{"id":23948,"date":"2019-10-24T16:50:06","date_gmt":"2019-10-24T16:50:06","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/defensenews\/uncategorized\/2019\/10\/24\/inhofe-to-offer-skinny-defense-policy-bill-as-back-up-plan\/"},"modified":"2026-08-07T22:01:13","modified_gmt":"2026-08-07T22:01:13","slug":"inhofe-to-offer-skinny-defense-policy-bill-as-back-up-plan","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/defensenews\/congress\/2019\/10\/24\/inhofe-to-offer-skinny-defense-policy-bill-as-back-up-plan\/","title":{"rendered":"Inhofe to offer \u2018skinny\u2019 defense policy bill as backup plan"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

WASHINGTON \u2015 Senate Armed Serviced Committee Chairman Jim Inhofe announced Thursday he would offer a \u201cskinny\u201d version of the 2020 defense policy bill<\/a> this week as a backup plan, in case talks to reconcile the main bills become deadlocked.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Though House and Senate lawmakers initially hoped to quickly negotiate<\/a> competing versions of the bill, Inhofe\u2019s idea is to ensure there\u2019s no year-end scramble to authorize special payments and bonuses for service members, construction projects and military acquisition program oversight that would otherwise expire at the end of the calendar year.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cMy fellow conferees and I have made good progress on the fiscal year 2020 defense authorization bill<\/a>, but we haven\u2019t yet reached a final agreement. We\u2019re not giving up. We\u2019ve passed this bill for 58 years running because it is our constitutional duty, and we\u2019re going to do it again this year,\u201d Inhofe, R-Okla., said in a statement. \u201cHowever, we\u2019re running out of time.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The House has a recess planned for early November, after which both chambers are in session for only eight days before they recess for Thanksgiving. From there, both chambers would have another eight working days before the Christmas recess begins in mid-December.<\/p>\n\n\n\t