closed-door briefing for the House Armed Services Committee, defense and intelligence officials faced bipartisan questions about the Iran war, with lawmakers frustrated by a lack of a clear strategy and details on potential U.S. ground troops and troop protections, signaling deep unease with the administration’s plans.
After a classified briefing to the Senate Armed Services Committee on the war in Iran, Democrats voiced anger and frustration, pressed for more transparency about costs, troop risks, and endgames, and warned against unchecked escalation amid reports of potential Russian and Chinese involvement. Lawmakers urged open discussion beyond briefings and questioned war powers and funding. The piece also cites alleged Pentagon waste and domestic budget tradeoffs, and frames the debate in the historical context of Eisenhower’s warning that prosperity at home is essential to preventing global conflict.
A closed Capitol Hill briefing warned that Iran’s Shahed attack drones present a major challenge to U.S. air defenses: they fly low and slow, increasing evasiveness, and officials said Washington may not be able to intercept all of them as tensions with Iran rise and lawmakers debate next steps and potential authorization.
House Democrats left a closed-door briefing on the U.S.-led war against Iran frustrated, saying the administration offered little justification or a clear plan moving forward. Senators like Richard Blumenthal warned of boots on the ground, while Elizabeth Warren called the war illegal and based on lies and urged public briefings and a definitive endgame; Chris Murphy warned the conflict could be open-ended and costly. The briefing underscored deep concern over the administration’s strategy amid a war the White House says is countering threats, despite questions about imminent danger and a defined exit path.
In a closed briefing, Republicans largely backed the Trump administration’s justification for strikes on Iran, while Democrats warned the campaign could become a protracted conflict and offered questions about exit strategy and war powers, signaling likely resistance to new constraints on the president even as votes on related war-powers resolutions loom.
House Democrats left a Trump administration Iran briefing more frustrated than before, deriding the session as “bullsh*t” and saying their questions were ignored. They are pushing a war powers resolution this week to constrain the president’s ability to unilaterally wage war with Iran, while some Republicans defended the briefing as productive. The exchange highlighted a partisan split on how to handle Iran and the administration’s messaging, with Democrats accusing briefers of editorializing and stonewalling.
Energy Secretary Chris Wright will brief the Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee in a classified session on the U.S. involvement in Venezuela’s oil sector, as lawmakers weigh questions about control of its vast reserves amid broader Capitol Hill funding debates.
At a press briefing, Karoline Leavitt refused to answer a reporter’s question about ICE statistics and retaliated with personal attacks, while Kristi Noem later defended ICE as 'doing everything correctly.' The piece notes reported ICE custody deaths and detentions and cautions there’s no empirical evidence linking immigration to a crime surge.
US officials discussed recent operations and explosions in Venezuela, with the administration emphasizing no ground troops are expected, while some lawmakers express concerns and seek clarity on the US strategy and endgame.
Attorney General Pam Bondi informed President Trump that his name appeared in Jeffrey Epstein files during a briefing on the case re-examination, but officials stated nothing in the files warranted further action. The disclosure was part of routine updates on the investigation, which has previously included Trump in related documents.
The White House plans to restrict intelligence sharing with Congress following leaks that compromised President Trump's claims about Iranian nuclear facilities, and will conduct a classified briefing with top security officials without Gabbard present.
Top Democrats on Capitol Hill were not briefed in advance of the U.S. attack on Iran, raising concerns about transparency and decision-making processes, with some scheduled to receive classified briefings later.
The Pentagon is holding a live briefing as Houthi rebels continue to target ships in the Red Sea.
The special counsel's office is investigating a White House briefing that took place on February 14, 2020, where federal officials assured former President Donald Trump about the security and integrity of the U.S. election system. The briefing included representatives from multiple agencies who explained the difficulty of hacking or fraud in changing election results. Chris Krebs, the former director of the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA), who was fired by Trump after insisting on the election's security, has been interviewed by the special counsel's office. The investigation also focuses on the role of "fake electors" and their alleged scheme to claim Trump's victory in battleground states. The grand jury is examining Trump's actions related to the Capitol riot and efforts to interfere with the peaceful transfer of power.