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 FAA reauthorization bill is coming down to the wire yet again, as the current 18th extension lasts just until the end of the month. Taxes remain one of the outstanding conference issues in the bill, according to the Congressional Research Service. The House bill includes no new taxes, while the Senate bill is proposing a 14.1-cent increase in general aviation jet fuel taxes and a 14.1-cent surcharge on jet fuel bought for “fractionally owned aircraft.”
Legislation to standardize security credentials for transportation workers would reduce costs to workers and allow airports to retain control over who has access to their own secure areas, according to the chairman of a House panel on transportation security.
As lawmakers consider how to shore up the nation's defenses while balancing the books, the nation's massive investments in intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance (ISR) capabilities may get a boost by their success. Like the use of Predators to help uncover explosive-making networks in Iraq, the raid on the compound in Abbottabad, Pakistan, notched another big win for ISR equipment, which Defense Secretary Robert Gates has championed.
