{"id":30972,"date":"2018-06-18T22:25:46","date_gmt":"2018-06-18T22:25:46","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/defensenews\/uncategorized\/2018\/06\/18\/can-congress-finish-the-defense-authorization-bill-by-august\/"},"modified":"2026-08-08T02:30:11","modified_gmt":"2026-08-08T02:30:11","slug":"can-congress-finish-the-defense-authorization-bill-by-august","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/defensenews\/pentagon\/2018\/06\/18\/can-congress-finish-the-defense-authorization-bill-by-august\/","title":{"rendered":"Can Congress finish the defense authorization bill by August?"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

WASHINGTON \u2014 U.S. senators needed a few extra days to pass their draft of the annual defense authorization bill<\/a>, but key lawmakers are still optimistic they can finish work on the massive military policy measure months early this year.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The $716 billion bill, approved by a vote of 85-10, includes a 2.6 percent pay raise<\/a> for troops in January, an overhaul of the Pentagon\u2019s policy office and a host of differences in aircraft and other equipment purchases from the authorization plan passed by the House last month.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Senate floor debate on the measure stretched over three weeks as lawmakers squabbled over amendments and procedural issues<\/a>. Before Monday\u2019s vote, senators had to clarify a budget point of order before voting to advance the budget bill.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

But despite those delays \u2014 and the fact that the final reconciliation process usually takes months to complete \u2014 defense leaders from both chambers are bullish on the prospect of a congressional conference committee working out details of the 1,000-plus page bill well before the start of the new fiscal year, and possibly before summer recesses.<\/p>\n\n\n\t