House and Senate negotiators have reached a deal on a defense policy bill aimed at avoiding a government shutdown, creating a Space Force, and getting rid of the so-called "widow's tax" that has been a main goal of military families for years. A conference version of the National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal 2020, released late Dec. 9, preserves a 3.1% pay raise for the military. The $738 billion bill, which includes an additional $5.3 billion earmarked for emergency disaster recovery, charts out a three-year "phased repeal" of the policy that requires VA payments to survivors of fallen troops to be deducted from Defense Department survivor payments. Read more on Military.com.
Congress Has Released Its $738 Billion Defense Budget. Here's What's Inside
