NEWSWATCH: “Lawmakers look to get tough on Russia” – The Hill

Russian aggression will be high on lawmakers’ minds when the House Armed Services Committee meets Wednesday to mark up its annual defense policy bill. … the Russians have buzzed a U.S. Navy destroyer, barrel rolled over a U.S. reconnaissance plane and warned the United States to steer clear of its territory. … committee members say there will be plenty in the 2017 National Defense Authorization Act to deter Russia. … Relations between Washington and Moscow have been tense since 2014 when Russia annexed Crimea and began supporting separatists in eastern Ukraine. * * * Rep. Mac Thornberry (R-Texas), chairman of the committee, is … linking his acquisition reform efforts in the bill to efforts to counter Russia. * * * Rep. Randy Forbes (R-Va.), chairman of the seapower and projection forces subcommittee, heralded his subcommittee’s portion of the bill that would boost shipbuilding to $20.6 billion, the highest level since the Reagan era … [to] allow the Navy to get to 350 ships, up from the 272 it has now. …

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