Pay raise clears Capitol Hill roadblock

[unhappycamper]

Pay raise clears Capitol Hill roadblock
By Rick Maze - Staff writer
Posted : Wednesday Sep 24, 2008 5:44:18 EDT

Congressional negotiators have done what some thought was impossible and reached an agreement in five days on a $605 billion defense policy bill that could receive final approval by week’s end.

Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid, D-Nev., who announced the deal had been struck between negotiators from the House and Senate armed services committee, said final passage might involve a few procedural roadblocks thrown up by people unhappy with some of the details but he was committed to getting the bill approved.

“We are going to finish that before we leave here,” Reid said.

The 2009 national defense authorization act, which sets policy, includes a 3.9 percent military raise that will take effect on Jan. 1 and dozens of other improvements in military benefits, including creation of a test program where service members able to take an unpaid sabbatical for up to three years.

Normally, reconciling the House and Senate versions of the defense authorization bill can drag on for weeks because there are hundreds of differences and because the Pentagon’s views also have to be considered. The Senate only passed its version of the bill last week. With lawmakers planning to end the legislative session of Congress as early as this weekend, negotiators set what congressional aides said is probably an all-time record in reconciling differences so a bill could be completed.


Rest of article at: http://www.armytimes.com/news/2008/09/military_defensebill_092308/%2e