{"id":28745,"date":"2019-09-09T02:00:40","date_gmt":"2019-09-09T02:00:40","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/federaltimes\/uncategorized\/2019\/09\/09\/defense-lawmakers-set-aggressive-schedule-for-ndaa\/"},"modified":"2026-08-07T23:03:43","modified_gmt":"2026-08-07T23:03:43","slug":"defense-lawmakers-set-aggressive-schedule-for-ndaa","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/federaltimes\/congress\/2019\/09\/09\/defense-lawmakers-set-aggressive-schedule-for-ndaa\/","title":{"rendered":"Defense lawmakers set aggressive schedule for NDAA"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

WASHINGTON \u2015 When Congress returns to work Monday, authorizers will aim for quick passage of the National Defense Authorization Act<\/a>, even though a host of differences in the separate House and Senate versions of the bill have yet to be formally resolved.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

While lawmakers have been on a five-week summer recess, staff members of each chamber\u2019s Armed Services committees were working to resolve noncontroversial issues on the massive, annual defense policy measure, clearing the way for conferees to focus on more problematic policy differences when they return.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Even with complicated work ahead and only 13 working days in September, aides in both chambers confirmed that leaders hope to draft a compromise conference report by Sept. 19, finalize signatures to the bill by Sept. 23 and set floor votes in each chamber before the end of the month.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

If successful, Congress would keep alive the legislation\u2019s 58-year streak of successful passage into law ahead of schedule. Last year the measure was finalized in August, but typically the final legislation isn\u2019t finished until November or December.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

House Armed Services Committee Chairman Adam Smith, D-Wash., pitched the bill to fellow House Democrats as a way to coalesce around a national security position and aim for a bipartisan bill \u2015 only to have House Republicans shun the bill en masse for the final 220-197 vote<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Senate Armed Services Committee Chairman Jim Inhofe, R-Okla., said before the summer recess that he believes many of the House bill\u2019s divisive provisions will have to come out in conference so that the bill can pass in the GOP-controlled Senate. His bill passed<\/a> with a bipartisan 86-8.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Here are the biggest fights to be resolved in the days ahead:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Trump\u2019s border wall<\/b><\/p>\n\n\n\n

The White House\u2019s recent shift of $3.6 billion in military construction funds to pay for President Donald Trump\u2019s southern border wall project could end up being the largest complicating factor in negotiations ahead.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The House bill has language barring such funding transfers in the future, and it does not include money to cover the projects that lost funding in the shift. The Senate version has money in the draft and does not include any language restricting funding transfers.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Given the recent outrage from congressional Democrats over the administration\u2019s decision, finding a common path ahead on the issue will prove difficult. Smith last week blasted the money move as \u201cstealing from military construction projects and upending years of planning and coordination in hopes that Congress would clean up the mess.\u201d Inhofe said he supports the decision.<\/p>\n\n\n\t