Whether the Senate passes its version of the annual defense policy bill is still very much in flux.
NDAA amendment votes could occur next week. But as we reported Thursday, Sen. Rand Paul (R-Ky.) is poised to object to any amendments unless he secures a vote on his proposal to end the Federal Reserve’s practice of paying interest on bank reserves.
And there’s still no final agreement on a second manager’s package of amendments.
So it’s increasingly likely the chamber may forgo floor votes on its bill, kicking off another informal conference negotiation between the Senate and House.
In the House. House GOP leaders passed their version of the NDAA Wednesday night over opposition from most Democrats, following a playbook the chamber has put into practice in recent sessions.
It goes like this: The House Armed Services Committee approves its bipartisan NDAA with one or two defections. The bill hits the floor, is amended to include so-called “culture war provisions” and clears the chamber on a near-party-line vote.
And then legislation reaches a House-Senate conference, where in recent years, the Democratic-run Senate has moderated the final bill.
Even with complete GOP control of Washington, House lawmakers on both sides of the aisle don’t expect that playbook will change.
As Rep. Don Bacon (R-Neb.) said this week: “It’s still got to get 60 votes in the Senate. So I think it will come back the way it always does.”
Translation: The final NDAA will look a lot more like the Senate’s version than the House version.
