Defense

The House concluded amendment work on H.R. 5856, the 2013 Defense Department spending bill, and was set to pass the bill Thursday night, a day earlier than GOP leaders originally planned.

The House debated amendments for most of the day; results follow here:

Rep. King said the amendment to the defense spending bill is needed because of Obama's growing support for same-sex marriage.

House Republicans and Democrats on Thursday defended the practice of using military aircraft to transport the remains of soldiers killed overseas back to the United States, as opposed to shipping their remains in the cargo holds of commercial planes.

Rep. Bill Young (R-Fla.), the chairman of the House Appropriations subcommittee on Defense, said he was pressed earlier this month by a reporter on the cost of this practice. But he said he replied that he believes no expense should be spared to return service members to the United States with dignity.

Republicans have said they fear Obama's hot-mic remarks indicate he is working on some secret arrangement with the Russians.

The House on Wednesday night rejected a series of amendments that would have cut defense spending.

The Senate passed a bipartisan, bicameral bill dealing with healthcare, housing, education and memorial services for veterans Wednesday.

The Honoring America’s Veterans and Caring for Camp Lejeune Families Act passed by a unanimous consent vote before Senate business was closed for the day.

The House removed language from a spending bill that would prevented DOD from sponsoring NASCAR or other sporting events.

Several House Democrats and Republicans started debate on a 2013 Department of Defense spending bill by protesting the ongoing war in Afghanistan, and calling on members to support amendments over the next several days aimed at reducing funding for the war.

The bill, H.R. 5872, already cuts spending on Afghanistan and Iraq by about $27 billion, which reflects reduced operations in those countries. But the United States is still set to have troops in Afghanistan in 2014, and several members said Congress should speed up that process.

McCain urged Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-Nev.) to allow a vote on the bill.

The House on Monday afternoon approved legislation that would increase the rates of compensation for veterans with service-related disabilities, and for survivors of disabled veterans.

The Veterans' Compensation Cost-of-Living Adjustment Act, H.R. 4367, was easily approved in a voice vote. The bill, from Rep. Jon Runyan (R-N.J.), is one of two veterans-related bills debated on Monday.

The other one, from Rep. Jeff Denham (R-Calif.), would require federal agencies to give credit to veterans for training they received in the military, as long as the training requirements are similar. A vote on that bill, H.R. 4155, could take place later Monday evening.