BUDGET/DEFENSE/MILITARY: “The Senate on Monday [9-18-17] passed the annual defense policy bill, in a broad show of support for boosting military spending well above the current limits set by law.
The measure passed overwhelmingly Monday evening, in an 89-8 vote…
Mr. McCain urged lawmakers to support higher military spending not only in the defense policy bill, but later this year in negotiations over the spending bills that will actually translate it into more money for the military in fiscal year 2018…
Senate negotiators now have to hammer out a compromise with the House, which passed its own version of the defense policy bill in July. Both chambers approved legislation authorizing military spending well above the level established by spending caps known as the sequester, which was born out of a 2011 deal aimed at winnowing the federal budget deficit.
The Senate bill would authorize $640 billion in base military spending, plus $60 billion in an emergency war fund not subject to the sequester. Under current law, base military spending is capped at $549 billion for fiscal year 2018.”
-Kristina Peterson, “Senate Passes Defense Bill to Boost Military Spending,” The Wall Street Journal online, Sept. 18, 2017 07:14pm