Levin ‘very optimistic’ defense bill passes Tuesday

Tuesday appears to finally be the day for the defense authorization bill.

Senate Armed Services Committee Chairman Carl Levin (D-Mich.) told reporters that he was “very optimistic” the defense bill would pass by close of business on Tuesday, the fifth day the measure has been on the Senate floor.

Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-Nev.) — who had requested Levin and ranking member John McCain (R-Ariz.) shepherd the bill through the floor in three days — said on the floor that he expects a vote on final passage soon after the Senate’s weekly caucus lunches.

The bill is widely expected to pass now that it has gotten through a multitude of obstacles to get the bill on the floor and to satisfy initial objections from Sens. Rand Paul (R-Ky.) and Tom Coburn (R-Okla.).

Levin had hoped to finish it last week but could not get through the amendments, and it was slowed down by objections to unanimous consent votes. They were also delayed when Paul put a hold on the bill for several hours Monday.

Levin and McCain are still “clearing” amendments that both sides can agree to, and they still have a manager’s package of amendments to pass.

The defense authorization bill is a wide-ranging Pentagon policy bill that authorizes $631 billion in defense spending.

When the bill passes, it will head to a House-Senate conference committee to iron out the differences between the two chambers’ bills.

—Carlo Muñoz contributed.

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