House GOP leaders push for military funding in spending bill
House Republicans are pushing hard for funding for the nation's military in the $1.2 trillion omnibus spending bill that Congress must finish by midnight Friday. "We made very clear to the country, we made a promise to the country that we'd rebuild our nation's military," said House Speak Paul Ryan during Republican leaders' weekly press conference Tuesday.
Ryan said as part of the spending bill, GOP lawmakers want to fully fund the national defense at levels requested by the Pentagon in what the speaker described would be the "biggest increase in defense spending in 15 years." A defense spending increase was included in a two-year budget deal Congress reached in February. The funding would help increase troop levels, upgrade weapon systems and provide more training to service members.
"This is what our service members are doing for us, it's high time we respond to them," said Ryan. He said the bill will give service members a well-deserved pay raise and give them the resources and training they need.
He added it's the "beginning of a new era for our nation's military and it's high time we do that."
Lawmakers are now hoping to reach a spending deal and are aiming for a House vote possibly on Wednesday or Thursday before sending it to the Senate. Congress needs to act by midnight Friday in order to avoid yet another government shutdown.
CBS News' Rebecca Kaplan reports that House Republicans met Monday evening to discuss the issue with an aide, who described the spending bill as "not fully cooked." Ryan told reporters that he hopes to have final text of the omnibus bill by Tuesday.
"We got close but we weren't going to let midnight stop us from negotiating it out. There's unresolved issues and we're working them out," said Ryan.
Items that are still yet to be resolved in the package include the president's long-promised border wall as well as funding for a Hudson River tunnel and rail project which extends from New York to New Jersey, an effort Mr. Trump opposes.
