John T. Bennett is the editor of CQ Roll Call’s “Budget Tracker” newsletter and also writes articles about the politics of federal budget issues. Previously, he covered defense, national security, and foreign policy issues in Washington for 12 years, with an emphasis on the congressional budget process. Most recently, he was the Senior Congressional Reporter for Defense News, where he launched and oversaw the CongressWatch web channel. Bennett has covered major federal budget issues such as the “fiscal cliff” debate, the “Ryan-Murray” budget agreement, the 2013 government shutdown, and Washington’s pursuit of a “grand bargain” budget deal. His work also has appeared in USA Today, The Hill, and U.S. News & World Report. Bennett earned a Master’s Degree in Global Security Studies from The Johns Hopkins University. He completed his undergraduate work at Appalachian State University in his native North Carolina, and also has studied at Georgetown University.