Senate takes up defense authorization bill

The Senate has begun debate over the fiscal year 2017 defense authorization bill, which Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-KY) wants passed by the end of the week.

"I would encourage my colleagues to put aside partisan politics and work together to bring this [bill] across the finish line this week," he said Monday night. "We may pass the bill on Friday. We may pass it sooner, but we'll pass it this week."

The Senate began Tuesday with speeches from senators proposing various amendments. Among them is one offered by Senate Armed Services Committee Chairman John McCain (R-AZ) to increase the Defense Department's overseas contingency operations budget by $17 billion. A congressional staffer did not expect McCain's amendment to get a vote Tuesday.

"While the [bill] conforms to last year's budget agreement at present, I have filed an amendment to increase defense spending above the current spending caps," he said Monday on the Senate floor.

"This amendment will reverse short-sighted cuts to modernization, restore military readiness, and give our service members the support they need and deserve," he continued. "I do not know whether or not this amendment will succeed. But the Senate must have this debate. And senators must choose a side."

Meanwhile, McCain sparred Tuesday with Sen. Dick Durbin (D-IL), who offered an amendment to undo a section of the proposed bill that would prohibit DOD from spending $900 million on medical research unless it is subjected to standard audits and certified by the defense secretary as having a direct impact on the state of the U.S. military.

Durbin, the highest-ranking Democrat on the Senate Appropriations defense subcommittee, argued such a provision amounted to "red tape" for programs that helped members of the U.S. military as well as veterans and civilians.

McCain said he knew Durbin was likely to succeed, but argued that the money should come from another part of the federal budget, despite being for worthy causes.

"All of these are worthy causes," McCain said. "They have nothing to do with a defenseless nation."

Still, he added: "I expect to lose and I congratulate the lobbyists ahead of time."