The House Armed Services Committee’s (HASC) annual National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) markup will be delayed as the United States issues more guidelines to counter the COVID-19 pandemic.
Chairman Adam Smith (D-Wash.) said March 30 that the committee has postponed the fiscal 2021 NDAA markup, originally scheduled for April 30.
The postponement follows President Donald Trump’s announcement Sunday that the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) was extending social distancing measures from an initial 15-day recommendation to 30 days.
Smith called the Trump administration’s extension “a prudent, necessary step.”
“Given the new 30-day extension of the Administration’s guidance, the Committee has postponed the previously scheduled markup of the National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2021,” Smith said. “A new markup date will be announced at a later time.”
The NDAA sets spending limits and policy for the Pentagon, along with the Department of Energy’s nuclear security activities.
The Senate Armed Services Committee had been planning to schedule a markup before Memorial Day and is still working toward that date, panel spokeswoman Marta Hernandez said Monday. Hernandez noted that the situation remains fluid and the committee will respect guidance from the CDC, Office of Attending Physician, and the Senate Majority Leader’s office.
The House Armed Services Committee announced late last week that Smith and Ranking Member Mac Thornberry (R-Texas) had introduced H.R. 6395, the “by request” version of the 2021 NDAA and the traditional first step in the legislative process for the annual defense authorization bill.
“The legislation filed this week does not reflect substantive work by the Armed Services Committee. Rather, provisions contained in the bill reflect legislative proposals submitted by the Department of Defense,” the committee said in a March 27 statement. “When the Committee meets to consider the FY21 NDAA, the content of H.R. 6395 will be struck and replaced with subcommittee and full committee proposals.”
