Today is my first day as a defense reporter @rollcall @CQnow! Very excited to dive back into the congressional defense beat with a great team. Send tips/re-add me to your press lists/say hello at rebecca.kheel@cqrollcall.com. I'm also still on Signal at rhkheel.52.

New update: Excited to report that I’ll be joining @RollCall on Monday to cover budget and appropriations! Big thanks to @thehill after a wild seven years. Stoked to continue following the money in this next adventure.

ICYMI: Federal spending is swelling partly because lawmakers add $ for weapons the Pentagon didn't seek. @taxpayers data shows they quietly add each year tens of billions of dollars for hundreds of projects. The military benefits are mostly unknown.

My team is hiring!

LG William Hartman, the acting head of CYBERCOM/NSA, is now slated to brief the Senate Armed Services cyber panel Wednesday. Gen. Timothy Haugh, who was abruptly fired last week, was originally scheduled to appear before members. Hearing notice was updated today.

Today’s the day!! After months of hard work, we head to the bargaining table to start negotiating our first contract. We’re fired up and stand together as one. @WBNG32035 @newsguild

NEW: Lawmakers want to spend $38 billion this fiscal year creating or adding money for 1,499 weapons-related programs—none of which were requested, ⁦@taxpayers⁩ data shows. These annual sprees have ballooned lately. The military value is unclear.

New: Despite cost overruns and delays, the Pentagon is sticking with the Sentinel ICBM program after a Nunn-McCurdy breach was triggered in January. "We know we have to get this right, and we will." For subscribers ($):

Scoop w/@johnmdonnelly: Senate appropriators are planning on adding $34.5 billion in emergency $ to their fiscal 2025 bills above the levels laid out in last year's debt limit deal, with $21 billion for defense and $13.5 billion for nondefense. Story:

The White House is threatening to veto the FY25 House defense approps bill, citing in part the “numerous, partisan policy provisions” included in the measure. Bill is set to be taken up by Rules tmrw, which would clear the way for floor consideration. https://t.co/yDk4BvtuMY

If you're looking for a quick primer on the #FY25NDAA, please join our webinar on June 27 at 2 p.m. CQ Roll Call defense reporters @johnmdonnelly and @briana_reilly will be discussing the latest developments in Congress and fielding questions. https://t.co/msgVGuD5fP

Our story now available for subscribers:

Schumer statement:

This sets up a possible conflict with appropriators and complicates overall FY25 spending negotiations. If appropriators fund this topline increase (as Senate Rs have pushed for), Dems will push for a similar boost in nondefense spending.

Reed statement after the public release of the executive report: "I regret that I needed to vote against passage of this bill because it includes a funding increase that cannot be appropriated without breaking lawful spending caps and causing unintended harm to our military."

The extra $25 billion above the Biden administration's request mostly funds additional weapons procurement, per committee staff, including a second Virginia-class submarine and $4 billion for munitions production.

Notably, committee chairman Jack Reed voted against the bill during the markup, citing concerns about the budget caps in the Fiscal Responsibility Act. The other two "no" votes were Elizabeth Warren and Tom Cotton.

NEW: The Senate Armed Services Committee voted 22-3 behind closed doors to raise the defense topline by $25 billion, setting up a likely fight with the House and with appropriators. Their version of the NDAA would provide $$923.3 billion for national defense spending.

Annual fun fact about the #NDAA: The first NDAA from June 1961 was half a page long and had three sections: aircraft, missiles, and naval vessels.

Higgins fills the vacancy left by Mike Gallagher when he departed Congress in April