Inhofe releases 'skinny' defense policy bill

Senate Armed Services Committee Chairman Jim Inhofe (R-OK) has released a "skinny" version of the fiscal year 2020 defense authorization bill.

The bill is a backup plan in case House Democrats and Senate Republicans cannot compromise on how to address President Trump's use of military construction money to fund a wall on the U.S.-Mexico border.

"I'm introducing this simple, politics-free version of the annual defense authorization bill today to guarantee that we are able to fulfill our responsibilities to our service members and maintain critical national security programs -- a goal all conferees share," Inhofe said in a statement. "Given our deadline, I want to preserve all options for fulfilling our Constitutional duty. My Democrat colleagues in the Senate have been great partners throughout this entire process, and I believe we can still reach a final, bipartisan agreement on a comprehensive defense authorization bill, just as we have for the last 58 years."

Read the "skinny" bill.