After coming close to irrelevancy as the end of the current session of Congress fast approaches, the Senate Armed Services Committee may manage to get its 2006 defense authorization bill to appear again on the Senate floor—but it’s not on the schedule for Monday. Lawmakers have resolved a major sticking point: too many amendments. (DR, 10/18/05) Democrats finally agreed with Republicans that Senators must limit add-ons to relevant amendments. That means Democrats must find another way to legislate a commission to review the Administration’s response to Hurricane Katrina.
Three of four congressional committees with influence over defense policy have voted to change the official name of the Department of Defense to the Department of War—but final approval of the Pentagon rebrand is months away and not yet assured.