Center for Arms Control and Non-Proliferation

Analysis of House Appropriations Committee Action on the FY2008 Defense Appropriations Bill (H.R. 3222)

by Christopher Hellman [contact information]

July 31, 2007

The House Appropriations Committee completed its markup of the Fiscal Year 2008 Defense Appropriations bill on July 25. The bill includes $459.6 billion for the Department of Defense, $3.5 billion below the Bush Administration's request ($463.1 billion) and $39.7 billion above current levels (excluding supplementals). The full House will begin consideration of the Defense Appropriations bill the week of July 30. The Senate Appropriations Committee has not yet scheduled action on the bill.

This bill does NOT fund the Administration request of $141.7 billion for military operations in Iraq and Afghanistan, which will bring the total defense budget above $600 billion for the year. The House is expected to address this Iraq and Afghanistan funding in September. Nor does it include funding for military construction, military housing, or nuclear weapons activities of the Department of Energy, which are funded through other appropriations accounts.

For additional information on the Administration's FY2008 budget request, see the Center's analysis.

HIGHLIGHTS

No Permanent Bases in Iraq - Continues the existing prohibition on the construction of permanent U.S. military bases in Iraq.

Defense Health Care - Provides $23 billion, $416 million above the Administration's request and $1.7 billion more than FY 2007.

Shipbuilding - Provides $15.3 billion, $1.6 billion above the Administration's request. This includes funding for one LPD-17 assault ship and three T-AKE cargo ships not requested by the Administration.

Guard and Reserve Equipment - Provides $925 million to address equipment shortfalls in the National Guard and Reserve, $635 million above the request.

Armed Reconnaissance Helicopter - Includes no procurement funding. The Administration had requested $468 million.

Conventional Trident Modification Program - Cuts entire Administration request of $174.5 million, but includes $100 million to develop a weapon that could strike distant targets quickly and precisely.

Missile Defense - Provides $8.5 billion for missile defense, $298 million below the request, including a $139 million cut from the $310 million requested for the third missile defense site in Europe.

Cooperative Threat Reduction (Nunn-Lugar) - Provides $398 million, $50 million above the request and $26 million above current funding levels.

FUNDING PROVISIONS

Total Funding

• Request: $463.1 billion
• Committee: $459.6 billion ($3.549 billion below the request)

Personnel

• Request: $105.4 billion
• Committee: $105.0 billion ($386 million below the request)

Operations & Maintenance

• Request: $142.9 billion
• Committee: $137.1 billion ($5.7 billion below the request)

Procurement

• Request: $99.6 billion
• Committee: $99.6 billion ($15 million below the request)

Research, Development, Testing & Evaluation

• Request: $75.1 billion
• Committee: $76.2 billion ($1.1 billion above the request)

Revolving and Management Funds

• Request: $2.5 billion
• Committee: $3.8 billion ($1.4 billion above the request)

Other Defense Programs (including defense healthcare)

• Request: $25.7 billion
• Committee: $26.1 billion ($349 million above the request)

MAJOR WEAPONS SYSTEMS

TACTICAL AIRCRAFT

F/A-22 "Raptor" Fighter

• Request: $3.1 billion for 20 aircraft
• Committee: $3.1 billion for 20 aircraft

F-35 Joint Strike Fighter

• Request: $2.4 billion for procurement of 12 aircraft (six Navy, six Air Force)
• Committee: $2.4 billion for procurement of 12 aircraft (six Navy, six Air Force)
• NOTE: The Committee also recommends an additional $480 million for continued development of an alternative engine source for the aircraft.

