Increase Proposed for Construction, Housing Funds

Increase Proposed for Construction, Housing Funds

A House committee has unveiled a $7.7 billion draft military construction bill for fiscal year 2016, which would be a $904 million increase over 2015 spending but $775 million less than requested by the Obama administration.The bill prepared by the House Appropriations Committee allocates $512 million for Guard and Reserve units, including $167.4 million for Army National Guard construction and $104.3 million for Army Reserve projects. There is $663.2 million set aside for Army construction and alteration projects.Family housing is covered in a different category in the bill. There is $1.4 billion for the construction, operation and maintenance of military family housing in the bill, an amount similar to what the Obama administration requested and a $223 million increase over 2015.For the Army, there is $99.7 million for construction, replacement and major renovation of family housing. The bill includes $393.5 million for the operation and maintenance of Army family housing.Construction funds are part of a $76.6 billion measure that also funds the Department of Veterans Affairs.