Fact Sheet: Selected Highlights of the FY2016 Defense Appropriations Bills (H.R. 2685 and S. 1558)

Fact Sheet: Selected Highlights of the FY2016 Defense Appropriations Bills (H.R. 2685 and S. 1558)

Fact Sheet: Selected Highlights of the FY2016 Defense Appropriations Bills (H.R. 2685 and S. 1558)

June 16, 2015 (R44074)

Following are selected highlights of the versions of the FY2016 Defense Appropriations Bill passed by the House on June 11, 2015 (H.R. 2685) and reported by the Senate Appropriations Committee on June 11, 2015 (S. 1558). This CRS Fact Sheet is based on the House-passed bill and the committee reports accompanying the two measures (H.Rept. 114-139 and S.Rept. 114-63, respectively). It is designed as a time-urgent product offering Members the best available information pending publication of a CRS report on the FY2016 defense funding legislation.

Table 1. FY2016 Defense Appropriations Bill (H.R. 2685 / S. 1558)

(amounts in millions of dollars of discretionary budget authority)

FY2015 Enacted

FY2016 Budget
Request

House-passed
H.R. 2685

Senate committee-reported
S. 1558

Conference Report

Military Personnel

128,004
.6

130,491
.2

122,727.6

129,442
.1

Operation and Maintenance (O&M)

161,655
.7

176,517
.2

162,234.8

139,169
.2

Procurement

96,493
.9

106,914
.4

98,549.4

109,813
.7

Research and Development (R&D)

63,713
.3

69,785
.0

66,125.7

70,324
.7

Revolving and Management Funds

2,134
.5

1,786
.7

2,108.7

2,253
.7

Defense Health Program and Other DOD Programs

34,144
.6

34,230
.5

33,418.2

34,293
.9

Related Agencies

1,021
.6

1,044
.0

1,021.9

1,027
.9

General Provisions

-803
.3

1
.0

-2,119.0

-3,351
.8

Subtotal: DOD Base Budget

486,364
.8

520,770
.0

484,067.3

482,973
.4

Global War on Terror (GWOT)

63,935
.3

50,949
.6

88,421.0

86,868
.3

(NOT ADDITIVE: amount of GWOT funding earmarked for activities funded in base budget)

n/a

0
.0

24,570.0a

36,498
.0b

Ebola Response

112
.0

—

—

—

Subtotal: GWOT

64,047
.3

50,949
.6

88,421.0

86,868
.3

TOTAL: Defense Appropriations

550,412
.1

571,719
.6

572,488.3

569,841
.7

Sources: Text of H.R. 2685 as passed by the House on June 11, 2015; and S.Rept. 114-63, Report of the Senate Appropriations Committee to accompany S. 1558, Department of Defense Appropriations Bill, 2016, filed June 11, 2015.

Notes:

a. The House bill would appropriate a total of $24.570 billion as OCO funding for items and activities for which the Administration requested funding in the base budget. The total amount the House bill would shift from base budget to OCO includes $7.1 billion in military personnel accounts, $11.9 billion in Operation and Maintenance accounts, $5.2 billion procurement accounts, and $418 million in R&D account.

b. The Senate bill would appropriate a total of $36.488 billion as OCO funding for items and activities for which the Administration requested funding in the base budget. All the funds the Senate bill would shift from base budget to OCO are in the O&M accounts.

Table 2. Selected Administration Policy and Cost-Cutting Proposals

Administration
Proposal

House-passed H.R. 2685

Senate committee-reported S. 1558

Conference Report

1.3% Raise in Military Basic Pay in lieu of the 2.3% raise that would occur under existing lawa

Adds $700 million to amount requested for military pay, which is the amount DOD projects would be saved by a 1.3% rather than 2.3% raise (Section 8124)

No funds added for a higher pay raise than the budget requests

Reduce Commissary Subsidy by efficiencies and reduction of store hours but without closing stores

Adds $322 million to the request for the commissary system to maintain the current system in FY2016

Adds $322 million to the request for the commissary system to maintain the current system in FY2016

Slow rate of increase in Housing Allowance to eventually cover 95% of rental costs in lieu of current 99% coveragea

Adds $400 million to the amount requested for housing allowance, to continue current policy in FY2016 (Section 8114)

No funds added for a higher housing allowance than the budget requests

Changes to TRICARE medical insurance including enrollment fee for TRICARE-for-Life (for retirees) and increased pharmacy co-pays for non-active duty beneficiaries

Makes a net reduction of $70 million to the TRICARE request amounting to the start-up costs for proposed changes that are not authorized by House-passed NDAA (H.R. 1735)

Makes a net reduction of $70 million to the TRICARE request amounting to the start-up costs for proposed changes

Move all Apache attack helicopters from National Guard units to Army units; Re-equip some of those Guard units with Black Hawk troop carriersb

Prohibits retirement of National Guard Apaches or transfer to regular Army pending enactment of FY2016 NDAA (Section 8116); Adds $84 million to R&D accounts for Apache upgrades

Prohibits transfer to the Army of more than 36 National Guard Apaches pending enactment of FY2016 NDAA (Section 8106);

Continue mothballing A-10 ground-attack aircraftc

Bars retirement of A-10s, dissolution of units flying A-10s and continued removal of A-10s from combat-ready status (Section 8120); Adds $788 million to continue A-10 operations

Adds $466 million for continued A-10 operations and development

End production of Tomahawk cruise missiles requesting $185 million for the last 100 missiles

Funds request and adds $30.6 million to procure an additional 49 Tomahawks

Funds request and adds $30.0 million to procure an additional 49 Tomahawks

a. For background, see CRS Report RL33446, Military Pay: Key Questions and Answers, by [author name scrubbed] and [author name scrubbed].

b. For background, see CRS Report R43808, Army Active Component (AC)/Reserve Component (RC) Force Mix: Considerations and Options for Congress, by [author name scrubbed] and [author name scrubbed].

c. For background, see CRS Report R43843, Proposed Retirement of A-10 Aircraft: Background in Brief, by [author name scrubbed].

