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Lauren Toms

lmeier@washingtontimes.com

Lauren Toms is a national security reporter for The Washington Times, covering national security committees on Capitol Hill, foreign affairs, defense, and diplomacy. She began covering politics at CNN during the 2016 presidential election, working closely with the national security and justice teams, and later joined Axios as an editor specializing in international and military coverage.
Lauren holds a master's degree in U.S. law from Washington University in St. Louis school of law, and a bachelor's degree in journalism and mass communications from the George Washington University school of media and public affairs. She can be reached at ltoms@washingtontimes.com.

Articles by Lauren Toms

House Armed Services Committee Chairman Adam Smith, Washington Democrat, is shown in this July 2020 file photo. (ASSOCIATED PRESS) **FILE**

Defense bill veto could send fight with Trump into overtime

The lame-duck Congress could be facing a rare post-holiday return to Capitol Hill if President Trump follows through on a threat to veto a massive $740 billion defense policy bill in the coming days, a top House Democrat said Monday.

December 7, 2020
The Senate this week is expected to vote on whether to block a $23 billion weapons sale to the United Arab Emirates, including 50 cutting-edge F-35 Joint Strike Fighter jets valued at over $10 billion. (ASSOCIATED PRESS)

Trump deal to sell F-35 fighters to UAE faces Capitol Hill gauntlet

President Trump's precedent-breaking Middle East foreign policy faces a key test as the Senate is expected to vote this week on whether to block a $23 billion weapons sale to the United Arab Emirates including 50 cutting-edge F-35 Joint Strike Fighter jets valued at over $10 billion, 20 Reaper drones worth nearly $3 billion, and thousands of munitions.

December 6, 2020
Senate Armed Services Committee Chairman James Inhofe, R-Okla., speaks to reporters following a GOP policy meeting on Capitol Hill, Tuesday, June 30, 2020, in Washington. (AP Photo/Manuel Balce Ceneta)

Inhofe: ‘Impossible’ to add repeal of Section 230 to defense bill, despite Trump veto threat

Sen. James Inhofe, chairman of the Senate Armed Services Committee, said Friday that it is "impossible" to add a repeal of Section 230 of the Communications Decency Act -- which protects communication companies from being sued over content their users post -- to the National Defense Authorization Act this year despite repeated threats from President Trump that he would veto the bill if it does not include such language.

December 4, 2020
President Donald Trump listens during a ceremony to present the Presidential Medal of Freedom to former football coach Lou Holtz, in the Oval Office of the White House, Thursday, Dec. 3, 2020, in Washington. (AP Photo/Evan Vucci)

Trump vows to veto defense bill after James Inhofe rejects Section 230 repeal

President Trump late Thursday doubled down on his threat to veto the annual defense policy bill after the chairman of the Senate Armed Services Committee said that a repeal of Section 230 of the Communications Decency Act -- which protects communication companies from being sued over the content that their users post -- does not belong in the military legislation.

December 3, 2020
President Donald Trump speaks during a ceremony to present the Presidential Medal of Freedom to former football coach Lou Holtz, in the Oval Office of the White House, Thursday, Dec. 3, 2020, in Washington. (AP Photo/Evan Vucci)

Trump veto threat doesn’t stall Defense Authorization Act

President Trump has issued strong veto threats against the NDAA for fiscal year 2021, while trying to become the first president since Lyndon Johnson to serve a full term in the White House without a single veto being overridden on Capitol Hill.

December 3, 2020
House Armed Services Committee Chairman Adam Smith, D-Wash., arrives for a House Armed Services Committee hearing on Thursday, July 9, 2020, on Capitol Hill in Washington. (Greg Nash/Pool via AP) **FILE**

Massive defense bill may not make lame-duck deadline on Capitol Hill

Lawmakers on Capitol Hill are racing against the clock to meet a Dec. 11 deadline to finalize the massive annual defense policy bill, but face several hurdles as they seek a compromise President Trump will sign before the current Congress loses its lease.

November 30, 2020