Done Deal?

Senate Armed Services Committee Chairman Carl Levin (D-MI) and Ranking Member John McCain (R-AZ) appear to have come to an agreement regarding the fiscal year 2011 defense authorization bill. According to a just-released joint statement:

Over the last few days, we worked closely together and then with the House of Representatives to come up with a defense bill that we believe can pass both the House and the Senate.  Because of the unique circumstances in which the bill is being considered and the importance of the legislation to our men and women serving in uniform at a time of war, we have agreed to drop many controversial provisions that were included in the House and Senate versions of the bill.

The bill includes a wide range of provisions that will provide the men and women of the armed forces and their families with the pay and benefits they deserve, ensure that they have the training and equipment they need to conduct military operations around the world, improve the management of the Department of Defense, and contribute to our national security.  It is our hope that the House and the Senate will move quickly to enact this important legislation before the end of the Congress.

No word yet on which "controversial provisions" were dropped. Stay tuned for more.