[House Report 118-121]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
118th Congress} {Report
1st Session } HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES {118-121
_______________________________________________________________________
DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE APPROPRIATIONS BILL, 2024
----------
R E P O R T
of the
COMMITTEE ON APPROPRIATIONS
together with
MINORITY VIEWS
[to accompany h.r. 4365]
June 27, 2023.--Committed to the Committee of the Whole House on the
State of the Union and ordered to be printed
DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE APPROPRIATIONS BILL, 2024
118th Congress } { Report
1st Session } HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES { 118-121
_______________________________________________________________________
DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE APPROPRIATIONS BILL, 2024
__________
R E P O R T
of the
COMMITTEE ON APPROPRIATIONS
together with
MINORITY VIEWS
[to accompany h.r. 4365]
June 27, 2023.--Committed to the Committee of the Whole House on the
State of the Union and ordered to be printed
______
U.S. GOVERNMENT PUBLISHING OFFICE
62-643 WASHINGTON : 2023
CONTENTS
Page
Bill Totals...................................................... 1
Committee Budget Review Process.................................. 3
Introduction..................................................... 3
Definition of Program, Project, and Activity..................... 5
Reprogramming Guidance........................................... 6
Funding Increases................................................ 6
Congressional Special Interest Items............................. 6
Classified Annex................................................. 7
Committee Recommendations by Major Category...................... 7
Active, Reserve, and National Guard Military Personnel......... 7
Operation and Maintenance...................................... 7
Procurement.................................................... 7
Research, Development, Test and Evaluation..................... 8
Defense Health Program......................................... 8
Pay Raise for Military Personnel................................. 9
Civilian Workforce Optimization.................................. 10
Civilian Pay Budget Justification Materials...................... 10
Multiyear Procurement of Certain Munitions....................... 10
Navy Littoral Combat Ships....................................... 11
Marine Corps Amphibious Ships.................................... 11
Divestments and Decommissionings................................. 12
F 0935 Flight Sciences Aircraft.................................. 12
Hypersonics...................................................... 12
Accelerating Change with a Near-Term Hedge....................... 13
Space Force Mission Area Budget Exhibit.......................... 14
Cyber Command Budget Presentation................................ 15
Climate Change................................................... 15
Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion................................. 15
Congressional Liaison Support.................................... 16
Cybersecurity Risks from Commercial Information Technology....... 16
Small Business................................................... 17
Reporting Requirements........................................... 17
Contract Personnel Budget Justification Materials................ 17
Report on National Security Risks from Certain Land Purchases.... 18
TITLE I. MILITARY PERSONNEL...................................... 19
Military Personnel Overview.................................... 21
Summary of End Strength........................................ 21
Overall Active End Strength.................................... 21
Overall Selected Reserve End Strength.......................... 21
Reprogramming Guidance for Military Personnel Accounts......... 22
Military Personnel Special Interest Items...................... 22
End Strength................................................... 22
Recruitment.................................................... 23
COVID 0919 Vaccination Policy.................................. 23
``Extremism'' in the Military.................................. 24
Release of Personally Identifiable Information................. 24
Suicide Prevention............................................. 25
Sexual Assault Prevention...................................... 25
Child Abuse Prevention......................................... 25
Blended Retirement System...................................... 26
Portability of Professional Licenses of Servicemembers and
their Spouses................................................ 26
Military Spouse Employment..................................... 26
Minority Outreach and Officer Accessions....................... 26
Military Personnel, Army....................................... 26
Military Personnel, Navy....................................... 29
Military Personnel, Marine Corps............................... 32
Military Personnel, Air Force.................................. 35
Military Personnel, Space Force................................ 38
Reserve Personnel, Army........................................ 41
Reserve Personnel, Navy........................................ 43
Reserve Personnel, Marine Corps................................ 45
Reserve Personnel, Air Force................................... 47
National Guard Personnel, Army................................. 49
National Guard Personnel, Air Force............................ 51
TITLE II. OPERATION AND MAINTENANCE.............................. 53
Reprogramming Guidance for Operation and Maintenance Accounts.. 55
Reprogramming Guidance for Special Operations Command.......... 56
Operation and Maintenance Special Interest Items............... 56
Operation and Maintenance Budget Execution Data................ 56
Restoring Readiness............................................ 57
Facilities Sustainment, Restoration and Modernization.......... 57
Adverse Impact of Offshore Wind Sites.......................... 57
Meals Ready-to-Eat War Reserve................................. 58
Tribal Consultation............................................ 58
Indian Financing Act........................................... 58
Financial Audit................................................ 58
Improper Payments.............................................. 58
AbilityOne Compliance.......................................... 59
Advertising.................................................... 59
Childcare...................................................... 59
Defense Commissaries........................................... 59
Food Assistance Programs....................................... 60
Per- and Polyfluoroalkyl Substances Mitigation................. 60
Per- and Polyfluoroalkyl Substances Cleanup Cost Reporting..... 60
Aqueous Film Forming Foam...................................... 61
Remediation of Formerly Used Defense Sites..................... 61
Vieques and Culebra............................................ 61
Maritime Capabilities in Polar Regions......................... 62
Operation and Maintenance, Army................................ 62
Ultra-Lightweight Camouflage Net Systems..................... 66
Mission Training Complexes................................... 66
Operation and Maintenance, Navy................................ 66
Ship Maintenance............................................. 70
Airframe Maintenance......................................... 70
Naval Air Weapons Station China Lake......................... 70
Naval Station Mayport........................................ 70
Contract Air Services........................................ 70
Operation and Maintenance, Marine Corps........................ 71
Operation and Maintenance, Air Force........................... 74
Pilot Shortfall.............................................. 79
Refueling Capabilities for Israel............................ 79
Airlift Readiness Account.................................... 79
Cyber Mission Assurance...................................... 79
Operation and Maintenance, Space Force......................... 79
Operation and Maintenance, Defense-Wide........................ 81
Defense Human Resources Activity............................. 86
Fourth Estate Human Resource Management...................... 86
Red Hill Bulk Fuel Storage Facility.......................... 86
Impact Aid Eligibility....................................... 87
Thunderdome.................................................. 87
Internet Operations Management............................... 88
Improving Cybersecurity Posture.............................. 88
Civilian Cyber Workforce..................................... 88
Quarterly Reports on Guantanamo Bay Detention Facility....... 89
Abbey Gate................................................... 89
Quarterly Briefings on Deployments of United States Armed
Forces..................................................... 89
Foreign Bases................................................ 89
Defense Security Cooperation Agency Programs................. 89
Burden-Sharing for Ukraine................................... 92
Management of Funds for Ukraine.............................. 93
Excess Defense Articles...................................... 93
Military Information Support Operations...................... 93
Readiness and Environmental Protection Initiative............ 94
Student Internships.......................................... 94
Insider Threat............................................... 94
Counter-ISIS Train and Equip Fund.............................. 94
Operation and Maintenance, Army Reserve........................ 95
Reserve Component Mandatory Training......................... 97
Operation and Maintenance, Navy Reserve........................ 97
Operation and Maintenance, Marine Corps Reserve................ 99
Operation and Maintenance, Air Force Reserve................... 101
Operation and Maintenance, Army National Guard................. 103
Virtual Language Training.................................... 106
Operation and Maintenance, Air National Guard.................. 106
Tactical Air Control Party Divestiture....................... 108
Combat Readiness Training Centers............................ 108
United States Court of Appeals for the Armed Forces............ 108
Environmental Restoration, Army................................ 108
Environmental Restoration, Navy................................ 108
Environmental Restoration, Air Force........................... 108
Environmental Restoration, Defense-Wide........................ 109
Environmental Restoration, Formerly Used Defense Sites......... 109
Overseas Humanitarian, Disaster, and Civic Aid................. 109
Cooperative Threat Reduction Account........................... 109
Department of Defense Acquisition Workforce Development Account 110
TITLE III. PROCUREMENT........................................... 111
Reprogramming Guidance for Acquisition Accounts................ 113
Funding Increases.............................................. 113
Procurement Special Interest Items............................. 113
Munitions Stock................................................ 113
Rocket Motor Supply............................................ 114
Advanced Lightweight Stainless Steel for Ammunition............ 114
Aircraft Procurement, Army..................................... 114
CH 0947 Block II............................................. 117
Missile Procurement, Army...................................... 117
Procurement of Weapons and Tracked Combat Vehicles, Army....... 120
Procurement of Ammunition, Army................................ 123
Other Procurement, Army........................................ 126
Infantry Squad Vehicle....................................... 133
Family of All Terrain Cranes................................. 133
High Mobility Multipurpose Wheeled Vehicles Antilock Brake
System/Electronic Stability Control........................ 133
Joint Light Tactical Vehicle Explosively Formed Penetrator
Kits....................................................... 133
Aircraft Procurement, Navy..................................... 134
F/A 0918 Super Hornet Aircraft............................... 138
Navy Adversary Aircraft for Training Purposes................ 138
Weapons Procurement, Navy...................................... 138
Procurement of Ammunition, Navy and Marine Corps............... 141
Shipbuilding and Conversion, Navy.............................. 144
Expeditionary Medical Ship................................... 147
Other Procurement, Navy........................................ 147
Procurement, Marine Corps...................................... 154
Aircraft Procurement, Air Force................................ 158
F 0922 Sensor Enhancements................................... 163
C 0940 Aircraft.............................................. 163
Repaired and Refurbished Aerospace Bearings.................. 163
C 09130H Engine Upgrades..................................... 163
Missile Procurement, Air Force................................. 164
Procurement of Ammunition, Air Force........................... 167
Other Procurement, Air Force................................... 169
Procurement, Space Force....................................... 174
National Security Space Launch............................... 177
Procurement, Defense-Wide...................................... 177
Accelerating the Procurement and Fielding of Innovative
Technologies............................................... 181
Munitions Stock Domestic Production of Titanium Sponge....... 181
Chinese Plastic.............................................. 181
Defense Supply Chain Packaging Material...................... 182
Crystals for Optical Components.............................. 182
Defense Production Act Purchases............................... 182
National Guard and Reserve Equipment Account................... 182
TITLE IV. RESEARCH, DEVELOPMENT, TEST AND EVALUATION............. 184
Reprogramming Guidance for Acquisition Accounts................ 186
Funding Increases.............................................. 186
Research, Development, Test and Evaluation Special Interest
Items........................................................ 186
Commercial Contracting Software................................ 186
Autonomous Modeling and Simulation............................. 187
Space-Based Surveillance for Northern Command and Southern
Command...................................................... 187
Research, Development, Test and Evaluation, Army............... 187
Cyberspace Electro-Magnetic Activities....................... 201
CROWS 09AHD.................................................. 201
Engineered Repair Materials for Roadways..................... 201
Wire Arc Additive Manufacturing.............................. 201
Research, Development, Test and Evaluation, Navy............... 202
Automated Test and Re-test................................... 214
Large Diameter Unmanned Undersea Vehicles.................... 214
Autonomous Surface and Underwater Dual-Modality Vehicles..... 214
Coastal Environmental Research............................... 214
Research, Development, Test and Evaluation, Air Force.......... 215
Vanguards.................................................... 229
Fighter Aircraft Engine Development.......................... 229
Collaborative Combat Aircraft................................ 230
Tanker Recapitalization...................................... 230
Research, Development, Test and Evaluation, Space Force........ 231
Space Force Acquisition...................................... 236
Nuclear Command, Control, and Communications................. 236
Commercial Satellite Communications.......................... 237
Research, Development, Test and Evaluation, Defense-Wide....... 237
People: The Non-Traditional Innovation Fielding Enterprise... 252
Portfolio: Defining and Resourcing a Hedge................... 252
Processes: Speed, Nexus, and Agile Requirements.............. 253
Practices: Flexibility and Accountability.................... 254
Digital Transformation....................................... 254
Digital Tools for Science and Technology Investment.......... 255
Office of Strategic Capital.................................. 256
Advanced Air Mobility........................................ 256
Microreactors for Natural Disaster Response Efforts.......... 256
Per- and Polyfluoroalkyl Substances.......................... 257
Biotechnology Manufacturing Institutes....................... 257
Alternative Battery Chemistry................................ 257
Secure Communications........................................ 258
Loitering Munitions.......................................... 258
Drone Technologies........................................... 258
National Centers of Academic Excellence in Cybersecurity..... 258
Operational Test and Evaluation, Defense....................... 258
TITLE V. REVOLVING AND MANAGEMENT FUNDS.......................... 260
Defense Working Capital Funds.................................. 260
National Defense Stockpile Transaction Fund.................... 260
TITLE VI. OTHER DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE PROGRAMS................... 261
Defense Health Program......................................... 261
Reprogramming Guidance for the Defense Health Program........ 264
Carryover.................................................... 264
Medical Research............................................. 265
Per-Reviewed Spinal Cord Research Program.................... 265
Peer-Reviewed Cancer Research Program........................ 265
Metastatic Cancer Research................................... 266
Joint Warfighter Medical Research Program.................... 267
Combat Readiness Medical Research Program.................... 267
Peer-Reviewed Toxic Exposures Research Program............... 268
Next-Generation Viral Vectors................................ 268
Rapid Deployable Synthetic Vaccine Development............... 268
Nuclear Medicine............................................. 268
Novel Strategies to Prevent Infection in Severe Fractures.... 269
Long Covid and Myalgic Encephalomyelitis/Chronic Fatigue
Syndrome................................................... 269
Musculoskeletal Injuries..................................... 269
Peer-Reviewed Arthritis Research............................. 270
Chiropractic Care............................................ 270
Electronic Health Records.................................... 270
Military Health System Reform: Strategy and Integration Plan. 271
Military Medical Manpower.................................... 271
Mental Health Professionals and Training..................... 272
Non-Urgent Mental Health Assessments......................... 272
National Intrepid Center of Excellence....................... 273
Pharmaceutical Supply Chain.................................. 273
Community Pharmacies......................................... 273
National Disaster Medical System Pilot and Joint Civilian-
Military Medical Surge Capacity............................ 274
Space Force Health and Fitness Pilot......................... 274
Human Performance Optimization............................... 274
Chemical Agents and Munitions Destruction, Defense............. 275
Drug Interdiction and Counter-Drug Activities, Defense......... 275
Comptroller General Review of Department of Defense
Instructions............................................... 277
Office of the Inspector General................................ 277
End-Use Monitoring for Ukraine............................... 278
Enhanced Ukraine Oversight................................... 278
TITLE VII. RELATED AGENCIES...................................... 279
National and Military Intelligence Programs.................... 279
Classified Annex............................................... 279
Central Intelligence Agency Retirement and Disability System
Fund......................................................... 279
Intelligence Community Management Account...................... 279
TITLE VIII. GENERAL PROVISIONS................................... 280
HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES REPORTING REQUIREMENTS.................. 288
Statement of General Performance Goals and Objectives.......... 288
Program Duplication............................................ 289
Transfer of Funds.............................................. 289
Rescissions.................................................... 291
Disclosure of Earmarks and Congressionally Directed Spending
Items........................................................ 291
Changes in the Application of Existing Law..................... 292
Appropriations Not Authorized by Law........................... 302
Comparison with the Budget Resolution.......................... 303
Five-Year Outlay Projections................................... 303
Financial Assistance to State and Local Governments............ 303
Committee Hearings............................................. 303
Full Committee Votes........................................... 305
Minority Views................................................. 326
118th Congress } { Report
HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
1st Session } { 118-121
======================================================================
DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE APPROPRIATIONS BILL, 2024
_______
June 27, 2023.--Committed to the Committee of the Whole House on the
State of the Union and ordered to be printed
_______
Mr. Calvert of California, from the Committee on Appropriations,
submitted the following
R E P O R T
together with
MINORITY VIEWS
[To accompany H.R. 4365]
The Committee on Appropriations submits the following
report in explanation of the accompanying bill making
appropriations for the Department of Defense, and for other
purposes, for the fiscal year ending September 30, 2024.
