BRAC squabbling pushed Senate Majority Leader Bill Frist (R-Tenn.) temporarily to table the annual defense authorization bill. It’s resurrection is more uncertain every day. The Hill reports that the measure will not surface on the Senate floor until Oct. 1, or later, prompting Capitol Hill staffers to predict a continuing resolution before the fiscal year ends on Sept. 30.
The rate of building B-21 bombers would speed up if the fiscal 2026 defense budget passes. But it remains unclear how much capacity would be added, and whether the Air Force would simply build the bombers faster, or buy more.