The Clock Is Ticking: The Defense Agenda for Congress’s Last Few Months

When Congress returns to Washington after Labor Day, they will have only four weeks to finish the major defense bills and send them to the President before the end of the fiscal year. The defense authorization bill has passed both chambers and negotiators are ironing out the differences, but both bills contain major Pentagon reforms that differ significantly from each other. The budget structure of the two bills also does not align. The defense appropriations bill is even further still from the finish line. While the House has passed their version, the Senate has been unable to move their bill. And the budget gap between the House and Senate appropriations bills is even greater than the authorization bill. Join us for a discussion of all the moving pieces that Congress needs to put together to ensure that they have both provided the necessary authorizations and responsibly funded the military.