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Analysis of Fiscal Year 2012 Defense Appropriations Bill as approved by House Appropriations Committee

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by Laicie Olson [contact information]

June 15, 2011

$648.7 billion Fiscal Year 2012 Defense Appropriations Bill
As approved by House Appropriations Committee

The House Appropriations Committee approved its version of the Fiscal Year (FY) 2012 Defense Appropriations Bill on June 14. The bill contains $530 billion in funding for non-war programs and accounts, an increase of $17 billion over FY 2011 and a decrease of approximately $9 billion from the President’s request.

In addition to $530 billion in base spending, the bill contains $118.7 billion in spending for the wars in Afghanistan and Iraq, $842 million above the President’s request and $39 billion less than FY 2011, a decrease due to the drawdown of U.S. forces in Iraq. This total includes $12.8 billion for the training and equipping of Afghan Security forces, and $1.1 billion for the Pakistan Counterinsurgency Capability Fund (PCCF), which has moved from the subcommittee on State/Foreign Operations to the subcommittee on defense.

The total in the bill is $648.7 billion. Other portions of defense spending are contained in the Military Construction and Energy and Water Appropriations Bills.

The bill is expected to be considered by the full House of Representatives the week of June 20. It is expected that germane amendments will be permitted.

Some major categories of spending:

Active, Reserve, and National Guard Military Personnel

The bill supports a 1.6 percent pay raise for all military personnel, effective January 1, 2012, and recommends a total of $132 billion for active, reserve, and National Guard military personnel, $4.3 million below the budget request, but an increase of $5.4 billion above the FY 2011 enacted level.

Operations and Maintenance

The Committee recommends $170 billion for operations and maintenance, which includes operational training programs, facilities sustainment, and base operations support. This is a decrease of approximately $780 million below the budget request, and an increase of $4.4 billion above the FY 2011 enacted level.

Procurement

The bill includes $107.6 billion for procurement, a $6.8 billion cut from the Pentagon's request, but a $5.5 billion increase over the 2011 budget. It provides full funding for the procurement of 32 F–35 Aircraft: six Short Take-off and Vertical Landing variants for the Marine Corps, seven Carrier variants for the Navy, and 19 Conventional variants for the Air Force; the procurement of ten Navy ships, including one DDG–51 Guided Missile Destroyer, two SSN– 774 Attack Submarines, four Littoral Combat Ships, one Intra-theater Connector Ship, one LPD–17 Amphibious Transport Dock, and one Mobile Landing Platform; and the procurement of 30 MV–22 and five CV–22 Osprey aircraft.

Notable adjustments include:

Research, Development, Test and Evaluation

The Committee recommends a total of $73 billion for research, development, test and evaluation (RDT&E), a decrease of approximately $2.3 billion below the President’s request and $1.9 billion below the FY 2011 enacted level. The bill provides full funding for the next generation tanker, the P8-A Poseidon, the Broad Area Maritime Surveillance (BAMS) Unmanned Aircraft System, the Navy Combat Air Vehicle, the SSBN(X) Ballistic Missile Submarine, and the CH-53K helicopter.

Notable adjustments include:

Special Operations Command

The bill provides $239 million in additional funding for U.S. Special Operations Command and notes that, “the Committee has focused on addressing Service identified unfunded requirements, including the Special Operations Command, and restoring unrealistic efficiencies included in the budget request.”

Defense Health Program

The bill increases spending for the Defense Health Program to $32.3 billion, an increase of $118.7 million above the budget request and $935.3 million above the FY 2011 enacted level, and recommends the additional funding be used to augment the request for enduring Traumatic Brain Injury and Psychological Health and Wounded, Ill, and Injured requirements.

F-35 Joint Strike Fighter

The bill includes language expressing the importance of the Joint Strike Fighter and commits to working with the Secretary of Defense to ensure the success of the program. It does not provide funding for the f136 alternate engine developed by General Electric and Rolls Royce.

Guantanamo Bay

The bill would bar funding for the transfer or release of any individuals detained at Guantanamo Bay, Cuba into the United States, its territories, or possessions; prohibit funding to transfer any individual detained at Guantanamo Bay to another country or entity unless the Secretary makes certain certifications; and prohibit funding to modify any United States facility (other than the facility at Guantanamo Bay) to house any individual detained at Guantanamo Bay.

Outside War Assessment

The bill would withhold 75 percent of funding for the Pakistan Counter-insurgency Capability Fund until the Secretary of Defense provides lawmakers with a report detailing a strategy and metrics for the use of the funds. The Committee also gave voice vote to an amendment that would provide $1 million for the creation of a bipartisan commission to make recommendations on Afghanistan and Pakistan. The amendment, offered by Representative Frank Wolf (R-VA), would require a report within 120 days of the bill being signed into law. Additionally, Representative Norm Dicks (D-WA) won backing for an amendment requiring the Pentagon to provide lawmakers with a report detailing any suspected human rights abuses.

Other amendments of note include a provision by Representative Betty McCollum (D-MN) to limit the use of funds for military bands to $200 million, and an amendment offered by Republican Jeff Flake of Arizona that would require the Secretary of Defense to specify the details of the approximate $100 billion in "efficiency savings" previously announced. Both amendments were adopted by voice vote.

For the text and report of legislation approved yesterday by the Appropriations Committee, please visit the following links:

Text (PDF)
Report (PDF)
Press Release

Laicie Olson 202-546-0795 ext. 2105 lolson@armscontrolcenter.org

Laicie Olson is Senior Policy Analyst at the Center for Arms Control and Non-Proliferation, where her work focuses on weapons proliferation, military spending and global security issues.