Congress has passed an annual defense authorization bill following a vote in the Senate on Tuesday that includes a provision that creates a new space force branch of the armed services and provides all federal workers with 12 weeks of paid parental leave for the first time in American history.
The bill passed by a vote of 86-8 and the legislation now goes to President Donald Trump for his signature.
The paid parental leave provision was added after a significant push from Democrats, who during the course of the negotiation saw an opening with Trump’s desire to see the establishment of Space Force as a branch of the US military.
The final product has Democrats, Republicans and Trump declaring victory and taking credit for many marquee provisions.
Democrats touted a provision to grant 12 weeks of paid parental leave to federal workers, a move advocates say will make the government a standard bearer on leave policy and help federal agencies compete with the private sector for talent. They also underscored a provision that would phase out an unpopular offset in military survivor benefits, known as the “widow’s tax,” over three years.
The White House has also declared victory on the paid leave provision, a signature issue for Trump’s daughter and adviser, Ivanka.
