Inhofe Introduces Stopgap Defense Bill Stripped of PFAS Provisions

The chairman of the Senate Armed Services Committee has introduced a bare-bones, stopgap defense bill that contains no provisions related to PFAS chemicals, a sign that lawmakers may be unable to pass a broader bill before the end of this year.

Sen. James M. Inhofe (R-Okla.) publicly unveiled the bill Oct. 29. It contains numerous provisions that allow for defense programs to continue operating into 2020. Congress typically passes these types of defense authorization bills by wide margins every year.

But Inhofe’s bill is severely pared back from another version of this legislation that passed the Senate earlier this year. ...