BILL TOTALS
Appropriations for most military functions of the
Department of Defense are provided for in the accompanying bill
for fiscal year 2024. This bill does not provide appropriations
for military construction, military family housing, civil
defense, and military nuclear warheads, for which requirements
are considered in connection with other appropriations Acts.
The fiscal year 2024 President's budget request for
activities funded in the Department of Defense Appropriations
Act totals $826,162,133,000 in new discretionary budget
obligational authority.
COMMITTEE BUDGET REVIEW PROCESS
During its review of the fiscal year 2024 President's
budget request and execution of appropriations from prior
fiscal years, the Subcommittee on Defense held six hearings and
seven classified sessions during the period of February 2023 to
April 2023. Hearings were held in open session, except when the
security classification of the material to be discussed
presented no alternative but to conduct those hearings in
executive or closed session.
INTRODUCTION
The Committee recommendation for fiscal year 2024
Department of Defense discretionary funding is
$826,448,000,000, which exceeds the President's budget request
by $285,867,000.
Despite the late submission of the request, this bill
maintains the Committee's long-standing tradition of conducting
a thorough, bipartisan evaluation of the budget request to
ensure the appropriate use of valuable taxpayer funds. The
Committee's recommendation supports full funding for many of
the Department's top priorities, such as the B-21 bomber, the
Columbia-class submarine, and a pay increase for uniformed
personnel.
While the Committee appreciates the budget request's
increase in funding for the Department, it is concerning that
the Administration has poorly prioritized funds within the
request to include proposals for climate change initiatives,
partisan policies that may harm recruitment, and the use of
legacy business systems and processes. Further, prior to
submission of the President's budget request, the Committee
expressly communicated to Department of Defense officials its
expectation of clear and adequate justification for the funding
requested. Unfortunately, the Department failed to heed this
direction for many of its programs prior to the Committee
drafting its recommendation. Therefore, the Committee
recommends approximately $20,000,000,000 in program reductions,
which includes reductions due to schedule delays, unjustified
cost increases, underexecution, or other programmatic
adjustments. The Committee's recommendation also includes
prohibitions on funding for programs that do not directly
increase military readiness or lethality. It is the
constitutional prerogative of this Committee to ensure that the
executive branch is both held accountable by, and responsive
to, the representatives of the American people. The Committee
takes this responsibility, and the responsibility to provide
for the common defense of our Nation, seriously.
Successive National Defense Strategies make clear the
Department's top priority is to strengthen and sustain the
Nation's ability to deter the aggressive and malign actions of
the People's Republic of China (PRC). This bill ensures the
realization of this priority by rejecting the Administration's
request to decrease the number of ships in the Navy's fleet,
increasing investment in advanced aircraft, authorizing the
multiyear procurement of critical munitions, building up
domestic industrial base capacity, and supporting America's
most important strategic asset--its servicemembers. The current
geopolitical environment also calls for the United States and
its allies to be postured to respond to a variety of conflicts
that threaten the homeland or the international rules-based
order in place since the end of the Second World War. Russia's
ill-conceived invasion of Ukraine, Iran's increased aggression
in the Middle East, and missile threats from the Democratic
People's Republic of Korea all serve as reminders that focusing
on the pacing threat cannot lead to a vacuum of American
leadership elsewhere in the world.
To achieve these shared goals, the Committee's top
priorities for fiscal year 2024 are to invest in America's
military superiority, shape a more efficient and effective
workforce while enhancing a culture of innovation, combat
illicit fentanyl and synthetic opioids, and take care of
servicemembers and their families.
First, the Committee resources the military capabilities
necessary to decisively defeat potential adversaries. As such,
the Committee's recommendation includes funding to directly
counter the PRC's malign global influence, including over
$9,000,000,000 for the Pacific Deterrence Initiative,
$108,000,000 for International Security Cooperation Programs
for Taiwan, and robust funding for the modernization of the
nuclear triad. The recommendation also includes language to
prioritize the delivery of defense articles to Taiwan and
supports training partnerships such as the National Guard State
Partnership Program. Finally, the Committee recommendation
supports the development of a `hedge' portfolio to address the
mounting global security risks. The Committee is concerned by
growing tactical and logistical risks to current weapon
systems, as well as the lack of industrial base capacity and
diversity. A hedge in this sense will resource organizations
capable of developing non-traditional solutions from non-
traditional sources by intentionally taking calculated risks to
incentivize positive, deliberate, accelerated change. If
properly executed, this hedge has the potential to create
asymmetric advantage to support combatant command operational
challenges and reduce the taxpayer's burden by leveraging
private capital, expand America's economic advantage by
accelerating emerging technology, and broaden the pool of
talent supporting national defense.
Second, the Act drives significant changes to the way the
Department of Defense operates. The Committee notes its
frustration with the Department's adherence to legacy business
practices and manpower assumptions, particularly with respect
to its civilian workforce. While in many cases the civilian
workforce provides invaluable contributions to the warfighter,
the Department must optimize its workforce by adopting emerging
technologies and becoming fiscally sustainable or risk a
misalignment of resources to execute the National Defense
Strategy. Capabilities such as automation, artificial
intelligence, and other novel business practices--which are
readily adopted by the private sector--are often ignored or
under-utilized across the Department's business operations.
This bill takes aggressive steps to address this issue.
Additionally, the Department continues to struggle to rapidly
transition technology from industry, or its own research labs,
into the hands of the warfighters. This bill includes many
recommendations to address this deficiency.
Third, illicit fentanyl and synthetic opioids are causing
the deaths of more Americans than any other adversary. While
the Committee acknowledges limits to the Department of
Defense's statutory authorities, the Department and the
Intelligence Community can and must increase their
contributions to combat this threat. Therefore, the Act
includes a historic investment of $1,162,161,000 in the drug
interdiction and counter-drug activities account, including
increased funding for counter-narcotics support, demand
reduction, the National Guard Counter-Drug Program, and
National Guard Counter-Drug Schools.
Finally, as the Nation marks the 50th anniversary of the
All-Volunteer Force, the Committee emphasizes that taking care
of servicemembers and their families is foundational to the
success of the military. Increased investments in warfighting
capabilities are useless without a ready, trained, equipped,
and robust force. However, the Committee is concerned that
compensation, particularly for the junior enlisted ranks, has
been insufficient to provide an adequate quality of life for
servicemembers. The Committee is also concerned that this
inadequate level of pay may impede the Department's ability to
recruit a force sufficient to execute the National Defense
Strategy.
Therefore, the Act includes a historic alteration to the
funding tables for junior enlisted servicemembers that provides
for an increase in pay that averages 30 percent. This
investment will improve recruitment and enhance the quality of
life for servicemembers and their families. The Committee looks
forward to working with the Senate and other committees of
jurisdiction to enact this proposal.
The United States is in a decisive decade that will
determine the fate of the world order. The PRC is rapidly
building its military capabilities, investing in the developing
world, and disrupting the rules-based order. The myth of
integrated deterrence cannot lead the United States into
shortchanging its military capabilities. Instead, the
Department, in coordination with this Committee, must overcome
the inertia in its current bureaucracy, processes, workforce,
and mindset. It must be agile, ready, and lethal to encourage
cooperation, not provocation.
The Committee appreciates the input from the Department of
Defense, the Intelligence Community, Members of Congress,
industry, think tanks, and outside stakeholders as it worked to
draft its recommendation for fiscal year 2024.
DEFINITION OF PROGRAM, PROJECT, AND ACTIVITY
For the purposes of the Balanced Budget and Emergency
Deficit Control Act of 1985 (Public Law 99-177), as amended by
the Balanced Budget and Emergency Deficit Control Reaffirmation
Act of 1987 (Public Law 100-119), and by the Budget Enforcement
Act of 1990 (Public Law 101-508), the terms ``program, project,
and activity'' for appropriations contained in this Act shall
be defined as the most specific level of budget items
identified in the Department of Defense Appropriations Act,
2024, the related classified annexes and Committee reports, and
the P-1 and R-1 budget justification documents as subsequently
modified by congressional action.
The following exception to the above definition shall
apply: the military personnel and the operation and maintenance
accounts, for which the term ``program, project, and activity''
is defined as the appropriations accounts contained in the
Department of Defense Appropriations Act.
At the time the President submits the budget request for
fiscal year 2025, the Secretary of Defense is directed to
transmit to the congressional defense committees budget
justification documents to be known as the M-1 and O-1, which
shall identify, at the budget activity, activity group, and
sub-activity group level, the amounts requested by the
President to be appropriated to the Department of Defense for
military personnel and operation and maintenance in any budget
request, or amended budget request, for fiscal year 2025.
REPROGRAMMING GUIDANCE
The Secretary of Defense is directed to continue to follow
the reprogramming guidance for acquisition accounts as
specified in the report accompanying the House version of the
Department of Defense Appropriations bill for Fiscal Year 2008
(House Report 110-279). The dollar threshold for reprogramming
funds shall be $15,000,000 for military personnel and operation
and maintenance; and $10,000,000 for procurement and research,
development, test and evaluation.
Additionally, the Under Secretary of Defense (Comptroller)
is directed to continue to provide the congressional defense
committees annual DD Form 1416 reports for titles I and II and
quarterly, spreadsheet-based DD Form 1416 reports for Service
and defense-wide accounts in titles III and IV of this Act.
Reports for titles III and IV shall comply with guidance
specified in the explanatory statement accompanying the
Department of Defense Appropriations Act, 2006. The Department
shall continue to follow the limitation that prior approval
reprogramming actions are set at either the specified dollar
threshold or 20 percent of the procurement or research,
development, test and evaluation line, whichever is less. These
thresholds are cumulative from the base for reprogramming value
as modified by any adjustments. Therefore, if the combined
value of transfers into or out of a military personnel (M-1);
an operation and maintenance (O-1); a procurement (P-1); or a
research, development, test and evaluation (R-1) line exceeds
the identified threshold, the Secretary of Defense must submit
a prior approval reprogramming to the congressional defense
committees. In addition, guidelines on the application of prior
approval reprogramming procedures for congressional special
interest items are established elsewhere in this statement.
FUNDING INCREASES
The funding increases outlined in the tables for each
appropriation account shall be provided only for the specific
purposes indicated in the tables.
CONGRESSIONAL SPECIAL INTEREST ITEMS
Items for which additional funds have been provided or
items for which funding is specifically reduced as shown in the
project level tables or in paragraphs using the phrase ``only
for'' or ``only to'' in this report are congressional special
interest items for the purpose of the Base for Reprogramming
(DD Form 1414). Each of these items must be carried on the DD
Form 1414 at the stated amount, as specifically addressed in
the Committee report.
CLASSIFIED ANNEX
Adjustments to the classified programs are addressed in the
classified annex accompanying this report.
COMMITTEE RECOMMENDATIONS BY MAJOR CATEGORY
ACTIVE, RESERVE, AND NATIONAL GUARD MILITARY PERSONNEL
In title I of the Act, the Committee recommends a total of
$177,922,024,000 for active, reserve, and National Guard
military personnel, a decrease of $951,942,000 below the budget
request due to projected underexecution of funds. The Committee
recommendation provides full funding necessary to increase
basic pay for all military personnel by 5.2 percent, effective
January 1, 2024. The Committee recommendation also includes
additional targeted funding increases for certain enlisted
grades.
OPERATION AND MAINTENANCE
In title II of the Act, the Committee recommends a total of
$293,065,995,000 for operation and maintenance support to the
military Services and other Department of Defense entities, an
increase of $2,994,702,000 above the budget request. The
recommended levels will fund robust operational training,
readiness, and facilities needs in fiscal year 2024.
PROCUREMENT
In title III of the Act, the Committee recommends a total
of $165,061,083,000 for procurement, a decrease of
$3,995,863,000 below the budget request.
Major initiatives and modifications include:
$674,152,000 for 48 sets of M109A6 Paladin Self-Propelled
Howitzers and M992A2 Field Artillery Ammunition Support
Vehicles;
$120,000,000 for additional modernized Army National Guard
HMMWVs;
$1,617,093,000 for the procurement of the B-21 Raider;
$9,641,932,000 for 86 F-35 aircraft, which is an increase
of $227,353,000 for 3 additional F-35As for the Air Force for a
total of 51 F-35As, 16 short take-off and vertical landing
variants for the Marine Corps, and 19 carrier variants for the
Navy and Marine Corps;
$2,758,048,000 for the procurement of 15 KC-46A tanker
aircraft;
$2,431,171,000 for the procurement of 24 F-15EX aircraft;
$213,804,000 for the procurement of 7 MH-139 aircraft;
$487,200,000 for the procurement of 4 C-130Js aircraft for
the Air National Guard;
$120,000,000 for the procurement of 2 Combat Rescue
Helicopters;
$200,000,000 for the acceleration of the delivery of the E-
7 aircraft;
$1,800,050,000 for the procurement of 16 CH-53K
helicopters, an increase of one aircraft and 102,000,000 above
the President's budget request;
$684,121,000 for the procurement of five CMV-22 aircraft;
$32,906,812,000 for the procurement of nine Navy battle
force ships, including two DDG-51 guided missile destroyers,
one Columbia-class ballistic submarine, two Virginia-class fast
attack submarines, two Frigates, one TAO Fleet Oiler, and one
submarine tender replacement;
$2,672,314,000 for the procurement of 15 National Security
Space Launches; and
$200,000,000 for the Israeli Cooperative Programs under the
Missile Defense Agency.
RESEARCH, DEVELOPMENT, TEST AND EVALUATION
In title IV of the Act, the Committee recommends a total of
$146,836,251,000 for research, development, test and
evaluation, an increase of $1,956,626,000 above the budget
request.
