(AP) Capitol Hill leaders are nearing agreement in negotiations on an annual defense policy bill that would extend 12 weeks of paid parental leave to federal workers, both military and civilian, in exchange for establishing President Donald Trump's space force initiative. The agreement would trade a major expansion of benefits to federal workers for a legacy initiative of Trump's. Federal workers currently can take unpaid leave. The agreement is not finalized and comes after extensive behind-the-scenes battling on the annual defense measure, which has passed Congress every year since the Kennedy administration. The parental leave provision is a victory for federal workers, who would face benefit cuts under Trump's budget submissions. Those cuts have always been ignored by Congress, though pension changes were approved under GOP control of the House. The parental leave issue was a priority for Democrats such as House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, who weighed in forcefully this week.