Overnight Defense: GOP chair says Russia hasn't paid a price for meddling | Senators revive pro-NATO group | Sanders, Lee look to end US role in Yemen war | Watchdog says VA aide's email wasn't hacked

View in your browser     THE TOPLINE: The chairman of the House Armed Services Committee said Wednesday he shares a top admiral's concern that Russia has not paid a high enough price to deter it from future actions like its meddling in the 2016 election. "An aggressor will always push forward and do more until he meets resistance," Rep. Mac Thornberry (R-Texas) told reporters. "We've seen that time and time again over history. There has to be a price to be paid." Thornberry was responding to a question about Adm. Michael Rogers's testimony to the Senate Armed Services Committee the day before. Rogers, commander of U.S. Cyber Command and director of the National Security Agency, told senators that he has not been given specific direction from President Trump to disrupt Russian cyberattacks targeting U.S. elections. Rogers pushed back on the notion that the administration has done nothing to counter Russian interference, but he acknowledged that the response so far has been insufficient in deterring such behavior. "They haven't paid a price, at least, that has significantly changed their behavior," Rogers said. "You know, more broadly -- not just the sanctions, but more broadly -- my concern is I believe that President [Vladimir] Putin has clearly come to the conclusion there's little price to pay here." The Hill's Rebecca Kheel has the rest here.     SANDERS, LEE PUSH FOR END TO US INVOLVEMENT IN YEMEN WAR: Sens. Mike Lee (R-Utah), and Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.), on Wednesday pushed the White House to end U.S. military involvement in Yemen's civil war, arguing it's unconstitutional that Congress has not had a say in entering the conflict. The two lawmakers, along with Sen. Chris Murphy (D-Conn.), earlier in the day filed a joint resolution questioning U.S. support for the Saudi-led coalition fighting Iran-backed rebels in the country. Sanders and Lee later in a press conference argued that the American intervention -- which includes selling the Saudis weapons, providing limited intelligence and helping with air refueling -- has never specifically been approved by Congress. The lawmakers hope to invoke the War Powers Resolution, a federal law intended to check the president's power to commit the country to armed conflict without Congress' consent. "If the president or members of Congress believe that support for this war is in U.S. interests and that we should be involved in it, then let them come before Congress, let them make their case and let the Congress vote on whether or not we stay in that war," Sanders said. Lee argued the legislation "is neither liberal nor conservative." "This is an American principle. ... It's constitutional."  Read more here.   WATCHDOG: FORMER TOP VA AIDE'S EMAIL WAS NOT HACKED: The alleged hacking of a former top aide at the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) was unrelated to the travel scandal she was embroiled in and was limited to "relatively unsophisticated 'spoofing,' " according to a government watchdog. At issue is the VA inspector general's allegation that Vivieca Wright Simpson, who has since resigned as chief of staff, doctored an email in order to gain approval to use taxpayer dollars to pay for VA Secretary David Shulkin's wife to accompany him on a trip to Europe. Shulkin has said Wright Simpson showed him evidence backing up her denial that she sent the email in question and has suggested the email was sent by hackers looking to undermine him. In a letter released Wednesday by the top Democrat on the House Veterans' Affairs Committee, the VA's Office of Inspector General (OIG) says it believes that "the allegations of 'hacking' are limited to unrelated and relatively unsophisticated 'spoofing' of Ms. Wright Simpson's identity through messages sent from an external, non-VA email address." Read the rest here.   BIPARTISAN SENATORS REVIVE PRO-NATO GROUP OVER RUSSIA CONCERNS: A bipartisan pair of senators on Wednesday relaunched a group meant to coordinate Senate efforts on NATO and demonstrate U.S. commitment to the alliance. The Senate NATO Observer Group is being revived by Sens. Jeanne Shaheen (D-N.H.) and Thom Tillis (R-N.C.) after comments by President Trump during his campaign and early on in his tenure rattled NATO allies. Both senators, though, downplayed the timing, saying Trump's previous statements were not the impetus for their effort. "I wish I could draw that connection," Shaheen said at the launch event. "Really it's the result of the threats from Russia... This is another opportunity for us in the Senate to show our support for the efforts to deter Russia and to make sure there's support in the Senate for NATO." Read about that here.   ON TAP FOR TOMORROW: The Senate Foreign Relations Committee will hold a confirmation hearing for the nominees to be ambassador to Finland and U.S. executive director of the European bank for reconstruction and development at 10 a.m. at Dirksen Senate Office Building room 419.    ICYMI: -- The Hill: Iranian hacking group appears to expand international operations -- The Hill: More than 30 White House aides stripped of top secret security clearances: report -- The Hill: Opinion: American lives are worth budgeting for with biodefense -- The Hill: Opinion: Pentagon must consider non-traditional approaches to military service -- Defense News: F-35 program head blasts Lockheed for slow progress on contract     Join The Hill on Wednesday, March 21, for Leadership in Action: The Hill's Newsmaker Series featuring Sen. Lamar Alexander (R-Tenn.) and Reps. Nanette Barragán (D-Calif.), and Joe Crowley (D-N.Y.). RSVP Here     Please send tips and comments to Rebecca Kheel, rkheel@thehill.com, and Ellen Mitchell, emitchell@thehill.com. Follow us on Twitter: @thehill, @Rebecca_H_K, @EllenMitchell23         Did a friend forward you this email? Sign up for Defense Newsletters     Forward Defense Newsletters       Privacy Policy  |  Manage Subscriptions  |  Unsubscribe  |  Email to a friend  |  Sign Up for Other Newsletters   The Hill 1625 K Street, NW 9th Floor, Washington DC 20006 ©2016 Capitol Hill Publishing Corp., a subsidiary of News Communications, Inc.