Major initiatives and modifications include:
$1,493,804,000 to support Army Future Vertical Lift,
including design, prototyping, and risk reduction for the
Future Attack Reconnaissance Aircraft and the Future Long Range
Assault Aircraft;
$974,020,000 for continued development and fielding of the
Army's Long-Range Hypersonic Weapon;
$380,355,000 for the Army's Mid-Range Missile capability;
$816,663,000 for the Army's Lower Tier Air Missile Defense
capability;
$2,356,734,000 for the F-35 Continuous Capability
Development and Delivery program;
$790,537,000 for the continued development of the Air
Force's Survivable Airborne Operations Center;
$2,984,143,000 for the continued development of the B-21
bomber;
$2,326,128,000 for the continued development of the Air
Force's Next Generation Air Dominance program;
$891,406,000 for the Air Force's Long Range Standoff
Weapon;
$3,686,840,000 for the continued development of the Air
Force's Ground Based Strategic Deterrent program;
$901,064,000 for the continued development of the Navy's
conventional prompt strike program;
$237,655,000 for the continued development of the Navy's
Offensive Anti-Surface Warfare Weapon program;
$73,146,000 for the continued development for the Marine
Corps ground-based anti-ship missile and long-range fires
programs;
$2,056,063,000 for the Next Generation Interceptor
Development;
$2,581,124,000 for the continued development of the Next
Generation Overhead Persistent Infrared program;
$2,272,214,000 for the continued development of the
Resilient Missile Warning-Missile Tracking program; and
$300,000,000 for the Israeli Cooperative Programs under the
Missile Defense Agency.
DEFENSE HEALTH PROGRAM
The Committee recommends a total of $39,365,472,000 for the
Defense Health Program to support worldwide medical and dental
services for active forces and other eligible beneficiaries.
PAY RAISE FOR MILITARY PERSONNEL
To address the recruiting crisis and increase the quality
of life for the most vulnerable military personnel and their
families, the Committee recommendation includes an average pay
increase of 30 percent for junior enlisted personnel, as well
as a 5.2 percent pay increase for all military personnel. The
Committee expects that this pay raise will help mitigate the
recruiting crisis and improve the quality of life for
servicemembers and their families.
CIVILIAN WORKFORCE OPTIMIZATION
The Committee recognizes the valuable contributions of the
Department of Defense civilian workforce to overall mission
success but is concerned by its growing cost. Between fiscal
years 2018 and 2022, civilian pay expenditures grew by
approximately $15,000,000,000, and in fiscal year 2022
expenditures across all appropriations exceeded
$101,000,000,000. The Committee views this as unsustainable and
excessive, particularly with the maturation of commercial
technologies, such as robotic process automation and artificial
intelligence, which can significantly reduce or eliminate
manual processes across the Department. Therefore, the
Committee recommendation includes a total reduction of
$1,095,252,000 for the Department of Defense civilian
workforce. The Committee directs the Secretary of Defense to
exclude civilian positions supporting shipyard, depot, health
care, and sexual assault and response duties from any
reductions.
Further, the Committee assesses the Department has not
taken meaningful steps to adopt, at scale, modern technologies
in its business operations. The Department's adherence to
legacy systems, processes, and practices creates an inefficient
application of manpower, squanders resources that could be
applied to increase operational readiness, and is detrimental
to the Department's efforts to recruit and retain top talent.
The Department must optimize its civilian workforce to meet
current and future threats in a fiscally prudent manner.
Therefore, the Committee directs the Secretary of Defense
to submit a report to the congressional defense committees, not
later than 120 days after the enactment of this Act, that
addresses these areas of concern. The report shall include:
(1) a reassessment of total force manpower resources
against core missions, tasks, and functions to include a
mapping of missions to originating statute or Departmental
policy;
(2) a plan with specific goals and metrics for measuring
the adoption of technologies, such as automation and artificial
intelligence, and business process improvements across the
Department;
(3) a timeline for implementation of the stated goals;
(4) a forecast of manpower savings as a result of these
efforts across the future years defense program; and
(5) any resources or authorities necessary to achieve these
objectives or to facilitate these efforts.
Further, the Committee directs that none of the funds
appropriated in this Act may be obligated or expended to
establish or operate a Department of Defense Civilian Workforce
Incentive Fund until 30 days after the aforementioned report is
submitted to the congressional defense committees.
Beginning with the fiscal year 2025 budget request, the
Department will identify mission changes, areas of technology
implementation, and business process improvements that will
optimize the size, structure, and composition of the
Department's workforce and its allocation of manpower against
validated requirements.
CIVILIAN PAY BUDGET JUSTIFICATION MATERIALS
Justification for civilian pay is included with the
corresponding appropriations justification materials, yet the
Committee is concerned the lack of a consolidated Department-
wide civilian pay budget exhibit hinders the Committee's
ability to perform its oversight of the civilian workforce.
Therefore, the Committee directs the Secretary of Defense to
consult with the House and Senate Appropriations Committees to
develop a comprehensive budget exhibit outlining the costs of
civilian pay to the Department. This exhibit shall be provided
with submission of the fiscal year 2025 President's budget
request.
MULTIYEAR PROCUREMENT AUTHORITY FOR CERTAIN MUNITIONS
The fiscal year 2024 President's budget request includes a
request for multiyear procurement authority for the Naval
Strike Missile, Standard Missile-6, Advanced Medium-Range Air-
to-Air Missile, Long Range Anti-Ship Missile, and Joint Air-to-
Surface Standoff Missile. Following submission of the budget
request, the Committee received further requests for multiyear
procurement authority for the Guided Multiple Launch Rocket
System and PATRIOT Advanced Capability-3 Missile Segment
Enhancement. The budget request also includes $1,896,332,000 in
Economic Order Quantity (EOQ) funding in support of the
requested multiyear procurements. The Committee further notes
the request includes $1,395,400,000 in advance procurement and
industrial base funding for munitions.
The conditional use of multiyear procurement authority,
outlined in 10 U.S.C. 3501, requires the Department to show
substantial savings, the stability of the requirement, the
stability of funding, stable configuration, realistic cost
estimates, and national security interests. While the Committee
strongly agrees with the need to ensure the munitions
industrial base has steady demand from the Department of
Defense to meet national defense requirements, the Department
has failed to show how the use of these proposed contracts
would meet the standards as outlined in statute. The Committee
is particularly concerned the Department cannot provide
realistic cost estimates and has proceeded with these multiyear
procurement requests without a firm understanding of each
program's unit cost and production capacity. The Committee
believes, however, that several of these programs are worthy of
multiyear procurement consideration due to their enduring
importance and steady production.
Therefore, the Act includes a general provision to grant
multiyear procurement authority for Naval Strike Missile,
Guided Multiple Launch Rocket System, PATRIOT Advanced
Capability-3 Missile Segment Enhancement, Long Range Anti-Ship
Missile, and Joint Air-to-Surface Standoff Missile. The
Committee also recommends $1,412,127,000 in advance procurement
and industrial base funding to improve capacity for both
private and public munitions providers. However, since the
Department has failed to provide the Committee with cost
savings expected to be generated by EOQ funding and in some
instances has communicated an expectation of no cost savings
from multiyear contracts, EOQ funding is not justified at this
time. The Committee expects that prior to the transmission of
its fiscal year 2025 President's budget request, the Department
will demonstrate how EOQ funding would generate cost savings
across the respective multiyear contracts.
NAVY LITTORAL COMBAT SHIPS
The Committee is troubled that, despite repeated rejections
by Congress, the Navy is once again proposing to decommission
several Littoral Combat Ships well before the end of their
expected service lives. The Committee strongly believes that
these ships, though not aligned with the Navy's original plan,
can provide operational value in support of combatant commander
initiatives. Further, it is noted that the Navy is studying
platforms that could be repurposed to serve as a mothership for
a variety of future unmanned capabilities. The Committee
believes it is premature to divest these ships before the
completion of this study or a thorough review of combatant
commander requirements for such capability.
Therefore, the Committee directs the Secretary of the Navy
to submit a report to the congressional defense committees, not
later than 30 days after the enactment of this Act, on these
proposed alternatives. Further, the Committee strongly urges
the Secretary of the Navy to abstain from further proposals to
decommission any Littoral Combat Ship.
MARINE CORPS AMPHIBIOUS SHIPS
The Committee is troubled that the budget request seeks to
retire three amphibious dock landing ships (LSDs) prior to
reaching their expected service lives, which would bring the
total number of operational Marine Corps amphibious warfare
ships under 31. Not only is this request in contravention of
existing law, but the Committee also notes that such a
reduction would further inhibit the Marine Corps' ability to
respond to crises and support emerging combatant commander
requirements. The Committee is concerned that the proposed rate
of procurement of new amphibious ships is insufficient to meet
the Marine Corps' operational requirement. While the Committee
notes that the Department of the Navy is studying future
landing platform dock (LPD) requirements, it believes that an
interruption in the procurement of new amphibious ships will
have a detrimental effect on maritime power projection and the
shipbuilding industrial base. Therefore, the Committee
recommendation prevents the decommissioning of two LSDs to
sustain near-term capacity. Further, the Committee directs the
Secretary of the Navy, in coordination with the Commandant of
the Marine Corps, to submit a report to the congressional
defense committees, not later than 90 days after the enactment
of this Act, on the Department's plan to meet and sustain a
minimum of 31 operational Marine Corps amphibious warfare
ships.
DIVESTMENTS AND DECOMMISSIONINGS
The Committee is concerned the Services are reducing
personnel, operations, and sustainment for aircraft and ships
prior to the congressional approval of corresponding divestment
and decommissioning proposals. The Committee notes that over
the past several fiscal years, Congress has rejected many of
these proposals and has provided increased funding for the
costs of keeping these assets in service. The Committee is
specifically concerned by these actions as they relate to the
Navy Littoral Combat Ships, Air National Guard aircraft, and
Air Force Reserve Command aircraft. In the case of the Air
National Guard and Air Force Reserve Command, the divestment of
aircraft without identified replacement missions increases
uncertainty for personnel and local communities. While the
Committee understands the phasing required for a divestment or
decommissioning action, the Committee expects the Services to
not initiate these actions until formally approved by the
congressional defense committees.
F-35 FLIGHT SCIENCES AIRCRAFT
Due to the age and configuration of the current F-35 flight
sciences aircraft inventory, the Committee concurs with the F-
35 Joint Program Office (JPO) that modernized aircraft are
required to support weapons integration and other developments
to field advanced capabilities. The Committee understands the
JPO recently awarded a contract for the non-recurring
engineering and long-lead material to outfit three Lot 18
aircraft with instrumentation needed for flight sciences
testing. This Act contains a general provision that grants
authority to the Secretary of Defense to modify these aircraft
for this purpose. To further execute these modifications, the
Air Force, Navy, and Marine Corps have programmed funding in
fiscal year 2024 and across the future years defense program.
However, the Committee remains concerned that three aircraft
will be insufficient and will incur undue risk to future
advanced system development. Therefore, the Committee directs
the Program Executive Officer (PEO) of the F-35 JPO, in
coordination with the Secretaries of the Air Force and Navy, to
submit a report to the congressional defense committees, not
later than 90 days after the enactment of this Act, on the
number of flight sciences aircraft required to meet future
testing requirements over the next ten years. The Committee
further directs the Service Secretaries to appropriately budget
for this assessment in the fiscal year 2025 President's budget
request.
HYPERSONICS
The fiscal year 2024 President's budget request for
hypersonics programs across the Department of Defense totals
$3,485,800,000. This includes proposed investments in the
Navy's Conventional Prompt Strike (CPS), the Air Force's
Hypersonic Attack Cruise Missile, and the Army's Long Range
Hypersonic Weapon, as well as research investments by the
Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency, and elsewhere across
the Department. Despite the enormous annual investment in
hypersonic weapons, the Department of Defense has not yet
fielded an operational hypersonic weapon. Meanwhile, the
People's Republic of China continues to outpace the United
States in both their hypersonic arsenal of weapons and their
hypersonic wind tunnel testing capabilities. It is imperative
that the Department of Defense transition hypersonic research
and development into an operational capability in a more
expedited fashion.
While the Committee strongly supports investments in
hypersonics, it is aware of issues with the Air-Launched Rapid
Response Weapon (ARRW) program and the Navy's CPS program. As a
result of delays and test failures, the Committee
recommendation eliminates funding in fiscal year 2024 for the
ARRW program. While the Committee continues to support the
Navy's CPS program and its efforts to integrate CPS onto
Zumwalt-class destroyers and Virginia-class submarines, the
Committee notes that recent test failures have added additional
risk to the program's development and schedule. The Committee
recommendation, therefore, includes a reduction to the quantity
of all-up rounds proposed to be procured in fiscal year 2024.
The Committee expects the Secretary of the Navy to keep the
Committee informed on whether the program is meeting the
timelines and milestones for development and fielding.
The Committee is also concerned about the fragility of the
industrial base for hypersonics technology, including basic and
applied research, and supports continued investments in the
nation's test infrastructure and capacity, such as the Multi-
Service Advanced Capabilities Hypersonic Test Bed.
Therefore, the Committee directs the Under Secretary of
Defense for Research and Engineering to submit to the House and
Senate Appropriations Committees, not later than 90 days after
the enactment of this Act, an updated hypersonics strategy and
roadmap, a five-year plan for fielding hypersonic weapons
across the Services, as well as an assessment of the health of
the hypersonics industrial base to meet the Department's
current and future needs.
ACCELERATING CHANGE WITH A NEAR-TERM HEDGE
The Committee commends the Secretary of Defense on the
announcement of the new Director of the Defense Innovation Unit
(DIU) that comes with an elevated role reporting directly to
the Secretary. Given mounting global security risks, the
Department must do more to mobilize a broader industrial base.
The DIU transition provides a timely milestone to deliberately
create a hedge portfolio to these risks and focus organizations
capable of executing that hedge strategy. This portfolio is a
hedge against growing and innate tactical and logistical risks
to current weapon systems, as well as a hedge against
industrial base risk, given the lack of capacity and diversity.
The development of non-traditional sources and non-traditional
solutions are essential to this hedge, and it will require
intentionally taking calculated risks to incentivize positive
deliberate accelerated change. If properly executed, this hedge
has the potential to reduce the taxpayer's burden by leveraging
private capital, expand America's economic advantage by
accelerating emerging technology, and broaden the pool of
talent supporting national defense.
After observing the use of non-traditional weapons from
non-traditional sources in Ukraine, the Committee supports
maturing and focusing ``innovation organizations'' on rapidly
fielding new capabilities from new sources at scale. With
distinct and complementary missions, organizations like DIU,
the Chief Digital and Artificial Intelligence Office, the
Office of Strategic Capital, AFWERX, SpaceWERX, NavalX, Task
Force 59, the Army Applications Lab, and the Marine Corps
Warfighting Lab show promise in creating a hedge to growing
security risks. If properly focused and resourced, these above
``innovation organizations'' and others become part of a
coordinated non-traditional innovation fielding enterprise.