Table 3. Selected Congressional Budget Increases and Policy Additions

Issue

House–passed H.R. 2685

Senate committee-reported S. 1558

Conference Report

F/A-18E/F Navy fighters and EA-18G electronic warfare planes (none requested)a

Adds $350 million for five F/A-18E/Fs and $666 million for seven EA-18Gs

Adds $979 million for 12 F/A-18E/Fs

F-35 Joint Strike Fighter ($11.0 billion requested for 57 planes)b

Funds request and adds $1.1 billion for 6 Marine Corps versions (F-35B) and two Navy versions (F-35C)

Funds request and adds $1.2 billion for 6 Marine Corps versions (F-35B) and four Air Force versions (F-35A)

Shipbuilding budget includes $13.8 billion for 10 ships and components to be used in future construction of four morec

Adds $635 million for an additional Afloat Forward Staging Base—a ship designed as a mobile, floating base for U.S. forces

Adds $1.8 billion to acquire two additional ships and to accelerate work on four others

Facilities Modernization, ($10.8 billion requested)

Adds $1.4 billion

No funds added

Increased funds to improve military readiness

Adds $3.2 billion, of which $2.5 billion is provided by (Section 9017)

Adds $203 million

Increased funding for medical R&D

Adds $587 million

Adds $828 million

Increased funding for Intelligence, Surveillance, and Reconnaissance (ISR)

Adds $500 million (Section 9016)

No funds added

Additional procurement funds for National Guard and reserve components

Adds $1.6 billion (including $100 million for National Guard HMMWV modernization)

Adds $1.06 billion (including $60 million for National Guard and Army Reserve HMMWV ambulances)

Lethal military assistance to Ukrained

Adds $200 million (Section 9014)

Adds $300 million (Section 9014)

Funds requested ($600 million) to train and equip Syrian forces to oppose ISILe

Approves request; bars use of funds for Syria in violation of War Powers Resolution (Section 9018)

Approves total, but shifts $69 million to Army and Air Force accounts

Counter-Terrorism Partnerships Fund $2.1 billion requested

Approves $2.06 billion

Approves $1.0 billion, transferred to other accounts for oversight

a. For background, see CRS Report RL30624, Navy F/A-18E/F and EA-18G Aircraft Program, by [author name scrubbed].

b. For background, see CRS Report RL30563, F-35 Joint Strike Fighter (JSF) Program, by [author name scrubbed].

c. For background, see CRS Report RL32665, Navy Force Structure and Shipbuilding Plans: Background and Issues for Congress, by [author name scrubbed].

d. For background, see CRS Report RL33460, Ukraine: Current Issues and U.S. Policy, by [author name scrubbed].

e. For background, see CRS Report R43727, Train and Equip Program for Syria: Authorities, Funding, and Issues for Congress, by [author name scrubbed] and [author name scrubbed].

Table 4. Selected Congressional Prohibitions and Budget Reductions

Issue

House-passed H.R. 2685

Senate committee-reported S. 1558

Conference Report

Funds cut from request on grounds that they exceed the amount required for a program in FY2016 or because the cuts can be offset by unobligated balances

Cuts $5.1 billion either deemed to be excess to requirements or to be made up for by unobligated balances appropriated in earlier budgets but not spent as planned

Cuts $4.3 billion either deemed to be excess to requirements or to be made up for by unobligated balances appropriated in earlier budgets but not spent as planned

Budget overestimate of Civilian Personnel Requirements

Cuts $689 million

Cuts $117 million

Fuel prices assumed in budget request

Cuts $814 million on the assumption that fuel prices will be lower than assumed (Section 8126)

Cuts $827 million on the assumption that fuel prices will be lower than assumed (Section 8107)

Foreign currency assumptions relating to the value of the dollar against foreign currencies in countries where U.S. forces are stationed or buy goods and services

Cuts $1.2 billion on the assumption that purchase of goods and services by U.S. forces overseas will cost less than budget assumed due to increased value of the dollar (Section 8074)

Cuts $1.2 billion on the assumption that purchase of goods and services by U.S. forces overseas will cost less than budget assumed due to increased value of the dollar (Section 8074)

Rescissions of funds appropriated in prior years which, then will offset new budget authority requested in the budget, thus reducing the new budget authority to be appropriated for FY2016

Rescinds $879 million appropriated in prior years to offset requested new budget authority (Section 8040)

Rescinds $1.3 billion appropriated in prior years to offset requested new budget authority (Section 8040)

Reduction in Working Capital Funds carryover

Cuts the overall request by $359 million with the reduction to be offset by excessively large cash balances held by DOD working capital funds (Section 8125)

Cuts the Army and Marine Corps O&M requests by a total of $160 million with the reduction to be offset by excessively large cash balances held by DOD working capital funds

Long-range Strike Bomber ($1.25 billion requested for R&D)a

Cuts $460 million because of changes in program's schedule

No change to request

KC-46 tanker plane; ($2.35 billion requested to procure 12 planes and $602 million for R&D)b

Cuts $75 million from R&D request

No change to request

a. For background, see CRS Report R43049, U.S. Air Force Bomber Sustainment and Modernization: Background and Issues for Congress, by [author name scrubbed].

b. For background, see CRS Report RL34398, Air Force KC-46A Tanker Aircraft Program, by [author name scrubbed].