The House Appropriations Committee this week approved the FY2013 Department of Defense (DoD) and the Military Construction/VA Appropriations bills. Both bills will now go to the full House for consideration.
The HAC FY2013 DoD Appropriations bill provides $519 billion for DoD (excluding Military Construction), $3 billion above the president’s request. The bill also provides $88.5 billion for Overseas Contingency Operations (OCO) in FY2013, the total amount requested by the administration.
The bill DoD funds a 1.7 percent military pay raise proposed by the president and authorized in the House Armed Services Committee version of the FY2013 Defense Authorization bill. However, the bill cuts $258 million for the president’s proposed .5 percent civilian pay raise. The FY2013 House Budget Resolution calls for a continued civilian pay freeze in FY2013.
Operations and Maintenance (O&M) funding in the bill is about $300 million above the administration’s $175.2 billion request. The bill adds O&M funds to reverse the administration’s proposal to retire 18 Global Hawk Block 30 UAVs and to halt the plan to retire Guard and Reserve aircraft until GAO completes a cost-benefit analysis of the plan.
The HAC bill provides $102.5 billion for procurement programs, almost $900 million more than the request. The bill includes funding to build 11 new ships, 29 F-35 (Joint Strike Fighter) and 37 F/A -18E/F aircraft, and 69 UH-60 Blackhawk and 42 MH-60 S/R helicopters. The HAC also proposes $2 billion for the National Guard and Reserve Equipment account and adds funds to retain and modernize three of the four Navy cruisers the administration proposed to retire.
Research and Development funding in the bill would be $70 billion, about $600 million above the request. The bill would fund the development of a new bomber, the KC-46A tanker program, the Broad Area Maritime Surveillance (BAMS) UAV, the Navy Unmanned Combat Air Vehicle, and the Army and Marine Corps Joint Light Tactical Vehicle.
The HAC DoD bill recommends a $2.5 billion cut due to excess funding for the Army Working Capital Fund and would rescind over $1 billion from prior-year programs.
The HAC-approved FY2013 Military Construction/VA Appropriations bill provides $10.6 billion for total military construction programs, $573 million below the request.
The bill fully funds the president’s request for active component military facilities construction for the Air Force and all Guard and Reserve accounts, all Family Housing accounts, Chemical Demilitarization construction, and the NATO Security Investment Program
The bill would cut requested active component military facilities construction funding for Army (-103 million), Navy & Marine Corps (-$151 million), and Defense Agencies ($-85 million), and for the 2005 Base Realignment and Closure (BRAC) account (-212 million). Another $20 million would be rescinded from prior-year Defense Agency accounts.
To date, the HAC has approved six FY2013 appropriations bills (DoD, MilCon/VA, Commerce/Justice/State, Energy & Water, Homeland Security, and State/Foreign Affairs and he full House has passed the Commerce/Justice/State bill.
The Senate Appropriations Committee (SAC) has completed action on four bills (Agriculture, Commerce/Justice/State, Energy & Water, and Transportation/HUD.
