
The chair of the Senate Armed Services Committee on Wednesday released an update to the $150 billion defense portion of the wide-ranging reconciliation bill, which includes adding funds for industrial base and critical minerals efforts, a cut to border operations support and removing classified programs. Sen. Roger Wicker (R-Miss.), the SASC chair, noted the latest version of the defense language was once again coordinated with the House and Trump administration, and arrives as Congress presses ahead with plans to finalize…