ASSOCIATION OF THE UNITED STATES ARMY

With no time to spare before a partial government shutdown, Congress passed a $1.07 trillion fiscal 2017 omnibus spending bill.  On May 5, seven months overdue, President Trump signed the measure into law.

The bill, which funds the government through the end of September, provides the Defense Department with $593 billion, a $19.9 billion increase over fiscal 2016 levels.  Another $2.5 billion could be provided once the Trump Administration presents Congress with its strategy to defeat ISIS.

Legislative Update - January 25, 2017

The 1^st Session of the 115^th Congress is not even a month old and already the Department of Defense budget is a hot topic.

Just days after Congress convened, Senate Armed Services Committee Chairman John McCain, R- Ariz., released a white paper that calls for an immediate $54 billion increase in defense spending for fiscal 2018 as part of an overall $430 billion increase over five years. 

Legislative Update - January 18, 2017

The Senate Armed Services Committee has an ambitious plan for rebuilding the U.S. Army and U.S. military, calling for a $430 billion five-year increase in defense spending.

The 2017 National Defense Authorization Act was signed into law Friday by President Barack Obama. The bill brings an end to the Army’s troop drawdown and provides soldiers with the first pay raise in five years that matches the average private sector increase.

The U.S. Army will be well-represented in Congress in January when the new legislative session convenes. More than half of the veterans serving in the House of Representatives and one-third of the veterans in the Senate served in the Army, a new analysis shows.

ARMY HELICOPTER PROCUREMENT PROGRAMS MERIT SPECIAL ATTENTION IN STOPGAP MEASURE

Congressional leaders released the details of a continuing resolution (CR) that replaces the one expiring on Dec. 9. The new CR will maintain government funding at its current levels until April 28, 2017.

DEAL REACHED ON 2017 NDAA

A halt to the drawdown of Soldiers was only one of the items AUSA cheered as the details of a negotiated annual defense policy bill were released. 

The topline for the National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) for FY 2017 is $618.7 billion including $67.8 billion for the overseas contingency operations account and the president's supplemental $5.8 billion request.

TRUMP ASKS FOR EXTENDED CR

Unless you live on another planet, you know how the race for the White House turned out.  Now the question is how the result will affect the waning days of the 114^th Congress.

President-elect Donald Trump’s transition team has asked lawmakers to extend the existing continuing resolution that expires Dec. 9 through the end of March instead of passing an omnibus spending bill for fiscal 2017.  That would give his incoming administration a say in federal spending priorities.

DEFENSE SPENDING STALLED AGAIN

It’s a 99.9% probability that Congress will pass a continuing resolution (CR) to keep the government running past the Oct. 1 deadline.  How they reach their goal is the billion dollar question.

Any optimism the Senate had that they would be able to pass the defense spending bill was dashed Tuesday when the legislation failed to garner the 60 votes needed to proceed.  This is the third time Democrats have blocked the measure.

WHERE WE STAND

House and Senate conference negotiations on the fiscal 2017 defense authorization bill are underway.  Lawmakers on committees that share jurisdiction on some provisions offered their views in a closed-door meeting with the leaders of the Armed Services Committee leaders.   

Senate Armed Services Chairman John McCain, R-Ariz., said the meeting provided a “very fruitful discussion,” while his House counterpart, Mac Thornberry, R-Texas said the committees are “off to a good start.”