Issue Position: National Security-Supporting Our Military Personnel

Issue Position

In the current 2011 fiscal year Defense Appropriations bill we have put our troops first, preparing them for whatever emergencies may arise, providing them with first class weapons and equipment, and ensuring that they and their families are well taken care of. The bill makes critical investments into the health, well-being and readiness of our forces.

These recommendations address issues raised by troops, their families and Department of Defense officials in testimony before the Congress, and discovered through visits to military bases across the United States and overseas. The legislation likewise makes a commitment to fiscal responsibility.

KEY INVESTMENTS AND PROVISIONS INCLUDE:

* Defense Health Programs: Includes $31.469 Billion which is $534.29 million above the request for the well-being of servicemembers and their families. The bill provides additional resources for Traumatic Brain Injury (TBI) and Psychological Health programs to respond to the stresses placed on troops. The recommendation builds on the appropriations of previous years and the Administration's request to support both research and treatment, recommending $359.195 million an increase of $125 million above the request to address all levels of brain injury including headache research and psychological health issues that servicemembers and their families continue to experience. In addition, the bill provides $2.308 billion as requested for programs addressing the needs of Wounded, Ill and Injured.

* Innovation Funds: The bill recognizes that all too often, innovative solutions struggle to find their way into the research, development and procurements of the Department of Defense. Small businesses encounter difficulties in getting proposals heard. Resources are lacking to take innovative ideas to a level of technical maturity so that they are ready to be incorporated into existing programs. Products and services that are ready for rapid employment get left behind for want of adequate funds. The bill includes an additional $504 million in research and development funds, and a further $100 million in procurement funds to provide the Defense Department with resources that will spur innovation and deliver solutions to the warfighter more rapidly. The recommendation includes language that allows the Defense Department to build on the models of existing programs such as the Small Business Innovation Research program and the Rapid Equipping Force, while at the same time providing flexibility to employ other mechanisms within the bounds of acquisition statutes and regulations.

* National Guard Equipment: The bill provides $1.5 billion above the budget request to continue to make significant investments in equipment for National Guard and Reserve units. In recent years, the Congress has included funds to address shortfalls in equipment needed to allow reserve forces to be adequately equipped to respond to the missions that they may be called to perform.

* Shipbuilding: The Committee's bill provides funding for 10 ships, which is the minimum number needed to reach and maintain the Navy's stated requirement of 313 ships in its fleet.

* Helicopters: The bill includes funding for the procurement of Apache, Blackhawk, Chinook, and Cobra helicopters. In particular, the recommendation includes funding to repair and replace two Chinook, six Blackhawk, one Osprey and three Cobra helicopters and also includes four Blackhawk and four Pavehawk helicopters specifically for the National Guard.

* Pre-Positioned Equipment: The pre-positioning of military equipment is the fastest, most effective way to respond to contingencies around the world. The Committee has found that, since 2002, the Army and Marine Corp have used up much of the pre-positioned equipment for use in ongoing operations in Iraq and Afghanistan. Additional funding is included to help the Army and Marine Corp restore their inventories of pre-positioned equipment.

* Reforms: The bill provides $523,869,946,000 in base funding, a reduction of $7,019,233,000 below the budget request and $157,825,260,000 in title IX for overseas contingency operations, a reduction of $253,017,000 below the request. This level of funding recognizes that the Department of Defense must be part of the solution to the fiscal challenges facing the Federal Government. This level of funding also provides a rolling start toward the savings initiatives recently identified by the Secretary of Defense. The reductions proposed in this bill will not detract from modernization or readiness efforts. Instead, they will advance efficiencies that can be realized in existing programs within the Defense Department.

* Contractor Reforms: Building on past efforts to rein in the number of contractors hired by the Defense Department, the bill includes several limitations on contractors and outsourcing. The bill includes general provisions which limit the extent to which the Defense workload may be outsourced, and requires the Defense Department to provide an inventory of the contractor workforce. Based on the slow pace of contractor reductions in Iraq, the bill includes a general provision that withholds a portion of resources pending a plan from the Defense Department to appropriately reduce the number of contractors in theater. The bill also provides additional funding for civilian personnel to in-source workload, and provides funding for training of additional employees in the acquisition workforce. The bill also supports ongoing efforts within the Intelligence Community to reduce the number of support contractors.
* Stoploss: Provides and additional $500 per month to troops whose tours were involuntarily extended by the stoploss procedures.

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