Here's what fights are left for the annual defense authorization bill

http://www.militarytimes.com/news/pentagon-congress/2017/09/19/heres-what-fights-are-left-for-the-annual-defense-authorization-bill/

Here's what fights are left for the annual defense authorization bill

By: Leo Shane III ?  8 hours ago


WASHINGTON — Now that the Senate has passed its draft of the annual defense authorization bill, Capitol Hill staffers can begin the complicated process of trying to reconcile it with the House’s version in hopes of reaching compromise on a host of military policy issues. But some of the most controversial topics are already off the table, due to Senate leadership’s decision to sideline a collection of controversial amendments. If a policy issue isn’t included in either chamber’s authorization legislation, lawmakers generally cannot include it in intramural conference. I

n the conference, the House and Senate will have to hammer out their differences before a final version of the bill can be sent to the White House for a signature from the president. The conference committee will have to work quickly if they hope to pass a final version of the legislation before the end of the calendar year.
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Troops will get a pay raise next year thanks to the final defense authorization bill. The only question that remains for lawmakers is how much. The Senate has backed a 2.1 percent pay boost for troops starting in January, while the House has approved a 2.4 percent one. The Senate’s version syncs with the White House’s planned raise for next year, while the House plan equals the expected rise in private sector wages. The differences between the plans is about $85 less a year for junior enlisted personnel, $130 for senior enlisted and junior officers, and $240 for mid-career officers. But it’s also about $200 million in federal spending, money Pentagon officials have said would be better spent on other training and readiness.
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** OFF THE TABLE — Base closings

McCain and others had hoped to include a new base closings proposal in the Senate’s draft of the military budget bill, but fights over other amendments blocked his ability to offer the proposal. The result is another authorization bill without any provisions for a Base Realignment and Closure commission, despite repeated pleas from Pentagon officials to cut the military’s footprint across the country.

The Defense Department’s own studies have hinted that the armed forces may have up to 20 percent more capacity than the force needs now, but Defense Secretary James Mattis has publicly questioned the validity of that work in recent months. Nevertheless, the White House insists a base closing round could save billions annually. But the idea remains unpopular with many in Congress, especially after the 2005 round produced fewer savings than military experts predicted. Expect the issue to come up again in next year’s budget debates.


** UNDER DISCUSSION — More troops
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** OFF THE TABLE — Transgender troops
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** UNDER DISCUSSION — More ships and aircraft
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** OFF THE TABLE — A new military force authorization
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