OVERNIGHT DEFENSE: Paul holds off NSA vote for one more day

THE TOPLINE: Sen. Rand Paul (R-Ky.) on Monday blocked Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) from moving up a procedural vote on the USA Freedom Act, reports The Hill’s Jordain Carney.

McConnell tried to move up the House-backed bill, which reforms the NSA’s surveillance programs, from a Tuesday vote to Monday evening. Since he was trying to circumvent Senate rules, he needed unanimous consent, which Paul blocked. 

“I would be happy to agree to dispensing with the time and having a vote at the soonest possibility if we were allowed to accommodate amendments for those of us who object to the bill,” Paul said on the Senate floor. “But at this point I object.”

{mosads}Now, because of Paul’s objection, the Senate will take a procedural vote on the USA Freedom Act at 10:30 a.m. Tuesday. They’re also expected to vote on a handful of amendments from McConnell.

The two Kentucky Republicans have been in a battle of wills over expiring provisions of the Patriot Act.

McConnell originally wanted to extend the legislation as is, but Paul, who opposes a clean extension of the bill and believes the House-backed reform bill does not do enough to rein in surveillance programs, has repeatedly blocked him.

Paul on Sunday night used procedural tactics to drag out consideration of the reform bill. McConnell dropped his own opposition to the USA Freedom Act on Sunday, helping it get the 60 votes needed to move ahead in a 77-17 vote, but not in time to prevent provisions of the Patriot Act from expiring at midnight.

Tensions spiked during the session between Paul and other Senate Republicans.

Paul, a little more than a week ago, blocked the Senate from considering a short-term extension of the Patriot Act, which also could have prevented a lapse in the program if the House had found a way to consider it.

OBAMA DISMISSES STRIKE ON IRAN: President Obama said a military strike against Tehran’s nuclear program would have no real impact, reports The Hill’s Jordan Fabian.

“I can, I think, demonstrate, not based on any hope, but on facts and evidence and analysis, that the best way to prevent Iran from having a nuclear weapon is a verifiable, tough agreement,” the president said in an interview with Israeli newspaper Haaretz.

“A military solution will not fix it, even if the United States participates, it would temporarily slow down an Iranian nuclear program, but it will not eliminate it,” he added.

The White House hopes to ease concerns within Israel about the administration’s efforts to strike a nuclear bargain with Iran.

Obama was asked if he is worried Jerusalem might launch such a strike against Iran’s nuclear facilities without warning the U.S. first.

“I won’t speculate on that,” said Obama. “What I can say is to the Israeli people, I understand your concerns and I understand your fears.”

HOUSE PANEL TO MARK UP DEFENSE BILL: The House Appropriations Committee is scheduled to mark up the 2016 Defense Appropriations Act on Tuesday morning.

The bill would appropriate $578.6 billion in discretionary defense funding, including $88.4 billion in war funding, in line with the Republican budget resolution and defense authorization bills.

The legislation leaves in place budget caps mandated by the 2011 Budget Control Act, even as President Obama has threatened to veto any bill that leaves them in place.

The panel’s subcommittee on defense passed the bill before the Memorial Day recess. Members of that subpanel say they aren’t worried about a veto, claiming they had no choice but to follow the 2011 law.

Meanwhile, the Senate may consider the 2016 National Defense Authorization Act this week.

McConnell moved to end debate on a motion to proceed to the House’s version of the NDAA, setting up a first procedural vote for senators as soon as Tuesday, reports The Hill’s Jordain Carney.

The bill has also been placed on the Senate calendar, a first step for having it brought up for a vote.

The Senate still needs to wrap up work on the USA Freedom Act before moving to the defense bill.

If the Senate starts its work on the NDAA in June, it will mark a contrast to recent years when senators were often scrambling to finish work on the bill in November and December. 

‘TALIBAN FIVE’ TRAVEL BAN EXTENDED. Qatar has temporarily extended the travel ban for five Taliban leaders freed in the trade for U.S. Army Sgt. Bowe Bergdahl.

The prohibition will remain in place until negotiations for a long-term plan have been finalized, according to a senior U.S. official.

The year-long prohibition was due to expire on Monday for the so-called “Taliban Five,” who had been prisoners at Guantanamo Bay, Cuba until the White House agreed to trade them for Bergdahl last year.

Rep. Adam Schiff (D-Calif.), the ranking member on the House Intelligence Committee, called the announcement “a welcome development.”

“Extending the travel ban on the Taliban Five terrorists is the right thing to do. But the fact that the travel ban even needs to be extended is another clear indicator that these terrorists are dangerous and should have never been released from Guantanamo,” said House Homeland Security Committee Chairman Michael McCaul (R-Texas).

Meanwhile, former CIA chief David Petraeus declined to state whether he agreed with the prisoner swap.

“I think it was a very, very tough and a very, very close call, and I think that’s where I’d leave it,” the former general said.

IN CASE YOU MISSED IT:

— Top NSC spox to step down

— Pentagon vows closer cyber ties with Japan

— Carson ‘would not hesitate‘ to use US troops against ISIS

— A-10 ‘Warthog’ likely to keep flying

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