Defense Appropriations Bill approved by House Appropriations Committee
Jun 15, 2011
Yesterday, the House Appropriations Committee approved its version of the Fiscal Year (FY) 2012 Defense Appropriations Bill. The bill contains $530 billion in funding for non-war programs and accounts, an increase of $17 billion over FY 2011 and a decrease of approximately $9 billion from the President’s request.
In addition to $530 billion in base spending, the bill contains $118.7 billion in spending for the wars in Afghanistan and Iraq, $842 million above the President’s request and $39 billion less than FY 2011, a decrease due to the drawdown of U.S. forces in Iraq. This total includes $12.8 billion for the training and equipping of Afghan Security forces, and $1.1 billion for the Pakistan Counterinsurgency Capability Fund (PCCF), which has moved from the subcommittee on State/Foreign Operations to the subcommittee on defense.
The total in the bill is $648.7 billion. Other portions of defense spending are contained in the Military Construction and Energy and Water Appropriations Bills.
The bill is expected to be considered by the full House of Representatives the week of June 20. It is expected that germane amendments will be permitted.
House Dems Propose $7 Billion Budget Cut
Jun 23, 2010
Will any of that cut come from defense?
The plan has not been formally announced, but AP reports that House Democratic leaders will propose a $7 billion cut in President Barack Obama's fiscal 2011 budget. The plan is expected to be attached to the rule for floor consideration of the supplemental, which could move this week
The House won’t pass a budget resolution this year, but sees its upcoming one-year spending plan as the “functional equivalent of a budget resolution.” The plan will set the cap for the 12 regular fiscal 2011 appropriations bills and include selected other provisions.
It looks like few of those bills are likely to be complete come Election Day, though, and will be passed in an omnibus bill during a lame duck session, post-election.
Stay tuned, the one-year “budget enforcement resolution” could be ready later today.
Defense Cuts Could Save Nearly $1 Trillion Over 10 Years
Jun 14, 2010
I’m proud to be a part of a new report that identifies options for nearly $1 trillion in savings over the next 10 years within the Department of Defense. Debt, Deficits, & Defense: A Way Forward was produced by the Sustainable Defense Task Force, a group of defense policy wonks put together by Representative Barney Frank to propose possible cuts to the military budget.
“I do not believe after this [proposed plan] is circulated that people will be able to dismiss the argument that you can responsibly, and at no cost to America’s genuine security, make reductions of over a trillion dollars for what has been proposed for the military budget,” Frank said at the release on Friday.
Cuts include further reductions to the U.S. nuclear arsenal and limits on the planned modernization of the nuclear weapons complex, which could save approximately $140 billion over 10 years. When missile defense and space spending are also selectively curtailed, that number is increased to $194.5 billion.
Over 100 congressional staffers, NGOs, and members of the press were at the briefing on Friday. When asked what his top three priorities might be for realistic savings within the defense budget, Frank included both nuclear weapons and missile defense.
See the briefing on C-SPAN here.
Senate Budget Resolution Passes 12 to 10
Apr 22, 2010
Chairman Kent Conrad announced the passage of his fiscal 2011 budget resolution by the Senate Budget Committee today on a party line vote of 12 to 10. The document is a nonbinding framework that doesn't have to be signed into law by the president, but provides a strong indication of the budget road ahead.
Proposals include a $4 billion cut of President Obama's discretionary spending request, as well as a freeze of non-security discretionary spending for three years.
No surprises here – I’m sure we can all think of a few things that might be cut from the President’s request, and since it does make up over half of discretionary spending, it would be prudent to start with defense, right? Not according to Conrad.
The Chairman’s Mark finds its entire $4 billion cut in the budget for International Affairs, a move that, according to the document, is “strong on national defense” – meaning weak on development and diplomacy?
