House authorizers pass defense policy bill

The House Armed Services Committee passed its version of the fiscal year 2019 defense authorization bill by a 60-1 vote early this morning, setting up a final vote on the House floor in the coming weeks.

"For 57 straight years with presidents from both parties and congressional majorities from both parties, a defense authorization bill has been signed into law," Committee Chairman Mac Thornberry (R-TX) said. "It is so important, maybe even more now than it has been in the past, for our troops and for the world to see that unity in support of our men and women in uniform and in support of strengthening American national security. We had that unity in committee and I am hopeful we will see this same spirit of bipartisan cooperation when the bill comes to the House floor in the next few weeks."

The lone dissenting vote came from Rep. Tulsi Gabbard (D-HI), a repeat of last year.

Watch Inside Defense for detailed reporting on the bill.