Based in Washington, Jen manages Aviation Week’s worldwide defense, space and security coverage.
Prior to taking on her current role, Jen was Aviation Week's Congressional Editor. Jen came to Aviation Week in March 2011 from Politico, where she covered the intersection of defense and politics. She also worked as a reporter and editor for Defense Daily, Inside the Army, The Other Paper and The Columbus Dispatch.
Jen received a Master’s degree in journalism as a Kiplinger Fellow at the Ohio State University. She graduated with a Bachelor’s degree in history and journalism from the University of Michigan.
President Barack Obama is asking Congress to provide $526.6 billion in defense spending for fiscal 2014, a figure that does not include war-funding details or the continuing effects of across-the-board budget cuts that start in fiscal 2013. Over 10 years, the request sent to Capitol Hill on April 10 would trim $150 billion from previous spending plans for the military, with most of the reductions coming in later years.
Despite releasing a fiscal 2014 budget that does not address sequestration, the Pentagon is still feeling the effects of an $85 billion across-the-board cut taking place in fiscal 2013. The reduction to military spending from sequestration in fiscal 2013 is $41 billion, which cuts from every program line. Coupled with higher wartime operations costs, the Pentagon is facing up to a $25 billion shortfall in its operations accounts, Pentagon Comptroller Robert Hale told reporters April 10.
