By Julian E. Barnes
WASHINGTON--House and Senate negotiators unveiled a compromise
defense-policy bill Tuesday that would block a number of Pentagon
proposals aimed at saving money while continuing to ban transfers
of detainees from Guantanamo Bay to the U.S.
The bill would restrict President Barack Obama's ability to
achieve his goal of shutting the prison in Cuba, but it includes
several provisions he seeks, such as training moderate Syrian
rebels, equipping the Iraqi security forces and stepping up
military exercises in Europe.
The current authorization for training Syrian rebels expires
Dec. 11, the day the House expects to adjourn its lame-duck
session.
Lawmakers aim for a House vote on the bill by week's end. If it
passes, the Senate is expected to vote on it next week, and it will
go to Mr. Obama for his signature.
Detailing provisions of the defense-authorization bill to
reporters, senior House and Senate staff members said the
compromise allows some modest, one-year curbs to pharmacy
copayments for military service members and to their housing
allowance, but puts off long-term cuts until after a national
commission on military competition releases a final report next
year.
The bill would make some military savings more difficult. It
would block retirement of the A-10 aircraft, although it authorizes
the defense secretary to allow the Air Force to fly some aircraft
less frequently or effectively ground them. That could allow the
Air Force to move maintenance personnel to other aircraft.
The bill also would limit the Army's plan to retire older
helicopters and move Apache attack helicopters from the National
Guard to the active duty force in return for giving the reserves
more Black Hawk helicopters. Aides said members of Congress want to
await the result of an independent review before approving the
transfer. But the measure doesn't completely block the Army, which
will be allowed to move 48 helicopters.
Aides said many lawmakers want to hold off on retiring fleets of
aircraft or helicopters next year in hopes that across-the-board
Pentagon spending cuts can be rolled back and military spending
increased.
The bill also seeks to open up more space launches to
competition by blocking the use of some Russian-made engines
purchased by United Launch Alliance, a joint venture of Lockheed
Martin Corp. and Boeing Co. that has a contract to launch most of
the Pentagon's spy, navigation and communications satellites.
The provision would ban the use of any Russian engines purchased
after the Russian invasion and annexation of Crimea, congressional
aides said. The bill also would provide $220 million for work on a
U.S.-made replacement for the Russian engines.
"This is a way of addressing the competition concerns without
rewarding the Russians for their behavior," said a Senate aide.
The aides said that provision would open up more launches to be
bid on by SpaceX, a company co-founded by entrepreneur Elon Musk,
and provide an incentive for United Launch to develop an
alternative engine for the Atlas V rocket. But it will allow United
Launch to continue to use some of the Russian engines they already
have stockpiled. The joint venture took delivery of engines from
their Russian supplier in October, and has said it has enough to
last about two years, fulfilling its existing Pentagon
contract.
SpaceX is on the cusp of being certified to carry some Air Force
satellites into space on its Falcon 9 rocket but is still testing
and developing the Falcon Heavy, which will be able to carry larger
spy satellites into space.
Write to Julian E. Barnes at julian.barnes@wsj.com
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