to Trump's desk
Senate passes $738 billion defense bill that establishes Space Force and provides paid parental leave for federal workers
The $738 billion defense bill that authorizes the creation of Space Force and provides paid parental leave for federal workers is headed to President Trump's desk.
The Senate on Tuesday passed the legislation in a 86-8 vote, CNN reports. This comes after the bill easily passed in the House of Representatives last week in a 377-48 vote.
During the course of the bill's negotiation, CNN notes that the White House agreed to providing 12 weeks of paid parental leave for federal workers despite Republicans' objections in exchange for the provision establishing the new, sixth military branch, Space Force.
There aren't any provisions related to the border wall in the bill, which also provides troops with a 3 percent raise. The Associated Press notes that Democrats had to drop, among other things, a "provision to block Trump from transferring money from Pentagon accounts to construct a fence along the U.S.-Mexico border."
President Trump has said he will "immediately" sign the legislation, writing that "all of our priorities have made it into" the bill. House Armed Services Committee Chair Adam Smith (D-Wash.) last week told Politico the legislation is "the most progressive defense bill in the history of the country."