Thornberry wants vote on additional $17B 'one way or another'

House Armed Services Committee Ranking Member Mac Thornberry (R-TX) wants to offer an amendment to the fiscal year 2020 defense authorization bill being debated today that would increase the budgetary topline from $733 billion to $750 billion, but there is concern among his staff that Chairman Adam Smith (D-WA) will rule the amendment "out of order" because it does not provide offsets to finance the increase.

The committee is debating the bill and is not expected to finish until the early hours of Thursday morning.

Thornberry said there will be a vote on the $17 billion measure "one way or another," according to a statement sent by his staff.

Earlier in the hearing, Thornberry said he was worried the final vote could have a "partisan outcome."

When asked yesterday if he would vote against the final bill if it did not include the $17 billion, Thornberry said he had yet to decide.

Smith has said he believes the Pentagon can make do with less funding and will become more efficient if forced to do so.

The GOP-led Senate Armed Services Committee, meanwhile, has approved a bill with a $750 billion topline.