HAC Passes Defense Spending Bill

The House Appropriations Committee passed its version of the Fiscal 2017 defense spending bill Tuesday. In line with the House Armed Services Committee’s version of the defense authorization bill, the $575.7 billion appropriations bill directs a large portion, $15.7 billion of the $58.6 billion in overseas contingency operations fund, to be used for base budget expenses, according to a HAC release. The overseas operations funds would only last through April 2017, according to a summary of HAC’s bill. The Obama Administration has blasted HASC’s similar proposal to reallocate $18 billion of the OCO fund and only fund overseas operations through April. Defense Secretary Ash Carter called the move a gamble “with war fighting money at a time of war.” In a statement released Monday, the White House listed the provision as a reason President Obama’s advisors would recommend he veto the committee’s version of the NDAA. The full House began debating the 2017 NDAA and proposed amendments Tuesday afternoon. HASC is tracking the floor action here. (Read the full text of the HAC’s appropriations bill.)