Week ahead: Work ramps up on annual defense bill

Congress is returning from its Memorial Day recess on Monday and has a full plate of defense work to get done before the next break in four weeks.

Chiefly, lawmakers are hoping to make headway on the National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) that, like other budget-related legislation, has been delayed this year.

Rep. Mac Thornberry (R-Texas), chairman of the House Armed Services Committee, has said subcommittee markups should start in mid-to-late June, with the full committee markup happening before July 4. As such, look for work on the bill to ramp up in the coming weeks.

{mosads}With President Trump’s $603 billion base defense budget proposal falling short of defense hawks’ expectations, all eyes will be on whether Thornberry and his upper chamber counterpart, Senate Armed Services Chairman John McCain (R-Ariz.), buck the president’s budget and proceed with the $640 billion bill they’ve been advocating for.

They have the ability to craft a $640 billion NDAA regardless of what budget and appropriations bills Congress passes, but some experts have said that’s inadvisable.

As anticipation builds for the NDAA’s budget topline, other elements of the House bill are becoming clearer.

Thornberry last month unveiled his annual defense acquisition reform bill that he’ll again fold into the NDAA. And last week, he announced a $2.1 billion bill for Asia-Pacific security that he said he’ll also include in the annual defense policy bill.

Thornberry’s proposal is similar to one from McCain for a $7.5 billion — or $1.5 billion per year for five years — Asia-Pacific Stability Initiative fund, meaning it’s likely the final NDAA will include some bump to Asia-Pacific funding.

In the meantime, committees are bringing in service chiefs, defense officials and other stakeholders to hear what they want in the defense budget, alongside hearings on a wide range of other issues.

The Senate Foreign Relations Committee will hear from State Department officials in a closed hearing on the global reach of the Islamic State in Iraq and Syria at 5 p.m. Monday in the Capitol Building SVC-217. http://bit.ly/2rkEpan

Air Force Chief of Staff Gen. David Goldfein and Air Force Secretary Heather Wilson will testify on the service’s fiscal 2018 budget request before the Senate Armed Services Committee at 9:30 a.m. Tuesday at the Dirksen Senate Office Building, room G-50. http://bit.ly/2snKtO6

Service officials from all four military branches and the Pentagon will testify at a Senate Appropriations subcommittee hearing on the fiscal 2018 budget request for military construction and family housing at 2:30 p.m. Tuesday at Dirksen 124. http://bit.ly/2rtvFNx

Three Marine Corps officials will testify on Marine Corps ground modernization for a Senate Armed Services subcommittee at 2:30 p.m. Tuesday at the Russell Senate Office Building, room 232-A. http://bit.ly/2syxJU6

Department of Homeland Security Secretary John Kelly will testify before the Senate Homeland Security and Government Affairs Committee at 10 a.m. Wednesday at Dirksen 342. http://bit.ly/2rkGLWJ

The House Veterans Affairs Committee will hold a hearing on PTSD at 10 a.m. Wednesday at the Cannon House Office Building, room 334. http://bit.ly/2syIZQ9

The Senate Appropriations defense subcommittee will hear from Acting Army Secretary Robert Speer and Chief of Staff Gen. Mark Milley on the Army’s fiscal 2018 budget request at 10:30 a.m. Wednesday at Dirksen 192. http://bit.ly/2rO7Kvf

Vice Adm. James Syring, director of the Missile Defense Agency, will testify before a House Armed Services Committee panel on the fiscal 2018 priorities and posture of missile defense programs at 2p.m. Wednesday at the Rayburn House Office Building, room 2212. http://bit.ly/2syGEoi

Another Senate Appropriations subcommittee will hear from government officials on the fiscal 2018 funding request for the U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission at 2:30 p.m. Wednesday at Dirksen 138. http://bit.ly/2rtRUDn

A Senate Armed Services subcommittee will hear from military officials on the Pentagon’s nuclear acquisition programs and the nuclear doctrine at 2:30 p.m. Wednesday at Russell 222. http://bit.ly/2rO8ssv

The Senate Veterans Affairs Committee will hold a hearing on the Veterans Choice Program at 2:30 p.m. Wednesday at Russell 418. http://bit.ly/2rovCEH

A House Armed Services subpanel will hear from Air Force acquisition officials on combat aviation modernization programs and the fiscal 2018 budget at 3:30 p.m. Wednesday at Rayburn 2118. http://bit.ly/2syCo8t

Navy Chief Adm. John Richardson, Acting Navy Secretary Sean Stackley and Marine Corps Commandant Gen. Robert Neller will testify on the posture of the Navy before the Senate Armed Services Committee at 9:30 a.m. Thursday at Dirksen G-50. http://bit.ly/2rkwZ78

The House Foreign Affairs Committee will hear from outside experts on Hezbollah at 10 a.m. Thursday at Rayburn 2172. http://bit.ly/2rkHveM

The Senate Foreign Relations Committee will hear from outside experts in a hearing on the global reach of the Islamic State in Iraq and Syria at 10:15 a.m. Thursday at Dirksen 419. http://bit.ly/2syHhhE

NASA Acting Administrator Robert Lightfoot will testify before a House Appropriations subcommittee on NASA’s budget requests at 2 p.m. Thursday at Rayburn 2359. http://bit.ly/2rOgthl

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