Based in Washington, Jen managed Aviation Week’s worldwide defense, space and security coverage from 2013 to January 2024.
Prior to taking on the Executive Editor role, Jen was Aviation Week's Congressional Editor. Jen came to Aviation Week in March 2011 from Politico, where she covered the intersection of defense and politics. She also worked as a reporter and editor for Defense Daily, Inside the Army, The Other Paper and The Columbus Dispatch.
Jen received a Master’s degree in journalism as a Kiplinger Fellow at the Ohio State University. She graduated with a Bachelor’s degree in history and journalism from the University of Michigan.
The House of Representatives voted unanimously Tuesday to extend FAA funding through Jan. 30, 2012, and pressure is mounting to pass a longer-lasting FAA reauthorization measure the next time around. Though the bill, which is coupled with short-term highway legislation, still awaits Senate passage by the end of the week, the process is not nearly as contentious as the one that caused a two-week partial shutdown of the FAA in late July.
Rep. Buck McKeon (R-Calif.) considers it his job to ensure that House Republican leadership knows the consequences of cutting defense spending more deeply than the amount to which Congress has currently agreed.
This week brings a proposal for increased FAA funding and a likely agreement to extend the FAA’s operating authority. President Obama released the American Jobs Act on Monday, which would include $2 billion in grants to airports and $1 billion to fund the Next Generation air traffic control system. It remains to be seen whether congressional Republicans will embrace the $447 billion package at a time when lawmakers are already scouring the federal budget for deficit reduction.
