‘POISON PILL’ WARNING: Senators passed two amendments Monday and two are slated for votes today as the chamber continues to debate a minibus spending bill that includes defense appropriations for fiscal 2019. The chamber is looking to plow through even more amendments in the coming days. That is, as long as disagreements between Republicans and Democrats over which amendments get votes does not blow up the possibility. “I hope with consent we’ll be able to vote on more amendments this week, and then I look forward to passing this legislation for our service members and for middle-class families across our country,” Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell said.

Passage of the defense legislation, which includes $675 billion for the Pentagon, would give a House and Senate conference committee weeks to negotiate a final bill before the end of the fiscal year on Sept. 30. It is enough time to provide the military its annual funding and avoid the stopgap continuing resolutions that have become the bane of Pentagon planners in past years. But the minibus spending bills can be a magnet for potentially divisive amendments. Sen. Mark Warner introduced one Monday that would block President Trump from stripping security clearances from ex-officials such as CIA Director John Brennan.