The House Appropriations Defense Subcommittee passed its FY06 bill on Tuesday. No details have been released. The bill is expected to be taken up by the full committee on June 7th.
May 25, 2005 — House Vote 218 Fiscal 2006 Defense Authorization — ROTC Programs
Stearns, R-Fla., amendment that would express the sense of Congress that any college or university that denies equal access or discriminates against Reserve Officer Training Corps programs or military recruiters should be denied certain federal taxpayer support, especially funding for military and defense programs. The amendment would require the Defense secretary to report to Congress on the college and universities that are denying equal access to military recruiters and ROTC programs. Adopted 336-92.
Press Relase from HASC:
HOUSE APPROVES 2006 DEFENSE AUTHORIZATION BILL
Focus on Major Procurement Overhaul, Force Protection and Personnel Benefits
Washington, D.C. – U.S. House Armed Services Committee Chairman Duncan Hunter (R-CA) today announced that H.R. 1815, the National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2006, was approved in the U.S. House of Representatives by a bipartisan vote of 390-39.
H.R. 1815 authorizes $441.6 billion in budget authority for the Department of Defense (DOD) and the national security programs of the Department of Energy. The bill also authorizes $49.1 billion in supplemental funding to support current operations in Iraq, Afghanistan, and the global war on terrorism.
More after the jump...
HOUSE ARMED SERVICES COMMITTEE
DUNCAN HUNTER – CHAIRMAN
PRESS RELEASE
For Immediate Release: May 25, 2005 Contact: Josh Holly (202) 225-2539
HOUSE APPROVES 2006 DEFENSE AUTHORIZATION BILL
Focus on Major Procurement Overhaul, Force Protection and Personnel Benefits
Washington, D.C. – U.S. House Armed Services Committee Chairman Duncan Hunter (R-CA) today announced that H.R. 1815, the National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2006, was approved in the U.S. House of Representatives by a bipartisan vote of 390-39.
H.R. 1815 authorizes $441.6 billion in budget authority for the Department of Defense (DOD) and the national security programs of the Department of Energy. The bill also authorizes $49.1 billion in supplemental funding to support current operations in Iraq, Afghanistan, and the global war on terrorism.
Hunter’s statement follows:
“This legislation serves as the annual policy and funding blueprint for the vast national security activities of the Departments of Defense and Energy,” said Hunter. “Our first priority is to ensure that the men and women of our armed forces receive the most optimal equipment, weapons systems and training they need to guarantee our continued success in the global war on terrorism.
“We have extraordinary people operating in the warfighting theaters, battling against enemies with new and unforeseen techniques and tactics. As our adversaries continue to evolve, we must continue to improve our military’s flexibility and agility; and through this bill, I am confident that we have given our servicemen and women the tools they need to get the job done.”
Highlights of the bill include:
Authorizes $441.6 billion in budget authority for the Department of Defense (DOD) and the national security programs of the Department of Energy.
Contains an additional $49.1 billion in funding to support the global war on terror’s operational costs, personnel expenses and procurement of new equipment.
Authorizes funding for force protection needs in support of Operation Enduring Freedom and Operation Iraqi Freedom, including Up-armored Humvees, tactical wheeled vehicle recapitalization and modernization programs, night vision devices and improvised explosive device (IED) jammers.
Recommends additional increases of 10,000 Army and 1,000 Marine active duty personnel to sustain our required missions.
Permanently increases the death gratuity to $100,000; extends to one year (from six months) the amount of time dependents of deceased servicemembers can stay in housing or receive housing allowances; and expands travel authorizations for families of hospitalized servicemembers.
Provides a 3.1% pay raise for members of the armed forces. Increases amounts paid for active duty enlistments, reserve enlistments and active duty re-enlistments.
Increases the maximum amount of hardship pay from $300 to $750 per month.
Focuses on the need to rein in the escalating costs of major procurement programs and calls for acquisition reform to ensure that critical warfighting needs are met. Much of the escalating costs can be tracked to DOD’s failure to adhere to technological maturity guidelines and a rush to enter the system development and demonstration phase of procurement. H.R. 1815 requires DOD to evaluate and monitor changes in baseline cost estimates, and sets strict standards regarding accounting and cost management.
Encourages shipbuilding procurement reforms to combat the ever-increasing costs currently undermining construction programs and putting future Navy capabilities in jeopardy. H.R. 1815 places a cap on the procurement costs of the Virginia class submarine and Future Major Surface Combatant-destroyer, Littoral Combat Ship (LCS) and LHA Replacement (LHA(R)) programs. It also requires the Secretary of the Navy to initiate programs to develop reduced-cost alternatives.
Requires the GAO Comptroller General to submit an annual review of the Future Combat Systems (FCS) program including an analysis of established performance, cost and schedule goals. This major Army program has problems including technology immaturity and requirements instability.
Requires the establishment of a contingency contracting corps to meet the needs of commanders on the battlefield. The corps will facilitate the rapid acquisition of critically needed goods and services in response to delays and other deficiencies in DOD’s ability to quickly meet the force protection needs of our troops.
The Senate is expected to pass its version of the FY 2006 Defense Authorization Act in the near future. The House and Senate will then meet in conference to reconcile the differences between the two bills.
Our friends at the American Institute of Physics recently posted a helpful summary of S&T in the HASC bill (HR1815):
http://www.aip.org/fyi/2005/076.html
Again, the Committee report is 109-089.
According to the rule adopted by the House for floor consideration of H.R. 1815, the National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2006, there are two possible amendments of interest to the community:
6. Stearns #63
Expresses the sense of Congress that any college or university that denies equal access or discriminate against ROTC programs or military recruiters should be denied certain Federal taxpayer support, especially funding for many military and defense programs. Requires the Secretary of Defense to issue a report to Congress on the college and universities that are denying equal access to military recruiters and ROTC programs. (10 minutes).
25. Israel #81
Makes permanent the pilot "Science, Mathematics, and Research for Transformation (SMART) Defense Education Program" and include within its purview the study of foreign languages. (10 minutes).
Rule: http://www.house.gov/rules/109rulehr1815.htm
Stearns: http://www.house.gov/rules/109hr1815_strearns63.pdf
Israel: http://www.house.gov/rules/109hr1815_israel81.pdf
Slightly more after jump...
The Israel amendment appears to add languages to the list of authorized areas of study. The bill text itsef already makes SMART permanant.