BGR Group honors the spirit of Juneteenth, which marks the proclamation that officially ended slavery 157 years ago. The fight for freedom for all Americans, and recognition of that freedom, continues today and every day.
Author: ironcore
5 Things to Watch in the Coming NDAA Markup Process
By: Pete Landrum, BGR Principal, and Dan Greenwood, BGR Senior Vice President
In the next few weeks, Congress will begin the consideration process for the National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA). The legislation, which impacts defense spending and key procurement and policy issues throughout the federal government, will first move through the subcommittee markup process next week, June 8th. Here are five key issues to watch as the NDAA moves forward.
1 – What will the DOD topline budget amount be? The world is not getting nicer. There are already rumblings on the Hill that President Biden’s proposed defense budget will not be sufficient given the number of global threats and current state of inflation. Will those rumblings turn into a higher top line for the Department of Defense (DOD) in the NDAA? It’s very likely.
2 – How will the U.S./European security posture be affected by the Russian invasion of Ukraine? The status quo in Europe is no more. Russia’s invasion of Ukraine will define actions by the U.S. and NATO for many years to come. How will that look? More unity and more money from all. European security is no longer just a talking point—it’s real. Look for lawmakers to amp up weapons and forces in and around Europe in the NDAA.
3 – Will the potential of Chinese aggression in the Indo-Pacific Theater affect policy decisions? The parallels with Ukraine and Taiwan are pretty scary. Will those parallels affect this year’s NDAA? Very likely, yes. Lethal aid to protect yourself seems much more acceptable, if not plain required. Service transformational requirements, major weapons programs, cyber capabilities, and even basing/military construction could all see increases to address the Indo-Pacific challenges.
4 – How will the Space Force be factored in to the NDAA calculus this cycle? Is the Space Force a real factor in U.S. defense planning? Is military space essential for U.S. defense planning and execution? Without a doubt, the answer is yes. Will policy decisions evidenced in the NDAA show that the Space Force is real? A tepid yes. We’ll have to stay tuned on this one.
5 – Which major technology areas will be emphasized for priority funding—AI/Machine Learning, Robotics, Directed Energy, Quantum Computing, Hypersonics, Microelectronics? What some call the 25-year war is at stake here. Will we have the technology required to fight and win the nation’s wars 20-30 years from now? Without substantial investment in future technology now, it won’t happen. FY2022 saw record congressional spending for research and development in emerging technologies. Everyone will be watching the levels of investment in DOD’s 14 Critical Technologies this year.
BGR Group Honors the Legacy of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.
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“Today and every day, BGR Group honors the legacy of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. His sense of justice and optimism about the future resonate now more than ever. We can all look to his legacy as we work to build a better future for our country.”
BOB WOOD, BGR GROUP CEO
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“We must use time creatively, in the knowledge that the time is always ripe to do right.”
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BGR Vice Presidents Joel Bailey and Robin Colwell joined Principal Jo Maney for “BGR Bipartisan Take”
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Quarterly Outlook, January 2022
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The first Quarterly Outlook of 2022 lays out projections and trends from the policy teams across all of BGR’s practice groups. It also includes a special focus on redistricting and a combined Congressional calendar for reference. Despite the fact that it is an election year, BGR expects an active Congressional session and a great deal of action on the regulatory side as well.
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Quarterly Outlook, August 2021
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BGR experts weigh in on the third quarter agenda for Congress and the administration. Infrastructure tops the agenda.
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Quarterly Outlook, April 2021
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BGR Advisory Board Member Heather Nauert Joins CNAS Board of Advisors
CNAS
July 7, 2020
The Center for a New American Security (CNAS) today announced that Heather Nauert, former spokesperson for the U.S. State Department, has joined the CNAS Board of Advisors. As a member of the Board, Nauert will contribute to the development and execution of the organization’s intellectual agenda.
The Board of Advisors is comprised of prominent leaders from the private sector, academia, the military and government who help inform the Center’s research and expand its community of interest.
“It’s great to welcome Heather to the CNAS Board of Advisors,” said CNAS CEO Richard Fontaine. “With her experience at the State Department, in media, and more, her insights will sharpen the Center’s work on key policy issues. Our experts and research will benefit significantly from Heather’s expertise.”
Nauert serves on the advisory board of BGR Group, a government relations and public affairs firm in Washington, D.C. She previously served in the State Department as spokesperson from 2017 to 2019 and as acting under secretary for public diplomacy and public affairs from 2018 to 2019. In those roles, Nauert articulated U.S. foreign policy and coordinated public messaging for the Department, its leadership and 294 U.S. embassies and consulates worldwide. She also helped plan, execute, and manage messaging on top department initiatives, including the maximum pressure sanctions campaign against North Korea, holding China accountable for actions in the South China Sea, and efforts to combat state-sponsored disinformation from Russia, China and Iran.
A humble guide to the election – by BGR PR President Jeffery Birnbaum
The Hill
June 29, 2020
BY JEFFREY H. BIRNBAUM
Three words rarely uttered in Washington should become its new mantra. They are: “I don’t know.”
The 2016 presidential election and the timing of this year’s pandemic should have cured the nation’s capital of making predictions. Yet prognostication remains a staple of public discourse.
That’s a shame. When someone confidently projects who will win the presidential election this year, the appropriate response is to politely turn away and do something else. Nobody knows what’s going to happen.
At the same time, a few considerations grounded in past elections — but short of soothsaying — have a chance of holding up.
The first is: Whatever is important today won’t be as important five months from now.
The public’s attention is riveted by something new almost every week. But that changes all the time. Injustice against Blacks, the economy’s decline, and the need to defeat COVID-19 are challenges that won’t disappear. But significant new issues surely will emerge by November and, to repeat, we don’t know what they’ll be.
Second, watching the news is not a good way to guess who will win the election.
SEASICK NO LONGER: The Black Sea Region Should Focus on Its Own Interests — and Development
CEPA
June 26, 2020
BY KURT VOLKER
The Kremlin wants the rest of the world to believe that it has a special role and set of rights in the Black Sea. Too many Western policymakers fall for this. In truth, the political, economic, and security development of the region is important in its own right.
Russia’s push on the Black Sea dates from the Tsarist era. During the Cold War, all littoral territory apart from Turkey was part of either the Soviet Union or its Warsaw Pact allies. Now Russia has a legal claim to only 10 percent of the Black Sea coast. The other littoral states, with a population of 150m, are independent, democratic, and seeking their own economic development and security. Three are NATO allies and the others are NATO partners. These countries are emerging democracies. They need to strengthen democratic institutions and fight corruption, boost growth, enhance energy security, and improve connectivity.
The first pillar of Western policy should be supporting democracy. Growing the zone of stable, law-governed political freedom in Europe is a strategic interest. Successful development in Georgia, Ukraine, and Moldova also sends a signal to the Russian people about the cost of kleptocracy.