FWIW, federalism issues over the National Guard also seem to be contentious.
http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,213889,00.html
...anyway the CQ article strikes me as reasonably favorable. The fact that there are an number of bills in thus bucket makes it seem like the debate will be one of procedure/protocol, rather than the policy merits of the bills. And we have evidence that senior confereees like Hunter and Sessions are in a no-nonsense mood, particularly with a number of issues that are more germane to the DoD authorization also remaining controversial.