Defense Budget $310.8 Billion, up $18.2 Billion from Last Year
Late in the evening of April 12, the Senate and House Budget Committees filed the fiscal year 2001 budget resolution conference report. Both the Senate and House are expected to approve the budget resolution before tomorrow’s recess.
The total fiscal 2001 federal budget in the report is $1.869 trillion compared to $1.802 for FY 2000. The report calls for $600.2 billion in discretionary spending compared to $574.8 billion in last year’s budget resolution and an Administration fiscal 2001 request of $614.3 billion.
Defense spending (Function 050 in the budget) jumps to $310.8 billion from $292.6 billion for fiscal 2000. That is a huge $18.2 billion six percent increase over last year’s conference report. The Senate added $4 billion to the military budget in the budget resolution after the House version of the fiscal 2000 supplemental appropriations bill containing a $4 billion defense add-on was killed by Majority Leader Trent Lott.
In contrast, the foreign affairs budget dropped from $24.2 billion in FY 2000 to $20 billion for FY 2001.
Non-defense discretionary (funds over which Congress and the Administration have direct control) rises only $7.2 billion, from $282.2 billion for fiscal 2000 to $289.4 billion for fiscal 2001, an increase of only 2.5 percent.
TOTAL BUDGET:
Administration Request: $1.885 trillion
Conference Report: $1.869 trillion
Decrease: $16 billion
TOTAL DISCRETIONARY:
Administration Request: $614.3 billion
Conference Report: $600.2 billion
Decrease: $14.1 billion
NATIONAL DEFENSE DISCRETIONARY (FUNCTION 050):
Administration Request: $306.3 billion
Conference Report: $310.8 billion
Increase: $4.5 billion
NON-DEFENSE DISCRETIONARY:
Administration Request: $309 billion
Conference Report: $289.4 billion
Decrease: $19.6 billion
FOREIGN AFFAIRS BUDGET (FUNCTION 150):
Administration Request: $21.5 billion
Conference Report: $20 billion
Decrease: $1.5 billion
Sources: Budget of the United States Government, Congressional Record
All numbers in Budget Authority