U.S. House of Representatives Committee on Appropriations

06/14/2022 | Press release | Distributed by Public on 06/14/2022 08:22

Appropriations Committee Releases Fiscal Year 2023 Defense Funding Bill

June 14, 2022
Press Release

Appropriations Committee Releases Fiscal Year 2023 Defense Funding Bill

Legislation helps Ukraine defend its democracy, protects national security, and confronts the climate crisis

WASHINGTON - The House Appropriations Committee today released the draft fiscal year 2023 Defense funding bill, which will be considered in subcommittee tomorrow. The legislation funds agencies and programs in the Department of Defense (DoD) and Intelligence Community, including the Services, Central Intelligence Agency, and the National Security Agency.

For 2023, the bill provides total funding of $761.681 billion, an increase of $32.207 billion above 2022. It is in line with President Biden's budget request, a funding level endorsed by the Secretary of Defense. The legislation:

  • Provides critical security assistance to Ukraine with resources for training, equipment, weapons, supplies and services, salaries and stipends, and intelligence support to the Ukrainian military and national security forces
  • Protects our national security, preserves our domestic advanced manufacturing base to support jobs and economic growth, and invests heavily in research and development with funding recommended by the Secretary of Defense
  • Closes the detention facility at Guantanamo Bay and limits United States involvement in Yemen
  • Defends democracy and counters China with robust funding to advance a free and open Indo-Pacific
  • Supports working families by requiring contractors to pay a $15 minimum wage
  • Confronts the climate crisis with $2.5 billion in investments in clean energy and climate adaptation to protect facilities, readiness, and global security
  • Addresses violence against women with funding to tackle sexual assault in the military and promote mental health through suicide prevention funds and directs DoD to address extremist ideologies, including white supremacy. The bill includes $479 million to fully implement the recommendations of the Independent Review Commission on Sexual Assault and Sexual Harassment. In addition, the bill continues to provide $47 million for the Special Victims' Counsel program.
"The Fiscal Year 2023 Defense Appropriations bill is a responsible investment in our national security that will keep our nation strong and the American people safe," said Defense Chair Betty McCollum (D-MN-04). "Democrats are investing in creating good-paying union jobs, ensuring a safe environment for our service members and their families, and taking on the very serious security threats facing our nation and the world, such as ongoing Russian aggression and climate change. As Democrats continue to invest in diplomacy, development, and health, we also scrutinized this year's budget for inefficiencies and for cuts that could be made to save taxpayer money. As Vladimir Putin continues his brutal, illegal war in Ukraine, this legislation continues to support the Ukrainian people in their fight to defend their democracy. The Subcommittee held a total of 18 hearings, both public and classified, to gather input from the Biden administration as we wrote this legislation which makes strategic investments in our national security needs in order to keep America safe, secure, and strong.""With democracy under attack in Ukraine, it is critical that our Department of Defense and intelligence agencies have the resources requested by the Secretary of Defense to support our allies, protect our national security, maintain a strong industrial base to support good paying jobs, and counter rising threats," Appropriations Committee Chairwoman Rosa DeLauro (D-CT-03) said. "Building off the support Congress has delivered to counter Russia's invasion of Ukraine, the Defense Appropriations bill honors our soldiers and their families and civilians who support our nation's military. This includes a strong military pay raise and funding to combat sexual assault in the military as recommended by the Independent Review Commission on Sexual Assault and Sexual Harassment. With this bill, we are rising to meet the current challenges and living up to our moral responsibility to support Ukraine and its people and defend global democracy."A summary of the draft fiscal year 2023 Defensebill is below. The text of the draft bill is here.

Bill Summary:

Military Personnel

Total: $173.1 billion

The FY 2023 Military Personnel recommendation is $173.1 billion in funding for active, reserve and National Guard military personnel, a decrease of $803 million below the budget request and an increase of $6.2 billion above the FY 2022 enacted level. The bill:

  • Provides full funding necessary to support the proposed 4.6 percent military pay raise.
  • Provides nearly $1 billion for Sexual Assault Program funding, including $479 million to implement the recommendations of the Independent Review Commission on Sexual Assault and $47 million for the Special Victims' Counsel programs.
  • Funds active duty end strength of 1,328,300, a decrease of 4,139 below the current year and equal to the request. Funds reserve component end strength of 794,600, a decrease of 508 below the current year and equal to the request.

