The final bill is the product of the most contentious — and partisan — defense negotiations in recent memory.
The Senate on Tuesday easily passed a $738 billion compromise defense policy bill that would establish a Space Force and grant paid parental leave to federal workers.
After an 86-8 vote, the fiscal 2020 National Defense Authorization Act now heads to President Donald Trump, who has vowed to sign the bill. It would mark the 59th consecutive year defense policy legislation has become law.
The final bill is the product of the most contentious — and partisan — defense negotiations in recent memory. Weighed down by a host of issues outside their committees’ jurisdictions, Senate and House Armed Services leaders from both parties wrangled over their competing versions of the bill for nearly three months before striking a deal with only a handful of legislative days to spare before Congress leaves for the year.
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The final product has Democrats, Republicans and Trump declaring victory and taking credit for many marquee provisions.
Democrats touted a provision to grant 12 weeks of paid parental leave to federal workers, a move advocates say will make the government a standard bearer on leave policy and help federal agencies compete with the private sector for talent. They also underscored a provision that would phase out an unpopular offset in military survivor benefits, known as the “widow’s tax,” over three years.
The White House has also declared victory on the paid leave provision, a signature issue for Trump’s daughter and adviser, Ivanka.
Trump has also hailed the creation of a Space Force, which the bill stands up as an armed service within the Air Force Department. It also empowers a chief of space operations who would be a member of the Joint Chiefs of Staff.
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The Senate easily passed a $738 billion compromise defense policy bill today that would establish a Space Force and grant paid parental leave to federal workers https://t.co/WfVBMV6mPs
— POLITICO (@politico) December 17, 2019
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