Details about the fiscal 2012 defense spending bill are emerging as the House Defense Appropriations Subcommittee marks up their portion of the draft legislation this week.
The bill provides $530 billion in non-emergency funding, an increase of $17 billion over last year’s level and a decrease of $9 billion from the President’s request. In addition, the bill contains $119 billion in emergency spending for Defense activities related to the Global War on Terror – $39 billion less than last year due to the drawdown of U.S. forces overseas.
Bill Highlights:
Ongoing Military Operations – The bill contains $119 billion for ongoing military operations in Iraq and Afghanistan. This will provide critical resources for troops in the field, including funding for personnel requirements, operational needs, and maintenance of facilities and equipment. This also includes $13 billion in funding for the training and equipping of Afghan Security forces, and $1.1 billion for the Pakistan Counter-insurgency Capability Fund (PCCF). However, the bill includes language to withhold 75 percent of PCCF funds until the Secretary of Defense provides a report to Congress on a strategy and metrics for the use of these funds.
Military Personnel and Pay – The legislation includes $132.1 billion to provide for 1,408,000 active duty troops and 847,100 reserves. This also includes a 1.6 percent pay raise for the military, which is in line with pending Defense Authorization legislation.
Defense Health and Military Family Programs – The bill contains $32.3 billion for Defense health programs. This includes $223 million for cancer research, $125 million for traumatic brain injury and psychological health treatment, $30 million for orthopedic research, and $15 million for restorative transplant research. The legislation also includes $2.3 billion for family support and advocacy programs.
Operation and Maintenance – Included in the legislation is $170 billion for operation and maintenance which includes essential funding for key readiness programs to prepare our troops for combat and peace-time missions, flight time and battle training, equipment and facility maintenance, and base operations.
Research and Development – The bill contains $73 billion for research, development, testing, and evaluation of new technologies. This funding for basic and applied science research will help to advance the safety and success of current and future military operations, and will help prepare the forces with the systems and equipment necessary to meet potential challenges down the road.
Equipment Procurement – The legislation provides a total of $107.6 billion for new equipment and upgrades to ensure that military forces have the platforms, weapons, and other equipment they need to train, maintain military infrastructure, and conduct successful operations.
Once the subcommittee finishes its work, the draft bill will head to the full Appropriations Committee for their mark.