They will collaboratively have the unique potential to expand
the diversity and scale of new weapon systems, concepts of
operation, and industry partners in a way that creates
resiliency for the Nation and strategic uncertainty for
adversaries.
Unfortunately, it is not clear to the Committee that the
Department is properly focusing, staffing, organizing, or
resourcing these organizations, or fully exploring options to
evolve requirements, budgeting, acquisition, and adoption
processes to meet strategic intent. While the Committee's
direction to focus these efforts is detailed in the Research,
Development, Test and Evaluation, Defense-Wide section of this
report, the added emphasis on agile adoption approaches across
this non-traditional innovation fielding enterprise requires
broader consideration across all accounts. Approaches to
leveraging new sources of technology, capital, and talent could
significantly accelerate affordable fielding of critical joint
capabilities. However, to be successful, small teams of
technologists, acquirers, and warfighters must be focused on
rapidly fielding solutions at scale to operationally relevant
problems.
SPACE FORCE MISSION AREA BUDGET EXHIBIT
The Committee is aware of various proposals over the years
to consolidate and align budgets into capability portfolios.
The Committee recognizes that there may be potential benefits
to an approach that more directly connects national security
strategy and goals to the Department's budget priorities,
program plans, and ultimately to capabilities. Such an approach
may also bring greater transparency and accuracy to the true
total cost and resources needed to accomplish mission goals.
While making an abrupt transition across the entire Department
to a new budget structure would be unwieldy and unproductively
disruptive, the development of a supplementary budget exhibit
to be submitted along with the President's budget request is a
worthwhile trial to understand how the Department might
implement a new approach based on organizing around specific
mission areas. The Committee believes the Space Force is an
appropriate starting point for this exercise because of its
relatively small size compared to other Services.
Therefore, the Committee directs the Secretary of the Air
Force, in coordination with the Under Secretary of Defense
(Comptroller), to prepare a supplementary budget exhibit for
Space Force programs that organizes and aligns the existing
budget lines for programs, projects, and activities into
mission area expenditure centers, such as missile warning,
satellite communications, and position, navigation, and timing.
The supplementary budget exhibit should also include separate
mission area expenditure centers for enterprise management,
enterprise information technology, and facilities and
logistics. Each mission area is expected to include a clear
statement of the mission goals and plans, a detailed and
compelling justification for the requested budget and military
and civilian personnel needed for the mission, and an alignment
of all the relevant individual program elements, without
further consolidation from the traditional budget exhibits and
activity groups of the various appropriations. The Committee
notes that the budget exhibits for the Military Intelligence
Program and the National Intelligence Program may serve as a
potential model and starting point for consideration. To be
clear, this is a supplementary budget exhibit, not a substitute
for the budget documentation typically provided each year.
The Committee directs the Secretary of the Air Force and
Under Secretary of Defense (Comptroller) to submit a draft plan
for the Space Force Mission Area Budget Exhibit to the House
and Senate Appropriations Committees not later than September
1, 2023. The draft plan shall outline the structure of the
exhibit, including defining each of the mission area
expenditure centers, the data proposed to be included, and key
personnel, such as identification of the program executive
officer responsible for each mission area. The completed
exhibit covering the entire Space Force budget request shall be
submitted with the fiscal year 2025 President's budget request.
CYBER COMMAND BUDGET PRESENTATION
Under the enhanced budget control provided by the National
Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2022, United States
Cyber Command's fiscal year 2024 budget request totals
$2,837,377,000 across the operation and maintenance,
procurement, and research, development, test and evaluation
appropriations. The Committee expects Cyber Command to provide
the same level of detail regarding budget execution and
acquisition program schedules that customarily are provided by
the Services and defense agencies. The Committee directs the
Commander, United States Cyber Command, to consult with the
House and Senate Appropriations Committees on developing budget
presentation materials, that shall be presented with the fiscal
year 2025 President's budget request, to preserve congressional
oversight capacity and enhance communication between the
Committees and the Command.
CLIMATE CHANGE
The Committee recommendation includes a reduction of
$714,840,000 for unjustified requests that seek to mitigate
climate risk but do not improve combat capability or capacity.
The Committee is dismayed that the budget request
mischaracterizes requirements such as routine infrastructure
and utilities upgrades, long-standing statutory compliance
activities, combatant commander theater-setting efforts, and
multilateral cold weather exercises as mitigating climate risk.
This is a disingenuous practice that serves the
Administration's prerogative at the expense of clarity in the
Department's request and the Committee's ability to perform
oversight.
DIVERSITY, EQUITY, AND INCLUSION
The Committee is concerned that Department of Defense
programs operating under the auspices of diversity, equity, and
inclusion serve to divide the military along racial, ethnic, or
gender lines rather than unite servicemembers to provide for
the common defense. Therefore, the Committee recommendation
includes a reduction of $114,700,000 from the request for such
activities. Further, the Committee is concerned by the
propagation of the Department's Diversity, Equity, Inclusion,
and Accessibility Strategic Plan. The Committee continues its
longstanding and bipartisan support of disability rights and is
concerned that grouping accessibility with these divisive
concepts may negatively impact people with disabilities,
including disabled military veterans.
CONGRESSIONAL LIAISON SUPPORT
The Committee relies heavily on the budget or
appropriations liaison offices of the Secretary of Defense and
the Service Secretaries to conduct its oversight
responsibilities and make funding recommendations. These
offices possess expertise and direct relationships to the
financial management and comptroller organizations, which are
essential to effective communication between the Department and
the House and Senate Appropriations Committees. It is critical
that the budget or appropriations liaison offices remain
independent from the legislative liaison offices and retain the
authority to respond directly and promptly with the information
required by the Committee and its Members.
The Committee notes that the Secretary of Defense has not
submitted a report directed in the joint explanatory statement
accompanying the Department of Defense Appropriations Act,
2021, which directed the Secretary to submit proposals and
recommendations to the House and Senate Appropriations
Committees to strengthen the budget and appropriations liaison
offices and improve coordination between the Department and the
House and Senate Appropriations Committees. The Committee
appreciates that the Department of the Air Force has, in
consultation with the House and Senate Appropriations
Committees, made improvements to their appropriations liaison
office following this reporting requirement. However, the
Committee assesses that additional proposals for improvement
are needed, including from the Department and other Services.
Therefore, the Committee directs the Secretary of Defense to
submit this report not later than 60 days after the enactment
of this Act.
CYBERSECURITY RISKS FROM COMMERCIAL INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY
The Committee is concerned by the cybersecurity risks to
the United States government that stem from the purchase and
use of commercial off-the-shelf information technology,
particularly items from companies with connections to China's
military and cyber espionage programs. A 2018 Inspector General
Report (DODIG-2019-106) found the Department of Defense
purchased and used at least $33,000,000 of information
technology items with commonly known cybersecurity risks and a
2023 Government Accountability Office report (GAO 23-105612)
recommended the Department fully implement foundational
practices for managing information and communications
technology supply chain risks.
However, the scope of the problem is certainly not limited
to the Department of Defense. Accordingly, the Committee
directs the Secretary of Defense, in consultation with the
Director of National Intelligence, the Secretary of Commerce,
and the Administrator of the General Services Administration,
to submit a report to the congressional defense committees not
later than 60 days after the enactment of this Act. The report
shall contain an updated threat assessment of the risks posed
using commercially available information technology,
particularly relating to computers and printers from countries
of concern and shall include an assessment of the scale of
their use across all networks. The report shall also include
recommendations and legislative proposals, as appropriate, to
inform future efforts to mitigate these threats and
vulnerabilities. The report shall be submitted in unclassified
form but may be accompanied by a classified annex.
SMALL BUSINESS
The Committee encourages the Secretary of Defense to
contract with small businesses through multiple paths including
the Office of Small Business Programs Mentor Protege Program,
APEX Accelerators, the Small Business Innovation Research
Program, and the Small Business Technology Transfer Program.
However, the Committee is concerned by the execution of the
Department's small business programs. Therefore, the Committee
directs the Secretary of Defense to brief the congressional
defense committees, not later than 120 days after the enactment
of this Act, on the effectiveness of the Department's agenda
for these programs, including details on the prime and
subcontractor base, the number of multiyear contracts awarded,
the value of disbursements, due diligence processes to include
mitigation to foreign influence risks, and the implementation
of the new changes required under the Small Business
Administration Reauthorization and Modernization Act of 2022.
Further, the Committee directs the Secretary of Defense to
submit a quarterly report, beginning 45 days after the
enactment of this Act, to the House and Senate Appropriations
Committees on its efforts to work with minority and women-owned
small businesses. The report shall adhere to the requirements
outlined in House Report 117-388.
REPORTING REQUIREMENTS
The Committee finds it inexcusable that the Department of
Defense has not submitted several reports directed by previous
Acts. The Department's timely and fulsome response is critical
to the Committee's oversight responsibilities. Therefore, the
Committee recommendation includes a reduction of $1,000,000
from the immediate Office of the Secretary of Defense.
CONTRACT PERSONNEL BUDGET JUSTIFICATION MATERIALS
The Committee directs the Secretary of Defense and Service
Secretaries to consult with the House and Senate Appropriations
Committees to develop a budget exhibit for funds associated
with contract personnel working on behalf of the Department.
This exhibit shall be provided concurrently with submission of
the fiscal year 2025 President's budget request.
REPORT ON NATIONAL SECURITY RISKS FROM CERTAIN LAND PURCHASES
The Committee is concerned by the national security risks
that stem from the purchase or leasing of land adjacent to
United States military bases by governments of countries of
concern. Accordingly, the Committee directs the Secretary of
Defense to submit a report to the congressional defense
committees not later than 90 days after the enactment of this
Act on these bases and steps taken by the Administration to
mitigate these risks and prevent them in the future. The report
shall include land owned or leased by the governments of China,
Cuba, Iran, North Korea, Russia, Venezuela, and any other the
Secretary determines to be country of concern.
TITLE I
MILITARY PERSONNEL
The fiscal year 2024 Department of Defense military
personnel budget request and the Committee recommendation are
summarized in the table below:
MILITARY PERSONNEL OVERVIEW
The Committee recommendation provides $177,922,024,000 for
the military personnel accounts, which fund military pay and
allowances, recruitment and retention initiatives, and overall
quality of life programs for active duty, National Guard, and
reserve personnel. The recommendation provides an increase in
basic pay for all military personnel by 5.2 percent, effective
January 1, 2024, and additional targeted pay increases for
certain enlisted grades. The Committee continues to encourage
constructive evaluations of recruitment and retention programs,
bonus and special pay incentives, and personnel benefit
programs for fiscal year 2024. The Committee remains supportive
of programs intended to enhance the morale and quality of life
of military personnel and their families.
SUMMARY OF END STRENGTH
The fiscal year 2024 President's budget request includes an
increase of 9,100 in total end strength for the active forces
and an increase of 3,300 in total end strength for the Selected
Reserve as compared to fiscal year 2023 projected levels.
Further, the total end strength in the budget request includes
a decrease of 13,344 personnel below the fiscal year 2023
authorized level. The following tables summarize the Committee
recommendations for end strength levels, both in the aggregate
and for each active and Selected Reserve component.
OVERALL ACTIVE END STRENGTH
Fiscal year 2023 authorized........................... 1,316,944
Fiscal year 2024 budget request....................... 1,305,400
Fiscal year 2024 recommendation....................... 1,305,400
Compared with fiscal year 2023.................... -11,544
Compared with fiscal year 2024 budget request..... - - -
OVERALL SELECTED RESERVE END STRENGTH
Fiscal year 2023 authorized........................... 770,400
Fiscal year 2024 budget request....................... 768,600
Fiscal year 2024 recommendation....................... 768,600
Compared with fiscal year 2023.................... -1,800
Compared with fiscal year 2024 budget request..... - - -
SUMMARY OF MILITARY PERSONNEL END STRENGTH
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Fiscal year 2024
----------------------------------------------------------------
Fiscal year Change from
2023 Budget Committee Change from fiscal year
authorized Request Recommended request 2023
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Active Forces (End Strength)
Army....................................... 452,000 452,000 452,000 - - - - - -
Navy....................................... 354,000 347,000 347,000 - - - -7,000
Marine Corps............................... 177,000 172,300 172,300 - - - -4,700
Air Force.................................. 325,344 324,700 324,700 - - - -644
Space Force................................ 8,600 9,400 9,400 - - - 800
----------------------------------------------------------------
Total, Active Forces................... 1,316,944 1,305,400 1,305,400 - - - -11,544
Guard and Reserve Forces (End Strength)
Army Reserve............................... 177,000 174,800 174,800 - - - -2,200
Navy Reserve............................... 57,000 57,200 57,200 - - - 200
Marine Corps Reserve....................... 33,000 33,600 33,600 - - - 600
Air Force Reserve.......................... 70,000 69,600 69,600 - - - -400
Army National Guard........................ 325,000 325,000 325,000 - - - 0
Air National Guard......................... 108,400 108,400 108,400 - - - 0
----------------------------------------------------------------
Total, Selected Reserve................ 770,400 768,600 768,600 - - - -1,800
Total, Military Personnel...................... 2,087,344 2,074,000 2,074,000 - - - -13,344
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
REPROGRAMMING GUIDANCE FOR MILITARY PERSONNEL ACCOUNTS
The Secretary of Defense is directed to submit the Base for
Reprogramming (DD Form 1414) for each of the fiscal year 2024
appropriations accounts not later than 60 days after the
enactment of this Act. The Secretary of Defense is prohibited
from executing any reprogramming or transfer of funds for any
purpose other than originally appropriated until the
aforementioned report is submitted to the House and Senate
Defense Appropriations Subcommittees.
The Secretary of Defense is directed to use the normal
prior approval reprogramming procedures to transfer funds in
the Services' military personnel accounts between budget
activities in excess of $15,000,000.
MILITARY PERSONNEL SPECIAL INTEREST ITEMS
Items for which additional funds have been provided or have
been specifically reduced as shown in the project level tables
or in paragraphs using the phrase ``only for'' or ``only to''
in this report are congressional special interest items for the
purpose of the Base for Reprogramming (DD Form 1414). Each of
these items must be carried on the DD Form 1414 at the stated
amount as specifically addressed in the Committee report. Below
threshold reprogrammings may not be used to either restore or
reduce funding from congressional special interest items as
identified on the DD Form 1414.
END STRENGTH
The Committee is concerned that the continuing decline in
military end strength has adversely impacted the Department of
Defense's ability to execute the National Defense Strategy
(NDS), which was developed at a time when the end strength of
the active-duty Army and Marine Corps were 485,000 and 178,500
respectively. The fiscal year 2024 President's budget requests
end strengths of 452,000 for the Army, the same as in fiscal
year 2023, and 172,300 for the Marine Corps. These end
strengths are the lowest for either Service in over 60 years.
