$900B defense bill advances to House-wide vote as conservative mutiny threat looms
A wide-ranging bill setting the federal government's defense and national security policy for the fiscal year survived a key hurdle Tuesday night, but questions over whether it will get to...
By Fox News · Fox News
A wide-ranging bill setting the federal government's defense and national security policy for the fiscal year survived a key hurdle Tuesday night, but questions over whether it will get to President Donald Trump's desk still remain. The House Rules Committee voted to advance the National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) along party lines after hours of debate, setting up the bill for a chamber-wide vote on Wednesday afternoon. The legislation will dictate how roughly $900 billion of the federal budget will be spent on America's national defense. But with several conservatives already voicing concerns, it's unclear if it can survive a procedural hurdle that will likely need almost all House Republicans to vote in lock step despite support from the majority of the House GOP. CONGRESS UNVEILS $900B DEFENSE BILL TARGETING CHINA WITH TECH BANS, INVESTMENT CRACKDOWN, US TROOP PAY RAISE The House Rules Committee is the final gatekeeper before most pieces of legislation get a chamber-wide vote. Lawmakers on the panel are responsible for setting terms of debate on a bill, including deciding which amendments, if any, can be voted on. The next step is generally a House-wide procedural vote, called a rule vote, where lawmakers decide whether to green-light debating the bill. Fox News Digital was told earlier this week that House GOP leaders hope to hold the NDAA vote in the early evening Wednesday. But questions about whether the bill could pass a chamber-wide rule vote earlier in the day began popping up soon after the 3,000-page bill was unveiled Sunday night. Rule votes generally fall along party lines even if the underlying measure has bipartisan support. And with a razor-thin majority, Speaker Mike Johnson , R-La., can only afford to lose two GOP votes and still win. GERMANY UNVEILS NEW INCENTIVES TO BOOST MILITARY RECRUITMENT AMID GROWING RUSSIA THREAT At least two House Republicans, Eric Burlison, R-Mo., and Tim Burchett, R-Tenn., told Fox News Digital Tuesday afternoon…