OVERNIGHT DEFENSE: House moves forward on Defense bill

Tea Party and libertarian-leaning members have protested the
amendment restrictions, and they are threatening to join with Democrats
to defeat the rule on the House floor.

{mosads}The Rules Committee was meeting Wednesday evening and
hearing testimony on the bill and the 180 amendments filed to it, and it had not
yet announced a rule to the bill.

Rules Committee Chairman Pete Sessions (R-Texas) said there
was a difficult balance to strike between the desires of lawmakers and national
security issues. Defense Appropriations Chairman Bill Young (R-Fla.) said that
some of the amendments couldn’t be properly considered in an open session
because they discussed classified material.

“If I have to respond to some of the amendments I have seen
in an open session, it’s not a fair fight,” Young said.

Democrats, however, criticized a structured rule, which is a
departure from the typical open amendment process that accompanies spending
bills.

Rules Committee member Rep. Jared Polis (D-Colo.) questioned
whether Republican leaders were “afraid of the will of the House or the
majority of the House?”

The bill could be taken up on the House floor as early as
Tuesday, and the Rules Committee is expected to vote on a rule later into the
night Monday.

Dempsey outlines
costs for Syria military action: As the Rules Committee debated possible
U.S. military action in Syria, Chairman of the Joint Chiefs Gen. Martin Dempsey
outlined the
possible costs of those steps.

In a letter to Senate Armed Services Chairman Carl Levin
(D-Mich.), Dempsey detailed five possible options. Four of them could carry a
price tag of $1 billion per month, including a no-fly zone, buffer zone and
trying to control chemical weapons.

Dempsey’s letter came after Sen. John McCain (R-Ariz.)
threatened to place a hold on Dempey’s confirmation for a second term as
chairman.

McCain and Dempsey got into a heated dispute over whether
Dempsey was required to provide his personal opinion on military action in
Syria. Dempsey said it would be inappropriate for him to do so because the
issue is currently being deliberated within the administration.

Rogers: Panel’s
objections to arming rebels met: Rep. Mike Rogers (R-Mich.), chairman of
the House Intelligence Committee, said in a statement Monday that his
committee’s objections to the Obama administration’s plans to arm the Syrian
opposition had been resolved.

“The House Intelligence Committee has very strong concerns
about the strength of the administration’s plans in Syria and its chances for
success,” Rogers said in a statement. “After much discussion and review, we got
a consensus that we could move forward with what the administration’s plans and
intentions are in Syria consistent with committee reservations.”

The panel’s decision, first reported by Reuters, will help
pave the way for the Obama administration to provide some arms to vetted rebel
groups.

The military aid had been delayed by both the House and
Senate Intelligence Committees, which voted to restrict the aid because of
fears that the weapons would wind up in the hands of extremist groups. 

Hundreds escape Iraqi
prison: Hundreds of prisoners — including senior members of al Qaeda — escaped
from Iraq’s Abu Ghraib prison on Monday in a violent breakout.

The convicts escaped during a military assault by allies to
free them, according to multiple reports. 

Cars carrying explosives were driven to the front gates of the prison on Sunday
night and gunmen shot at guards with rocket propelled grenades and mortar
explosives. The fighting continued through Monday morning. 

Officials estimated as many as 500 inmates escaped, even as authorities were
able to recapture some of the convicts. The majority of inmates that escapes
were al Qaeda members on death row, according to
the British Sky News service. 

One prison official told Reuters the break-out was an
“obvious” attack by terrorists carried out by al-Qaeda.  

In Case You Missed
It:

— Conservative groups want
open Defense bill

— Joint Chiefs chairman eyes October Afghan deal

— Paul vows
to protect Syrian Christians

— Military sexual assault debate turns
personal

— Iran sends
conflicting signals on negotiations

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