Operation and Maintenance

Total: $269.3 billion

The FY 2023 Operation and Maintenance recommendation is $269.3 billion, a decrease of $848 million below the budget request and an increase of $13 billion above the FY 2022 enacted level. This legislation:

  • Provides $500 million above the request for key readiness programs to prepare forces for combat operations and other peacetime missions including flying hours, tank miles, and steaming days; equipment, aviation, and ship depot maintenance; training; spare parts; and base operations.
  • Provides $27.6 billion to the Army, Navy, Marine Corps, and Air Force for depot maintenance.
  • Provides $1.4 billion for Environmental Restoration activities, $300 million above the request. In addition, it provides $15 million for study and assessment of health implications of PFOS/PFOA contamination in drinking water.
  • Provides $9.7 billion to fund SOCOM's operation and maintenance requirements.
  • Provides $3.9 billion to continue the transition of space activities to the Space Force.
  • Provides $1 million to the Army for the renaming of installations, facilities, roads, and streets that bear the name of confederate leaders and officers.
  • Includes a general provision and report language that directs the Navy to retain five littoral combat ships and provide a report to the Congress on uses for these vessels on missions in Southern and African commands.
  • Provides $210 million above the request for National Guard Youth Challenge; and $47 million above the request for Starbase.
  • Provides $50 million for Impact Aid and $20 million for Impact Aid for those with disabilities.
  • Provides $8.6 million for gender advisor programs.
  • Provides $55 million for the Procurement Technical Assistance Program.
  • Provides $352 million for the Cooperative Threat Reduction program.
  • Provides $193 million for Suicide Prevention programs, a $22 million above the FY 2022 enacted level.

Procurement

Total: $143.9 billion

The FY 2023 Procurement recommendation is $143.9 billion in base funding, a decrease of $0.96 billion below the budget request and a decrease of $1 billion below the FY 2022 enacted level. This spending bill:

Aircraft

  • Funds the request of 61 F-35 aircraft ($7.2 billion).
  • Funds the request for B-21 Raider procurement ($1.5 billion).
  • Funds 18 F-15EX aircraft to recapitalize the F-15C/D fleet ($1.9 billion).
  • Funds the request of 15 KC-46 tankers ($2.7 billion).
  • Funds the request of 10 HH-60W combat rescue helicopters ($694 million).
  • Funds the request of five KC-130J aircraft ($430.5 million).
  • Funds five MQ-9 Reaper air vehicles for the Marine Corps ($98 million).
  • Provides $273 million above the request to fund a total of 35 UH/HH-60M Blackhawk helicopters ($991 million).
  • Funds the request of 35 AH-64 Apache helicopters ($693 million).
  • Funds the request of five E-2D Advanced Hawkeye aircraft ($802.7 million).
  • Funds 12 CH-53K helicopters, two more than the request ($1.86 billion).
  • Provides $246 million for a total of nine aircraft for SOCOM's Armed Overwatch Program.

Shipbuilding

  • Provides $27.78 billion to procure eight Navy ships.
  • Provides for two DDG-51 guided missile destroyers, two SSN-774 attack submarines, one Frigate, one T-AO Fleet Oiler, one towing, salvage, and rescue ship, and one LPD Flight II amphibious transport dock.

Vehicles/Force Protection

  • Provides an additional $120 million over the budget request for Army National Guard HMMWV modernization.
  • Funds the requested 1,528 Joint Light Tactical Vehicle (JLTV) trucks and 1,381 companion trailers ($686 million).
  • Funds the request to upgrade 44 Abrams tanks to the M1A2 SEPv3 tank variant ($634 million).
  • Provides $210 million above the request for a total of 48 sets of M109A6 Paladin Self-Propelled Howitzers and M992A2 Field Artillery Ammunition Support Vehicles, an increase of 21 sets ($680 million).

