| Sponsor | Rep. Edwards, Chet |
| Committee | Appropriations |
| Date | July 10, 2009 (111th Congress, 1st Session) |
| Staff Contact | Andy Koenig |
The House is scheduled to begin consideration of H.R. 3082, the Military Construction and Veterans Affairs Appropriations bill, on Friday, July 10, 2009, under a structured rule making eight amendments in order.
Military Construction and Veterans Affairs Spending in Millions | |||||
| FY 2009 | President's Request | H.R. 3082 | H.R. 3082 vs. FY 2009 | H.R. 3082 vs. Request |
Appropriation | 72,864 | 77,666 | 77,905 | 5,041 | 229 |
Emergency Spending | 7,212 | 0 | 0 | 7,212 | 0 |
Total | 80,076 | 77,666 | 77,905 | -2,171 | 229 |
H.R. 3082 contains a total of $77.9 billion in discretionary spending, an increase of $5 billion or 7 percent above the non-emergency discretionary spending level for FY 2009.
Agencies funded through the bill also received $4.4 billion in supplemental appropriations from the "stimulus" bill and $2.7 billion from other supplemental funding. Including emergency spending, agencies that are funded through this appropriations bill received $80 billion in FY 2009. In addition, H.R. 3082 contains $48 billion in advanced appropriations for FY 2011. These advanced appropriations are not scored in FY 2010. Members may be concerned with H.R. 3082's use of advanced appropriations, which are often employed as a budgetary "gimmick" to hide dramatic increases in spending. In addition, the amount of this particular advanced appropriation dwarfs the previous total of roughly $29 billion each year.
The spending increases in H.R. 3082 would contribute to an overall total FY 2010 discretionary spending level of $1.09 trillion or 7.6 percent over FY 2009. From FY 2007 to FY 2009 non-defense spending has increased 85 percent. The following is a summary of the spending highlights and other provisions in the bill.
TITLE I-Military Construction
Department of Defense: Provides a total appropriation of $24.5 billion the Department of Defense, a decrease of $555 million or 2 percent from FY 2009. $14.2 billion of these funds are appropriated for Military Construction, which is $1.2 billion or 9 percent above FY 2009.
Military Housing: Provides a total of $1.9 billion for military and family housing projects, a decrease of $1.2 billion, or 38 percent from FY 2009. This funding is used for construction and maintenance of housing units.
NATO Security Investment Program: Provides $234 million for the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) Security Investment Program, an increase of $4 million or 2 percent over FY 2009. The program finances the provision of the installations and facilities needed to support the roles of NATO Strategic Commands. These investments cover such installations and facilities as communications and information systems, radar, military headquarters, airfields, fuel pipelines and storage, and harbors.
Base Realignment and Closure (BRAC): Provides $7.5 billion for the re-stationing of overseas U.S. military personnel to the United States and base closures, a decrease of $1.7 billion or 19 percent from FY 2009. In addition, the bill provides $536 million for the 1990 Base Closure Account to carry out environmental cleanup efforts at bases closed during previous BRAC rounds. These bases are identified in the most recent "Defense Environmental Programs Annual Report." This funding is $66 million above FY 2009.
Pinyon Canyon: Prohibits funds from being made available to promote the expansion of the boundaries or size of the Pinyon Canyon Maneuver Site, Colorado. The Army announced plans to expand the site in 2007, but has experienced legal resistance due to certain environmental concerns.
Use of Funds: Prohibits funds from being made available to acquire land, provide for site preparation, or install utilities for any family housing, unless it has been made available in appropriations for military construction.
Steel Procurement: Prohibits the procurement of steel unless U.S. producers and manufacturers are able to compete.
TITLE II-Department of Veterans Affairs
Department of Veterans Affairs: Includes a total funding level of $55.9 billion for the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA), an increase of $9 billion or 19 percent. Many of the VA's funds are provided through mandatory funding for compensation, pensions, and other benefits that were established in previous legislation.
Extended Care Facilities: Provides $85 million in grants for States to construct and renovate VA extended care facilities, a decrease of $80 million from FY 2009.
Information Technology: Provides $3.3 billion for information technology needs at medical facilities, an increase of $817 million or 33 percent over FY 2009.
VA Inspector General: Provides $107 million for the Department of Veterans Affairs Office of Inspector General, an increase of $20 million or 22 percent above FY 2009.
Operating Expenses: Provides $2 billion for general VA operating expenses, an increase of $281 million or 16 percent over FY 2009.
Other Construction: Provides $1.1 billion for major VA construction projects, an increase of $270 million or 29 percent over FY 2009. The bill also provides $726 million for minor VA construction projects, a decrease of $14 million or 2 percent from FY 2009.
Veterans Health Administration: Provides a total of $47.2 billion for the Veterans Health Administration, an increase of $6.2 billion or 15 percent over FY 2009. Funding for the VA Administration includes $34.7 billion for Veterans Medical Services, an increase of $3.7 billion or 13 percent above FY 2009.
Veterans Medical Facilities: Provides $4.8 billion for VA medical facilities, a decrease of $136 million or 3 percent from FY 2009.
Veterans Medical Research: Provides $580 million for medical and prosthetic research, including trauma and mental health research. This level is an increase of $70 million or 14 percent above FY 2009.
