{"id":15661,"date":"2021-11-30T19:29:27","date_gmt":"2021-11-30T19:29:27","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/armytimes\/uncategorized\/2021\/11\/30\/with-defense-bill-stalled-will-lawmakers-ping-pong-it-home\/"},"modified":"2026-08-07T21:47:38","modified_gmt":"2026-08-07T21:47:38","slug":"with-defense-bill-stalled-will-lawmakers-ping-pong-it-home","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/armytimes\/news\/pentagon-congress\/2021\/11\/30\/with-defense-bill-stalled-will-lawmakers-ping-pong-it-home\/","title":{"rendered":"With defense bill stalled, will lawmakers \u2018ping pong\u2019 it home?"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">WASHINGTON \u2014 With hope of a normal legislative process almost gone, lawmakers are dusting off a nearly decade-old congressional playbook in the hopes of finding a way to get the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.defensenews.com\/news\/pentagon-congress\/2021\/11\/22\/will-the-annual-defense-authorization-bill-get-passed-this-year\/\" target=\"_blank\">annual defense authorization bill<\/a> to the president\u2019s desk before the end of December.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The move coincides with a building panic that Congress\u2019 60-year streak of passing the authorization bill may be in serious danger, and along with it hundreds of <a href=\"https:\/\/www.militarytimes.com\/pay-benefits\/mil-money\/2021\/06\/29\/house-panel-backs-27-percent-pay-raise-for-troops-in-2022\/\" target=\"_blank\">pay and policy provisions<\/a> that are included in the massive measure.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Defense advocates warn that could be a disaster \u2014 not only for one of the last reliable examples of bipartisan agreement on Capitol Hill, but also for military and defense industry leaders, who would see new-start programs, project expansions and Pentagon reforms sidelined without the bill.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">On Monday, Republicans in the Senate blocked a bid to speed passage of the authorization legislation early this week, arguing they have not had enough time in the full chamber to consider amendments.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Senate leaders have been working without success for the last two weeks to broker a deal on amendments. But even before that delay, the Senate was months behind its typical schedule for advancing its draft of the annual legislation.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Now, facing a year-end schedule jam-packed with deadlines, Senate and House Armed Services committees leaders are considering abandoning regular order \u2014 a formal and time consuming conference process, followed by chamber votes \u2014 to ensure the defense measure can be signed into law for a 61st straight year.<\/p>\n\n\n\t<aside class=\"smg-interstitial-link wp-block-smg-interstitial-link\">\n\t\t<a href=\"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/defensenews\/congress\/2021\/09\/02\/defense-spending-increase-afghanistan-withdrawal-dominate-debate-over-defense-policy-measure\/\" class=\"smg-interstitial-link__inner\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"smg-interstitial-link__media\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"300\" height=\"157\" src=\"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/8-Air-Security.jpg.jpg?w=300\" class=\"smg-interstitial-link__image wp-post-image\" alt=\"\" \/>\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"smg-interstitial-link__content\">\n\t\t\t\t<span class=\"smg-interstitial-link__kicker\">Related<\/span>\n\t\t\t\t<h3 class=\"smg-interstitial-link__title\">Defense spending increase, Afghanistan withdrawal dominate debate over defense policy measure<\/h3>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<p class=\"smg-interstitial-link__excerpt\">House Armed Services Committee advances 2022 National Defense Authorization Act.<\/p>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/a>\n\t<\/aside>\n\t\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Senate Armed Services Committee Chairman <a href=\"https:\/\/www.defensenews.com\/congress\/2021\/05\/11\/reed-prioritizing-china-deterrence-fund-comms-and-unmanned-ships\/\" target=\"_blank\">Jack Reed<\/a>, D-R.I., hinted at the idea of an alternative process in floor remarks Monday night.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u201cWe will have to do the NDAA, it will be done,\u201d Reed said. \u201cWe\u2019ll have to use procedures that are appropriate to get it done.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Congressional sources said lawmakers are looking at following procedures used in 2013, the last time the process was this far behind and entering December. In that scenario, leaders from the two Armed Services committees would hold an informal conference and present Congress with a compromise bill, essentially a take-it-or-leave-it measure for the two chambers to consider.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">House Armed Services Committee Chairman <a href=\"https:\/\/www.defensenews.com\/congress\/2021\/06\/29\/smith-slams-f-35-lifecycle-costs-in-latest-salvo\/\" target=\"_blank\">Adam Smith<\/a>, D-Wash., confirmed earlier this month that congressional leaders were discussing plans to \u201cping-pong\u201d the bill between the chambers in order to get it to President Joe Biden\u2019s desk.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The House would send the compromise NDAA to the Senate, which the Senate could pass and send to the president \u2014 unless the Senate makes any changes. If the bill is amended, it would \u201cping-pong\u201d back to the House.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">No plans were set as of Tuesday, and the Senate is on track to vote again to advance the bill. \u201cThere are multiple paths to the finish line, and we are working on the NDAA and are optimistic about the options,\u201d said an aide familiar with the deliberations.