*EPF311 10/16/2002
Congress Completes Action on $355,100 Million Defense Spending Bill
(Congressional Report, October 16) (580)

The U.S. Senate has given final approval to the $355,100 million defense spending bill for fiscal year (FY) 2003, which began October 1, giving President Bush most of the resources requested for the military buildup he seeks.

The spending bill, one of 13 that comprise the annual federal budget, was passed by the Senate October 16 by a vote of 93-1. It gives the Pentagon funds for new Navy warships, Army helicopters, Air Force fighter and cargo aircraft and the Bush administration's missile defense program.

Bush says passage of the FY 03 defense spending bill sends an important message to the world that the United States is committed to defending freedom and defeating terror.

"I commend the House and Senate for responding to my call to pass the Defense Appropriations bill," Bush said in a brief White House statement. "The Congress acted responsibly in passing the defense appropriations bill first (of the 13 bills) and I look forward to signing it."

Bush said it provides the U.S. armed forces with the "best pay, the best equipment, and the best possible training."

In the absence of final action on the 13 appropriation bills, the government has been funded on a short term basis by a series of "continuing resolutions" passed by Congress.

The House of Representatives approved the defense measure October 10 by a vote of 409-14. It now goes to Bush for signing into law.

The bill provides $34,400 million more than Congress approved in defense appropriations for fiscal year 2002, but is still $1,600 million less than President Bush's original budget request.

Congress left out a $10,000 million contingency fund sought by Bush for the global war on terrorism, though it does include substantial increases in funding for the Defense Department's counterterrorism activities.

Here is a brief summary of the defense spending measure:

-- Reallocates the $370 million funding for the Army's cancelled Crusader mobile artillery system for research and development of other artillery systems;

-- Appropriates $7,400 million for Missile Defense Agency programs;

-- Appropriates $4,100 million for 23 F-22 Raptor fighter jets for the Air Force;

-- Provides $3,500 million for development of the Joint Strike Fighter that will become an affordable, next-generation multi-role strike fighter aircraft based on a common airframe and components for use by the Air Force, Navy and Marine Corps;

-- Includes $3,200 million for 46 next-generation F/A-18 Hornet jet fighters for the Navy and upgrades for the current fleet of F/A-18 fighters;

-- Appropriates $2,700 million to buy an additional 15 C-17 wide-body cargo jets for the Air Force;

-- Adds $160 million to the $244 million requested to begin work on the first ship in a new class of Navy aircraft carriers;

-- Provides $825 million to replace ballistic missiles with long-range conventional Tomahawk cruise missiles for four submarines;

-- Appropriates a 4.1 percent pay increase for military personnel in fiscal year 2003;

-- Includes $770 million for JDAM (Joint Direct Attack Munition), satellite-guided smart bombs;

-- Appropriates $915 million to continue developing the Army's missile-armed Comanche stealth helicopter;

-- Appropriates $2,300 million for two DDG-51 guided-missile destroyers for the Navy;

-- Includes $1,500 million for one Virginia class attack submarine for the Navy;

-- Appropriates $417 million for the Nunn-Lugar Cooperative Threat Reduction program to aid in the dismantlement of nuclear, chemical and biological weapons in the former Soviet Union;

-- Appropriates $882 million for the drug interdiction activities of the U.S. military;

-- It also includes $150 million for breast cancer research and $85 million for prostate cancer research -- a regular component of the Defense budget for years.

(Distributed by the Office of International Information Programs, U.S. Department of State. Web site: http://usinfo.state.gov)

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