General Martin Dempsey, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, speaks at the St. Regis Hotel on April 30 in Washington, DC. (Michael Bonfigli/The Christian Science Monitor/Staff)
Top general: 5 bad habits for the Pentagon to fix (+video)
The Pentagon has not had to do any serious belt-tightening for years, and Gen. Martin Dempsey, the nation's top military officer, says some budget discipline could be beneficial.
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Mark Kelly on gun control bill: 'We do have a problem' with many senators
The husband of former Rep. Gabrielle Giffords, an advocate of stricter gun laws, warned a fellow Arizonan of repercussions at the ballot box if he votes against a gun control measure to expand background checks. A lot of senators, said Mark Kelly, want a reason 'to get to no.'
Tax reform: Why Rep. Dave Camp won't rest until it's done
GOP Rep. Dave Camp, chairman of the powerful House Ways and Means Committee, says he's willing to 'walk down every street' to build consensus in Congress on tax reform.
GOP's Rep. Dave Camp envisions inclusive path to a fiscal 'bargain'
Dave Camp, House Ways and Means Committee chairman, said Thursday that involving more members of Congress in budgeting and deficit-cutting could yield, if not a 'grand bargain,' at least a modest deal.
What keeps Janet Napolitano up at night? People with keyboards up to no good
In a post-9/11 world, the two top concerns facing the Department of Homeland Security are cyber and aviation threats, said Secretary Janet Napolitano during a Monitor-sponsored breakfast.
House Democrat lauds GOP's 'new openness' on immigration reform
It's true that some Republicans, such as Sen. Rand Paul, are showing a new attitude toward immigration reform, said Democratic Rep. Luis Gutierrez during a Monitor-sponsored breakfast.
Homeland Security seeks student hackers to help counter cyberthreats
Homeland Security Secretary Janet Napolitano is out to find some 600 'hackers for good,' but sequester cuts are derailing recruiting drives to build a skilled cyber workforce in government.
Is border security a 10, or just a 2? Why lawmakers want a rating system.
Immigration reform legislation may hinge on finding a way to assess how secure the border is. Homeland Security Secretary Janet Napolitano on Tuesday explained why that metric is complicated.
Say what! Janet Napolitano doesn't use e-mail? It 'just sucks up time.'
Homeland Security Secretary Janet Napolitano runs a department with 22 agencies and 240,000 employees, and she says not using e-mail helps keep her focused.
Janet Napolitano answers critics of new TSA rules for knives on airplanes
Homeland Security Secretary Janet Napolitano uses humor to address questions about the storm of criticism over new, less restrictive rules for allowing passengers to carry knives onto airplanes.
GOP's Rand Paul, Dems' Luis Gutierrez in step on immigration reform
Rep. Luis Gutierrez (D) and Sen. Rand Paul (R), in separate forums Tuesday, struck common ground on some of the thorniest issues surrounding immigration reform. Is a bipartisan deal close?
Rep. Bob Goodlatte: Government is not enforcing existing US gun laws
Two gun-control measures that could pass Congress include improving background check system and cracking down on illegal sales, says Rep. Bob Goodlatte (R) at a Monitor-sponsored breakfast on Wednesday.
Immigration reform: A GOP point man envisions (circuitous) path to citizenship
GOP Rep. Bob Goodlatte outlines a possible sequence of steps on immigration reform, at the end of which undocumented immigrants could seek US citizenship, standing in line with all others. A compromise both right and left can support?
US drawdown in Afghanistan a 'worry' for Pakistan, ambassador says
One of the concerns for Pakistan is 'how responsible' the US exit from Afghanistan will be, said Sherry Rehman, Pakistan's ambassador to the US, at a Feb. 5 breakfast meeting.
NTSB chair Deborah Hersman: Future of auto safety lies with technology
Deborah Hersman of the National Transportation Safety Board sees collision-avoidance technology as the future of auto safety. As for a move from NTSB to a post in Obama's cabinet? She declines to say.
Deborah Hersman for Transportation secretary? She ducks comment.
Deborah Hersman, chair of the National Transportation Safety Board, is a top candidate for the cabinet post, reports say. But she wouldn't comment directly at a Monitor breakfast Wednesday.
NTSB chief: Don't write off Boeing 787's battery just yet
Deborah Hersman, chairwoman of the National Transportation Safety Board, says the investigation is ongoing into the cause of two battery fires on board Boeing 787 Dreamliners, but avoided categorically calling the lithium-ion batteries unsafe.
US drone strikes: There's 'no wink and nod' from Pakistan, ambassador says
At a Monitor breakfast Tuesday, Pakistani Ambassador Sherry Rehman rejected perceptions that her government publicly condemns drone strikes while privately cooperating with the US on them.
Behind gun control debate, questions of what's practical, constitutional (+video)
Would new gun restrictions actually work? Are they constitutional? These questions frame the deeper debate between gun rights defenders such as NRA's David Keene and gun control advocates like Sen. Charles Schumer.
NRA president: Foes using 'emotion' of Newtown shootings to spur gun control (+video)
Opponents of the National Rifle Association 'hope to use emotion' to achieve an 'antifirearm agenda' in the wake of the school shootings last month in Newtown, Conn., NRA President David Keene said Thursday.
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