Secretary of Defense Lloyd J. Austin III speaks with Senator Patty Murray and Sentaor Susan Collins on the conclusion of testimony on the Senate Appropriations Committee hearing on May 16, 2023. (DoD photo by Chad J. McNeeley)
The Senate Appropriations Committee has approved marking as much as an $823.3 billion Pentagon topline for fiscal 12 months 2024, with senior lawmakers signaling further interest in potential supplemental spending measures to spice up defense dollars above the cap set by the…