Congress passed two bills (H.R.1865 and H.R.1158), which include all 12 spending bills for FY2020. This avoids a government shutdown that would have occurred Dec. 20, 2019, when the current Continuing Resolution expired. The continued use of CRs prevents the military from starting any new programs and would further jeopardize current training, maintenance, modernization and quality of life programs. President Trump indicated he will sign the two proposals into law.
In related news, the Senate approved (86-8) the FY2020 National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA-S.1790) and sent to the President to be signed into law. The House approved (377-48) the NDAA that includes a three-year phase out of the SBP/DIC offset for military widows/widowers. This offset, also known as the Widow's Tax, impacts approximately 65,000 widows and widowers of our Armed Forces. These widows and widowers should receive both SBP and DIC benefits without the current dollar for dollar offset.