The House Rules Committee set the rules Tuesday night to start floor debate today on the National Defense Authorization Act. The committee’s proposed rule governing debate would make in order 290 amendments that are mostly noncontroversial.

But then the House will need to approve a second rule that would allow amendments that are likely to be more contentious, which the top Rules Committee Democrat, Rep. Jim McGovern (D-Mass.), said is the result of an intraparty Republican fight about “how to make what might have been a bipartisan bill into a hyper-partisan bill,” CQ reported.

The inclusion of amendments on hot-button cultural issues could cost House Speaker Kevin McCarthy (R-Calif.) a significant number of Democratic votes needed to pass the bill and complicate efforts later this year to craft a conference bill with the Senate.

The House Armed Services Committee passed its version of the bill last month by a 58-1 margin, HASC Chair Mike Rogers (R-Ala.) noted to the Rules Committee Tuesday.

“The bill before you today includes only provisions squarely within the jurisdiction of the Armed Services Committee,” Rogers said. “Whether that policy continues as this bill moves to the floor is now up to you all.”

NDAA floor debate is expected to last through Friday.

DOD photo by U.S. Air Force TSgt. Jack Sanders