In particular, the Committee is concerned that the Army end
strength request is significantly below the optimal level of
540,000 to 550,000, as stated by senior Army leadership in
congressional testimony two years ago.
To assess the impact of declining end strength on the NDS,
the Committee directs the Secretary of Defense to submit a
report to the House and Senate Appropriations Committees not
later than 60 days after the enactment of this Act. The report
shall detail the end strength required by Service and active
and reserve components to execute the NDS. The report shall
also describe the risks incurred if end strength falls below
those levels. Information contained in this report may be
provided with a classified annex.
RECRUITMENT
The Committees notes that the inability of the Department
of Defense to maintain sufficient end strength is directly
attributable to the failure of recruitment efforts by the
Services. Citing data from internally commissioned surveys, the
Department and the Services reference external factors beyond
their control as the primary reasons for this failure. The
Committee is concerned, however, that the methodology used in
these surveys may be inadequate in explaining the reluctance of
youth to serve in the military.
The Committee also notes that recent public polling
suggests that factors over which the Department and Services do
have control may play a larger role than these surveys
indicate. One recent poll by the Military Family Advisory
Network reported an 11.6 percent decline from 2019 to 2021 in
the number of military and veteran respondents who would
recommend military life to those considering it. This was
followed by another poll by the Ronald Reagan Presidential
Foundation and Institute that found that the number of
Americans who have a great deal of confidence in the United
States military as an institution plummeted from 70 percent in
2018 to 48 percent in 2022.
To better understand the reasons for the recruiting crisis,
therefore, the Secretary of Defense shall seek to enter into a
contract or other agreement with an independent entity not
under the direction or control of the Secretary of Defense,
which could include a nationally recognized analytics and
advisory company that specializes in public polling, to conduct
a survey of the demographics that have historically served as
the primary recruiting base for the military. The survey
should, at a minimum, identify these demographics by age, race,
sex, and state, and assess any changes in propensity for
military service within this group. The survey should attempt
to determine the reasons for changes, if any, using polling and
other data. The survey should also attempt to identify the
percentage in this demographic who have, or had, immediate
family members that served in the military, such as parents or
siblings. The Secretary is directed not to restrict the topics
or polling questions that the selected entity may choose to
pursue in relation to this survey. The entity selected to
conduct the survey shall submit the survey findings
concurrently to the Secretary of Defense and the congressional
defense committees not later than 120 days after the enactment
of this Act.
COVID-19 VACCINATION POLICY
The Committee assesses that the inability of the Department
of Defense to reach end strength targets over the last two
years was exacerbated by its mandatory COVID-19 vaccination
policy. By the end of calendar year 2021, four months after the
vaccine mandate went into effect, a total of 87 servicemembers
had died from COVID-19 out of a force of 2.1 million, an
incidence rate of .005 percent. During that same period, 310
military personnel died in accidents. Yet to address this
perceived COVID-19 crisis in the military, the Department
implemented a vaccination policy which compounded an already
existing end strength and recruiting crisis. Not only did this
policy unnecessarily reduce end strength through the
involuntary separation of thousands of servicemembers, but as
acknowledged by senior Marine Corps leadership in 2022, it also
hurt recruiting. In fiscal year 2023, Congress intervened to
overturn this policy through section 525 of the James M. Inhofe
National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2023 (Public
Law 117-263). Now that the policy has been rescinded, the
Committee expects the Secretary to implement guidance that
requires the Services to offer reinstatement to servicemembers
who were involuntarily separated based solely on the
Department's mandatory COVID-19 vaccination policy.
``EXTREMISM'' IN THE MILITARY
The Committee is concerned that the Department of Defense's
excessive and unjustified focus on ``extremism'' is further
eroding the confidence of the American people in the military
and harming recruiting. The Department's own data from January
2020 to February 2021 showed there were 87 ``extremist-
related'' incidents across a force of 2.1 million, a .005
percent incidence rate. Yet the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of
Staff reported using 5,359,311 hours on a force-wide stand down
in 2021 focused on ``extremism,'' in addition to the Department
standing up a Countering Extremist Activity Working Group that
spent additional time and resources on an issue with an
exceptionally rare incidence rate. The Department's actions
signaled to the public--and potential recruits--that
``extremism'' is rampant in the military, which the
Department's own data show is inaccurate. The Committee notes
that the Department already has sufficient resources and
policies to address and mitigate the exceptionally rare
incidents of ``extremism'' and views a continued focus on this
issue as an unjustified use of taxpayer funds. The Committee
urges the Secretary of Defense to instead prioritize the
Department's resources to address warfighting capabilities.
RELEASE OF PERSONALLY IDENTIFIABLE INFORMATION
The Committee is extremely concerned by the Air Force's
improper release of Personally Identifiable Information between
January 2021 and January 2023 to a politically aligned research
group. This was a breach of trust with former servicemembers
and could be perceived as the Department acting with political
motivation. Therefore, the Committee directs the Secretary of
Defense to submit a report to the congressional defense
committees, not later than 90 days after the enactment of this
Act, on what steps are being taken across the Services to
prevent a future breach of this nature. The Committee further
directs the Secretary of the Air Force to submit to the
congressional defense committees an update on the investigation
into this matter, not later than 30 days after the enactment of
this Act, and quarterly thereafter, until the investigation is
complete. Finally, the Committee has included a general
provision in the Act to further strengthen the privacy of
servicemembers and veterans.
SUICIDE PREVENTION
The Committee remains concerned by the high rate of suicide
among servicemembers. Therefore, in accordance with the
Government Accountability Office (GAO) recommendations to
address certain implementation gaps in the suicide prevention
program (GAO-22-105888), the Committee directs the Service
Secretaries to establish oversight mechanisms to ensure that
all command and installation level suicide prevention program
activities are implemented as required, to include those at
remote overseas installations. To assess progress toward this
goal, the Committee directs the Secretary of Defense, in
coordination with the Service Secretaries, to submit a report,
not later than 60 days after the enactment of this Act, that
addresses the status of resolving the gaps identified by GAO.
SEXUAL ASSAULT PREVENTION
The Committee is very concerned by the continued increase
in sexual assaults across the military and at the Service
academies despite the increase in resources to implement the
recommendations of the Independent Review Commission on Sexual
Assault in the Military. The inability to reduce the incidence
rate of sexual assault may be indicative of disjointed efforts
across the Department of Defense. On the one hand, the
Department has pointed out in numerous briefings to Congress
over the past few years that alcohol is one of the primary
contributing factors to sexual assault. On the other hand, the
Army last year considered a plan to remove alcohol restrictions
in its barracks to create a ``positive alcohol culture.''
The Committee expects the Department to establish and
adhere to a coordinated strategy across the Services and to
execute programs based on definable metrics to determine which
lines of effort are the most effective in addressing the
scourge of sexual assault. In addition, the Committee directs
the Secretary of Defense to submit a report to the
congressional defense committees, not later than 90 days after
the enactment of this Act, on efforts to implement the reforms
outlined in the Secretary's memo dated March 10, 2023,
``Actions to Address and Prevent Sexual Assault at the Military
Service Academies.''
CHILD ABUSE PREVENTION
The Committee is concerned by the rising rate of child
maltreatment across the Nation. The Committee understands that
the Government Accountability Office (GAO) recommended
improvements (GAO-20-110) to the Department of Defense's
tracking of, and response to, child abuse, including within
Department of Defense Education Activity programs. The
Committee directs the Secretary of Defense to procure, test,
and evaluate a standardized curriculum for child abuse
prevention education for use by the Family Advocacy Program and
military installations with affiliated Department of Defense
Dependent Schools and Domestic Dependent Elementary and
Secondary Schools.
BLENDED RETIREMENT SYSTEM
The Committee recognizes that fiscal year 2024 will mark
the fifth anniversary of the Department of Defense's
implementation of the Blended Retirement System (BRS) and
commends the Department for its efforts to ensure that
servicemembers have proper access to financial security
training. The Committee directs the Secretary of Defense to
submit a report to the House and Senate Appropriations
Committees on the status of BRS implementation not later than
90 days after the enactment of this Act. This report shall
analyze any data collected on the impacts of current training
modules and include quantifiable outcomes that assess the
impact of the Department's current financial security training
from the year prior to implementation through fiscal year 2024.
It shall also detail an action plan that outlines additional
tools and resources needed by the Department to further
increase positive outcomes in enhancing financial literacy
training for servicemembers.
PORTABILITY OF PROFESSIONAL LICENSES OF SERVICEMEMBERS AND THEIR
SPOUSES
Veterans Auto and Education Improvement Act of 2022, in
addition to Public Law 117-333, provides licensure reciprocity
across state lines for the spouses of military servicemembers
under certain conditions. The Committee directs the Secretary
of Defense to issue guidance to all installation commanders,
not later than 60 days after the enactment of this Act, on how
to educate servicemembers and their spouses on this
reciprocity.
MILITARY SPOUSE EMPLOYMENT
The Committee recognizes the need for comprehensive data to
measure military spouse employment over time. Therefore, the
Committee directs the Secretary of Defense to improve its
assessment tools to better report on employment outcomes for
this population. The Secretary shall submit a report to the
congressional defense committees, not later than 180 days after
the enactment of this Act, on the results of these efforts.
MINORITY OUTREACH AND OFFICER ACCESSIONS
The Committee supports efforts to conduct effective
outreach and recruiting programs focused on increasing officer
accessions in minority communities and encourages the Secretary
of Defense and the Service Secretaries to support such efforts.
MILITARY PERSONNEL, ARMY
The Committee recommends the following appropriations for
Military Personnel, Army:
MILITARY PERSONNEL, NAVY
The Committee recommends the following appropriations for
Military Personnel, Navy:
MILITARY PERSONNEL, MARINE CORPS
The Committee recommends the following appropriations for
Military Personnel, Marine Corps:
MILITARY PERSONNEL, AIR FORCE
The Committee recommends the following appropriations for
Military Personnel, Air Force:
MILITARY PERSONNEL, SPACE FORCE
The Committee recommends the following appropriations for
Military Personnel, Space Force:
RESERVE PERSONNEL, ARMY
The Committee recommends the following appropriations for
Reserve Personnel, Army:
RESERVE PERSONNEL, NAVY
The Committee recommends the following appropriations for
Reserve Personnel, Navy:
RESERVE PERSONNEL, MARINE CORPS
The Committee recommends the following appropriations for
Reserve Personnel, Marine Corps:
RESERVE PERSONNEL, AIR FORCE
The Committee recommends the following appropriations for
Reserve Personnel, Air Force:
NATIONAL GUARD PERSONNEL, ARMY
The Committee recommends the following appropriations for
National Guard Personnel, Army:
NATIONAL GUARD PERSONNEL, AIR FORCE
The Committee recommends the following appropriations for
National Guard Personnel, Air Force:
TITLE II
OPERATION AND MAINTENANCE
The fiscal year 2024 Department of Defense operation and
maintenance budget request and the Committee recommendation are
summarized in the table below:
REPROGRAMMING GUIDANCE FOR OPERATION AND MAINTENANCE ACCOUNTS
The Secretary of Defense is directed to submit the Base for
Reprogramming (DD Form 1414) for each of the fiscal year 2024
appropriation accounts not later than 60 days after the
enactment of this Act. The Secretary of Defense is prohibited
from executing any reprogramming or transfer of funds for any
purpose other than originally appropriated until the
aforementioned report is submitted to the House and Senate
Defense Appropriations Subcommittees.
The Secretary of Defense is directed to use the normal
prior approval reprogramming procedures to transfer funds in
the Services' operation and maintenance accounts between O-1
budget activities, or between sub-activity groups in the case
of Operation and Maintenance, Defense-Wide, in excess of
$15,000,000. In addition, the Secretary of Defense shall follow
prior approval reprogramming procedures for transfers in excess
of $15,000,000 out of the following readiness sub-activity
groups:
Army:
Maneuver units
Modular support brigades
Land forces operations support
Aviation assets
Force readiness operations support
Land forces depot maintenance
Base operations support
Facilities sustainment, restoration, and modernization
Specialized skill training
Flight training
Navy:
Mission and other flight operations
Fleet air training
Aircraft depot maintenance
Mission and other ship operations
Ship depot maintenance
Combat support forces
Facilities sustainment, restoration, and modernization
Base operating support
Marine Corps:
Operational forces
Field logistics
Depot maintenance
Facilities sustainment, restoration, and modernization
Air Force:
Primary combat forces
Combat enhancement forces
Depot purchase equipment maintenance
Facilities sustainment, restoration, and modernization
Contractor logistics support and system support
Flying hour program
Space Force:
Global C3I and early warning
Space operations
Contractor logistics support and system support
Administration
Air Force Reserve:
Primary combat forces
Air National Guard:
Aircraft operations
Additionally, the Secretary of Defense is directed to use
normal prior approval reprogramming procedures when
implementing transfers in excess of $15,000,000 into the
following budget sub-activities:
Operation and Maintenance, Air Force:
Base support
Operation and Maintenance, Army National Guard:
Base operations support
Facilities sustainment, restoration, and modernization
Management and operational headquarters
Operation and Maintenance, Air National Guard:
Aircraft operations
Contractor logistics support and systems support
REPROGRAMMING GUIDANCE FOR SPECIAL OPERATIONS COMMAND
The Committee directs the Secretary of Defense to submit a
baseline report that shows the Special Operations Command's
operation and maintenance funding by sub-activity group for the
fiscal year 2024 appropriation not later than 60 days after the
enactment of this Act. The Secretary of Defense is further
directed to submit quarterly execution reports to the
congressional defense committees not later than 45 days after
the end of each fiscal quarter that addresses the rationale for
the realignment of any funds within and between budget sub-
activities and the movement of any base funds used to support
overseas contingency operations. Finally, the Secretary of
Defense is directed to notify the congressional defense
committees 30 days prior to the realignment of funds in excess
of $15,000,000 between sub-activity groups.
OPERATION AND MAINTENANCE SPECIAL INTEREST ITEMS
Items for which additional funds have been provided or have
been specifically reduced as shown in the project level tables
or in paragraphs using the phrase ``only for'' or ``only to''
in this report are congressional special interest items for the
purpose of the Base for Reprogramming (DD Form 1414). Each of
these items must be carried on the DD Form 1414 at the stated
amount as specifically addressed in this report. Below
threshold reprogrammings may not be used to either restore or
reduce funding from congressional special interest items as
identified on the DD Form 1414.
