The Senate passed the fiscal year 2020 National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) Dec. 17 by a wide vote margin, authorizing $738 billion in defense spending and paving the way for new program starts and a new military branch to launch in the new year.
The upper chamber adopted the conference report to accompany S. 1970 by a vote of 86-8. No votes came from four Republicans – Sens. Mike Enzi (Wyo.), Mike Braun (Ind.), Rand Paul (Ky.) and Mike Lee (Utah) – and four Democrats – Sens. Kirsten Gillibrand (N.Y.), Ron Wyden (Ore.), Jeff Merkley (Ore.) and Ed Markey (Mass.).
It follows the parameters of the 2019 Bipartisan Budget Act and authorizes $738 billion in defense funding, creates a new Space Force military branch with Title 10 authorities by re-designating the current Air Force Space Command, and will allow services to move ahead with critical procurement and research-and-development programs that have been held up under two consecutive continuing resolutions since Oct. 1.
Despite criticisms of the bill from progressive Democrats following the release of the conference NDAA last week, the bill has largely been expected to pass both chambers of Congress this week, and President Trump had pledged to sign the compromise bill. The House overwhelmingly passed the NDAA bill Dec. 8 by a vote of 377-48 (Defense Daily, Dec. 8).
Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) said Tuesday morning on the Senate floor that he looked forward to passing the bill after senators voted to invoke cloture on the bill Monday evening.
“We’ll finally put this vital legislation on the president’s desk. I look forward to voting to pass the NDAA today by another overwhelming bipartisan vote for our service members and the critical missions they carry out,” McConnell said.
Enzi, who chairs the Senate Budget Committee, raised a point of order on Tuesday and argued that the bill violated budget rules, and warned that the Congressional Budget Office predicted the NDAA would add to the national debt. His motion was overturned by a wide majority before the bill’s passage.
Senate Armed Services Committee Chair Jim Inhofe (R-Okla.) moved through the Capitol with a wide grin Tuesday as he made his way to the Senate floor for a speech ahead of the vote.
“It feels very good [to have the bill on the floor], because that finish line was so long and we had so many different types of oppositions,” he told reporters. “It’s the most important bill of the year… that has passed now consecutively for 59 years.”
And now that the FY ’20 bill is through Congress, what of plans to start the fiscal year 2021 NDAA process?
“We’re working on it,” Inhofe said.