On this Washington Roundtable episode of the Defense & Aerospace Report Podcast, sponsored by Bell, our guests are Dov Zakheim, PhD, former DoD comptroller, now with the Center for Strategic and International Studies, Dr. Patrick Cronin of the Hudson Institute, Jim Townsend, a former deputy assistant secretary of defense for Europe and NATO who is now with the Center for a New American Security, Michael Herson of American Defense International and Chris Servello, a founder of Provision Advisors public relations firm (and Defense and Aerospace team member).

Topics:

— Update on President Biden’s legislative agenda after Democrats lost vote on filibuster changes and voting reform, Build Back Better and omnibus

— Implications of surprise retirement announcement by Rep. Jim Langevin, D-RI, and FBI investigation of Rep. Henry Cuellar, D-Texas

— Analysis of Biden’s lengthy press conference on first year of his presidency as his popularity sinks to all-time low

— Impact of Biden’s comments on Ukraine as NATO alliance grapples with common approach to either deter Moscow from again invading Ukraine or punish it after doing so

— Beijing’s slate of challenges, from fighting omicron, coping with demographic challenges stemming from one-child policy and economic challenges that will force a one-third cut in civil servant salary and perks

— US-Japan talks that cover Russia, China and North Korea

— Iran nuclear negotiations update

— Implications of Saudi Arabian attack on Yemen that killed at least 70 and knocked out internet service