Defense

The House on Thursday approved a rule governing floor consideration of the 2013 National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA), after Democrats criticized Republicans for preventing debate on an amendment to return U.S. troops from Afghanistan more quickly.

Members approved the rule in a 244-178 vote, setting up a long day and evening in which up to 142 amendments will be considered to the $643 billion authorization bill. Eight Democrats voted for the rule, and four Republicans voted against it.

The bill is identical to Clinton-Obama legislation questioning Bush's declaration of cooperation with Iraq without congressional approval.

Rep. Dennis Kucinich (D-Ohio) warned Thursday morning that two planned House votes later in the day will move the United States much closer to a war footing against Iran, by seeking to alter U.S. diplomatic goals with Iran and by requiring the United States to move military assets to the Middle East in preparation for war.

On the diplomatic front, the House is expected to vote Thursday on H.Res. 568, a resolution expressing the importance of preventing Iran from obtaining nuclear weapons. While this is a non-binding resolution, Kucinich warned that it urges President Obama to affirm the unacceptability of an Iran with nuclear-weapons capability, and oppose policies that accept containment of a nuclear-capable Iran.

The House meets at 10 a.m. for speeches, then at noon to start work on the 2013 National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA), H.R. 4310. After debate and approval of the rule, likely around 1 or 2 p.m., the House will start work on scores of amendments to the bill.

To be precise, the House Rules Committee made seven score and two amendments in order.

Consideration of 142 amendments makes for a long day. Each amendment is eligible for 10 minutes of debate, which means if all are considered and debated, the House faces nearly 24 hours of debate.

Members of the House will spend several hours Thursday debating a slew of controversial amendments to the National Defense Authorization act (NDAA) of 2013, including provisions related to detainee policy, same-sex marriage on military bases, and potential military action in Iran.

The House prepared for Thursday votes by finishing general debate late Wednesday night, which offered hints that Thursday's work on amendments will slog through these and other issues. Scores of amendments are likely to be made in order for Thursday consideration, as more than 200 were proposed by members.

Sens. Jim Webb (D-Va.) and Mike Lee (R-Utah) on Monday introduced legislation that would require the executive branch to secure congressional approval before committing troops overseas for humanitarian missions, and clarify when the president has the authority to act without approval from Congress.

Webb said his Military Humanitarian Operations Act is a response to military missions, such as the one President Obama committed to in Libya. Webb and Sen. Bob Corker (R-Tenn.) introduced a resolution last year asking the administration to justify its actions in Libya, and Webb said he is also worried that the administration might commit forces in Syria.

House Majority Leader Eric Cantor (R-Va.) said Thursday afternoon that the House would vote next week on a $643 billion defense authorization bill and a bill to reauthorize the Violence Against Women Act (VAWA).

The House Armed Services Committee early Thursday morning approved H.R. 4310, the National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA).

Rep. Lynn Woolsey (D-Calif.) on Wednesday morning blasted Republican plans to pass a bill Thursday that would avoid Defense Department spending cuts required under the congressional "sequester," and instead save money by cutting social programs.

"Tomorrow this body will vote on a Republican budget bill that is nothing short of reprehensible," Woolsey said on the House floor. "Even though the sequester is supposed to apply across the board, the majority wants to exempt defense, they want to make domestic programs absorb all the cuts.

Senate Judiciary Committee ranking member Chuck Grassley (R-Iowa) said Wednesday that President Obama should not imply that the war on terrorism is over, just one day after Obama addressed the nation Tuesday from Afghanistan to mark the one-year anniversary of Osama bin Laden's death.

In an interview with Radio Iowa, Grassley said that if the president is giving the impression that the U.S. effort against terrorism is over, "he's misleading the American people."

Rep. Scott DesJarlais (R-Tenn.) on Tuesday introduced legislation that would let families avoid taxes in cases where student loan debt is forgiven for a fallen member of the U.S. Armed Forces.

His Andrew P. Carpenter Tax Act, H.R. 5044, is named after Lance Cpl. Carpenter, who was killed in Afghanistan in 2011. All of Carpenter's student loan debt was forgiven after his death, but because forgiven debt is counted as income by the government, Carpenter's family faced a tax on that income.