A $1.7 trillion omnibus spending bill released by Senate Appropriations Committee leaders Tuesday morning calls for a 10 percent increase in fiscal year 2023 defense spending to $858 billion from fiscal 2022 figures.
The package — which combines 12 pieces of legislation — would allocate $772.5 billion for non-defense discretionary programs, $40.6 billion for disaster relief efforts nationwide and another $44.9 billion for U.S. emergency assistance to Ukraine, according to a bill summary from Sen. Patrick Leahy, D-Vt.
“Passing this bipartisan, bicameral, omnibus appropriations bill is undoubtedly in the interest of the American people. It is the product of months of hard work and compromise,” said Leahy, who serves as chairman of the Senate Appropriations Committee.
Committee Vice Chairman Richard Shelby, R-Ala., noted the package meets the spending level set by the National Defense Authorization Act, which received final approval from Congress Thursday and offers $76 billion more than the prior-year funding level.
As part of the defense bill, legislators proposed a 4.6 percent pay raise for service members and civilian employees at the Pentagon.
Congress is aiming to vote on the omnibus before the current short-term measure to extend government funding expires at midnight Friday.
