Authorization and Appropriations for FY2005: Defense

Publication Date: May 2004

Publisher: Library of Congress. Congressional Research Service

Author(s):

Research Area: Military and defense

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Abstract:

On May 20, 2004, the House passed its version of the FY2005 defense authorization bill (H.R. 4200). The Senate began floor consideration of its version of the bill (S. 2400) on May 17 but did not complete action before the Memorial Day recess. Senate Majority Leader Bill Frist has said that he intends to bring up other legislation when the Senate reconvenes on June 2 before returning to the defense bill, so the Senate may not resume action on the measure until the week of June 7. Meanwhile, House subcommittee markup of the FY2005 defense appropriations bill is scheduled the week of June 2.

The House authorization bill includes a measure authorizing $25 billion in supplemental funding for operations in Iraq and Afghanistan. It also includes a controversial provision that would delay the next scheduled round of military base closures by two years until 2007. The Administration has threatened to veto the final bill if it includes a provision delaying base closures. The Senate narrowly rejected a somewhat different proposal to delay domestic base closures, making the issue a critical matter in conference. The House bill also includes an increase in statutory caps on active duty end-strength for the Army and Marine Corps. The Senate bill, as reported by the Armed Services Committee, includes a provision allowing the Secretary of defense to increase end-strength temporarily through FY2009, though there may be a floor amendment to increase statutory caps.

Other key unresolved issues on the Senate floor may include whether to authorize funding for Iraq and Afghanistan; whether to trim missile defense programs and allocate funds to other priorities; and whether to limit funding for the Robust Nuclear Earth Penetrator nuclear warhead.

Earlier, on February 2, 2004, the Administration released its FY2005 federal budget request. The request included $423.1 billion in new budget authority for national defense, of which $402.6 billion was for military activities of the Department of Defense, $17.2 billion for atomic energy defense activities of the Department of Energy, and $3.2 billion for defense-related activities of other agencies. The initial request did not include funding for ongoing military operations in Iraq, Afghanistan, and elsewhere, for which Administration officials said they expected to submit a supplemental appropriations request early in calendar year 2005.

On May 12, however, the White House submitted an FY2005 budget amendment requesting $25 billion in a contingency fund for Iraq and Afghanistan. For the first time in some years, defense spending was a matter of debate in action on the annual congressional budget resolution, particularly in the Senate. As reported by the Budget Committee on March 5, the Senate version of the budget resolution (S.Con.Res. 95) recommended $7 billion less for national defense than the Administration had requested. On March 10, however, the Senate approved an amendment by Senator John Warner to restore the funds. In the House, Budget Committee Chairman Jim Nussle dropped a proposal to recommend $2 billion less for defense than the Administration requested.