The House Armed Services Committee advanced their version of the National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) out of committee shortly before midnight July 1, in a unanimous 56-0 vote. The bill heads to the House floor after the July recess.
In a nod to the bipartisan work of the committee, the bill will be named after Ranking Member Rep. Mac Thornberry, R-Texas, who is retiring from Congress at the end of the session.
“It is only fitting that we name this year’s defense bill after [Rep. Thornberry] to commemorate his service on the House Armed Services Committee and his more than 20 years of dedication to his constituents,” said Rep. Adam Smith, D-Wash., the committee’s chairman, in a statement.
The Senate NDAA, which advanced out of committee last month, will be picked up with additional amendments for a vote on the Senate floor after the July 4 recess, according to Sen. Jim Inhofe, R-Okla., the chairman of the Senate Armed Services Committee.
“I’m glad we were able to reach a bipartisan path forward to complete consideration of this bill right after recess,” said Sen. Inhofe, on the Senate floor July 2.
The final bills passed by the two chambers will then enter a reconciliation process. “Very likely it could be November before we actually end up passing this bill,” said Sen. Inhofe, on Thursday.
Last year’s NDAA was not signed into law until December 20.
