Secretary of Defense Ash Carter to speak on defense budget at Sept. 15 Luncheon

Secretary of Defense Ash Carter will discuss the 2017 National Defense Authorization Act at a Club luncheon on Thursday, Sept. 15.

The NDAA authorizes defense spending and sets policy for the 12 months. House Republicans included a provision in their version of the bill to accommodate defense contractors' religious beliefs. Opponents said this would allow them to ignore President Barack Obama's executive order banning discrimination against gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgendered individuals.

Lunch will be served at 12:30 p.m., with remarks beginning at 1 p.m., followed by a Q&A session ending at 2 p.m. Tickets cost $24 for Club members (NPC members may purchase two tickets at this rate) and $38 for all other non-member tickets. Tickets may be purchased online by going here. For questions, please email [email protected] or call (202) 662–7501. Tickets must be paid for at the time of purchase.

Members who wish to attend the pre-luncheon reception must RSVP separately to [email protected] 48 hours before the event. Space may be limited. You must have a paid reservation to the luncheon to attend the VIP reception.

To submit a question in advance, put CARTER in the subject line and email to [email protected] before 10 a.m. on the day of the luncheon.