By Kristina Wong and Rebecca Kheel – 9\/21\/15 06:00 AM EDT<\/p>\n
The leaders of the House and Senate Armed Services committees are still slogging away on a compromise bill that they hope to send to President Obama’s desk.<\/p>\n
The “big four” — Sens. John McCain (R-Ariz.), Jack Reed (D-R.I.), and Reps. Mac Thornberry (R-Texas) and Adam Smith (D-Wash.) — met recently and have “made some progress” on the annual policy bill for the Pentagon, according to a House aide.<\/p>\n
However, a “handful” of issues remain, the aide said. The major ones are increases in the cost of pharmaceutical co-pays for troops and families, acquisition reform and restrictions on Guantanamo Bay detainees.<\/p>\n
It’s not certain that the big four will meet again next week. The visit by Pope Francis is complicating the schedule for Congress, but talks could take place via phone, the aide said.<\/p>\n
While there were initially hopes of having a compromise finished by July, there’s now talk of a December deadline, when the bill must be passed in order for the Pentagon to continue its normal activities.<\/p>\n
The National Defense Authorization Act green lights Pentagon activities and funding, and has passed Congress for 53 years straight.<\/p>\n
But a larger budget fight between the Republican-controlled Congress and Democrats and the White House is threatening passage of the bill this year.<\/p>\n
Republicans want to lift 2011 caps on defense spending, but Democrats wants to lift the caps for nondefense spending as well.<\/p>\n
It is also unclear whether Congress will avoid a government shutdown on Oct. 1, and what a stoppage in funding might mean for troops and civilian defense employees.<\/p>\n
House conservatives are refusing to back any funding bill that contains money for Planned Parenthood, with Democrats equally adamant that the funding measure must be a “clean” extension of spending.<\/p>\n