<\/p>\n\n\n\t<aside class=\"smg-interstitial-link wp-block-smg-interstitial-link\">\n\t\t<a href=\"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/defensenews\/congress\/2021\/11\/18\/senate-turns-to-ndaa-after-de-linking-china-competition-bill\/\" class=\"smg-interstitial-link__inner\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"smg-interstitial-link__media\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"300\" height=\"200\" src=\"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/gettyimages-1236622492-594x594.jpg.jpg?w=300\" class=\"smg-interstitial-link__image wp-post-image\" alt=\"\" \/>\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"smg-interstitial-link__content\">\n\t\t\t\t<span class=\"smg-interstitial-link__kicker\">Related<\/span>\n\t\t\t\t<h3 class=\"smg-interstitial-link__title\">Senate turns to NDAA after de-linking China competition bill<\/h3>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<p class=\"smg-interstitial-link__excerpt\">The Senate could consider the annual defense authorization bill as soon as Thursday after Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., abandoned a controversial push to merge it with sweeping China-focused legislation.<\/p>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/a>\n\t<\/aside>\n\t\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">When asked Tuesday if lawmakers plan to go outside the normal conference process, Reed said it\u2019s possible.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u201cWe\u2019re looking back at things that have been done in the past when we\u2019ve run into difficulties,\u201d Reed said. \u201cWe\u2019re looking at every possible route, and I think Republicans are concerned too. They want the bill to pass because this is a good bill.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Reed said bipartisan talks to clear a path in The Senate were still underway and that regular order was still his goal.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u201dMy attitude is it isn\u2019t over until it\u2019s over,\u201d Reed told reporters. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">With negotiations over amendments still playing out, the Senate Armed Services Committee\u2019s ranking member, Sen. Jim Inhofe, declined to confirm an alternative process is under discussion.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u201cI don\u2019t think it will serve a useful purpose to talk about the methodology because we know it\u2019s going to work and we know we\u2019re going to have one,\u201d said Inhofe, R-Okla..<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">He added that the bill cannot fail, as \u201cit would be the worst signal possible you could send to the troops.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Lawmakers have acknowledged negotiations are underway on the two chambers\u2019 differing versions of the bill, even if the Senate hasn\u2019t officially finished its work.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Both measures plan for about $740 billion in defense spending in fiscal 2022 \u2014 a substantial <a href=\"https:\/\/www.defensenews.com\/news\/pentagon-congress\/2021\/09\/23\/plans-for-bigger-defense-budget-get-boost-after-house-authorization-bill-vote\/\" target=\"_blank\">increase<\/a> over the White House\u2019s $716 billion target.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">No details were made public on what middle ground was reached on the bills\u2019 differences, which include language to dramatically overhaul how military sexual assault cases are handled and a mandate to add women to the list of potential candidates for a future draft.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The scramble on the defense bill comes as Capitol Hill stares down deadlines on government funding, a debt-ceiling extension and the Build Back Better domestic investment package.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">How to proceed partly hinges on Senate Majority Leader <a href=\"https:\/\/www.defensenews.com\/congress\/2021\/11\/14\/senate-likely-to-move-defense-bill-this-week-schumer-says\/\" target=\"_blank\">Chuck Schumer<\/a>, D-N.Y., who offered the chamber another chance to pass its bill on Monday when he entered a motion to reconsider the failed cloture vote.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">On Tuesday, he promised that Democrats would \u201ckeep working on a path forward\u201d to pass the authorization bill. But instead of offering specifics, most of Schumer\u2019s remarks focused on blaming Republicans for the latest delay.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u201cPassing the annual defense bill should not be in question, and Republicans blocking this legislation is harmful to our troops, to their families who sacrifice so much and to our efforts to keep Americans around the world safe,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u201cWe hope our Republican colleagues, as they discuss this among themselves, will see the light and come up with a fair proposal to allow this bill to go forward.\u201d<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>With hope of a normal legislative process almost gone, lawmakers are dusting off a nearly decade-old congressional playbook in the hopes of finding a way to get the annual defense authorization bill to the president\u2019s desk before the end of December.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":7,"featured_media":36195,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"_yoast_wpseo_meta-robots-noindex":"","_yoast_wpseo_meta-robots-nofollow":"","_yoast_wpseo_canonical":"","_acf":"","_yoast_wpseo_primary_category":68,"_jetpack_feature_clip_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":"","_smg_distribution_targets":[]},"categories":[100,12,25,68],"tags":[],"coauthors":[3380,3334],"class_list":["post-15661","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-daily-news-roundup","category-news","category-newsletters","category-pentagon-congress"],"acf":{"subheadline":"","legacy_arc_id":"ZLNAEXTKHFDXLPYVMO5LPTJ7II","arc_canonical_url":"\/congress\/budget\/2021\/11\/30\/with-defense-bill-stalled-will-lawmakers-ping-pong-it-home\/","remove_feature_photo":false,"is_sponsored":false,"subtype":"","redirect_url":"","disable_inline_ads":false,"native_logo_pretext":"Presented 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