OVERNIGHT DEFENSE: Senate kicks off defense markup

by Kristina Wong and Martin Matishak - 05/11/15 6:46 PM ET

THE TOPLINE: The Senate Armed Services Committee is marking up its fiscal 2016 defense policy bill, which authorizes Pentagon spending and activities.

The panel began its subcommittee markups on Monday, and will finish on Tuesday.

Three of the sessions will be open, though the most controversial provisions aren’t expected until the full committee markup later this week.

{mosads}The committee is expected to adopt an overhaul of the military’s retirement system, following in the House Armed Services Committee’s footsteps.

It will likely keep the A-10 “Warthog” jet flying for at least another year, and it is expected to contain provisions to restrict detainee transfers from the prison at Guantanamo Bay, Cuba.

The Obama administration has ramped up its efforts to transfer detainees in recent months, sparking anger from congressional Republicans.

The bill will also include authorized spending levels for myriad weapons systems, aircraft, ships, and could include provisions to arm Ukrainian forces fighting Russian-backed separatists.

The bill draft is expected to be released later this week, after the full committee finishes marking up the bill.

HOUSE TO VOTE ON DEFENSE BILL: The House is slated to debate and vote on its $612 billion defense policy bill that authorizes activities and spending for the Pentagon.

It contains provisions the White House has objected to, including restrictions on closing Guantanamo, and money for more fighter aircraft and ship modernization than the Pentagon has asked for.

It also rejects the Pentagon’s call for closing military bases and retiring the A-10, but overhauls the military retirement system. It also ignores budget caps under sequestration. The White House has threatened to veto any bill that does not lift the caps.

It is expected to be considered by the full House on Thursday, and debate is expected to also cover to list the greater sage grouse or the lesser prairie chicken on the endangered species list.

A group of Oklahoma Republicans is proposing an amendment that would block the re-listing of the prairie chicken on the endangered species list in 2021, unless the Interior secretary determines that a conservation plan is not working.

A group of Democrats are also planning to take another shot at blocking a provision to take the greater sage grouse off the list.

The issue proved to be one of the most hotly debated during the 19-hour markup session. The term “greater sage grouse” even started trending on Twitter in Washington, D.C. during the panel’s debate.

HOUSE GOP BRACES FOR IMMIGRATION FIGHT: One of the most contentious fights in the House will be over two immigration measures encouraging the Defense Department to consider allowing illegal immigrants who qualify for President Obama’s deferred deportation program to serve in the military.

A group of House Republicans succeeded in adding language to the defense bill, calling on the Pentagon to review the matter.

Many of those Republicans, who hail from states with large Hispanic populations, say allowing those who qualify for Obama’s Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) to serve is a key step toward immigration reform.

But conservative Republicans are vowing to block the measures, and warn they could derail the must-pass defense bill.

Rep. Mo Brooks (R-Ala.) has submitted an amendment to the defense bill that would eliminate language calling on the Defense Secretary to consider allowing illegal immigrants to serve.

Separately, Rep. Paul Gosar (R-Ariz.) has filed an amendment to strike a provision that directs the Pentagon to evaluate how DACA recipients could expand the pool of recruits and impact military readiness.

Brooks said he plans to appear before the Rules panel on Tuesday to advocate for his amendment and remove the existing measure.

The Alabama lawmaker told The Hill that he has already spoken to a member of the Rules committee and believes there is a “good chance” an anti-DACA measure makes it to the House floor.

A House GOP leadership aide indicated that at least one of the amendments from Brooks and Gosar would get a floor vote.

WH REJECTS BIN LADEN REPORT: The White House on Monday trashed a report that claimed President Obama misled Americans about the 2011 operation to kill Osama bin Laden.

“There are too many inaccuracies and baseless assertions in this piece to fact check each one,” National Security Council spokesman Ned Price said in a statement.

The report that alleged Obama lied about one of the key decisions of his presidency infuriated the White House, which said repeatedly that reporter Seymour Hersh’s story was dead wrong.

Press secretary Josh Earnest said the administration is “certainly not the only one to observe that the story is riddled with inaccuracies and outright falsehoods.”

“No one here is particularly concerned about it,” he added.

In a piece published over the weekend, Hersh claimed Pakistan knew the location of bin Laden and agreed to hand him over to the United States. His article claims the raid on the Abbottabad compound was staged.

Former acting CIA Director Michael Morell also blasted the report, saying on “CBS This Morning” Monday that “every sentence I was reading was wrong.”

“The source that Hersh talked to has no idea what he’s talking about,” Morell added. “The person obviously was not close to what happened. The Pakistanis did not know.”

Hersh defended his reporting. “I’ve been around a long time,” he said on CNN’s “New Day.” “I understand the consequences of saying what I’m saying.”

IN CASE YOU MISSED IT:

— Ex-CIA officer sentenced in NY Times leak case

— Bin Laden report ‘full of lies,’ says former SEAL

— White House bashes GOP effort to delay regs on predatory loans to troops

— Obama administration defends Gitmo transfers

— Scott Walker says he will end defense cuts if elected president

Please send tips and comments to Kristina Wong, kwong@digital-staging.thehill.com, and Martin Matishak, mmatishak@digital-staging.thehill.com.