The House will begin debating its version of the defense appropriations bill today. The Rules Committee, which sets the debate parameters, allowed 184 amendments to be considered on the floor.
Many of those are contentious, such as amendments to reduce the salary of Defense Secretary Austin and other senior DOD leaders to $1. Another would restrict the transfer of weapons systems to Ukraine.
Even without amendments, the bill already includes enough controversial provisions that President Biden has threatened to veto it.
All Democrats on the Rules Committee and one committee Republican voted not to move the bill to the floor. Rep. Ralph Norman’s (R-S.C.) reason was that the spending levels established earlier this year in the debt ceiling agreement are too high.
“It’s time to call a halt to spending, and if the government shuts down, let’s shut it down,” Norman said, according to CQ.
That’s what would happen if the House, Senate and White House can’t agree to a stopgap spending bill by the end of the month.
Army photo of Rep. Norman by Sgt. Matt Kuzara