OPERATION AND MAINTENANCE BUDGET EXECUTION DATA
The Secretary of Defense and Service Secretaries are
directed to provide the congressional defense committees with
quarterly budget execution data. Such data should be provided
not later than 45 days after the close of each quarter of the
fiscal year and should be provided for each O-1 budget
activity, activity group, and sub-activity group for each of
the active, defense-wide, reserve, and National Guard
components. For each O-1 budget activity, activity group, and
sub-activity group, these reports should include the budget
request and actual obligations amount, the distribution of
unallocated congressional adjustments to the budget request,
all adjustments made by the Department in establishing the Base
for Reprogramming (DD Form 1414) report, all adjustments
resulting from below threshold reprogrammings, and all
adjustments resulting from prior approval reprogramming
requests.
RESTORING READINESS
The Committee recommendation includes additional readiness
funds for each of the Services within the operation and
maintenance accounts which shall only be used to improve
military readiness, including providing for increased training
and depot maintenance activities. None of the funding provided
may be used for recruiting, marketing, or advertising programs.
The additional funding is a congressional special interest
item. The Committee directs the Secretary of Defense and the
Service Secretaries to submit a detailed spend plan by sub-
activity group to the House and Senate Appropriations
Committees not less than 30 days prior to the obligation of
these funds.
FACILITIES SUSTAINMENT, RESTORATION AND MODERNIZATION
The Committee is deeply concerned by the state of
Department of Defense facilities and infrastructure. In 2020,
the Department reported a $137,000,000,000 backlog of deferred
facility maintenance projects. This backlog directly impacts
safety, quality of life for servicemembers, and readiness. The
Committee is therefore disappointed to see that the fiscal year
2024 request included over $690,000,000 in facilities
sustainment, restoration and modernization (FSRM) for projects
related to climate change mitigation. This diversion of FSRM
funds misguidedly prioritizes partisan spending priorities over
the urgent needs of servicemembers. Therefore, the Committee
directs the Secretary of Defense to submit a report to the
House and Senate Appropriations Committees, not later than 90
days after the enactment of this Act, to certify that fiscal
year 2024 FSRM funds will only be used for the highest priority
military requirements. This report will also provide a detailed
plan to address the Department's backlog of deferred
maintenance and impacts of the continued backlog.
ADVERSE IMPACT OF OFFSHORE WIND SITES
The Committee is concerned about potential adverse effects
of offshore wind energy development on military readiness and
training activities, including but not limited to training and
range complexes in the Atlantic Ocean and Gulf of Mexico. The
Committee directs the Secretary of Defense to submit a report
to the congressional defense committees, not later than 180
days after the enactment of this Act, on the adverse effects of
such development proposals and the actions the Department is
taking to ensure that operations and training are not
negatively impacted.
MEALS READY-TO-EAT WAR RESERVE
The Committee recommendation supports the fiscal year 2024
President's budget request for meals ready-to-eat and reaffirms
its support for the Defense Logistics Agency War Reserve stock
objective of 5,000,000 cases.
TRIBAL CONSULTATION
The Committee is disappointed that the Secretary of Defense
has failed, for the past two fiscal years, to submit a report
to the House and Senate Appropriations Committees outlining how
the Department is upholding the Presidential Memorandum dated
January 26, 2021, regarding Tribal Consultation and
Strengthening Nation-to-Nation Relationships. The Committee
once again directs the Secretary of Defense to submit a report
to the House and Senate Appropriations Committees not later
than 60 days after the enactment of this Act as required in
House Report 117-388.
INDIAN FINANCING ACT
The Committee recommendation includes funds for activities
authorized in the Indian Financing Act of 1974 and directs the
Secretary of Defense to obligate such funds not later than 90
days after the enactment of this Act.
FINANCIAL AUDIT
It remains Congress' intent to increase transparency and
reduce poor management practices at the Department of Defense;
therefore, not later than 180 days after the end of each fiscal
year, the Secretary of Defense shall submit a report to the
congressional defense committees, for each component that has
not received an unqualified opinion, on the progress made and
the significant outstanding challenges to achieve an
unqualified opinion.
Further, the Government Accountability Office (GAO)
recently issued a report entitled, ``DoD Needs to Improve
System Oversight'' (GAO-23-104539), which includes nine
recommendations for the Department to address systemic
deficiencies in Departmental financial and business systems.
The Committee directs the Secretary of Defense to provide a
briefing to the congressional defense committees, not later
than 60 days after the enactment of this Act, on the
Department's plan to implement the GAO recommendations.
IMPROPER PAYMENTS
The Committee is concerned by the volume of improper
payments made by the Department of Defense. The Department's
fiscal year 2022 agency financial report stated that it made
over $2,000,000,000 in improper payments. It also indicated
that civilian and military pay are susceptible to improper
payments. Moreover, in fiscal year 2021, the Department's
Office of the Inspector General found the Department published
unreliable, improper, and unknown payment estimates for all
nine Department programs reporting estimates, including
civilian and military pay.
Therefore, the Committee directs the Comptroller General to
provide a preliminary briefing to the congressional defense
committees not later than April 30, 2024, with a report to
follow by a mutually agreed upon date, on the following:
(1) how the Department calculates and reports its estimated
improper payment rates;
(2) amounts for civilian and military pay improper
payments;
(3) what steps the Department could take to strengthen the
reliability of its calculation;
(4) the extent to which the Department's reported civilian
and military pay improper payment rates differ by organization
and what factors explain these differences; and
(5) the extent to which Department is taking steps to
prevent and reduce improper payments in these programs.
ABILITYONE COMPLIANCE
The Committee notes that the AbilityOne program is a
critical component of the defense industrial base. The
Committee is concerned that a growing number of items suitable
for AbilityOne production are not being procured in accordance
with the Javits-Wagner-O'Day Act (41 U.S.C. 48). The Committee
directs the Secretary of Defense to ensure compliance with
existing mandatory source statutes.
ADVERTISING
The Committee understands the federal government, as the
largest advertiser in the United States, should work to ensure
fair access to its advertising contracts for small,
disadvantaged businesses and businesses owned by service-
disabled veterans, minorities and women. The Committee directs
each agency under jurisdiction of this Act to include the
following information in its fiscal year 2025 budget
justification: expenditures for fiscal year 2024 and expected
expenditures for fiscal year 2025 for all contracts for
advertising services; contracts for the advertising services of
socially and economically disadvantaged small businesses
concerns (as defined in section 8(a)(4) of the Small Business
Act (15 U.S.C. 637 (a)(4)), and contracts for the advertising
services of service-disabled veteran-, women-, and minority-
owned businesses.
CHILDCARE
The Committee notes the Department of Defense's efforts to
increase capacity at childcare development centers. The
Committee directs the Secretary of Defense and Service
Secretaries to brief the House and Senate Appropriations
Committees, not later than 90 days after the enactment of this
Act, on the capacity of Department of Defense childcare
development centers, challenges in hiring sufficient staff, and
the Department's plan to reduce wait time for dependents of
servicemembers.
DEFENSE COMMISSARIES
The Committee is concerned that the Defense Commissary
Agency has not addressed Government Accountability Office (GAO)
recommendations, to include an analysis of the accuracy of its
overseas customer savings rate methodology (GAO-22-104728). The
Committee directs the Secretary of Defense to provide a
briefing to the congressional defense committees, not later
than 30 days after the enactment of this Act, on the progress
toward implementation of the GAO report recommendations.
FOOD ASSISTANCE PROGRAMS
The Committee is concerned the Department of Defense is
failing to ensure that food assistance programs are reaching
military personnel and their families. Therefore, the Committee
directs the Secretary of Defense to submit a report to the
congressional defense committees, not later than 90 days after
the enactment of this Act, on the Department's food assistance
programs. The report shall include any efforts to expand
assistance, lessons learned from the Department of Veterans
Affairs programs, and include an analysis on how the
Department's efforts will meet the needs of at-risk military
personnel and their families.
PER- AND POLYFLUOROALKYL SUBSTANCES MITIGATION
Addressing the health effects of Per- and Polyfluoroalkyl
Substances (PFAS) continues to be a priority for the Committee,
particularly the impacts on servicemembers, their families, and
local communities. The Committee appreciates that the
Department of Defense and the Services have been testing
drinking water and conducting site assessments and remedial
investigations to fully understand the scope and impacts of
PFAS migration. Further, the Committee understands that
existing technologies, such as in situ treatment, have been
evaluated and proven effective by the Environmental Protection
Agency. The Committee is therefore disappointed that the
Department has not begun to employ these technologies in lieu
of costly and inefficient techniques. The Committee directs the
Secretary of Defense and Service Secretaries to prioritize the
utilization of proven PFAS groundwater and soil remediation and
mitigation technologies that eliminate the PFAS risk to human
health and the environment in the most cost-effective and
energy-efficient manner.
PER- AND POLYFLUOROALKYL SUBSTANCES CLEANUP COST REPORTING
The Committee appreciates regular updates by the Per-and
Polyfluoroalkyl Substances (PFAS) Task Force. To support the
Department of Defense's efforts, the Committee directs the
Secretary of Defense to submit to the House and Senate
Appropriations Committees, not later than 90 days after the
enactment of this Act, and semi-annually thereafter, a report
on costs associated with investigating and cleaning up PFAS at
sites with funding provided by either environmental restoration
or operation and maintenance appropriations. The report shall
provide, for each component and by installation name, the
investigation and cleanup of PFAS, the actual obligations
through the end of fiscal year 2021, the actual obligations in
fiscal year 2022, the planned and actual obligations in fiscal
year 2023, the planned obligations for fiscal year 2024, and
the estimated cost after fiscal year 2024.
AQUEOUS FILM FORMING FOAM
Given the limited disposal options available to the
Department of Defense for Aqueous Film Forming Foams (AFFF)
waste and the potential benefits of complete, operational
destruction technologies, the Committee recommendation includes
$20,000,000 for the Defense Logistics Agency to execute an AFFF
destruction pilot in support of the Deputy Assistant
Secretaries of the Air Force and the Army. The pilot shall
utilize existing scalable destruction technologies that have
been verified as effective in the field, successful at
destroying a variety of AFFF formulations, and capable of
destroying Per- and Polyfluoroalkyl Substances (PFAS) to the
lowest detectable limits without any hazardous byproducts.
Further, the Committee is encouraged by the Department's recent
approval of a military specification for a fire extinguishing
agent free of harmful PFAS. The Committee urges the Secretary
of Defense to expedite procurement and usage of this
replacement agent throughout the Department.
REMEDIATION OF FORMERLY USED DEFENSE SITES
The Committee notes 87 percent of contaminated formerly
used defense sites are in the response complete stage as
outlined by the Comprehensive Environmental Response,
Compensation, and Liability Act of 1980 (Public Law 96-510).
However, the Committee urges the Department of Defense and Army
Corps of Engineers to complete assessments and inspections of
the remaining sites, such as the Lincoln Titan 1 Missile Silo
Complex, with all deliberate speed, and in the interests of
transparency, to share the results and any remediation
recommendations with the public.
VIEQUES AND CULEBRA
The Committee remains concerned by the pace and scope of
environmental restoration on the island municipalities of
Vieques and Culebra in Puerto Rico. The Committee encourages
the Secretaries of the Army and the Navy to work closely with
the Environmental Protection Agency, the United States Fish and
Wildlife Service, and the Puerto Rico Environmental Quality
Board to maximize public participation and transparency in the
decontamination process in order to achieve a thorough
decontamination result on both islands.
The Committee is also concerned about public safety on the
northwest peninsula of Culebra due to unexploded ordnance
identified there by the Army. The Committee encourages the
Secretary of the Army to exercise available authorities,
including the authority clarified through the National Defense
Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2015, to decontaminate the
northwest peninsula. Additionally, the Committee directs the
Secretaries of the Army and Navy each to submit a report to the
congressional defense committees, not later than 90 days after
the enactment of this Act, detailing all respective
decontamination authorities and plans applicable to Vieques and
Culebra, to include particular emphasis on the decontamination
of the northwest peninsula of Culebra.
The Committee also notes there are information gaps about
the types and amounts of ordnance used on Vieques and Culebra,
as well as about potential links between the ordnance used and
present threats to public health. The Committee directs the
Secretaries of the Army and the Navy to submit a report to the
congressional defense committees, not later than 60 days after
the enactment of this Act, on previously released information
related to the ordnance on the two islands. The Committee also
urges the Secretaries to publish the relevant documents on the
internet in a single location and in a user-friendly format.
MARITIME CAPABILITIES IN POLAR REGIONS
The Committee notes that actions by the Russian Federation
and the People's Republic of China are introducing competition
and tension into the polar regions. The Committee recognizes
that 14 U.S.C. 102 tasks the Coast Guard with maintenance and
operation of United States icebreaking facilities and that this
capability is integrated into the Tri-Service Maritime
Strategy. To better understand the evolving national security
threats in these regions, the Committee directs the Secretary
of the Defense, in coordination with the Secretaries of the
Navy and Homeland Security, to brief the House and Senate
Appropriations Committees, not later than 30 days after the
enactment of this Act, on the Department of Defense's current
maritime polar capability and capacity and provide a threat-
based assessment of future requirements in the regions.
OPERATION AND MAINTENANCE, ARMY
The Committee recommends the following appropriations for
Operation and Maintenance, Army:
ULTRA-LIGHTWEIGHT CAMOUFLAGE NET SYSTEMS
The Committee is concerned by the Army's recent disapproval
of divestiture of legacy Ultra-Lightweight Camouflage Net
Systems (ULCANS). Next generation ULCANS offer unparalleled
protection for the warfighter and greatly enhance survivability
against the latest sensor threats. Aside from concerns about
degradation of readiness, this policy reversal sends negative
demand signals to a fragile industrial base. Therefore, the
Committee directs the Secretary of the Army to divest all
legacy ULCANS by the end of fiscal year 2024, and provide a
divestment schedule and plan for ULCANS system replacement to
the House and Senate Appropriations Committees not later than
120 days after the enactment of this Act.
MISSION TRAINING COMPLEXES
The Committee is concerned that the virtual training
capabilities of the Army's Mission Training Complexes (MTCs)
are not sufficient to ensure the rapid deployment envisioned by
the National Defense Strategy and encourages the Secretary of
the Army to assess the capacity of MTCs to meet these
mobilization requirements.
OPERATION AND MAINTENANCE, NAVY
The Committee recommends the following appropriations for
Operation and Maintenance, Navy:
SHIP MAINTENANCE
The Committee directs the Secretary of the Navy to continue
to submit quarterly reports to the congressional defense
committees, beginning not later than 30 days after the
enactment of this Act, regarding private contracted ship
maintenance as directed in House Report 116-453 and to submit
the annual report on ship maintenance required by section 1016
of Public Law 117-81 to the House and Senate Appropriations
Committees in conjunction with its submission to the House and
Senate Armed Services Committees.