F/A-18E/F "Super Hornet" Fighter

• Request: $2.0 billion for 24 aircraft
• Committee: $2.0 billion for 24 aircraft

EA-18G Jamming Aircraft

• Request: $1.3 billion for 18 aircraft
• Committee: $1.3 billion for 18 aircraft

V-22 "Osprey" Tilt-rotor

• Request: $1.8 billion for 21 Marine Corps aircraft, and $454 million for five Air Force aircraft
• Committee: $1.8 billion for 21 Marine Corps aircraft, and $454 million for five Air Force aircraft

C-17 Transport

• Request: $261 million
• Committee: $261 million
• NOTE: The Committee deferred action on continuing the C-17 program (see "Funding For Military Operations In Iraq/Afghanistan" below)

C-130J Transport Aircraft

• Request: $223 million for 4 Marine Corps KC-130J aircraft, and $688 million for nine Air Force aircraft
• Committee: $220 million for 4 Marine Corps KC-130J aircraft, and $688 million for nine Air Force aircraft

BALLISTIC MISSILE DEFENSE (Missile Defense Agency only)

• Request: $8.8 billion
• Committee: $8.5 billion ($298 million below the request)
• Note: The total Administration request for ballistic missile defense (MDA and other service accounts) was $10.9 billion.

SHIPBUILDING

Aircraft Carrier Replacement Program [CVN-21]

• Request: $2.7 billion for one vessel
• Committee: $2.7 billion for one vessel

DD-1000 "Zumwalt" Destroyer [DD(x)]

• Request: $2.8 billion for two vessels
• Committee: $2.8 billion for two vessels

Littoral Combat Ship (LCS)

• Request: $910 million for three vessels
• Committee: $339 million for one vessel ($571 million below the request)

LPD-17 "San Antonio" Amphibious Assault Ship

• Request: $1.4 billion for one vessel
• Committee: $3.1 billion for two vessels

LHA Replacement Vessel

• Request: $1.4 billion
• Committee: $1.4 billion

SSN-774 "Virginia" Class Submarine

• Request: $1.8 billion for 1 vessel
• Committee: $1.8 billion for 1 vessel
• NOTE: The Committee also includes $1.3 billion for advanced procurement of an additional vessel, $568 million above the amount requested

ARMY PROGRAMS

Stryker Interim Armored Vehicle (IAV)

• Request: $1.0 billion for 127 vehicles
• Committee $1.9 billion for 377 vehicles ($874 million above the request)
• NOTE: The Committee also includes an additional $1.1 billion in unrequested funds for the formation of an 8th Stryker combat brigade.

Future Combat System (FCS)

• Request: $3.6 billion
• Committee: $3.2 billion ($406 million below the request)

UH-60 "Blackhawk" Helicopters

• Request: $586.7 million for 42 aircraft
• Committee: $770.8 million for 52 aircraft

GENERAL PROVISIONS

Personnel - Fully funds a 3.5 percent across-the-board pay raise for military personnel. The Administration had requested only a 3 percent increase.

End Strengths - The bill supports the Administration's request to increase total active duty end strength by 92,000 by FY 2012. It funds the Army's requested end strength increase of 7,000 troops and the Marine Corps' requested increase of 5,000 additional Marines in FY 2008.

HMMWVs - Provides $987 million total for "Humvees," "virtually all" of which is for the up-armored variety. This is $1 million above the request.

Chemical Weapons Destruction - Provides $1.456 billion for the Army's chemical munitions destruction program, the amount requested by the Administration.

FUNDING FOR MILITARY OPERATIONS IN IRAQ/AFGHANISTAN

As part of its FY 2008 budget submission, the Administration requested $141.7 billon for support of continued combat operations in Iraq and Afghanistan. This bill contains no funding for military operations for FY 2008. The House report states that the Appropriations Committee will address the Administration's contingency funding request in separate legislation in September. As such, severalimportant funding issues, including continued funding for the C-17 transport aircraft program and funding for the Mine Resistant Ambush Protective (MRAP) vehicle, remain unresolved.

SOURCES

Defense Appropriations Bill for Fiscal Year 2008 (H.R. 3222) House Committee Report 110-279 (PDF), released July 30, 2007.

Defense Appropriations Bill for Fiscal Year 2008 (H.R. 3222) House bill text as reported (PDF), released July 30, 2007.

House Appropriations Committee markup summary and press release (PDF), July 25, 2007.