Defense Spending and Your District
link to page 1 
December 9, 2022
Defense Spending and Your District
Defense spending touches every Member of Congress’s
systems); routine maintenance of aircraft, ground vehicles,
district through pay and benefits for military
and ships; headquarters and supply operations; and paying
servicemembers and retirees, economic and environmental
civilian personnel. O&M funding also supports the Military
impact of installations, and procurement of weapons
Health System (MHS), which offers health care benefits
systems and parts from local industry, among other
and services through its TRICARE program to
activities. This product is intended to familiarize Members
approximately 9.6 million beneficiaries composed of
with the scope of federal funding for defense-related
servicemembers, military retirees, and family members.
activities, and to help prepare them to deliberate on defense
The MHS administers Congressionally Directed Medical
policy and funding legislation.
Research Programs funding to certain medical research
programs on a variety of diseases and topics. O&M funding
Major Activities in Defense Policy
also supports military training exercises and other activities
Members typically influence defense policy and funding in
related to readiness (i.e., the ability of military forces to
legislation that addresses three broad categories of national
fight and meet the demands of assigned missions).
defense-related activities: 1) military and intelligence
activities of the Department of Defense (DOD); 2) atomic
Figure 1. FY2023 DOD Budget Request, by Major
energy defense activities primarily of the Department of
Appropriation Title
Energy, including development of nuclear weapons and
(as a percentage of DOD discretionary budget authority)
propulsion systems; and 3) other defense-related activities
(e.g., FBI counterintelligence activities). In the President’s
FY2023 budget request to Congress, national defense-
related activities accounted for $827 billion (14%) of nearly
$6 trillion in total federal funding. Of the $827 billion, $813
billion was requested for discretionary budget authority
(i.e., funding provided in appropriations acts). Congress can
choose to provide lesser, the same, or greater amounts.
DOD Budget
With DOD accounting for $773 billion (95%) of the $813
billion in discretionary funding requested for national
defense-related activities, the annual defense budget
process provides an opportunity for Members to prioritize
funding for various types of military activities. In terms of
Source: CRS analysis of White House Office of Management and
major categories, or titles, the largest share of funding in
Budget, Budget of the United States Government, Fiscal Year 2023,
DOD’s portion of the President’s FY2023 budget request is
Analytical Perspectives, Table 25-1.
$309.3 billion (40%) for Operation and Maintenance
Notes: Percentages may not add to 100% due to rounding.
(O&M) to operate and maintain the armed services;
followed by $173.9 billion (22%) for Military Personnel
Military Personnel (MILPERS)
(MILPERS) to pay for servicemembers; $145.9 billion
Every congressional district has some military-connected
(19%) for Procurement to buy weapons, equipment, and
constituents, such as active-duty servicemembers,
services; $130.1 billion (17%) for Research, Development,
reservists, retirees, DOD employees, contractors, and/or
Test, and Evaluation (RDT&E) to develop new technology;
military families. During the legislative cycle, Members
$12.2 billion (2%) for military construction and family
may weigh decisions about compensation, benefits (e.g.,
housing (MILCON) to fund construction projects and land
healthcare, leave time), and other policies that affect these
acquisition; and $1.6 billion (0.2%) for revolving funds (see
populations. The basic MILPERS spending questions
Figure 1).
facing Congress on an annual basis typically include “How
many people?” and “How much to pay them?” Title 10,
Operation and Maintenance (O&M)
Section 101, of the United States Code gives Congress the
Members and their staff typically express interest in O&M
authority to establish end-strengths (the total force size) for
activities, in part because this portion of the DOD budget
the active and reserve components. Elements of military
funds a range of activities occurring in or around
compensation (e.g., basic pay and housing allowances) are
congressional districts—and throughout the world. These
specified in law, including formulas tying pay increases to
activities include military recruiting; minor repairs of
inflation, unless modified by Congress. Factors influencing
military installations (e.g., replacing roofs, refinishing wall
force size and compensation decisions may include
surfaces, repairing or replacing heating and cooling
https://crsreports.congress.gov
Defense Spending and Your District
economic conditions, recruiting and retention concerns,
National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA)
fiscal constraints, and private-sector trends.
The House Armed Services Committee (HASC) and Senate
Armed Services Committee (SASC) have jurisdiction over
Research, Development, Test, and Evaluation
all bills, resolutions, and other matters relating to the
(RDT&E)
common defense under the Rules of the House and Senate.
