Trump signs FY-20 defense policy, spending bills

By Tony Bertuca / December 20, 2019 at 8:48 PM

President Trump today signed into law the Fiscal Year 2020 National Defense Authorization Act, which allows $738 billion in national security spending and establishes the first-ever U.S. Space Force as a separate branch of the military, as well as appropriations legislation that will keep the government open through the end of September 2020.

The 3,000-page policy bill also includes a 3.1% military pay raise and 12 weeks of paid parental leave for civilian federal employees.

Democrats have touted the legislation as the “most progressive defense bill” in history, while Republicans have praised it for increasing the defense spending authorization by $22 billion above FY-19.

According to a White House pool report, the president signed the FY-20 spending legislation while on his flight to Florida.

205917