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.
Sen. Claire McCaskill (D-Mo.) is analyzing what she calls a “slush fund” full of earmarks created by the House Armed Services Committee. The fund McCaskill is referring to is a $1 billion “Force and Mission Enhancement Fund” that the committee included in its markup of the fiscal 2012 defense authorization bill. Committee members were allowed to add legislative proposals for certain projects.
Sen. John Cornyn (R-Texas) is hoping that his amendment requiring the U.S. government to sell at least 66 F-16s to Taiwan will remain alive. The member of the Senate Armed Services Committee proposed the measure as part of the defense authorization bill for fiscal 2012 that the Senate planned to debate until early in the day on Nov. 30. “Our hope is we’ll get a vote on that before time runs out,” Cornyn says of the amendment. Cornyn says he has racked up bipartisan support for the bill, but it is not without controversy.
The top Republican on the Senate Commerce, Science and Transportation Committee says lawmakers are “close” to a deal on the FAA reauthorization bill. U.S. Sen. Kay Bailey Hutchison (R-Texas) says coming to an agreement before the end of the year will be Congress’s best shot at reconciling differences between House and Senate versions of the bill to set aviation policy. The current extension of the FAA’s operating authority runs through Jan. 31, 2012.
