With most news media focused on the controversial bill to roll back or repeal the Affordable Care Act, they’re largely missing the unusual degree of secrecy cloaking consideration of the defense budget.

According to MilitaryTimes.com:

Senate Armed Services Committee members are holding all of their defense budget deliberations behind closed doors this year, a move that outside watchdogs are calling upsetting and against public interest.

For the last two days, the panel’s subcommittees have been marking up portions of the annual defense authorization bill in closed sessions, and will spend the rest of the week as a full committee working out the final details behind closed doors.

A letter sent yesterday to the chairman and ranking Democrat on the Senate Armed Services Committee by 16 watchdog groups blasted the committee, saying “it is unacceptable for the vast majority of senators to have to vote on a bill compiled almost entirely behind closed doors, with very little chance for public input or accountability.”

The groups pointed to the obvious public importance of issues that are part of the more than $600 billion National Defense Authorization Act.

This year SASC could consider amendments that impact to alter military pay and benefit policy, authorize base closures, provide funding for major weapon systems, impact whistleblower protections, and other provisions with significant and direct impacts on American national security. And yet, your Committee does not release the bill it will vote on in advance of markup and then closes the markup of the bill to the public.

It’s time to bring the NDAA into the light of day.