Other

  • Provides $48 million above the request for Defense Production Act purchases to ensure the timely availability of domestic industrial base capabilities essential for the national defense ($707 million)
  • Provides $1,523 million to procure eight National Security Space Launch services, including five launches for the Space Development Agency.
  • Provides $647 million to procure two GPS IIIF spacecraft.
  • Provides $200 million to fully support Israeli Cooperative procurement programs (Iron Dome, David's Sling, and Arrow).
  • Includes $1 billion for the National Guard and Reserve Equipment Account (NGREA).

Research, Development, Test and Evaluation

Total: $131.7 billion

The FY 2023 RDT&E recommendation is $131.7 billion in base funding, an increase of $1.6 billion above the budget request and an increase of $12.5 billion above the FY 2022 enacted level. The bill:

  • Invests in basic and applied scientific research, development, test and evaluation of new technologies and equipment, and supports the research community so forces will have the systems and equipment for tomorrow's challenges.

Aircraft

  • Fully funds the continued development and modernization of the F-35 Joint Strike Fighter ($2.2 billion).
  • Fully funds the Air Force's Next Generation Air Dominance program ($1.7 billion).
  • Provides $1.1 billion to support Army Future Vertical Lift (FVL), including design, prototyping, and risk reduction for the Future Attack Reconnaissance Aircraft (FARA) and the Future Long Range Assault Aircraft (FLRAA).
  • Fully funds the continued development and testing of the CH-53K helicopter ($220 million).

Vehicles and Ground Forces

  • Provides $849 million for continued development and fielding of the Army's Long-Range Hypersonic Weapon.
  • Provides $404 million for the Army's Mid-Range Missile capability.
  • Provides $380 million for the Army's Lower Tier Air Missile Defense capability.

Defense Advanced Research Project Agency (DARPA)

  • Provides $4.06 billion for DARPA research programs.

Other

  • Provides an additional $30 million over the budget request for PFAS remediation and disposal technology.
  • Provides an additional $20 million over the budget request for AFFF replacement, disposal, and cleanup technology.
  • Provides $300 million for the Israeli cooperative research and development programs, including David's Sling and Arrow-3.
  • Provides $318 million for the Global Positioning System IIIF program.
  • Provides $360 million for the Global Positioning System III Operational Control Segment.
  • Provides $383 million for Global Positioning System user equipment.
  • Provides $154 million for National Security Space Launch research and development activities.
  • Provides $3.45 billion for Next Generation Overhead Persistent Infrared.
  • Provides $788 million for Resilient Missile Warning-Missile Tracking programs.
  • Provides $1.23 billion for the Navy's Conventional Prompt Strike program.
  • Provides no funding for the Navy's Sea Launched Cruise Missile.

Revolving and Management Funds

Total: $1.33 billion

The FY 2023 Revolving and Management Funds recommendation is $1.33 billion in base funding, equal to the budget request. This legislation:

  • Fully funds the Defense Commissary Agency to ensure servicemembers and their families receive continued savings for food and household goods as part of the military pay and benefits package.

Other Department of Defense Programs

Total: $40.47 billion

The fiscal year 2023 Defense funding bill provides:

Defense Health Programs

  • $38.05 billion for medical and health care programs of the Department of Defense.
  • Within this total, it adds $582.5 million for cancer research. The total amount is distributed as follows:
  • $150 million for the breast cancer research program.
  • $110 million for the prostate cancer research program.
  • $50 million for the kidney cancer research program.
  • $45 million for the ovarian cancer research program.
  • $25 million for the lung cancer research program.
  • $40 million for the melanoma research program.
  • $15 million for the pancreatic cancer research program.
  • $17.5 million for the rare cancer research program.
  • $130 million for the cancer research program.
  • An additional $175 million over the budget request for the peer reviewed psychological health and traumatic brain injury research program.
  • An additional $40 million over the budget request for spinal cord research.
  • An additional $20 million over the budget request for the joint warfighter medical research program.

