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June 7th, 2005 - - FY05 Comparable funding : $352.4 billion
FY06 Request: $366.7 billion
FY06 Chairman’s Mark: $408 billion (includes $363.7 billion in base funds and a $45.3 billion bridge fund for military operations in Iraq and Afghanistan)
Overall Budgetary Highlights
- Military Personnel $84.1 billion
- Operation and Maintenance $116.1 billion
- Procurement $76.8 billion
- Research, Development, Test and Evaluation $71.7 billion
- Revolving and Management Funds $2.8 billion
- Other Department of Defense Programs $2.5 billion
- Emergency Wartime Appropriation $45.3 billion
Troop Support: Fully funds the 3.1% military pay raise and end strength requirements proposed in the President's budget; an increase of $20 million is provided for the military’s Family Advocacy program to fight domestic violence; restores Impact Aid to $30 million, which was terminated in the budget request.
Bridge Fund: The bill includes $45.3 billion in emergency funding for military operations in Iraq and Afghanistan, available on October 1, 2005. The fund is designed to cover 6 months worth of contingency operations costs in the global war on terrorism. The majority of this funding – $36.7 billion, or 80% – is provided for military pay and operation and maintenance accounts. Funds are also provided for the following:
- Replacement of equipment losses: Approximately $2.8 billion is added to procurement accounts for Army, Navy, Marine Corps, and Air Force equipment due to wartime losses and degradation. This includes funding for additional Humvees, trucks, radios, electronic jammers, Tomahawk cruise missiles, and ammunition.
- Personnel protection items: An additional $1.2 billion is provided for personnel force protection items and gear for troops in the field, such as body armor.
- Insurance and Death Gratuities: A total of $230 million is provided to cover costs of the enhanced insurance and death gratuity benefits approved in the FY 2005 war supplemental.
- Army Reset: The recommendations propose a total of $2.9 billion for Army equipment rehabilitation (unit and depot maintenance).
- Other Items: Authority is provided for the Iraq and Afghanistan security force training programs, as well as the Commander’s Emergency Response program (CERP), to receive $500 million. Recruiting and retention activities are allocated $735 million.
Army Ground Systems: The Army’s Future Combat System (FCS) research and development program is funded at $3.0 billion, about $400 million below the request due to significant development and contracting delays. The Non-Line of Sight Cannon (NLOS) program would receive an increase of $50 million. The Stryker vehicle program is fully funded at the requested level of $878 million for 240 vehicles.
Navy Shipbuilding: The President’s request included funding for 4 ships: one Virginia-class submarine, one LPD-17 amphibious ship, one Littoral Combat ship (LCS), and one T-AKE cargo ship. The recommendations fully fund these and add 4 additional ships: one DDG-51 class destroyer ($1.4 billion); two LCS ships (an increase of $440 million); and one additional T-AKE ($380 million). Included is a recommendation to cut the Navy’s DD(X) destroyer program by a total of about $1 billion - the combination of a reduction of $0.7 billion for advance procurement and $0.3 billion out of R&D; $670 million would remain in R&D. The recommendation is consistent with the levels approved by the House for the DD(X) program in the National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2006.
Navy/Marine Corps Aviation: The bill fully funds the request for 130 aircraft, including 42 F/A-18’s, compared to 115 total aircraft provided in fiscal year 2005. The bill fully funds the V-22 aircraft procurement program ($1.5 billion for 11 aircraft). The VXX Presidential helicopter replacement program is fully funded, as requested ($0.9 billion).
Air Force programs: The bill would include purchasing 25 F/A-22 aircraft, as requested, and provides $3.2 billion. The C-17 program is fully funded (15 aircraft at $3.5 billion). The bill restores funding for the C-130J multiyear procurement program by transferring funding from the Navy to the Air Force; the Air Force will procure 9 aircraft while the Navy will procure 4 tanker variants. The Joint Strike Fighter (a joint program with the Navy) is funded at almost $5 billion in R&D, as requested, but a reduction of $152 million for advance procurement is made due to development delays and since the first production aircraft will not actually be purchased until FY08. Finally, roughly $120 million is reduced from the request for Global Hawk funding due to an anticipated slowdown in the production schedule.
Missile Defense: The bill provides a total of $7.6 billion for ballistic missile defense, a decrease of $143 million from the budget request. The recommendation does, however, include additional funding for an Asymmetric Warfare Initiative and S-Band radar. The Kinetic Energy Intercept program is funded at the President’s requested level of $225 million.
Space Programs: Funds most of the Administration’s request for major space programs. However, the bill makes reductions to the request for two programs; Space radar (-$126 million) and transformational communications satellite (-$400 million). Remaining funds for these programs are for research and development activities, and for activities to reduce the costs for potential future procurements.
Terminations: The bill terminates funding for the Joint Air to Surface Standoff Missile (JASSM). The President requested $150 million for the program. The bill provides $2 million to close out existing contracts. The missile has repeatedly failed reliability and performance tests.
Drug Interdiction and Counter-drug Activities: The bill provides $907 million for DOD’s counter-drug activities and to fight narcoterrorism, $11 million over the request and roughly last year’s level.
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