AIRFRAME MAINTENANCE
The Committee directs the Secretary of the Navy to continue
to submit quarterly reports to the congressional defense
committees, beginning not later than 30 days after the
enactment of this Act, on the status of maintenance and repair
work for each airframe. The report shall include the amount of
funding budgeted for airframe maintenance in fiscal year 2024
and the prior three years, the original estimated amount of
time expected for maintenance activities to be completed, any
adjustments to the schedule, the reasons why any changes were
necessary, the new expected timeframe for completion, and any
additional costs involved.
NAVAL AIR WEAPONS STATION CHINA LAKE
Naval Air Weapons Station China Lake continues to provide
critical national defense functions while simultaneously
rebuilding from a series of earthquakes in 2019. The Committee
appreciates the Navy's focused reconstruction efforts. The
Secretary of the Navy is encouraged to continue to prioritize
earthquake recovery efforts and to maintain communications with
the local community.
NAVAL STATION MAYPORT
The Committee is concerned that the tenuous future of the
Freedom-class Littoral Combat Ships, and lack of a near-term
small surface combatant replacement at Naval Station Mayport,
is creating uncertainty for the installation and regional
industrial base. The Committee notes the importance of Naval
Station Mayport and recognizes that a lapse in capability could
negatively impact fleet readiness for multiple combatant
commanders. Therefore, the Committee directs the Secretary of
the Navy to submit a report to the congressional defense
committees, not later than 120 days after the enactment of this
Act, with a 10-year strategic plan for Naval Station Mayport.
This report shall include an assessment of current and future
ship assignments and a plan to ensure continuity of mission.
CONTRACT AIR SERVICES
The Committee notes the critical role that contract air
services play in meeting the Navy's annual adversary air
training requirement. As the Navy completes its analysis of
alternatives on red air, training, and proficiency, the
Committee encourages the Secretary of the Navy to continue the
robust and persistent use of contract adversary air to augment
organic assets and simulated technologies.
OPERATION AND MAINTENANCE, MARINE CORPS
The Committee recommends the following appropriations for
Operation and Maintenance, Marine Corps:
OPERATION AND MAINTENANCE, AIR FORCE
The Committee recommends the following appropriations for
Operation and Maintenance, Air Force:
PILOT SHORTFALL
Despite strong support from Congress, the Air Force
continues to fail to meet its annual pilot training goal. The
Committee is deeply concerned that an enduring pilot production
shortfall, coupled with increased attrition of experienced
pilots, will leave the Air Force unable to meet its National
Defense Strategy responsibilities. Further, the Committee
supports concepts such as remote simulator instruction to
alleviate known pilot production constraints and encourages the
Air Force to use all available authorities to meet its training
goal. To ensure continued oversight of this critical issue, the
Committee directs the Commander of Air Education and Training
Command and the Deputy Chief of Staff of Operations at Air
Force Headquarters to provide quarterly updates on efforts to
address the pilot shortfall to the House and Senate
Appropriations Committees beginning not later than 45 days
after the enactment of this Act.
REFUELING CAPABILITIES FOR ISRAEL
The Committee understands the Government of Israel intends
to recapitalize its tanker aircraft fleet with the KC-46, with
deliveries planned for 2025. Due to increased hostilities in
the region, it is important that Israeli operators are
expeditiously trained to use these new aircraft prior to their
delivery. The Committee urges the Secretary of the Air Force to
consider the training and operational benefits of deploying KC-
46s to Israel to help train Israeli operators, support United
States Central Command operations, and deter Iran's malign
activities in the region.
AIRLIFT READINESS ACCOUNT
The Committee directs the Secretary of the Air Force, in
coordination with the Commander, United States Transportation
Command, to submit a report to the House and Senate
Appropriations Committees, not later than 120 days after the
enactment of this Act, that assesses the utility and
suitability of the Airlift Readiness Account as a source of
direct appropriations into the Transportation Working Capital
Fund. The report shall include alternative budgetary processes
that maintain stable rates and working capital solvency while
reducing reliance on the Airlift Readiness Account.
CYBER MISSION ASSURANCE
The Committee notes the importance of proactively
protecting Department of Defense weapon systems from cyber
attacks and commends the enhanced cyber posture of Pacific Air
Forces as a result of the Cyber Operations for Base Resilient
Architecture (COBRA) pilot program. The Committee encourages
the Secretary of the Air Force to expand the COBRA pilot
program to other component commands as part of an overall
mission assurance strategy.
OPERATION AND MAINTENANCE, SPACE FORCE
The Committee recommends the following appropriations for
Operation and Maintenance, Space Force:
OPERATION AND MAINTENANCE, DEFENSE-WIDE
The Committee recommends the following appropriations for
Operation and Maintenance, Defense-Wide:
DEFENSE HUMAN RESOURCES ACTIVITY
The Committee is increasingly concerned that the Defense
Human Resources Activity (DHRA) may be performing functions
that overlap with, or are duplicative of, functions implemented
by other components of the Department of Defense. Therefore,
the Committee directs the Comptroller General to conduct an
assessment of the following:
(1) the extent to which the Department's Office of
Performance Improvement is conducting periodic reviews of the
defense agencies and field activities;
(2) the extent to which the Department has assessed the
efficiency and effectiveness of DHRA as part of these periodic
reviews or through other assessments;
(3) the common services performed by DHRA for the
Department and what organizations or populations are the users
of those services;
(4) the extent to which there is duplication, overlap, or
fragmentation in the services provided by DHRA and other
agencies or field activities, or other offices and
organizations such as the military departments; and
(5) the extent to which effective oversight is provided to
DHRA and its operations by the Under Secretary of Defense for
Personnel and Readiness.
The Committee directs the Comptroller General to provide a
preliminary briefing on the assessment to the congressional
defense committees not later than April 30, 2024 with a report
to follow by a mutually agreed upon date.
FOURTH ESTATE HUMAN RESOURCE MANAGEMENT
The Committee understands that multiple defense agencies
and field activities currently provide human resource functions
with varying quality of service. The Committee is concerned
that the current dispersal of these functions is inefficient,
contributes to hiring delays, and hinders the recruitment of
talented professionals. The Committee therefore directs the
Secretary of Defense to submit a report to the congressional
defense committees, not later than 90 days after the enactment
of this Act, that assesses the efficiency and effectiveness of
the current Fourth Estate human resources shared service
providers and recommendations to improve such operations.
RED HILL BULK FUEL STORAGE FACILITY
The Committee continues to closely monitor the Department
of Defense's defueling and dispersal actions at the Red Hill
Bulk Fuel Storage Facility. The Committee directs the Secretary
of Defense, in coordination with the Secretary of the Navy, to
continue to take the necessary steps to safely decommission the
facility, remediate the surrounding environment, assess and
address the harm caused to the aquifer, work in conjunction
with the State of Hawaii and the local community in these
efforts, and build a more distributive fuel infrastructure for
the Indo-Pacific. The Committee recommendation supports the
$106,363,000 requested by the Department in fiscal year 2024
toward these efforts.
For efforts in Hawaii, the Committee directs the Secretary
of Defense, in coordination with the Secretary of the Navy, to
submit quarterly updates in the form of written reports,
beginning not later than 45 days after the enactment of this
Act, to the congressional defense committees on obligations,
health care and health surveillance efforts for those impacted
by contaminated drinking water, progress toward decommissioning
the facility, and community engagement efforts.
For efforts to move the fuel from Red Hill to other
locations in the Indo-Pacific, the Committee directs the
Secretary of Defense to submit quarterly updates, in the form
of written reports, beginning not later than 45 days after the
enactment of this Act, to the congressional defense committees
on obligations, new locations of fuel previously stored in the
facility, efforts to build new fuel storage locations, a
summary of any planning and design efforts for potential
projects to store bulk fuel in the region, and efforts to
improve the survivability of existing and new fuel storage
locations. Information contained in these reports may be
provided with a classified annex.
IMPACT AID ELIGIBILITY
The Committee strongly supports the Impact Aid and Impact
Aid for Children with Disabilities programs. However, the
Committee is concerned by possible discrepancies in how local
education agencies eligible for both programs receive funding.
The Committee directs the Director of the Department of Defense
Education Activity to submit a report to the congressional
defense committees, not later than 60 days after the enactment
of this Act, that addresses any such inconsistencies.
THUNDERDOME
The fiscal year 2024 President's budget request proposes
changes in funding for Department-wide cybersecurity programs
and an increase in funds for activities related to Thunderdome,
the Defense Information System Agency's (DISA) prototype and
initial implementation of enterprise-wide zero trust
architecture. The request is premised on the phasing out of the
Joint Regional Security Stacks and the near-term realignment of
funds towards critical cybersecurity programs including Comply-
to-Connect (C2C). DISA has indicated to the Committee that C2C
is foundational to zero trust implementation for the Department
of Defense by providing the ability to identify and control all
endpoints, traditional and non-traditional, across the
Department of Defense Information Network. As DISA transitions
to a zero trust architecture and completes necessary testing
and certification of Thunderdome capabilities, the Committee
supports continuation of C2C to support the cybersecurity of
the Department of Defense and the Services. The Committee
directs the Director of DISA, in consultation with the Under
Secretary of Defense (Comptroller) with respect to funding, to
submit a report to the congressional defense committees, not
later than 30 days after the submission of the fiscal year 2025
President's budget request, on development, test, and
validation activities related to Thunderdome. The report shall
include plans for deployment of Thunderdome across the Services
and defense agencies, an explanation of how capabilities
deployed via C2C will integrate with and enable the Thunderdome
program, an assessment of the funding requirements for the
Services and defense agencies to access and deploy Thunderdome
capabilities provided by DISA, and the extent to which these
funding requirements are included in the fiscal year 2025
President's budget request.
INTERNET OPERATIONS MANAGEMENT
The Committee notes the progress made by Joint Force
Headquarters-Department of Defense Information Network (JFHQ-
DODIN) to improve enterprise-wide visibility into departmental
networks through Internet Operations Management (IOM), a
critical component of ongoing efforts to harden these networks.
The Committee believes the additional network visibility this
capability provides can significantly reduce risk if seamlessly
integrated with state-of-the-art security orchestration and
automation capability deployable in the Services' and United
States Cyber Command's big data platforms. However, despite the
need to expand this capability Department-wide, to date only 18
of 45 Department of Defense Areas of Operation have been
provided access to this capability through the IOM program. The
Committee recommends an additional $11,000,000 above the
President's budget request with the intent of funding DODIN-
wide expansion of IOM by the end of fiscal year 2024. The
Committee directs the Commander, JFHQ-DODIN, to submit a report
to the congressional defense committees, not later than 90 days
after the enactment of this Act, on plans to fully deploy IOM
capability Department-wide and integrate security orchestration
and automation capability into the IOM program. The report
shall include a summary of the deployment plan, milestones and
associated timelines to complete the deployment plan, and a
description of any additional resources needed to complete the
deployment plan by the end of fiscal year 2024.
IMPROVING CYBERSECURITY POSTURE
The Committee notes and commends the efforts of the
Department of Defense and interagency partners to improve
overall government cyber resilience through the practice of
domain name system filtering. The Committee encourages the
Secretary of Defense to leverage the Department's test and
proving ground capabilities to evaluate leading industry
capabilities, including automated internet protocol filtering,
and deep packet inspection based on real-time data that can
detect and mitigate potential exfiltration from compromised
hardware.
CIVILIAN CYBER WORKFORCE
The Committee recognizes the challenge that the Department
of Defense faces in hiring individuals with necessary security
clearances for the cyber workforce. The Committee encourages
the Secretary of Defense to find innovative solutions to
improve the workforce, and notes the report on this matter
provided by the Department in 2020. The Committee continues to
believe the Department of Defense should collaborate with
colleges and universities to recruit cyber-focused students
during their junior or senior years, with the intent that upon
graduation a student will have a completed security clearance.
The Committee directs the Secretary of Defense to submit an
update to the 2020 report to the congressional defense
committees not later than 60 days after the enactment of this
Act.
QUARTERLY REPORTS ON GUANTANAMO BAY DETENTION FACILITY
The Committee directs the Secretary of Defense to submit
quarterly reports to the House and Senate Appropriations
Committees on the current number of detainees at the Guantanamo
Bay detention facility; their legal status; a description of
all Department of Defense costs associated with the facility
during the last two fiscal years by program, account, and
activity; and the status of funds for the current fiscal year.
ABBEY GATE
The Committee expects the Secretary of Defense and the
Commander of United States Central Command to relentlessly
pursue those individuals who planned and perpetrated the
suicide bombing attack at the Hamid Karzai International
Airport in Kabul, Afghanistan, on August 26, 2021, to keep the
congressional defense committees informed of efforts to hold
those individuals to account, and to make as much of this
information as possible available to the public.
QUARTERLY BRIEFINGS ON DEPLOYMENTS OF UNITED STATES
ARMED FORCES
The Committee appreciates the Department of Defense's
quarterly briefings on the deployment of United States Armed
Forces by geographic combatant command, which is important for
congressional oversight, and directs that these briefings
continue.
FOREIGN BASES
The Act continues the requirement for the Secretary of
Defense to notify the congressional defense committees of the
opening or closing of foreign bases. The Committee is concerned
by basing and funding decisions being made without consultation
with Congress. Accordingly, the Committee directs the Secretary
of Defense to keep the House and Senate Appropriations
Committees apprised of any ongoing discussions with foreign
governments that may lead to the opening or closing of a
foreign base.
DEFENSE SECURITY COOPERATION AGENCY PROGRAMS
The Secretary of Defense shall, not later than 30 days
after the enactment of this Act, submit to the House and Senate
Appropriations Committees a detailed spend plan for amounts
made available for the Defense Security Cooperation Agency. The
plan shall include amounts planned for each program listed in
the budget justification documents and, for International
Security Cooperation Programs, amounts provided in the prior
two fiscal years and planned for fiscal year 2024 by combatant
command, country, and authority. The plan shall only reflect
amounts requested in the fiscal year 2024 budget justification
materials as modified by fiscal year 2024 appropriations, and
the Secretary of Defense shall notify such Committees in
writing not less than 15 days prior to obligating funds in a
manner that would deviate from the plan. A similar document
with requested amounts shall be provided to such Committees
concurrent with the submission of the fiscal year 2025
President's budget request.
The Committee recommendation includes $1,343,580,000 for
International Security Cooperation Programs and directs that
congressional notifications for these funds specify the fiscal
year, whether funds support ongoing or new programs, and the
duration and expected cost over the life of each program. The
Committee recommendation includes $108,000,000 for Taiwan,
which is twice the amount provided in fiscal year 2023. Such
funds are provided for urgent and high priority defense
articles and defense services that strengthen United States
national security and increase Taiwan's readiness and ability
to deter aggression and defend itself, including coastal
defense, command, control, communications, computers,
intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance (C4ISR), and
programs to promote regional interoperability. The Committee
expects these programs to be integrated with other security
assistance programs in a manner that complements rather than
duplicates efforts and directs the Secretary of Defense to
submit a spend plan to the House and Senate Appropriations
Committees not later than 60 days after the enactment of this
Act. The Committee also supports training programs for Taiwan,
including through the National Guard State Partnership Program
or similar programs, as well as strategic evaluations to
improve Taiwan's security cooperation programs.
