House and Senate committees reworked the defense appropriations portion of the $1.1 trillion government spending package before the bill advanced to the House floor on Thursday, Defense News reported Monday.Paul McCleary and Bradley Peniston estimate that lawmakers added more than $4 billion to the Defense Department‘s requested fiscal 2015 budget for research, development and acquisition programs.
Congressional negotiators adjusted funding for almost 30 percent of defense procurement initiatives and more than 35 percent of the agency’ R&D budget lines through the omnibus, according to the report.
The omnibus bill that awaits passage in the Senate authorizes $490 billion in base DoD discretionary spending and allocates $64 billion for war operations abroad.
The A-10 and F-18 aircraft fleets as well as the LPD-17 amphibious warship program would get additional funds, McCleary and Peniston write.
