Highlights of House Armed Services Committee Action on the Fiscal Year 2005 Defense Authorization Bill
FUNDING PROVISIONS
Total Funding Request: $420.7 billion
Committee: $422.2 billion
NOTE: This is a bookkeeping difference based on the Congressional Budget Office's (CBO) rescoring of the original request, not an actual increase.
Personnel Request: $104.8 billion
Committee: N/A
Procurement Request: $74.9 billion (Committee shows a request of $76.0 billion)
Committee: $76.3 billion
Research, Development, Testing & Evaluation Request: $68.9 billion (Committee shows a request of $67.8 billion)
Committee: $ 68.1 billion
Operations & Maintenance Request: $140.6 billion
Committee: 119.8 billion
Military Construction Request: $9.5 billion
Committee: $9.9 billion
MAJOR WEAPONS SYSTEMS
Ballistic Missile Defense (Missile Defense Agency only) Request: $9.2 billion
Committee: $9.023 billion
TACTICAL AIRCRAFT
F/A-22 "Raptor" Fighter Request: $3.6 billion procurement for 24 aircraft ($4.7 billion total)
Committee: $4.5 billion total for 24 aircraft
NOTE: committee counts this as full funding of the request based on CBO numbers
Joint Strike Fighter Request: $4.6 billion
Committee: $4.6 billion
F/A-18E/F "Super Hornet" Fighter Request: $2.9 billion for 42 aircraft ($3.1 billion total)
Committee: $2.9 billion for 42 aircraft ($3.3 billion total)
V-22 "Osprey" Tilt-rotor Request: $1.8 billion for 11 aircraft (8 Navy, 3 Air Force)
Committee: $1.6 billion for 11 aircraft (8 Navy, 3 Air Force)
NOTE: committee counts this as full funding of the request based on CBO numbers
SHIPBUILDING
DD Destroyer Request: $1.5 billion
Committee: $1.2 billion
NOTE: Fully funds the Administration's R&D request, eliminates $221 million for procurement of the first ship in the class.
DDG-51 "Arleigh Burke" Destroyer Request: $3.6 billion for 3 ships
Committee: $3.7 billion for 3 ships
LPD-17 "San Antonio" Amphibious Assault Ship Request: $976 million for 1 ship
Committee: $976 million for 1 ship
SSN-774 "Virginia" Class Submarine Request: $2.3 billion for one vessel ($2.6 billion total request)
Committee: $2.3 billion for one vessel
ARMY PROGRAMS
Comanche Helicopter Request: $1.2 billion (the Army has since terminated the Comanche program)
Committee: While the House reallocated the funds requested for Comanche among a number of current helicopter programs, the Senate materials do not indicate a similar move by the Committee.
Stryker Interim Armored Vehicle (IAV) Request: $905 million for 310 vehicles ($957 million total requested)
Committee $905 million for 310 vehicles
Future Combat Systems
Request: $3.2 billion
Committee: $3.0 billion
NON-PROLIFERATION PROGRAMS
Dept. of Energy nonproliferation programs Request: $1.35 billion
Committee: $1.35 billion
DoD Cooperative Threat Reduction Program ("Nunn-Lugar")
Request: $409 million
Committee: $409 million
GENERAL PROVISIONS
Iraq/Afghanistan Supplemental Appropriation: Noting that a precise estimate for the amount needed to fund combat operations in Iraq and Afghanistan during FY'05 is not available, the committee authorizes $25 billion as a "bridge" fund "that provides the Department [of Defense] enough money to get through the first several months of the next fiscal year..."
- Iraq/Afghanistan Supplemental Appropriation: Noting that a precise estimate for the amount needed to fund combat operations in Iraq and Afghanistan during FY'05 is not available, the committee authorizes $25 billion as a "bridge" fund "that provides the Department [of Defense] enough money to get through the first several months of the next fiscal year..."
- BRAC: Suspends the 2005 base closure process until the Department of Defense submits reports on a number of issues, including plans for overseas basing, force transformation, active/reserve force mix, and infrastructure necessary to support a growth "surge" in the size of the military. If all required reports are completed on schedule, the base closure process would begin in 2007.
- Airborne Tankers: The committee included a total of $98.5 million for the Air Force's KC-767 airborne tanker lease/purchase program. The Administration requested no funding for the program.
- Authorizes a 3.5 percent across-the-board pay raise for military personnel
- Would permanently increase the special pay rate for troops subject to hostile fire or imminent danger from $150 per month to $225 per month
- Adds $705 million for additional up-armored HMMWVs and $332 million for add-on ballistic protection for vehicles in Iraq and Afghanistan (Administration requested $130 million)
- Temporarily increases Army active duty end strength by 30,000 soldiers in annual increments of 10,000 from 2005 through 2007. Also increases Marine Corps end strength by 9,000 in annual increments of 3,000 from 2005 through 2007.
BRAC: Suspends the 2005 base closure process until the Department of Defense submits reports on a number of issues, including plans for overseas basing, force transformation, active/reserve force mix, and infrastructure necessary to support a growth "surge" in the size of the military. If all required reports are completed on schedule, the base closure process would begin in 2007.
Airborne Tankers: The committee included a total of $98.5 million for the Air Force's KC-767 airborne tanker lease/purchase program. The Administration requested no funding for the program.
Authorizes a 3.5 percent across-the-board pay raise for military personnel
Would permanently increase the special pay rate for troops subject to hostile fire or imminent danger from $150 per month to $225 per month
Adds $705 million for additional up-armored HMMWVs and $332 million for add-on ballistic protection for vehicles in Iraq and Afghanistan (Administration requested $130 million)
Temporarily increases Army active duty end strength by 30,000 soldiers in annual increments of 10,000 from 2005 through 2007. Also increases Marine Corps end strength by 9,000 in annual increments of 3,000 from 2005 through 2007.
Sources: Defense Department's Fiscal Year 2005 budget request, House Armed Services Committee press release (May 13, 2004), and House Committee Report 108-491.