{"id":33161,"date":"2019-12-30T11:35:09","date_gmt":"2019-12-30T11:35:09","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/militarytimes\/uncategorized\/2019\/12\/30\/hold-armed-services-chairmen-resolve-narrower-defense-bill-in-2020\/"},"modified":"2026-08-07T21:43:39","modified_gmt":"2026-08-07T21:43:39","slug":"hold-armed-services-chairmen-resolve-narrower-defense-bill-in-2020","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/militarytimes\/news\/pentagon-congress\/2019\/12\/30\/hold-armed-services-chairmen-resolve-narrower-defense-bill-in-2020\/","title":{"rendered":"Armed Services Committee chairmen resolve to narrow defense bill in 2020"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

WASHINGTON \u2015 The chairman of the House Armed Services Committee said he is leaning toward an annual defense policy bill in 2020 that is more narrow than the one Congress passed this month<\/a>, which means fewer unrelated provisions of the sort that complicated passage this year.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Chairman Adam Smith<\/a>, D-Wash., and Senate Armed Services Committee Chairman Jim Inhofe<\/a>, R-Okla., recently said in separate interviews that provisions unrelated to defense had been a hindrance during months-long negotiations to reconcile competing versions of the bill.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cI think we\u2019re going to be a little less ambitious about what we try to get into the bill,\u201d Smith said. \u201cI am going to be a little more cautious about outside issues that are included in the bill to make sure there is an understanding that, while I don\u2019t mind including them, I don\u2019t want them to jeopardize the overall piece of legislation.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The 2020 National Defense Authorization Act included language establishing President Donald Trump\u2019s long-desired Space Force<\/a>. But it also included language establishing paid parental leave for federal workers<\/a> \u2015 inserted by Democratic leaders through a self-executing rule in the House and not a vote.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Extensive prohibitions against a class of chemicals known as \u201cPFAS<\/a>\u201d were also a drag on the bill, according to a congressional aide, until they were replaced in favor of prohibitions limited to the military.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

At least one lawmaker was left with misgivings over the depth of the bill\u2019s reach. Senate Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Chairman Ron Johnson, R-Wis., acknowledged that, in the rush to pass the bill before year\u2019s end, he lost a jurisdictional fight on the parental leave provision. (He voted against closing debate on the bill but voted ultimately to pass it.)<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cWe always talk about being a country governed by the rule of law. Well, Congress ought to respect its rules as well,\u201d Johnson said, adding there should have been agreement from him as chairman and his panel\u2019s top Democrat. \u201cAll these year-end bills have turned into huge Christmas trees, and there\u2019s a lot of heartburn about that, so hopefully they\u2019re starting to hear it.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\t