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THE TOPLINE: Key veterans groups on Thursday slammed NBC anchor Brian Williams for repeatedly claiming he was on a helicopter in Iraq that was shot down by enemy fire.
However, they did not call for the "NBC Nightly News" host to resign.
"As an organization of wartime veterans, The American Legion finds his behavior reprehensible, and we hope that Mr. Williams will redeem himself," Michael Helm, the group's national commander, said in a statement.
But ultimately, the American people will judge his character," he added.
"His embellishment shows he has no idea what the term 'direct fire' really means. Whatever personal or professional fallout that follows will and should be determined by the American public," Joe Davis, national spokesman for the Veterans of Foreign Wars, said in a statement.
Williams apologized during Wednesday night's broadcast for claiming he was as a passenger on a U.S. Army helicopter when it was hit by a rocket-propelled grenade
One major veterans group came to the anchor's defense.
"Brian Williams made a mistake. He has apologized and I accept his apology," Paul Rieckhoff, CEO and founder of the Iraq and Afghanistan Veterans of America (IAVA), wrote in a Facebook post.
"Persecuting him over this mistake will do little to help our veterans and service members. I am confident that in years ahead, Brian will continue to dedicate himself to our vets -- as he always has -- and inspire others to do the same," according to Reickhoff.
Senate Armed Services Committee Chairman John McCain (R-Ariz.), a respected Vietnam War veteran, said any decision about Williams' future is "up to his network and others."
"I'm honestly not too concerned about the future of Brian Williams," he told The Hill.
GITMO: Sparks flew between Republicans on the Senate Armed Services Committee and administration officials on Thursday over the fate of the U.S. detention facility at Guantanamo Bay, Cuba.
Sen. Tom Cotton (R-Ark.) knocked President Obama's argument that the prison is a propaganda and recruiting tool for Islamic extremists.
"In my opinion, the only problem with Guantánamo Bay is there are too many empty beds and cells there right now," Cotton said during the hearing.
"We should be sending more terrorists there. As far as I'm concerned, every last one of them can rot in hell. But as long as they can't do that, they can rot in Guantánamo Bay," he added.
Next week, the powerful committee will mark up GOP-backed legislation that would effectively stop the White House from transferring more detainees out of the facility.
Chairman John McCain (R-Ariz.) said during a hearing that the panel would likely take up the bill next Thursday.
Brian McKeon, principal deputy undersecretary of Defense for policy, said the administration objects to the bill.
"Because this legislation, if enacted, would effectively block progress towards the goal of closing the Guantánamo Bay detention center, the administration will oppose it," he said.
The proposed measure comes in response to a renewed push by President Obama to shutter the prison, fulfilling a promise he made as a candidate.
"We are closer to this goal than many people may realize," McKeon told lawmakers.
He noted that the "vast majority" of detainees have been transferred from the facility and that 54 of the remaining 122 prisoners are eligible for release.
"We believe the issue is not whether to close Guantanamo; the issue is how to do it," McKeon said.
He also pushed backed against an often-repeated charge made by Republicans that 30 percent of detainees released from the facility have returned to the battlefield.
McKeon said that prior to Obama taking office, 33 percent -- 101 of 532 -- of the released prisoners were confirmed or suspected of re-engagement. And only 8 percent -- 1 of 88 -- have done so under the current administration.
CARTER VOTE NEXT WEEK: Senate Armed Services Committee Chairman John McCain (R-Ariz.) is planning for Ash Carter to be confirmed as the new Defense secretary by the end of next week.
"I hope we can get Carter done – hopefully – by Tuesday," he told reporters on Thursday about the panel vote.
If, as expected, the panel approves Carter's nomination, it would be "expedited" to the full Senate for a vote on either Wednesday or Thursday, McCain added.
Carter sailed through his nearly seven-hour confirmation hearing on Wednesday. The former deputy defense secretary faced gentle grilling by senators, who seemed mostly satisfied with his answers.
Carter is expected to replace outgoing Defense Secretary Chuck Hagel, who resigned in November reportedly over differences with the White House.
Senators expressed concern over the White House's micromanagement of the Pentagon, but Carter pledged he would give the president his "candid" advice.
He said that could including modifying the Afghanistan troop drawdown, as well as recommending providing weapons to Ukraine.
CONGRESS URGES WH TO ARM UKRAINE: The White House came under bipartisan pressure from both sides of the Capitol to provide weapons to Ukraine Thursday.
Republicans and Democrats on the Senate Armed Services Committee made a big push on the issue, while a bipartisan group of House members called for the same course of action in a letter.
"The United States must act with urgency to provide defensive lethal assistance to Ukraine," said Sen. John McCain (R-Ariz.), the chairman of the Senate Armed Services Committee.
"Russia's invasion of the sovereign territory of Ukraine, which has continued unabated in the face of political and economic sanctions, is the gravest threat to European security in decades," he said.
Meanwhile, the group of House lawmakers said that the administration needed to provide weapons to Ukraine to deter further Russian aggression.
Rep. Adam Schiff (D-Calif.), ranking member on the House Intelligence committee, was the lead signatory on the letter. He was joined by more than 30 Republicans and Democrats.
The U.S. and Western allies slapped economic sanctions on Moscow after it invaded Ukraine and annexed its peninsula of Crimea last March, but the country has continued to arm and train pro-Russian rebels in Eastern Ukraine.
Secretary of State John Kerry said while visiting Ukraine on Thursday that President Obama is "reviewing all his options."
The White House has so far turned down Ukraine's requests for weapons out of fear it would further provoke Russia, but has provided nearly $122 million in non-lethal military equipment to Ukrainian forces, such as blankets, body armor and meal packets.
The senators said the time has come to provide weapons as well, given gains by rebels in recent weeks and Russian President Vladimir Putin's violation of a ceasefire agreement.
"Blankets don't do very well against tanks," said McCain. Providing arms "will raise the risk and costs Russia must incur to continue its offensive," he said.
McCain said that since April, Russian-backed separatists in Ukraine have killed 5,358 Ukrainian forces, wounded 12,235 others and killed 224 civilians.
The letter from the House members said lethal aid should include light anti-armor missiles, "given the large numbers of armored vehicles that the Russians have deployed in Donetsk and Luhansk and the abysmal condition of the Ukrainian military's light anti-armor weapons."
IN CASE YOU MISSED IT:
-White House mum on report that Putin has Asperger's syndrome
-Air Force urged to remove officer over A-10 'treason' comments
-Dem bill would give troops free birth control
-Army vet arrested after alleged U.S. Capitol shooting threat
-Kerry arrives in Ukraine for new push in talks
Please send tips and comments to Kristina Wong, kwong@thehill.com, and Martin Matishak, mmatishak@thehill.com.
Follow us on Twitter: @thehill, @kristina_wong, @martinmatishak
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