FederalDaily - December 22, 2005
Defense Appropriations Closer to Passage
Earlier this week the House passed the Department of Defense Appropriations
Bill for fiscal year 2006, which now awaits passage by the Senate to be sent
to the president for final approval. The version approved by the House was
finalized by a joint House-Senate conference committee and includes:
- $50 billion for Iraq and Afghanistan operations,
- $3.8 billion to research vaccines and treatment for the avian
flu,
- $96.9 billion for military personnel, and
- $123.6 billion for operations and management.
In addition, the bill includes supplemental funding for border security and
authorization for oil and gas exploration in the Alaska National Wildlife Refuge.
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VA Spared From Budget Cuts
Veterans’ Affairs Committee Chairman Steve Buyer, R-Ind., praised the
decision by Congress to exempt the Department of Veterans’ Affairs (VA)
from the across-the-board one percent cut to fiscal year (FY) 2006 discretionary
spending. “Safeguarding the funds our nation has generously provided
for veterans’ health care was a top priority for me and the members of
the Veterans’ Committee,” Buyer said. The VA was given $70 billion
in appropriated funds for FY 2006. A substantial amount covers veterans’ health
care costs, which have increased 55 percent between FY 2001-2005, from $19.3
billion to $30 billion. In addition, more than $1 billion in unused supplemental
funds will be rolled into the 2006 budget.
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Pentagon Continues Working on QDR
Top military and civilian Pentagon officials are reviewing topics ranging
from intelligence, special operations forces and language training, as the
Department of Defense prepares to finalize the 2005 Quadrennial Defense Review
(QDR). The QDR is conducted every four years to help defense planners predict
manpower and resource needs and future mission requirements. This will be the
first review to gather lessons learned from the global war on terrorism. The
expected completion date of the report is February 2006. The QDR will also
provide analysts with options for cutting department costs. Lt. Col. Rose-Ann
Lynch, a DoD spokesperson, stated, "In the coming weeks, we will attempt
to determine which of these options the QDR team should study further."
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