Staff level negotiations on the Fiscal Year (FY) 2021 National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) are underway. While a final version of the NDAA will likely be agreed by Congress prior to the end of this calendar year, hopes are dim for a conference agreement to occur between now and the beginning of FY 2021 on October 1, 2020. This is due to a number of factors, including an ability to complete negotiations and secure time for consideration and approval by both Houses with only nine legislative days left before they depart ahead of the elections on November 3.
In addition to a $10 billion difference in spending levels between the House ($740 billion) and the Senate ($750 billion), there are also thorny issues of disagreement, such as policies on climate change, transgender personnel in the military, and the re-designation of military installations that were named after figures of the Confederacy.
