WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today the full Fiscal Year 2012 (FY12) Defense Appropriations Bill was passed out of the Appropriations Committee in the U.S. House of Representatives. Congressman Austria strongly supported its passage, calling the bill a step in the right direction towards finding efficiencies within the Department of Defense while still meeting the requirements needed to carry out our national defense priorities.

“Passing appropriations bills is a vital component of Congress’s job in supporting the men and women serving in our military,” Congressman Austria said. “And when it comes to national security, it is vital that we have the right funding in place at the right time so our military and supporting contractors can plan and successfully carry out their missions. Many of those decisions begin right here, in the Appropriations Committee.”

“Congressman Austria has played a key role throughout this entire process,” said Congressman Bill Young (FL-10), Chairman of the House Appropriations Subcommittee on Defense. “As a Representative of Ohio, which is a state with significant military facilities and personnel, I depend on Congressman Austria’s leadership and insight when making decisions to strengthen our armed services.”

A few key components of the defense bill include full funding for Release 1 of the Expeditionary Combat Support System (ECSS). The funding for Release 1 will fully fund the ECSS program through the end of FY12.

In addition, Congressman Austria secured language to ensure that the Air Force makes a business case argument as to why it is in the best interest of taxpayers before moving any program offices or acquisition management functions of major weapons systems. This language is in addition to the language Austria supported on the House floor last month to require a cost-benefit analysis before the Air Force can continue any merger of the Enterprise Logistics Systems (ELS) and Enterprise Information Systems (EIS) portfolios.

Finally, the FY12 Defense Appropriations Bill also includes the necessary funding to continue production of the M1A1 Abrams Tank at the Lima Tank Plant – thwarting the Army’s plan to shut down the production line. The Ohio Delegation, with Congressman Austria leading on the Appropriations Committee, came together to protect this national security asset that is extremely important to the readiness of military and has more than a $100 million economic impact to Ohio’s economy, and supports thousands of jobs – directly and indirectly – throughout the state. 

“Congressman Austria and the Ohio delegation have worked tirelessly to win the support of their colleagues on the House Armed Services and Appropriations Committees for continued Abrams production that will equip the National Guard with the most advanced version of the Abrams tank,” said Keith Deters, Plant Manager of the Joint Systems Manufacturing Center in Lima, Ohio. “Our workers and our suppliers across Ohio are extremely grateful for their efforts.”

Highlights of the Bill Include:

Ongoing Military Operations – The bill contains $119 billion – $841 million above the President’s request and $39 billion below last year – for ongoing military operations in Iraq and Afghanistan. This will provide critical resources for our troops in the field, including funding for personnel requirements, operational needs, and maintenance of facilities and equipment. This also includes $13 billion in funding for the training and equipping of Afghan Security forces, and $1.1 billion for the Pakistan Counter-insurgency Capability Fund (PCCF). However, the bill includes language to withhold 75% of PCCF funds until the Secretary of Defense provides a report to Congress on a strategy and metrics for the use of these funds.

Military Personnel and Pay – The legislation includes $132.1 billion – $5.4 billion more than last year’s level – to provide for 1,408,000 active duty troops and 847,100 reserves. This also includes a 1.6% pay raise for the military, which is in line with pending Defense Authorization legislation.

Defense Health and Military Family Programs – The bill contains $32.3 billion – $935 million above last year’s level and $119 million above the request – for Defense health programs to provide care for our troops and military families. This includes $223 million for cancer research, $125 million for traumatic brain injury and psychological health treatment, $30 million for orthopedic research, and $15 million for restorative transplant research. The legislation also includes $2.3 billion for family support and advocacy programs.

Operation and Maintenance – Included in the legislation is $170 billion for operation and maintenance – $780 million below the request and $4.4 billion above enacted levels. This includes essential funding for key readiness programs to prepare our troops for combat and peace-time missions, flight time and battle training, equipment and facility maintenance, and base operations.

Research and Development – The bill contains $73 billion – $1.9 billion below last year’s level and $2.3 billion below the President’s request – for research, development, testing, and evaluation of new technologies. This funding for basic and applied science research will help to advance the safety and success of current and future military operations, and will help prepare our forces with the systems and equipment necessary to meet potential challenges down the road. For example, the bill fully funds the tanker replacement program, and research and development for the P8-A Poseidon, the Broad Area Maritime Surveillance (BAMS) Unmanned Arial Vehicle, the Navy Combat Air Vehicle, and the CH-53K helicopter.

Equipment Procurement – The legislation provides a total of $107.6 billion – $5.5 billion above last year and $3.6 billion below the President’s request – for new equipment and upgrades to ensure that our military forces have the platforms, weapons, and other equipment they need to train, maintain military infrastructure, and conduct successful operations. For example, the bill includes $15.1 billion for the construction of ten Navy ships, $5.9 billion for 32 Joint Strike Fighter aircraft (19 Air Force, 7 Navy, 6 Marine Corps), $2.8 billion for 116 H-60 Blackhawk helicopters (71 Army, 42 Navy, and 3 Air Force), $1.4 billion for 47 CH-47 Chinook helicopters, $1.1 billion for 11 C-130J aircraft, and $699 million for 48 MQ-9 Reaper UAVs.

Guantanamo Bay – The legislation prohibits funding for transfers of Guantanamo detainees to the U.S. or its territories, prohibits funding to modify any facility in the U.S. to house detainees, and places conditions on the release of detainees to other countries. These provisions are virtually identical to language contained in the fiscal year 2011 Defense Appropriations legislation.

Rescissions and Reductions from the President’s Request – The bill makes common-sense reductions from the President’s request in areas that will not affect the safety or success of our troops and missions, while also increasing overall funding for Defense activities by 3% over last year. Some of these reductions from the request include: -$500 million for unjustified supply increases, -$400 million in logistic support contract savings, -$435 million in savings stemming from production delays in the Advanced Medium-Range Air-to-Air Missile (AMRAAM), and -$524 million in program delay savings of the Enhanced Medium Altitude Reconnaissance and Surveillance System (EMAARS). In addition, the bill rescinds $1.7 billion in unneeded prior year funds where appropriate and $1.3 billion for improved economic assumptions. In addition, the legislation does not provide funds to continue the F-35 second engine program.
 

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