Veterans Medical Support Compliance: Provides $4.9 billion to ensure the efficient operation of the VA health care system. This level of funding is $450 million or 10 percent above FY 2009.
Advanced Appropriations: Provides $48 billion in advanced appropriations for the Veterans Health Administration for medical services, medical support, and medical facilities. Advanced appropriations count against the budget cap for the year in which they become available-FY 2011 in this case-but not in the year the appropriation is made. As such, advanced appropriations are often employed as a budgetary "gimmick" to hide dramatic increases in spending in later years. The advanced appropriations in H.R. 3082 are considerably higher than the previous total for the same programs of roughly $29 billion each year.
TITLE III-Bilateral economic assistance
American Battle Monuments Commission: The American Battle Monuments Commission, responsible for operating and supporting U.S. military monuments and cemeteries around the world, is funded at $55.5 million. This sum is $8 million above the President's requested budget for the Commission.
Arlington Cemeterial Expenses: Provides $42 million for the operation of Arlington National Cemetery, an increase of $10 million or 10 percent above FY 2009.
Armed Forces Retirement Home: Provides $134 million for the Armed Forces Retirement Home Trust Fund, an increase of $70 million or 113 percent for the operation of the Retirement Home. This includes $70 million for construction and renovation of the physical plants at the Armed Forces Retirement Home in Washington, D.C., and the Armed Forces Retirement Home in Gulfport, Mississippi.
H.R. 3082 Spending in Thousands
(Please note that the FY 2009 spending levels are based on the appropriated funding level and do not reflect emergency spending. These funding levels also reflect $55 billion in mandatory spending for certain Department of Veterans Affairs programs which is not reflected in the discretionary spending total. Finally, the funding does not include $48 billion in advanced appropriations for FY 2011).
Program | FY 2009 | H.R. 3082 | FY 2009 vs. H.R. 3082 | H.R. 3081 vs. Request |
|
|
|
|
|
Department of Defense | 25,132,753 | 24,577,366 | -555,387 | -2% |
Army Military Construction | 4,692,648 | 4,940,000 | 247,352 | 5% |
Navy and Marines Military Construction | 3,333,369 | 3,757,000 | 423,631 | 13% |
Air Force Military Construction | 1,117,746 | 1,833,671 | 715,925 | 64% |
Defense-Wide Military Construction | 1,695,204 | 2,718,126 | 1,022,922 | 60% |
Reserve Components | 1,454,451 | 1,416,814 | -37,637 | -3% |
NATO Security Investment | 230,867 | 234,914 | 4,047 | 2% |
Family Housing Maintenance and Construction | 3,163,800 | 1,958,698 | -1,205,102 | -38% |
Chemical Demilitarization Construction | 144,278 | 146,541 | 2,263 | 2% |
Base Realignment and Closure | 9,223,990 | 7,479,498 | -1,744,492 | -19% |
|
|
|
|
|
Department of Veterans Affairs | 46,901,162 | 55,987,775 | 9,086,613 | 19% |
Compensation and Pensions | 43,111,681 | 47,218,207 | 4,106,526 | 10% |
Readjustment Benefits | 3,832,944 | 8,663,624 | 4,830,680 | 126% |
Veterans Insurance and Indemnities | 42,300 | 49,288 | 6,988 | 17% |
Native American Veteran Housing Loans | 646 | 664 | 18 | 3% |
|
|
|
|
|
Veterans Health Administration | 40,958,903 | 47,218,000 | 6,259,097 | 15% |
Medical Services | 30,969,903 | 34,704,500 | 3,734,597 | 12% |
Medical Support Compliance | 4,450,000 | 4,900,000 | 450,000 | 10% |
Medical Facilities | 5,029,000 | 4,893,000 | -136,000 | -3% |
Medical and Prosthetic Research | 510,000 | 580,000 | 70,000 | 14% |
National Cemetery Administration | 230,000 | 250,000 | 20,000 | 9% |
|
|
|
|
|
Departmental Administration | 6,260,992 | 7,545,500 | 1,284,508 | 21% |
General Operating Expenses | 1,801,867 | 2,083,500 | 281,633 | 16% |
Information Technology Systems | 2,489,391 | 3,307,000 | 817,609 | 33% |
Office of the Inspector General | 87,818 | 107,000 | 19,182 | 22% |
Construction of Major Projects | 923,382 | 1,194,000 | 270,618 | 29% |
Construction of Minor Projects | 741,534 | 726,800 | -14,734 | -2% |
Grants for State Extended Care Construction | 175,000 | 85,000 | -90,000 | -51% |
Grants for State Veterans Cemetery Construction | 42,000 | 42,000 | 0 | 0% |
|
|
|
|
|
Related Agencies | 207,000 | 282,515 | 75,515 | 36% |
American Battle Monuments Commission | 76,570 | 78,900 | 2,330 | 3% |
Army Cemeteries Expenses | 36,730 | 42,500 | 5,770 | 16% |
Armed Forces Retirement Home | 63,010 | 134,000 | 70,990 | 113% |
According to the CBO, H.R. 3082 would appropriate $77.9 billion in discretionary funding for FY 2010.