Analysis of House Appropriations Committee Markup of the Second FY 2009 War Supplemental (HR 2346)
by Christopher Hellman [contact information]
May 14, 2009
On May 4, the House Appropriations Committee approved a $94.2 billion emergency supplemental appropriations bill for the latter part of Fiscal Year 2009, which ends on September 30. For the Department of Defense, the bill includes $81.3 billion, roughly $7 billion more than the amount sought by the Obama administration, primarily to fund military operations in Iraq and Afghanistan. This funding comes in addition to the $65.9 billion war supplemental “bridge fund” for FY 2009 that Congress approved last June.
In addition to funding combat operations in Iraq and Afghanistan, the supplemental bill provides $10.4 billion for the State Department and the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID), and $2 billion for Pandemic Flu Response.
The full House is expected to take up the supplemental bill on Thursday, May 14.
To date, Congress has approved over $814 billion for military operations in Iraq and Afghanistan, not including the $81 billion for FY 2009 recommended by the House Appropriations Committee. In addition, the Obama administration also is seeking $130 billion for war funding in FY 2010.
HIGHLIGHTS
- Provides $600 million for the procurement of four F-22 fighters
- Provides $2.2 billion for the C-17 transport aircraft program, and $904 million for the C-130J transport aircraft program
- Provides $1.3 billion to respond to the threat from Improvised Explosive Devices (IEDs), $150 million below the request
- Provides $4.8 billion for the Mine Resistant Ambush Protected (MRAP) Vehicle Fund
- Provides $734 million in bonuses for service personnel whose enlistments were involuntarily extended under the “Stop Loss” program
- Fully funds the $500 million request for the Commander’s Emergency Response Program (CERP), which allows U.S. officers to finance urgent humanitarian relief and reconstruction requirements in their area of responsibility (AOR)
- Provides $3.6 billion to expand and improve capabilities of the Afghan security forces
- Provides $909 million for the Defense Health Program
- Provides $55 million for the Department of Energy’s nuclear threat reduction programs that safeguard nuclear material in Russia and other sites worldwide. The Committee did not fund the $34.5 million request to continue disablement and dismantlement of North Korea's plutonium program
- Provides $3.7 billion for foreign assistance and operations in Afghanistan ($1.5 billion), Pakistan ($2.3 billion), and Iraq ($968 million)
BACKGROUND
In February 2008, the Bush administration requested a $70 billion supplemental “bridge” fund to cover the costs of military operations in Iraq and Afghanistan for the first part of FY 2009, which began on October 1, 2008. Congress approved $65.9 billion.
On March 2, 2009, the Obama administration released the initial details of its proposed Fiscal Year 2010 budget for the federal government. At that time, the administration indicated that it would also be seeking an additional $75.5 billion in supplemental funding for military operations in Iraq and Afghanistan for the latter part of the current fiscal year (FY 2009).
FUNDING LEVELS (numbers may not add up due to rounding)
Total
Request: $76.6 billion
Committee Recommendation: $83.8 billion
Difference: +$7.1 billion
Personnel
Request: $16.2
Committee Recommendation: $17.9 billion
Difference: +$1.76 billion
Operations & Maintenance
Request: $34.4 billion
Committee Recommendation: $33.8 billion
Difference: -$605 million
Procurement
Request: $19.2 billion
Committee Recommendation: $23.0 billion
Difference: +$3.9 billion
Research, Development, Testing & Evaluation
Request: $810 million
Committee Recommendation: $722 million
Difference: -$88 million
Revolving and Management Funds
Request: $847 million
Committee Recommendation: $847 million
Difference: --
Other DOD
Request: $5.2 billion
Committee Recommendation: $7.4 billion
Difference: +$2.2 billion
NOTE: The total shown here ($83.8 billion) exceeds the $81.3 billion total given for the Committee’s recommendation. The difference is offset by $2.9 billion in fuel savings.
OTHER DEFENSE PROVISIONS
Aircraft Procurement – The Committee recommends $2.245 billion for eight C-17 transport aircraft not requested by DOD. On April 6, Defense Secretary Robert Gates announced that he was recommending halting the C-17 program at the 205 aircraft already approved. The Committee recommendation includes $904 million for 11 C-130J transport aircraft, funds also not sought by the Pentagon. The Committee also funds the Pentagon’s $600 million request for the final four aircraft in the F-22 fighter program.
Mine Resistant Ambush Protection (MRAP) Vehicles – Provides $4.8 billion for 1,800 MRAP All Terrain Vehicle variants, $2.15 billion and 800 vehicles above the request. Lighter and more maneuverable than the standard MRAP, the ATV variant is considered better suited for operations in Afghanistan.
Stryker Armored Vehicles – The Committee adds $338 million for 225 Stryker armored vehicles. The request included no funding for this program.
“Stop Loss” Benefits – The Committee includes $734.4 million to provide service members whose enlistment was involuntarily extended a bonus of $500 per month for each month they were held under “Stop Loss” orders.
FUNDING TO DATE FOR MILITARY OPERATIONS IN IRAQ AND AFGHANISTAN
- Congress has approved $864 billion since the terrorist attacks of September 11, 2001 to support military operations and other aspects of the “War on Terror” (as of June 30, 2008)
- Of this, $814 billion has gone to the Pentagon, or 94 percent of the total
- Only $46.6 billion, or roughly 5 percent, has gone to the Department of State and USAID. Of this amount, $21.1 billion was appropriated in FY 2004 for reconstruction efforts in Iraq and Afghanistan
- Pentagon funding has been split primarily between operations in Iraq ($621 billion, 76 percent) and Afghanistan ($160 billion, 20 percent)
- Including the new $75.5 billion FY 2009 request for the Pentagon and the additional $7.1 billion requested for international affairs, total emergency funding since September 2001 totals $947 billion
Christopher Hellman 202-546-0795 chellman@armscontrolcenter.org
Christopher Hellman is the Military Policy Fellow at the Center for Arms Control and Non-Proliferation where his work focuses on national security spending, military planning and policy, trends in the defense industry, global military spending, and homeland security. Hellman is a frequent media commentator on these issues. Previously, Hellman worked for the Center for Defense Information, Physicians for Social Responsibility, and spent ten years as a congressional staffer working on national security and foreign policy issues.