Many congressional districts include universities, federally
These committees typically draft, amend, and report to their
funded research and development centers, or other entities
respective chambers a version of the annual NDAA.
that receive funding to develop defense technologies and
Referred to as the authorizers (or the authorizing
new weapons components or systems. DOD’s RDT&E
committees), the HASC and SASC each have
accounts fund a range of activities, including basic research
subcommittees that are assigned jurisdictional
examining promising areas of scientific advancement,
responsibilities by the full committee.
advanced research to develop prototype military systems
for field testing, and software and digital technology
Defense Appropriations Acts
programs. Some RDT&E funding is provided to colleges
The House Appropriations Committee (HAC) and Senate
and universities to study general areas of research with
Appropriations Committee (SAC) exercise jurisdiction over
defense applications.
annual appropriations measures. Each committee has 12
subcommittees, each of which is responsible for developing
Procurement
one regular annual appropriations bill. These measures
Some congressional districts include companies that receive
generally determine which and how department activities
funding to manufacture defense weapon systems, provide
will be funded. HAC and SAC subcommittee jurisdictions
services and supplies to the U.S. military, and carry out
are parallel. The main subcommittees that deal with defense
other contractual activities. From major defense contractors
matters are the Subcommittees on Defense; Military
(e.g., Lockheed Martin and Boeing) to smaller suppliers,
Construction, Veterans Affairs and Related Agencies; and
more than 200,000 companies make up the defense
Energy and Water Development.
industrial base that manufactures and supplies DOD
weapons systems. DOD procurement accounts typically
Member Requests and Oversight Activities
fund the purchase of new equipment and modifications to
In developing annual defense authorization and
existing weapons, including ships, aircraft, ground combat
appropriations legislation for consideration in the House
vehicles, munitions; and other products and services.
and Senate, the aforementioned committees typically
establish processes for soliciting requests from Members
Military Construction (MILCON)
for funding or directing certain types of action. Such
Some Members may have substantial military infrastructure
requests may take the form of an earmark (i.e., a
in their districts, such as military installations, ports, and
Community Project Funding Item or Congressionally
weapons depots. MILCON accounts fund military
Directed Spending Item for an RDT&E activity or
construction projects; major infrastructure improvements;
MILCON project in their district or state); funding for a
land acquisition; construction and operation of military
specific program or activity; or language in a bill or report
family housing; privatized housing through the Family
that directs a briefing, report, or other action (e.g.,
Housing Improvement Fund and the Military
withholds funding until a condition is met).
Unaccompanied Housing Improvement Fund; construction
and environmental cleanup projects required by the base
In addition to adopting legislative provisions, the
closure and realignment commission (BRAC) process; and
aforementioned committees conduct oversight of defense-
contributions to the North Atlantic Treaty Organization
related activities in part by holding hearings on the DOD
(NATO) Security Investment Program, which funds
budget, military force posture, and other topics. Such
infrastructure projects and cost-sharing expenses for
hearings may feature witnesses from DOD (e.g., senior
collective defense. MILCON decisions may result in
civilians, generals and admirals, other military personnel);
economic and environmental impacts on local communities.
other federal agencies; DOD or congressional oversight
organizations (e.g., DOD Office of Inspector General,
Major Defense Legislation and
Government Accountability Office); and nongovernmental
Committees of Jurisdiction
organizations (e.g., academic institutions, think thanks).
Funding for national defense-related activities is generally
Members of Congress, Congressional Delegations
subject to an annual defense authorization and
(CODELs), and Staff Delegations (STAFFDELs) may also
appropriations process. This two-part process typically
travel to visit defense facilities in the United States or
involves enactment of: 1) an authorization act to set policy
abroad to better understand or investigate agency activities
and recommend funding levels for defense programs,
and implementation of policy.
projects, and activities; and 2) appropriations acts to
provide funding for such activities. A single bill, known as
Resources
the National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA),
authorizes the vast majority of appropriations for national
CRS Report R44757, Defense Primer: A Guide for New Members
defense-related activities. Meanwhile, several
DOD, Defense Spending by State, FY2021
appropriations acts typically provide funding for such
activities—the largest of which is the Department of
Defense Appropriations Act.
Brendan W. McGarry, Analyst in US Defense Budget
https://crsreports.congress.gov
Defense Spending and Your District
IF12274
Kristy N. Kamarck, Specialist in Military Manpower
Disclaimer
This document was prepared by the Congressional Research Service (CRS). CRS serves as nonpartisan shared staff to
congressional committees and Members of Congress. It operates solely at the behest of and under the direction of Congress.
