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.
Without a deal from the Joint Select Committee on Deficit Reduction, lawmakers are already scrambling to limit damage to defense that may already be set in motion. Members of the so-called “super committee” met Nov. 21, the day they needed to deliver a deal to the Congressional Budget Office in time to score the proposal before the official Nov. 23 deadline. But that afternoon, lawmakers conceded they failed to reach an agreement on at least $1.2 trillion in reductions to the federal deficit.
Congress passed a “minibus” spending bill Nov. 17 that provides fiscal 2012 funding for the FAA and NASA while continuing to pay for the Defense Department at fiscal 2011 levels. The bill, which passed both chambers before a continuing resolution funding the government expired on Nov. 18, reflects the budget-cutting mood in Washington, carving $924 million out of the NASA budget.
