"I'm optimistic we will find a reasonable compromise that both
chambers can support. What everyone here needs to understand is,
we will enact an NDAA this year," Representative Mike Rogers,
chairman of the House Armed Services Committee, said at the
formal start of talks to work out differences between the House
and Senate versions of the bill.
In truth, negotiators have been working for months and hope to
release the text of a final bill as soon as this week.
The National Defense Authorization Act, or NDAA, is one of the
few major pieces of legislation Congress passes every year, a
practice started in 1961.
Separate from the appropriations bills setting government
spending levels, the NDAA governs everything from pay raises for
the troops - this year's will be 5.2% - to purchases of ships
and aircraft to policies such as support for Ukraine.
This year, the Republican-led House passed its version by a
narrow 219-210, with Democrats voting no after hard-right
Republicans added amendments addressing social issues such as a
repeal of a Pentagon policy reimbursing expenses for service
members who travel to obtain an abortion.
Republicans also accused Democrats of injecting propaganda into
the military and weakening U.S. forces by backing diversity and
inclusion programs.
The Democratic-led Senate's version of the bill, which passed
with broad support from both parties, did not address such
issues.
Republicans said they remained a priority.
"The House bill includes several provisions to require
accountability from this administration and to end the 'woke'
policies being forced on service members by left-wing
bureaucrats," Rogers said. "... We will be fighting very hard to
ensure their inclusion in the final bill happens."
Representative Adam Smith, the top House Armed Services
Democrat, called for compromise, saying, "Threatening the
ability of DoD to function as we force our way to get what we
want is a dangerous game to play."
(Reporting by Patricia Zengerle; Editing by Cynthia Osterman)
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