Information in a CRS Report should not be relied upon for purposes other than public understanding of information that has
been provided by CRS to Members of Congress in connection with CRS’s institutional role. CRS Reports, as a work of the
United States Government, are not subject to copyright protection in the United States. Any CRS Report may be
reproduced and distributed in its entirety without permission from CRS. However, as a CRS Report may include
copyrighted images or material from a third party, you may need to obtain the permission of the copyright holder if you
wish to copy or otherwise use copyrighted material.
https://crsreports.congress.gov | IF12274 · VERSION 1 · NEW
December 9, 2022
Defense Spending and Your District
Defense spending touches every Member of Congress’s
systems); routine maintenance of aircraft, ground vehicles,
district through pay and benefits for military
and ships; headquarters and supply operations; and paying
servicemembers and retirees, economic and environmental
civilian personnel. O&M funding also supports the Military
impact of installations, and procurement of weapons
Health System (MHS), which offers health care benefits
systems and parts from local industry, among other
and services through its TRICARE program to
activities. This product is intended to familiarize Members
approximately 9.6 million beneficiaries composed of
with the scope of federal funding for defense-related
servicemembers, military retirees, and family members.
activities, and to help prepare them to deliberate on defense
The MHS administers Congressionally Directed Medical
policy and funding legislation.
Research Programs funding to certain medical research
programs on a variety of diseases and topics. O&M funding
Major Activities in Defense Policy
also supports military training exercises and other activities
Members typically influence defense policy and funding in
related to readiness (i.e., the ability of military forces to
legislation that addresses three broad categories of national
fight and meet the demands of assigned missions).
defense-related activities: 1) military and intelligence
activities of the Department of Defense (DOD); 2) atomic
Figure 1. FY2023 DOD Budget Request, by Major
energy defense activities primarily of the Department of
Appropriation Title
Energy, including development of nuclear weapons and
(as a percentage of DOD discretionary budget authority)
propulsion systems; and 3) other defense-related activities
(e.g., FBI counterintelligence activities). In the President’s
FY2023 budget request to Congress, national defense-
related activities accounted for $827 billion (14%) of nearly
$6 trillion in total federal funding. Of the $827 billion, $813
billion was requested for discretionary budget authority
(i.e., funding provided in appropriations acts). Congress can
choose to provide lesser, the same, or greater amounts.
DOD Budget
With DOD accounting for $773 billion (95%) of the $813
billion in discretionary funding requested for national
defense-related activities, the annual defense budget
process provides an opportunity for Members to prioritize
funding for various types of military activities. In terms of
Source: CRS analysis of White House Office of Management and
major categories, or titles, the largest share of funding in
Budget, Budget of the United States Government, Fiscal Year 2023,
DOD’s portion of the President’s FY2023 budget request is
Analytical Perspectives, Table 25-1.
$309.3 billion (40%) for Operation and Maintenance
Notes: Percentages may not add to 100% due to rounding.
(O&M) to operate and maintain the armed services;
followed by $173.9 billion (22%) for Military Personnel
Military Personnel (MILPERS)
(MILPERS) to pay for servicemembers; $145.9 billion
Every congressional district has some military-connected
(19%) for Procurement to buy weapons, equipment, and
constituents, such as active-duty servicemembers,
services; $130.1 billion (17%) for Research, Development,
reservists, retirees, DOD employees, contractors, and/or
Test, and Evaluation (RDT&E) to develop new technology;
military families. During the legislative cycle, Members
$12.2 billion (2%) for military construction and family
may weigh decisions about compensation, benefits (e.g.,
housing (MILCON) to fund construction projects and land
healthcare, leave time), and other policies that affect these
acquisition; and $1.6 billion (0.2%) for revolving funds (see
populations. The basic MILPERS spending questions
Figure 1).
facing Congress on an annual basis typically include “How
many people?” and “How much to pay them?” Title 10,
Operation and Maintenance (O&M)
Section 101, of the United States Code gives Congress the
Members and their staff typically express interest in O&M
authority to establish end-strengths (the total force size) for
activities, in part because this portion of the DOD budget
the active and reserve components. Elements of military
funds a range of activities occurring in or around
compensation (e.g., basic pay and housing allowances) are
congressional districts—and throughout the world. These
specified in law, including formulas tying pay increases to
activities include military recruiting; minor repairs of
inflation, unless modified by Congress. Factors influencing
military installations (e.g., replacing roofs, refinishing wall
force size and compensation decisions may include
surfaces, repairing or replacing heating and cooling
https://crsreports.congress.gov
Defense Spending and Your District
economic conditions, recruiting and retention concerns,
National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA)
fiscal constraints, and private-sector trends.
The House Armed Services Committee (HASC) and Senate
Armed Services Committee (SASC) have jurisdiction over
Research, Development, Test, and Evaluation
all bills, resolutions, and other matters relating to the
(RDT&E)
common defense under the Rules of the House and Senate.
