The House Appropriations Committee released a draft fiscal year 2021 defense spending bill Tuesday, with a cost of $694.6 billion. That is a $1.3 billion boost over the current fiscal year’s spending but is $3.7 billion less than the president’s request, CQ reported.
“This bill builds upon the efforts the Committee undertook last year regarding the morale and quality of life issues of those in uniform, their families, DOD civilians and defense communities,” House Appropriations Defense Subcommittee Chairman Pete Visclosky (D-Ind.) said in a press release.
His committee is scheduled to consider the bill Wednesday.
Some of the bill’s provisions include:
- a 3 percent pay raise for military personnel;
- $50 million in additional funding for the Defense Community Infrastructure Program (DCIP);
- $15 million to study health implications of PFAS-contaminated drinking water;
- $600 million for COVID-19 resupply and recovery;
- $758 million to mitigate the impacts of COVID-19 on second, third, and fourth tier suppliers in the defense industrial base;
- $250 million for public schools on installations;
- $116 million for upgrades to childcare facilities, along with report language directing the services to look for innovative childcare solutions; and
- $1 million to the Army to rename installations, facilities and roads named for confederate leaders.
The bill prohibits the use of appropriated funding to support southern border wall construction.
