House marks up spending bills this week

With Connor O’Brien and Andrew Desiderio

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Quick fix

— The House prepares to start marking up military spending bills.

— The U.S. hits Iran-backed sites in Iraq and Syria following drone attacks.

— A huge new international military exercise kicks off in Ukraine days after the Russians harassed a British warship in the Black sea.

HAPPY MONDAY AND WELCOME TO MORNING DEFENSE. We're filling in for our colleague Bryan Bender this week and are always on the lookout for tips, pitches and feedback. Email us at [email protected] and follow on Twitter @paulmcleary, @morningdefense and @politicopro.

FOREVER WARS: American aircraft hit three sites in Iraq and Syria on Sunday night that the U.S. says Iranian-backed militias were using to launch drone attacks “against U.S. personnel and facilities in Iraq,” Pentagon Press Secretary John Kirby said. “Specifically, the U.S. strikes targeted operational and weapons storage facilities at two locations in Syria and one location in Iraq, both of which lie close to the border between those countries. Several Iran-backed militia groups, including Kata'ib Hezbollah (KH) and Kata'ib Sayyid al-Shuhada (KSS), used these facilities.”

The strikes are the first since February, when American warplanes hit a base used by Iranian-backed militias in Syria in response to a series of rocket attacks targeting American forces.

AUMF questions: After the last strike in February, the Biden administration was criticized by some prominent Democrats on Capitol Hill for not seeking congressional authorization before launching the strikes.

Sen. Chris Murphy spoke with POLITICO’s Andrew Desiderio just after this latest operation was announced on Sunday, and the Connecticut Democrat expressed frustration with the drip, drip of strikes.

"The administration would be better off coming to Congress and asking for a debate on a declaration of war if they foresee a need to continue to go back and forth with KH or other Iranian proxy groups," he said. "Given the increase and the regularity of Iranian proxy attacks against U.S. forces, I think it’s worth sitting down and asking whether these targeted strikes are having the deterrent effect that we hope."

For more on the AUMF fight winding its way through Congress, see below.

On the Hill

APPROPRIATIONS ACTION: The House Appropriations Committee continues its work with markups on a pair of military-related spending bills this week.

On Wednesday, the House Defense Appropriations sub-panel considers its Pentagon spending bill. Text of the legislation is slated to be released on Tuesday.

Military construction: The full committee is also set to mark up annual military construction and veterans funding legislation Wednesday. The bill includes $10.9 billion for Pentagon infrastructure projects, an increase of about $1 billion from the administration's proposed budget.

A subcommittee easily approved the legislation Friday, despite top Republicans airing some concerns with the bill and the overall appropriations process. Chief among GOP concerns with the military infrastructure bill is the lack of provisions that bar the transfer of detainees held at Guantanamo Bay, Cuba, to the U.S. The top House Appropriations Republican, Rep. Kay Granger, also criticized House Democrats' overarching spending priorities.

"The difference of opinion on funding priorities and policy positions, I'm afraid, could slow down our appropriations process this year when there is nothing more important than funding our nation's military and our nation's veterans," Granger said.

Earmarks: Appropriators also released a list of the 11 earmarks, totaling just under $200 million, that were incorporated into the military construction bill under the revamped process for funding local projects.

Related: House appropriators release State-Foreign Operations spending bill, via POLITICO Pro's Jennifer Scholtes.

HAPPENING THIS WEEK: The House Armed Services Committee holds a hearing on the Army budget with Secretary Christine Wormuth and Chief of Staff Gen. James McConville on Tuesday at 11 a.m.

Also Tuesday, the HASC Cyber panel holds a hearing with acting Pentagon Chief Information Officer John Sherman at 4 p.m.

On Wednesday, HASC's Tactical Air and Land subcommittee convenes a hearing with Army, Air Force, Navy and Marine officials on rotary-wing aviation programs at 3 p.m.

MORE AUMF REPEALS: The House votes today on more legislation to remove decades-old, outdated Middle East war powers from the books.

Lawmakers are set to vote on legislation, offered by Virginia Democrat Abigail Spanberger, that would repeal the 1991 authorization enacted ahead of the Gulf War. Another bill on the agenda, sponsored by Michigan Republican Peter Meijer, would rescind a broad Cold War-era military authorization for the Middle East passed in 1957.

The bills are coming to the floor under an expedited process that requires a two-thirds majority for passage, meaning both measures will need substantial bipartisan support to advance.

The debate follows a vote to repeal the 2002 Iraq War authorization in the House this month. The measure received bipartisan support, but the bulk of House Republicans still opposed removing the resolution without a replacement or further study.

Russia

MERCENARIES IN AFRICA: A new United Nations report accuses Russian mercenaries of participating in atrocities in the Central African Republic, The New York Times reports. The internal report to members of the U.N. Security Council claims that Russian mercenaries, acting as unarmed military advisers, “led government forces into battle during an offensive to oust rebels from several towns in January and February,” and have established themselves near major diamond mining centers.

The Russians, working alongside government troops, are accused of using excessive force and taking part in “indiscriminate killings, occupation of schools and looting on a large scale, including of humanitarian organizations,” said the report, which the Times says is based on “photographic evidence and confidential accounts by witnesses and local officials.”

HELLO, AGAIN: Over the weekend, the destroyer USS Ross docked in Odessa, Ukraine, as it prepares to take part in the annual Operation Sea Breeze military exercise alongside NATO allies and Ukrainian forces.

Last week, Russian fighter planes buzzed a British destroyer, HMS Defender, and fired munitions from a ship nearby after the ship sailed near Crimea in the Black Sea. The Brits said the ship was in Ukrainian waters, but Russia contends that the Crimean peninsula now belongs to Moscow.

This is the 24th year of the Sea Breeze exercise, which rankles Moscow each and every time. This year is the largest yet, with 32 countries sending 5,000 troops, 32 ships, 40 aircraft and special operations and dive teams. U.S. Marines from the 2nd Marine Division arrived in Ukraine on Sunday.

The focus of the exercise includes amphibious warfare, land maneuver warfare, air defense, and anti-submarine warfare, and countries as far afield as Australia, Egypt, Israel, Japan, Pakistan, Senegal and South Korea have sent forces.

Happening This Week

Today, Rep. Rob Wittman (R-Va.) and Rep. Mike Gallagher (R-Wis.) speak at a virtual event at the Hudson Institute on the challenges facing the U.S. shipbuilding and repair industry and legislative initiatives to address the ongoing problems.

Tuesday, the future of homeland missile defense is up for debate with Reps. Jim Cooper (D-Tenn.), chair of the Strategic Forces Subcommittee, and Mike Turner (R-Ohio), ranking member of the Strategic Forces Subcommittee, who will join Vice Adm. Jon Hill, director of the Missile Defense Agency to talk through the issues.

Also Tuesday, Cyber Command chief Gen. Paul Nakasone speaks at the WEST 2021 virtual conference.

Wednesday, Chief of Naval Operations Adm. Mike Gilday, Marine Commandant Gen. David Berger, and Coast Guard Commandant Adm. Karl Schultz also appear together at the WEST 2021 virtual conference.

Thursday, Air Force Chief of Staff Gen. C.Q. Brown heads to the Atlantic Council to talk about the future of air warfare.

Speed Read

— Hardening stances by Iran and U.S. complicate negotiations to revive nuclear deal: The Washington Post