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Seen, Heard & Whispered: Justice Alito's biography; Crowley reflects on royals; 'Dangerous Laughter'

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Articles by Jacqueline Klimas

Then-CIA Director nominee Leon Panetta testifies on Capitol Hill in Washington in this June 9, 2011, file photo. (AP Photo/Manuel Balce Ceneta, File)

Panetta: Netanyahu invite splits parties on bipartisan issue

Former Defense Secretary Leon E. Panetta says that Congress' invitation to Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu without consulting the White House creates another partisan divide over an issue that should bring lawmakers together.

February 15, 2015

Senate approves bill to restrict Guantanamo transfers

A Senate panel approved a bill Thursday that further restricts the president's ability to transfer detainees from Guantanamo Bay, sending the debate on closing the military prison to the full Senate.

February 12, 2015
Veterans Affairs Secretary Robert McDonald speaks at the National Press Club in Washington on Nov. 7, 2014. The Veterans Affairs Department says it is creating a single regional framework that divides the sprawling agency into five clearly marked regions. The new framework is part of a larger reorganization that VA leaders say will bring a singular focus on customer service to an agency that serves 22 million veterans. (AP Photo/Manuel Balce Ceneta, File) **FILE**

Robert McDonald: 24K vets have used Choice Card

Veterans Affairs Secretary Robert McDonald told lawmakers Wednesday that 24,000 veterans have made appointments for private care since the Choice Card program began last year and asked again for the flexibility to reallocate that money if vets would rather be seen at the VA.

February 11, 2015
Susan Selke and Richard Selke, parents of Clay Hunt, a Marine Corps combat veteran who died by suicide in March 2011 at the age of 28, is joined by Congressional leaders as they gather for the Clay Hunt Suicide Prevention for American Veterans Act, at the Capitol in Washington, Tuesday, Feb. 10, 2015. From left to right are House Veterans’ Affairs Chairman Jeff Miller, R-Fla., Senate Armed Services Committee Chairman John McCain, R-Ariz., Sen. Johnny Isakson, R-Ga., Susan Selke, Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell, R-Ky., Richard Selke, Speaker of the House John Boehner, R-Ohio, and Sen. Orrin Hatch, R-Utah. The legislation, which now goes to President Obama for his signature, calls for evaluation of existing Veterans Affairs mental health and suicide prevention programs, and expands the reach of these programs for veterans. (AP Photo/J. Scott Applewhite)

Veteran suicide prevention bill approved by Congress, sent to president

Susan Selke, whose son committed suicide after struggling to receive care at a Department of Veterans Affairs facility, said Tuesday was “a day of mixed emotion” as lawmakers signed a bill that will improve mental health care for veterans, sending it to the president to become law this week.

February 10, 2015
Victims of the Fort Hood shooting will soon be eligible to receive the Purple Heart, with Congress pushing ahead with a policy change that would officially recognize domestic terrorism as an issue, rather than the "workplace violence" designation the Obama administration had used. (Associated Press) **FILE**

Fort Hood victims to finally get Purple Heart

The U.S. Army announced Friday that it will award the Purple Heart to the victims of the 2009 Fort Hood killings after years of pressure to designate the shooting as a terrorist attack.

February 6, 2015
The seal affixed to the front of the Department of Veterans Affairs building in Washington is seen here on June 21, 2013. (Associated Press) **FILE**

N.H. senators push for permanent Choice Cards for some vets

Both New Hampshire senators said Friday that they introduced a bill to make the Choice Card permanent in states with no full-service Veterans Affairs hospital in response to the president's plan to cut from the program.

February 6, 2015
Senate Armed Services Committee Chairman Sen. John McCain, R-Ariz., flanked by Sen. Tom Cotton, R-Ark., left, and Sen. Richard Blumenthal, D-Conn., speaks during a news conference on Capitol Hill in Washington, Thursday, Feb. 5, 2015, where he gathered a bipartisan group of senators to call on American support for Ukraine, which needs weaponry to stave off incursion from Russia and Ukrainian separatists. (AP Photo/J. Scott Applewhite) ** FILE **

Ukraine urges U.S. to make good on nukes-for-protection deal

Ukrainian leaders pleaded Thursday with the Obama administration to provide lethal weapons to defend against a Russian invasion, saying that America promised more than two decades ago to protect the country when it gave up its stockpile of nuclear weapons.

February 5, 2015
Brian McKeon, principal deputy undersecretary of defense for policy, said the administration doesn't believe it's a coincidence that a Jordanian pilot and a Japanese hostage were wearing orange jumpsuits, which he said are symbols of Guantanamo Bay, in two recent execution videos released by the Islamic State. (Associated Press)

Senators question administration on Gitmo’s use as recruiting tool

The Obama administration said Thursday that the Islamic State's execution of captives in orange jumpsuits is evidence that Guantanamo Bay is being used as a recruitment tool by terrorists and must be shut down, even if it means releasing dangerous terrorists back into the Middle East.

February 5, 2015
Senate Armed Services Committee Chairman John McCain, Arizona Republican, said the panel is "just at the beginning" of a plan to overhaul the military retirement system. A 401(k)-like system is just one suggestion by members of the Military Compensation and Retirement Modernization Commission. (Associated Press)

Military retirement benefit recommendations to take time in Congress

A plan to overhaul the military retirement system is gaining traction among some members of Congress, but most say it will take more time and hearings to digest a 300-page report released last week that called for major changes to retirement pay and health care benefits.

February 4, 2015
Veterans Affairs Secretary Robert McDonald on Monday defended President Obama's plan to scale back funding for the VA Choice Card, and redirect that money to other parts of the agency. The House and Senate veterans' affairs committees expressed concerns about the proposal. (Associated press)

Robert McDonald defends Obama’s Veterans Choice Card budget cut

VA Secretary Robert McDonald defended President Obama's budget request to cut some funding from the new Choice Card program for veterans, saying he wants the embattled department to be able to make decisions about whether the program is working and when to limit it.

February 3, 2015