Alaska Dispatch News:
WASHINGTON — The U.S. Senate on Monday passed a $692 billion defense authorization bill that included provisions to bolster missile defense systems in Alaska and approval for building up to six Arctic icebreakers.
The Alaska provisions are a mark of success for the state’s lawmakers, who have long pushed for the provisions. But seeing them through to reality will require Congress to manage the full scope of appropriations bills in the coming year — something that happens rarely.
Since 1976, Congress has passed all 12 appropriations bills by Oct. 1, the fiscal year deadline, only four times, according to the Bipartisan Policy Center. This year, Congress has already agreed to kick the process to December, but it is unclear if that will lead to legislative success.
