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Welcome to The Hill’s Defense & NatSec newsletter

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Defense &
National Security

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The Big Story

Trump to get his military parade in second go around

The Trump administration is planning a military parade through the streets of Washington, D.C., to mark the president’s 79th birthday and the Army’s 250th anniversary.

Washington City Paper first reported on the parade, set for June 14, noting it will stretch almost 4 miles from the Pentagon in Arlington, Va., to the White House.

An Army official confirmed the parade’s length to The Hill, and said that “there are plans for a parade that will involve the Army,” adding that nothing is yet solidified.

The official noted that the Army had planned to celebrate its 250th anniversary with a “robust capability increase in what you would see in previous years.” Planning began last year and the event has since expanded, with the number of units participating now increased.

The official also said Washington’s local government has been involved in the planning, with engineers in both the Army and city doing “route reconnaissance.”

“The Army is very excited to celebrate its 250th anniversary with the entire county. Our intention is for Americans to be proud of their Army and also proud of their nation. It’s too early to say yet whether or not we’re having a parade but we’re working with the White House as well as several government agencies to make the celebration a national level event,” Army spokesperson Col. Dave Butler told The Hill.

President Trump, in his first term in 2018, ordered the Pentagon to plan a large military parade after he visited Paris and was inspired by a French Bastille Day event.

But that event, set for Nov. 10, was canceled after defense officials quoted the price tag at $92 million and were slow to plan it, citing more pressing issues. The event also was heavily criticized both publicly and in private within the administration.

Washington officials also complained that heavy military equipment such as tanks would damage the city’s roads and cost the city millions of dollars for public safety.

The Defense Department could use its training budget to pay for flyovers and use vehicles from nearby bases, but the event would also require outside costs such as pay for Secret Service and police, and the renting and construction of stands and barriers.

Read the full report at TheHill.com.

Welcome to The Hill’s Defense & National Security newsletter, I’m Ellen Mitchell — your guide to the latest developments at the Pentagon, on Capitol Hill and beyond.

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Essential Reads

How policy will affect defense and national security now and in
the future:

Democrats question VA secretary on return-to-office ‘disruptions’

A group of 20 House Democrats want answers from Veterans Affairs (VA) Secretary Doug Collins on how President Trump’s return-to-office mandate for federal workers is being carried out, citing “deep concerns” the blanket policy is damaging care for veterans. In a letter to Collins, sent March 28 but released on social media Monday by one of the signatories, Rep. Lizzie Fletcher (D-Texas), the group …

Full Story

Senate advances Trump’s controversial Pentagon nominee

The Senate voted largely along party lines Monday to advance Elbridge Colby, President Trump’s controversial pick to serve as the Defense Department under secretary for policy, overcoming the private concerns of several Republican senators about Colby’s past statements. The chamber voted 53-39 to limit debate on the nominee. Notably, Sen. Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.), an outspoken advocate for projecting American military strength …

Full Story

Spartz says Ukraine not positioned to keep land in peace talks

Rep. Victoria Spartz (R-Ind.) said in a new interview that Ukraine is not positioned to keep some of its land in peace talks with Russia. “I just don’t see how they [Ukraine] can be positioned to demand to keep the land. If they would be winning the war, that will be very different,” the Ukrainian-born GOP lawmaker said in an interview with The Telegraph published Monday. “As I said two years ago, the best thing is to win wars …

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Democrats demand answers over book removals at military service academies

Two House Democrats sent letters to the secretaries of the Army, Navy and Air Force on Monday demanding answers over the recent removal of books at service academies. Reps. Adam Smith (Wash.), ranking member of the House Armed Services Committee, and Chrissy Houlahan (Pa.), ranking member of the Armed Services Military Personnel Subcommittee, sent the letter after the Naval Academy said it removed 400 books from the Nimitz …

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On Our Radar

Upcoming things we’re watching on our beat:

Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth is in Panama tomorrow to meet with the country’s president and attend a meeting of regional chiefs of defense. He will also visit military sites and the Panama Canal.
U.S. European Command head Gen. Christopher Cavoli will testify tomorrow before the House Armed Services Committee on current threats and fiscal 2026 budget needs for the command.

In Other News

Branch out with a different read from The Hill:

Congress pushes back at White House over Signal group chat

The White House’s assertion that the case is closed surrounding national security officials’ use of Signal is getting pushback in Congress, even among some Republicans who say their own probes will press on. On Monday, the White House said it had taken steps to ensure the inadvertent addition …

Full Story

On Tap Tomorrow

Events in and around the defense world:

The Navy League will hold Day 1 of its 2025 Sea-Air-Space Conference, at 7:30 a.m.
The Senate Armed Services Committee will hold a hearing on the nominations of Bradley Hansell to be undersecretary of defense for intelligence and security; Earl Matthews to be Pentagon general counsel; Dale Marks to be assistant secretary of defense for energy, installations and environment; and Brandon Williams to be Energy undersecretary for nuclear security, at 9:30 a.m.
The Carnegie Endowment for International Peace will have a virtual discussion on “What Comes Next for Israel?” at 10 a.m.
A Senate Armed Services subcommittee will hear from defense officials on “The U.S. Special Operations Command in Review of the Defense Authorization Request for FY2026 and the Future Years Defense Program,” at 2:30 p.m.
Another Senate Armed Services subpanel will hold a hearing on “The State of Nuclear Shipbuilding,” at 2:30 p.m.

What We’re Reading

News we’ve flagged from other outlets:

Coast Guard secretary? The Trump administration is planning a big redesign of the service. (Military.com)
Russia reduces prison sentence for US soldier convicted of theft (The Associated Press)
Russia strikes Kyiv as Ukraine mourns deadly attack on Zelensky’s hometown (The New York Times)

Trending Today

Two key stories on The Hill right now:

Supreme Court lifts orders blocking Trump from deporting Venezuelans under Alien Enemies Act

The Supreme Court vacated a judge’s order temporarily blocking the Trump administration from using the Alien Enemies Act (AEA) to deport Venezuelans, … Read more

7 GOP senators sign on to bill to check Trump’s trade authority

Seven Republican senators, including Sen. Chuck Grassley (Iowa), the Senate’s president pro tempore, and Sen. Mitch McConnell (Ky.), the former Senate … Read more