Many congressional districts include universities, federally
These committees typically draft, amend, and report to their
funded research and development centers, or other entities
respective chambers a version of the annual NDAA.
that receive funding to develop defense technologies and
Referred to as the authorizers (or the authorizing
new weapons components or systems. DOD’s RDT&E
committees), the HASC and SASC each have
accounts fund a range of activities, including basic research
subcommittees that are assigned jurisdictional
examining promising areas of scientific advancement,
responsibilities by the full committee.
advanced research to develop prototype military systems
for field testing, and software and digital technology
Defense Appropriations Acts
programs. Some RDT&E funding is provided to colleges
The House Appropriations Committee (HAC) and Senate
and universities to study general areas of research with
Appropriations Committee (SAC) exercise jurisdiction over
defense applications.
annual appropriations measures. Each committee has 12
subcommittees, each of which is responsible for developing
Procurement
one regular annual appropriations bill. These measures
Some congressional districts include companies that receive
generally determine which and how department activities
funding to manufacture defense weapon systems, provide
will be funded. HAC and SAC subcommittee jurisdictions
services and supplies to the U.S. military, and carry out
are parallel. The main subcommittees that deal with defense
other contractual activities. From major defense contractors
matters are the Subcommittees on Defense; Military
(e.g., Lockheed Martin and Boeing) to smaller suppliers,
Construction, Veterans Affairs and Related Agencies; and
more than 200,000 companies make up the defense
Energy and Water Development.
industrial base that manufactures and supplies DOD
weapons systems. DOD procurement accounts typically
Member Requests and Oversight Activities
fund the purchase of new equipment and modifications to
In developing annual defense authorization and
existing weapons, including ships, aircraft, ground combat
appropriations legislation for consideration in the House
vehicles, munitions; and other products and services.
and Senate, the aforementioned committees typically
establish processes for soliciting requests from Members
Military Construction (MILCON)
for funding or directing certain types of action. Such
Some Members may have substantial military infrastructure
requests may take the form of an earmark (i.e., a
in their districts, such as military installations, ports, and
Community Project Funding Item or Congressionally
weapons depots. MILCON accounts fund military
Directed Spending Item for an RDT&E activity or
construction projects; major infrastructure improvements;
MILCON project in their district or state); funding for a
land acquisition; construction and operation of military
specific program or activity; or language in a bill or report
family housing; privatized housing through the Family
that directs a briefing, report, or other action (e.g.,
Housing Improvement Fund and the Military
withholds funding until a condition is met).
Unaccompanied Housing Improvement Fund; construction
and environmental cleanup projects required by the base
In addition to adopting legislative provisions, the
closure and realignment commission (BRAC) process; and
aforementioned committees conduct oversight of defense-
contributions to the North Atlantic Treaty Organization
related activities in part by holding hearings on the DOD
(NATO) Security Investment Program, which funds
budget, military force posture, and other topics. Such
infrastructure projects and cost-sharing expenses for
hearings may feature witnesses from DOD (e.g., senior
collective defense. MILCON decisions may result in
civilians, generals and admirals, other military personnel);
economic and environmental impacts on local communities.
other federal agencies; DOD or congressional oversight
organizations (e.g., DOD Office of Inspector General,
Major Defense Legislation and
Government Accountability Office); and nongovernmental
Committees of Jurisdiction
organizations (e.g., academic institutions, think thanks).
Funding for national defense-related activities is generally
Members of Congress, Congressional Delegations
subject to an annual defense authorization and
(CODELs), and Staff Delegations (STAFFDELs) may also
appropriations process. This two-part process typically
travel to visit defense facilities in the United States or
involves enactment of: 1) an authorization act to set policy
abroad to better understand or investigate agency activities
and recommend funding levels for defense programs,
and implementation of policy.
projects, and activities; and 2) appropriations acts to
provide funding for such activities. A single bill, known as
Resources
the National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA),
authorizes the vast majority of appropriations for national
CRS Report R44757, Defense Primer: A Guide for New Members
defense-related activities. Meanwhile, several
DOD, Defense Spending by State, FY2021
appropriations acts typically provide funding for such
activities—the largest of which is the Department of
Defense Appropriations Act.
Brendan W. McGarry, Analyst in US Defense Budget
https://crsreports.congress.gov
Defense Spending and Your District
IF12274
Kristy N. Kamarck, Specialist in Military Manpower
Disclaimer
This document was prepared by the Congressional Research Service (CRS). CRS serves as nonpartisan shared staff to
congressional committees and Members of Congress. It operates solely at the behest of and under the direction of Congress.
Information in a CRS Report should not be relied upon for purposes other than public understanding of information that has
been provided by CRS to Members of Congress in connection with CRS’s institutional role. CRS Reports, as a work of the
United States Government, are not subject to copyright protection in the United States. Any CRS Report may be
reproduced and distributed in its entirety without permission from CRS. However, as a CRS Report may include
copyrighted images or material from a third party, you may need to obtain the permission of the copyright holder if you
wish to copy or otherwise use copyrighted material.
https://crsreports.congress.gov | IF12274 · VERSION 1 · NEW