Highlights of the House Defense Appropriations Subcommittee Action on the Fiscal Year 2005 Defense Appropriations Bill

The House Defense Appropriations Subcommittee released the results of its markup of the FY’05 Defense Appropriations bill on June 10. The bill includes $416.1 billion for the Department of Defense for fiscal year 2005. This amount includes $25 billion requested by the President for early fiscal year 2005 costs associated with operations in Iraq and Afghanistan. The remaining $391.1 billion is an increase of $24.3 billion over amounts provided in fiscal year 2004.

NOTE: The $391.1 billion figure represents funding only for the Department of Defense. It does not include funding for military construction (estimated at roughly $9.5 billion) or weapons-related activities of the Department of Energy (estimated at roughly $19 billion), each of which are funded through other appropriations bills. All three of these funding sources are, however, authorized in a single bill (H.R. 4200, FY’05 Defense Authorization bill), which included $422.2 billion, plus an additional $25 billion for costs related to military operations in Iraq and Afghanistan.

HIGHLIGHTS

Ballistic Missile Defense

Request: $10.2 billion

Authorized: $10 billion

Appropriations Subcommittee: $9.7 billion ($458 million below the budget request)

Iraq and Afghanistan

(Initial Costs) — The Subcommittee bill proposes $25 billion to cover operational costs in Iraq and Afghanistan for the early part of FY’05.

NOTE: Estimates for the total FY’05 costs for military operations in Iraq and Afghanistan are as high as $75 billion.

These funds are provided in these categories:

Military Personnel — $3,932,000,000

Operation and Maintenance — $14,335,400,000

Iraq Freedom Fund — $2,978,000,000

Procurement — $2,199,600,000

Defense Working Capital Funds — $1,250,000,000

Defense Health Program — $305,000,000

AIRCRAFT

F/A-22 “Raptor” Fighter

Request: $3.6 billion for procurement of 24 aircraft

Authorized: $3.6 billion for procurement of 24 aircraft

Appropriations Subcommittee: $3.6 billion for procurement of 24 aircraft

Joint Strike Fighter

Request: $4.6 billion

Authorized: $4.6 billion

Appropriations Subcommittee: $4.4 billion, decrease of $204 million

F/A-18E/F “Super Hornet” Fighter

Request: $2.9 billion for 42 aircraft ($3.1 billion total)

Authorized: $2.9 billion for 42 aircraft ($3.3 billion total)

Appropriations Subcommittee: Funding is provided for 42 aircraft ($ amount N/A)

KC-767 Airborne Tanker Aircraft

Request: None

Authorized: $98.5 million

Appropriations Subcommittee: $100 million

SHIPBUILDING

DD Destroyer

Request: $1.5 billion

Authorized: $1.2 billion

Appropriations Subcommittee: $1.2 billion

NOTE: Both the authorization bill and the subcommittee fully fund the Administration’s R&D request, but eliminate roughly $225 million for procurement of the first ship in the class.

DDG-51 “Arleigh Burke” Destroyer

Request: $3.6 billion for 3 ships

Authorized: $3.7 billion for 3 ships

Appropriations Subcommittee: Fully funds procurement request, adds $225 million for upgrades and future procurement of an additional ship.

SSN-774 “Virginia” Class Submarine

Request: $2.3 billion for one vessel ($2.6 billion total request)

Authorized: $2.3 billion for one vessel

Appropriations Subcommittee: Fully funds request

ARMY

Stryker Interim Armored Vehicle (IAV)

Request: $905 million for 310 vehicles ($957 million total requested)

Authorized: $905 million for 310 vehicles

Appropriations Subcommittee: $1.3 billion, including equipment for an additional combat team above that requested.

Future Combat Systems

Request: $3.2 billion

Authorized: $3.0 billion

Appropriations Subcommittee: $2.9 billion, $324 million decrease

MILITARY PAY

Military Pay Raise

Request: 3.5 percent across-the-board pay raise

Authorized: 3.5 percent across-the-board pay raise

Appropriations Subcommittee: 3.5 percent across-the-board pay raise

_________ Sources: Defense Department’s Fiscal Year 2005 budget request, House Armed Services Committee press release (May 13, 2004), House Committee Report 108-491, House Appropriations Committee press release (June 10, 2004).