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.
Rep. Lamar Smith (R-Texas), incoming chairman of the House Science, Space and Technology Committee, is looking for programs that inspire the public. During a hearing on the future of NASA last week, a key space-policy adviser to GOP presidential candidate Mitt Romney may have provided clues to the new chairman's priorities when the 113th Congress convenes next month. “People have an interest in life,” says Scott Pace, the head of the Space Policy Institute at George Washington University. “They have an interest in people.
As House and Senate negotiations on the fiscal 2013 defense authorization bill near an end, the war over retiring aircraft has kicked into high gear. Defense Secretary Leon Panetta made a final appeal to the leaders of the armed services committees to make changes to a long list of issues, aircraft retirements among them, or else he would recommend that the president veto the bill. Panetta estimates terminating acquisition of the C-27J medium airlifter and Global Hawk surveillance UAV, as well as retiring the C-5A Globemaster would save up to $8.3 billion through 2018.
With the prospect of lawmakers staying in session past the Christmas holiday to continue debating the deficit, business executives and interest groups are increasing their calls to avoid the expiration of tax cuts and nearly $1 trillion in across-the-board budget cuts due to take place in early January. That is typical activity during high-stakes negotiations, lawmakers say.
