I 112th CONGRESS 1st Session H. R. 413 IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES January 25, 2011 Mr. Stark introduced the following bill; which was referred to the Committee on Armed Services A BILL To reduce the budget of the Department of Defense to the level provided for fiscal year 2008 and to freeze the budget at such level through fiscal year 2016.

1.

Short title

This Act may be cited as the Defense and Deficit Reduction Act.

2.

Findings

Congress finds the following: (1)Under H. Res. 38, the Chair of the Committee on the Budget shall include in the Congressional Record an allocation for the remainder of fiscal year 2011 that assumes nonsecurity spending at fiscal year 2008 levels. (2)Reductions in defense spending should be included in any effort to reduce Federal outlays and reduce the national deficit. (3)In fiscal year 2010, defense spending comprised 58 percent of discretionary spending. (4)If defense spending continued at fiscal year 2010 levels for the next 5 years, it would total $3,600,000,000,000. (5)Reducing defense spending to fiscal year 2008 levels would save approximately $182,000,000,000 over 5 years compared to current levels. (6)In January 2011 Secretary of Defense Gates stated that the Administration is seeking $78,000,000,000 in cuts to the defense budget over the next five years on top of $100,000,000,000 in efficiencies. This savings should be used to decrease the deficit. (7)President Obama has pledged to begin drawing down forces in Afghanistan in July 2011 with a goal of full withdrawal in 2014. With a decrease in troops abroad, our defense spending should decrease. (8)In a CBS News Poll from January 2011, over 50 percent of Americans questioned would reduce defense spending to decrease the Federal deficit. (9)The United States currently spends more on its military and defense than the next 19 biggest spending nations combined. (10)Making reasonable reductions to the defense budget can help to solve the Nation’s long-term fiscal problems.

3.

Reduction and freeze in budget of Department of Defense

(a)

Reduction and freeze

The aggregate amount of funds appropriated or otherwise made available for military functions administered by the Department of Defense (other than the functions excluded by subsection (b)) for a fiscal year may not exceed— (1)in the case of fiscal year 2011, the aggregate amount of funds appropriated or otherwise made available for military functions administered by the Department of Defense (other than the functions excluded by subsection (b)) for fiscal year 2008; and (2)in the case of fiscal years 2012 through 2016, the aggregate amount of funds appropriated or otherwise made available for such functions for the previous fiscal year. (b)

Exclusion of military personnel pay and benefits

In determining the aggregate amount of funds appropriated or otherwise made available for military functions administered by the Department of Defense for fiscal year 2008 or any subsequent fiscal year for purposes of subsection (a), there shall be excluded all amounts appropriated or otherwise made available in general and supplemental appropriations Acts for— (1)military personnel, reserve personnel, and National Guard personnel accounts of the Department of Defense, generally title I of the annual Department of Defense appropriations Act; (2)the Defense Health Program; and (3)drug interdiction and counter-drug activities of the Department of Defense, but only to the extent the amounts were transferred to personnel accounts referred to in paragraph (1). (c)

Use of savings

All funds saved by the implementation of this section shall be used for deficit reduction.