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PENCE PRAISES PASSAGE OF DEFENSE APPROPRIATIONS

Greeting soldiers and airmen

Washington, Jun 22, 2004 - Washington, D.C. – U.S. Congressman Mike Pence today praised the passage of the $416.9 billion Department of Defense Appropriations Act for Fiscal Year 2005. This includes $25 billion requested by President Bush for equipping our military’s operations in Iraq and Afghanistan. The bill passed the House by a vote of XXX-XXX.

“I am pleased to see that this bill supplies the resources our military needs to maintain a strong defense of our homeland and support freedom around the world,” said Pence. “America will continue to promote a free and democratic Iraq and fight the global war on terror, and it is crucial that we provide the funds necessary to be successful in these endeavors.”

“I’m especially glad to see that this bill promotes improved military intelligence by increasing intelligence funding, a crucial element to fighting international terrorism,” said Pence. “It is also important to provide funding for the military in traditional ways such as supplying body armor, small arms ammunition, precision guided munitions, air support, and aerial refueling and this bill accomplishes that as well.”


Summary of Defense Department Appropriations Bill for Fiscal Year 2005


- Increasing Our Combat Capabilities:

Critical Readiness: Provides increases in funding levels for land forces training, tank training miles, helicopter flying hours, ship steaming days, and Air Force and Navy flying hour programs.

Shipbuilding Programs: Provides a total of $10.2 billion for shipbuilding procurement. The bill fully funds amounts requested for fiscal year 2005 production ships.

Army Future Combat System: Provides $2.9 billion for the Army’s development of a new generation of networked combat vehicles. This bill fully funds the requested amount for the Non Line of Sight Cannon (NLOS-C) and directs its fielding by no later than 2010.

- Supporting Our Military Personnel

Pay Raise: Provides a 3.5 percent average military pay raise

Housing Costs: Increases Basic Housing Allowances, eliminating service members' average out-of-pocket housing expenses from 3.5 percent to zero in fiscal year 2005.

Medical Programs: Nearly $18 billion is recommended for the Defense Health Program, an increase of $2.2 billion over fiscal year 2004. Funding for military-related medical research and related initiatives is increased by more than $900 million above requested levels.

- Making the Homeland Safe

Chemical and Biological Defense Initiatives: Nearly $1.7 billion is provided for procurement and development of chemical and biological defenses, with additional funding for shelters, mobile chemical agent detection, air contaminant monitoring systems, early warning and detection programs, and miniature chemical and biological detectors.

Ballistic Missile Defense: $9.7 billion is provided for missile defense programs, an increase of over $632 million from fiscal year 2004 levels and a net decrease of $458 million from the budget request. This amount includes $4.4 billion for ground-based midcourse missile defense, in support of fielding a national missile defense initial operational capability in the autumn of 2004 as proposed by the President. For theater missile defense, the Committee has provided $938 million for production, modification and continued development of Patriot PAC-3 missiles and the next-generation MEADS system.

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