House passes budget-busting defense policy bill
The House passed on Friday a sweeping $696 billion defense policy bill that would exceed President Donald Trump's budget request and break through longstanding caps on national defense spending.
The fiscal 2018 National Defense Authorization Act H.R. 2810 (115) was approved 344 to 81, gaining the support of 117 Democrats and all but eight Republicans.
The bill would exceed the president's $603 billion defense budget request. But it also would blow past the $549 billion cap on defense spending set under the 2011 Budget Control Act by about $72 billion. For the funding scheme to work, lawmakers would need to strike a deal to increase or repeal the budget caps.
The Senate Armed Services Committee approved its version S. 1519 (115) of the annual legislation last month. The full Senate has yet to take up the bill.
The House measure would authorize $621.5 billion for national defense programs, including the Pentagon's base budget and nuclear programs under the Energy Department, as well as another $75 billion in war funding.
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http://www.politico.com/story/2017/07/14/house-passes-defense-policy-bill-240561
Guess what will happen when the deficit explodes? Demands for further cuts to SS, Medicare, and other social programs....
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