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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

Secretary of the Army and Secretary of Defense nominee Mark Esper gets a hug from his daughter Kate Esper, as his Senate Armed Services Committee confirmation hearing concludes on Capitol Hill in Washington, Tuesday, July 16, 2019. Esper's wife Leah Esper, back right, and son John Esper, watch. (AP Photo/Manuel Balce Ceneta)

Mark Esper confirmed by Senate as defense secretary

The Pentagon has a new chief. Former Army Secretary Mark T. Esper was sworn in as the new defense secretary Tuesday evening in an Oval Office ceremony, ending a long string of uncertainty about the top job at the Pentagon.

July 23, 2019
Secretary of Defense nominee Mark T. Esper, who spent nearly seven years as a Raytheon executive, appears to be on the fast track to replacing James Mattis. (ASSOCIATED PRESS)

Mark Esper seen as on the fast track to secretary of defense position

Mark T. Esper appeared to take a big step closer to becoming President Trump's next secretary of defense at a Senate Armed Services Committee confirmation hearing Tuesday in which he fielded questions on Iran, emerging threats from China and Russia, and his own past as a top executive for defense contractor Raytheon.

July 16, 2019
President Donald Trump walks to greet supporters as he arrives at General Mitchell International Airport, Friday, July 12, 2019, in Milwaukee. (AP Photo/Alex Brandon)

House passes massive $733B defense bill restricting Trump on Iran

The House on Friday passed its version of the annual National Defense Authorization Act, following days of partisan skirmishes between Democrats who moved to restrict President Trump's war authority and a Republican minority that pushed unsuccessfully for more money for the Pentagon.

July 12, 2019
Iranian worshippers burn a representation of a U.S. flag during a rally after Friday prayer in Tehran, Iran, Friday, May 10, 2019. A top commander in Iran's powerful Revolutionary Guard said Friday that Tehran will not talk with the United States, an Iranian news agency reported — a day after President Donald Trump said he'd like Iranian leaders to "call me." (AP Photo/Ebrahim Noroozi) **FILE**

House votes to repeal president’s war authority dating back to 9/11

The House voted Friday to repeal the 2002 measure authorizing presidents to respond to the September 11 attacks, an open-ended authority that cleared the way for the 2003 invasion of Iraq and has been used by Presidents Bush, Obama and Trump to justify missions and deployments around the world over the past 17 years.

July 12, 2019
President Donald Trump's Mar-a-Lago estate is shown, Wednesday, July 10, 2019, in Palm Beach, Fla. (AP Photo/Wilfredo Lee)

House backs amendment barring Pentagon use of Trump properties

The House has approved an amendment to its version of the 2020 National Defense Authorization Act that would prohibit spending Pentagon funds at properties owned by the Trump Organization, the president's family-owned business empire.

July 11, 2019