Cohen Offers Amendment to FY2013 Defense Spending Bill

WASHINGTON, D.C. – Congressman Steve Cohen (TN-09) today offered an amendment to the FY 2013 Defense Department Appropriations bill to increase funding for Defense Health Programs by $235 million and decrease the Department of Defense budget by more than $260 million.  Under the Cohen proposal, funds would be diverted from the Cruiser Ship program to health care programs like cancer research.  The Cohen Amendment will be voted on by the House either later tonight or tomorrow.

“The House Appropriations Committee provided an amount six times higher than what the Obama Administration and the Pentagon requested for the Cruiser Ship program,” said Congressman Cohen.  “My amendment cuts spending for this program to match the Administration’s request.  Some of these savings would be used to increase spending on Defense Health Programs, which could double the funding for their cancer research programs.  The Department of Defense houses a strong cancer research program, one that can always use more federal funding to help save more lives.  Even after providing $235 million for health research, the amendment would still decrease overall spending in the bill by more than $260 million.”

The Pentagon and the Obama Administration recently requested $101 million to maintain Cruiser ships used by the U.S. Navy.  However, the House Appropriations Committee appropriated $607,660,000 for this program -- an increase of more than $500 million more than what the Pentagon requested.

Watch Congressman Cohen's speech on the House floor here.

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