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.
The most powerful military officers in the U.S. are appealing to Congress to “de-trigger” across-the-board budget cuts and pass a full-year spending bill. “We are on the brink of creating a hollow force due to an unprecedented convergence of budget conditions and legislation that could require the department to retain more forces than requested while underfunding that force’s readiness,” say the Joint Chiefs of Staff in a Jan. 14 letter to Sen. Carl Levin (D-Mich.), the chairman of the Senate Armed Services Committee.
While lawmakers were already looking ahead toward three spending hurdles, including the potential for nearly $1 trillion in across-the-board government spending cuts, they were facing the prospect of another 1.6% blind reduction on Jan. 15. Rep. Mick Mulvaney (R-S.C.) sought to hand down the cut as an amendment to pay for Hurricane Sandy relief. It failed on a 162-258 vote.
HAC-D TO INDUSTRY: After losing re-election to Congress, Rep. Steve Rothman (D-N.J.), a former member of the House Appropriations defense subcommittee, will take his expertise to a New York law and lobbying firm, Sills Cummis and Gross. Rothman, a fierce advocate for Iron Dome and other Israeli missile defense programs, will build a new defense industry group. But rather than join the flow of lawmakers to Washington’s downtown lobbying scene, Rothman will return home, dividing his time between New York and Newark, N.J.