Cyberspace Activities

  • $11.2 billion for cybersecurity, cyberspace operations, and cyber research and development activities.
  • $6.6 billion for network modernization, encryption solutions, infrastructure defense, Zero Trust architecture, and other increased and improved network protections.
  • $4.2 billion for cyberspace operations that include cyber collection, cyber effects operations, resiliency of key systems, and support for the Cyber Mission Force teams.
  • $400 million for research in key cyber-related areas including network resilience.

Chemical Agents and Munitions Destruction

  • $1.059 billion, as requested.

Overseas Humanitarian, Disaster, and Civic Aid

  • $150 million for foreign disaster relief, humanitarian assistance, and the humanitarian mine action program, $37 million above the budget request.

Drug Interdiction and Counter-Drug Activities

  • $878 million, including $194 million for the National Guard Counter-Drug Program.

Office of the Inspector General

  • $479.4 million, as requested.

Counter-ISIS Train and Equip Fund

  • $450 million to support the Iraqi Security Forces, Kurdish Peshmerga, and the Syrian Democratic Forces counter ISIS.
  • No funds may be used with respect to Iraq or Syria in contravention of the War Powers Resolution.
  • No funds to establish any military base for the purpose of providing for the permanent stationing of U.S. Armed Forces in Iraq.
  • No funds to exercise U.S. control over any oil resource of Iraq or Syria.

Security Cooperation Programs

  • $300 million for the Ukraine Security Assistance Initiative, as requested. This is in addition to $6 billion for the Initiative, and $9.05 billion to replenish United States stocks of equipment sent to Ukraine, provided by the Additional Ukraine Supplemental Appropriations Act.
  • $1.38 billion for International Security Cooperation Programs, including:
    • $300 million for allies and partners facing of Russian aggression, including $225 million for the Baltic Security Initiative, $18.75 million for Poland, $18.75 million for Romania, $12.5 million for Bulgaria, and $25 million for Georgia.
    • $175 million for programs with countries in the Africa Command area of responsibility.
    • $130 million for programs with countries in the Southern Command area of responsibility.
    • $90 million for programs with Jordan.
    • Supports international security cooperation programs with countries in Indo-Pacific Command, including maritime security programs.
  • Up to $500 million for Jordan, including not less than $150 million for reimbursements for enhanced border security.

Important Oversight, Reform, and General Provisions:

The bill also:

  • Prohibits funds for denying leave to servicemembers or civilians requesting leave to obtain an abortion.
  • Provides an additional $600 million for military personnel costs for troop pay.
  • Requires for-profit contractors to pay a minimum wage of $15 an hour.
  • Provides $1 million to the Army for the renaming of installations, facilities, roads, and streets that bear the name of confederate leaders and officers since the Army has the preponderance of the entities to change.
  • Includes $300.751 million to construct, renovate, repair, or expand public schools on military installations.
  • No funds may be used in contravention of the War Powers Resolution.
  • No funds for the Taliban.
  • No funds for the Russian state-owned arms export agency Rosoboronexport.
  • Provides that nothing in this Act may be construed as authorizing the use of force against Iran or North Korea.
  • Prohibits funds to support or facilitate offensive military operations conducted by the Saudi-led coalition against the Houthis in the war in Yemen.
  • Includes $716 million in prior year rescissions.
  • Does not include prior year provisions related to detainees at the military prison located in Guantanamo Bay, Cuba and prohibits funds from being used to operate the facility after September 30, 2023.
  • Authorizes the Central Intelligence Agency to protect its domestic facilities from unmanned aircraft system threats.
  • Withholds $100 million from the Office of the Secretary of Defense until it complies with congressional directives related to the notification of the use of foreign bases and deployed forces to combatant commands.
  • Prohibits the decommissioning of five Littoral Combat Ships; directs a report on alternate uses of these vessels, such as missions in the SOUTHCOM and AFRICOM areas of responsibility; and permits the decommissioning of four ships, which would also allow the Navy and the Defense Security Cooperation Agency to explore the possibility of transferring them to partner nations.
  • Provides $1 billion to conduct activities to comply with the State of Hawaii's health order related to improvements of infrastructure and defueling at the Red Hill Bulk Fuel Storage Facility.

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117th Congress