The Committee notes the urgency of maintaining an effective
deterrent and directs the Secretary of Defense to prioritize
the delivery of defense articles and defense services to
Taiwan. The Committee also directs the Secretary of Defense to,
not later than 45 days after the date of the enactment of this
Act, submit a report to the congressional defense committees
describing urgent and high priority defense articles and
defense services for fiscal year 2024 and fiscal year 2025 and
steps taken or planned by the Department of Defense to expedite
the delivery of such articles and services.
The Committee recommendation includes $32,000,000 for
International Security Cooperation Programs for Mexico,
including $20,220,000 above the request for programs to counter
illicit fentanyl and synthetic opioids and the transnational
criminal organizations, particularly the Sinaloa and Jalisco
drug cartels, that have perpetrated the fentanyl crisis. The
Committee recommendation also supports institutional capacity
building programs for Mexico. The Committee supports the
inclusion of Mexico in the National Guard State Partnership
Program to enhance Mexico's counterdrug efforts.
The Committee notes the shared security challenges between
Mexico and its Central and South American neighbors and
believes these issues would receive greater attention if they
were unified under United States Southern Command. Accordingly,
the Act provides that United States Southern Command shall
assume combatant command responsibility for activities related
to Mexico not later than 180 days of the enactment of this Act.
The Committee recommendation supports programs to
strengthen the relationship with the Colombian Armed Forces in
support of shared security interests in the region. These
programs support Colombian capabilities in the area of rotary
wing transportation and maintenance; maritime interdiction;
special operations force development; intelligence,
surveillance, and reconnaissance; and institutional capacity to
sustain their military. The Committee notes that Colombia has a
National Guard State Partnership Program with the South
Carolina National Guard.
The Committee encourages the Secretary of Defense to focus
institutional capacity building on fewer programs, on deeper
and more sustainable results, and on countries that have
complementary training and equipment programs. The Committee
directs the Secretary of Defense to consult with the House and
Senate Appropriations Committees on these issues not later than
45 days after the enactment of this Act.
The Committee directs the Secretary of Defense to consult
with the House and Senate Appropriations Committees on amounts
provided above the request for International Security
Cooperation Programs for countries in United States Central
Command not later than 30 days after the enactment of this Act.
The Committee supports efforts to improve the Foreign
Military Sales process, which is essential for United States
partnerships and an important component of strategic
competition. Accordingly, the Committee directs the Secretary
of Defense, in coordination with the Secretary of State, to
provide a briefing to the House and Senate Appropriations
Committees, not later than 30 days after the enactment of this
Act, on the results of the Foreign Military Sales process
review and measures taken or planned to streamline performance.
The Committee supports increased measures to ensure that
security cooperation programs supported by this Act are
strategic, address clearly defined goals and objectives, and
are integrated with other programs. Accordingly, not later than
90 days after the enactment of this Act, the Secretary of
Defense, in coordination with the Secretary of State, shall
submit to the congressional defense committees an integrated
security cooperation strategy for Iraq, Uzbekistan, Indonesia,
Ecuador, and Somalia. Each strategy shall include an overview
of the security relationship between the United States and the
country; a description of the goals, objectives, and milestones
of security cooperation programs and initiatives supported by
the Department of Defense and the Department of State; a
description of how programs complement rather than duplicate
one another; funding by account and program for fiscal year
2024 and the prior two fiscal years; and a description of host
country capabilities and financial contributions towards shared
security goals.
The Committee notes that international security cooperation
programs funded under this heading are subject to 10 U.S.C.
362, which prohibits assistance for a unit of a foreign
security force if the Secretary of Defense has credible
information that the unit has committed a gross violation of
human rights. The Committee also expects the Secretary of
Defense to withhold assistance for a unit of a foreign security
force if the Secretary has credible information that the unit
has used United States military assistance against United
States personnel and directs the Secretary of Defense to inform
the congressional defense committees of any such misuse.
Further, the Committee is concerned about end-use monitoring of
assistance provided under this heading and expects the
Department of Defense to implement any outstanding Government
Accountability Office (GAO) recommendations related to end-use
monitoring, including GAO-23-105856, not later than 60 days
after the enactment of this Act.
The Committee remains interested in evaluations of security
cooperation programs with Northern Triangle countries and
expects the Secretary of Defense to keep the Committee apprised
of any such evaluations. The Committee is also interested in
Army Security Force Assistance Brigade deployments, and any
congressional notification made pursuant to 10 U.S.C. 321 or 10
U.S.C. 333 should include a description of the number of
individuals deployed and their training; the amount, type, and
purpose of the training and equipment to be provided to the
recipient country's security forces; the timeline and source of
funds; and how the proposed program fits into the overall
security cooperation goals of the brigade or country.
The Committee directs that any notification for border
security submitted to the House and Senate Appropriations
Committees indicate the costs for reimbursement, by category,
and the dates on which such costs were incurred by the partner
country and submitted to the United States government. The
Committee also supports programs to build partner capacity in
the area of cybersecurity, including through the Institute for
Security Governance and Regional Centers.
The Committee notes the significant unobligated balances
from prior year appropriations, and the recommendation includes
a rescission of funds. The Committee directs that such funds
are not derived from congressional priorities, including
programs increased by fiscal year 2023 appropriations. The
Secretary of Defense is directed to consult with the House and
Senate Appropriations Committees with respect to such
rescission not later than 30 days after the enactment of this
Act.
BURDEN-SHARING FOR UKRAINE
The Committee recommends a focus on burden-sharing for
Ukraine and expects the Administration to work with other
nations to do their fair share. Not later than 60 days after
the enactment of this Act, the Secretary of Defense, in
coordination with the Secretary of State, shall submit a report
to the congressional defense committees on commitments and
contributions of defense articles and defense services made by
foreign governments to Ukraine since the February 24, 2022,
Russian invasion of Ukraine. The report shall include a brief
description of each commitment and contribution, including the
approximate value, by country and date; efforts to coordinate
international commitments and contributions with United States
security assistance; steps taken or planned by the
Administration to increase international commitments and
contributions; and any use of the contribution authority
provided under Operation and Maintenance, Defense-Wide in Title
II of Division M of the Additional Ukraine Supplemental
Appropriations Act, 2023. The report shall be submitted in
unclassified form but may be accompanied by a classified annex.
MANAGEMENT OF FUNDS FOR UKRAINE
The Committee requires enhanced oversight and
accountability measures for funds appropriated for Ukraine and
is concerned with Department of Defense financial management
practices that have resulted in the improper accounting and
overvaluation of billions of dollars of military equipment
destined for Ukraine. If this error had been corrected earlier,
it could have allowed the Department to send more equipment to
Ukraine ahead of Ukraine's counteroffensive. The Committee
directs the Comptroller General of the United States to review
the Department of Defense's execution of presidential drawdown
authority and related funding and notifications since the
February 24, 2022, Russian invasion of Ukraine and to submit a
report on its findings to the congressional defense committees
not later than 90 days after the enactment of this Act.
EXCESS DEFENSE ARTICLES
The Committee directs the Comptroller General of the United
States to review the Department of Defense excess defense
articles program, which transfers excess defense equipment to
foreign governments or international organizations. The review
shall include the Department's process for identifying
available equipment and recipients; the extent to which the
program is integrated with other security cooperation programs
and priorities; the Department's activities to monitor articles
after they have been delivered; the disposition of significant
articles five years after they have been transferred; and the
overall effectiveness of the program. The Comptroller shall
submit a report along with recommendations to the congressional
defense committees not later than 120 days after the enactment
of this Act.
MILITARY INFORMATION SUPPORT OPERATIONS
The Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2021, included
direction to the Assistant Secretary of Defense (Special
Operations Low Intensity Conflict) to submit a spend plan to
the congressional defense committees regarding Military
Information Support Operations (MISO). The classified annex
accompanying the explanatory statement to the Consolidated
Appropriations Act, 2023, included additional direction
considering the modified budget structure for appropriations
for MISO. The Committee modifies those requirements and directs
the Assistant Secretary of Defense (Special Operations Low
Intensity Conflict) to submit a spend plan annually for the
upcoming fiscal year, not later than 15 days upon submission of
the budget request, and another report, not later than 30 days
after the enactment of this Act. Both reports shall justify
funding by combatant command to include narratives on how the
funding maps to the main pillars of the National Defense
Strategy. The enacted levels will serve as the baseline for
reprogramming in accordance with section 8007 of this Act.
Adjustments during the execution year shall be notified as part
of the quarterly information operations briefings as directed
within section 1631 of the National Defense Authorization Act
for Fiscal Year 2020 (Public Law 116-92). All other annual
reporting requirements are rescinded.
READINESS AND ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION INITIATIVE
To preserve Department of Defense installations and range
capabilities that ensure realistic training and testing for the
current and future force, the Committee supports the fiscal
year 2024 request for the Readiness and Environmental
Protection Initiative.
STUDENT INTERNSHIPS
The Committee supports efforts to enhance access to
internship opportunities through the Department of Defense to a
broad cross section of students of all backgrounds, with an
emphasis on women, with majors in science, engineering, and
math. As such, the Committee directs the Secretary of Defense
to support such efforts with a particular emphasis on Science,
Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM) national
security fields to include artificial intelligence, software
engineering, and operational testing.
INSIDER THREAT
The Committee is aware that Executive Order 13587
established the Insider Threat Task Force, co-chaired by the
Director of National Intelligence and the Attorney General, and
requires, in coordination with appropriate agencies, the
development of minimum standards and guidance for
implementation of a government-wide insider threat policy. The
Department of Defense further directed that the combatant
commands and other Department organizations implement the
National Insider Threat Policy and Minimum Standards for
Executive Branch Insider Threat Programs. Insider threats can
be detected and prevented if capabilities are employed to
provide fusion and timely analysis of available data sources.
The Committee further understands that U.S. Cyber Command
issued instructions outlining the roles and responsibilities
within the command to establish an insider threat program. The
Committee is concerned that the program may not be adequately
resourced and is therefore unable to meet program requirements,
which is critical to detect and mitigate insider threats to the
Command and all components of the Joint Cyber Warfighting
Architecture. The Committee supports this initiative and
directs the Commander, U.S. Cyber Command to brief the House
and Senate Appropriations Committees on plans to resource this
program not later than 30 days after the enactment of this Act.
COUNTER-ISIS TRAIN AND EQUIP FUND
The Committee recommends the following appropriations for
the Counter-ISIS Train and Equip Fund:
EXPLANATION OF PROJECT LEVEL ADJUSTMENTS
[In thousands of dollars]
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Budget Committee Change from
Request Recommended Request
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Iraq Train and Equip............................................... 241,950 241,950 0
Syria Train and Equip.............................................. 156,000 156,000 0
--------------------------------------------
TOTAL, COUNTER-ISIS TRAIN AND EQUIP FUND....................... 397,950 397,950 0
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
The Committee recommendation continues support for the
Iraqi Security Forces, Kurdish Peshmerga, and the Syrian
Democratic Forces to participate in activities to counter the
Islamic State of Iraq and Syria. The Committee directs that
congressional notifications for funds provided under this
heading include a description of the amount, type, and purpose
of assistance to be funded, and the recipient of the
assistance; the budget and implementation timeline, with
anticipated delivery schedule for assistance; and a description
of any material misuse of assistance since the last
notification was submitted, along with a description of any
remedies taken.
The Committee directs the Secretary of Defense to consult
with the House and Senate Appropriations Committees prior to
submitting any notification that includes fortification or
construction for detention facilities or internally displaced
persons camps. Such notifications shall include detailed
information on the scope of proposed projects and on any
contributions from foreign governments.
The Committee notes the release of the Administration's Al-
Hol Action Plan for internally displaced persons camps in
northern Syria. The Committee directs the Secretary of Defense
to develop timelines and milestones for Department of Defense-
related activities under the plan and to brief the House and
Senate Appropriations Committees on progress made not later
than 60 days after the enactment of this Act.
The Committee is concerned with the accountability of funds
provided under this heading for stipend support in Syria.
Therefore, the Act includes a provision making funds
unavailable until the Secretary of Defense reports to the House
and Senate Appropriations Committees that measures are in place
to ensure accountability of these funds. The report shall
include a detailed description of these measures as well as any
changes adopted to address the findings and recommendations in
Inspector General Report No. DODIG-2022-128.
The Committee notes the significant unobligated balances
from prior year appropriations and the recommendation includes
a rescission of funds. The Committee directs that such funds
are not derived from support planned for the Kurdish Peshmerga.
The Secretary of Defense is directed to consult with the House
and Senate Appropriations Committees with respect to such
rescission not later than 30 days after the enactment of this
Act.
OPERATION AND MAINTENANCE, ARMY RESERVE
The Committee recommends the following appropriations for
Operation and Maintenance, Army Reserve:
RESERVE COMPONENT MANDATORY TRAINING
The Committee is concerned that members of the reserve
components face challenges in accessing mandatory military
training from their home of record. The inability to quickly
register for such courses impedes force readiness and misuses
inactive duty training periods which could be devoted to
mission critical tasks. The Committee directs the Secretary of
Defense to submit a report to the House and Senate
Appropriations Committees, not later than 120 days after the
enactment of this Act, on actions the Department of Defense
will take to remove these barriers.
OPERATION AND MAINTENANCE, NAVY RESERVE
The Committee recommends the following appropriations for
Operation and Maintenance, Navy Reserve:
OPERATION AND MAINTENANCE, MARINE CORPS RESERVE
The Committee recommends the following appropriations for
Operation and Maintenance, Marine Corps Reserve:
OPERATION AND MAINTENANCE, AIR FORCE RESERVE
The Committee recommends the following appropriations for
Operation and Maintenance, Air Force Reserve:
OPERATION AND MAINTENANCE, ARMY NATIONAL GUARD
The Committee recommends the following appropriations for
Operation and Maintenance, Army National Guard:
VIRTUAL LANGUAGE TRAINING
The Committee notes that foreign language skills are
instrumental in building and maintaining global alliances and
partnerships and encourages the National Guard Bureau to
continue its virtual language training program. The Committee
further directs the Chief of the National Guard Bureau to
submit a report to the congressional defense committees, not
later than 180 days after the enactment of this Act, that
includes the number of Guardsmen receiving virtual language
training and level of proficiency achieved, a description of
program marketing and sign-up procedures, a listing of classes
and languages taught, a comparison of language training offered
with current State Partnership Program participants, and
funding programmed for National Guard language training through
the future years defense program.
OPERATION AND MAINTENANCE, AIR NATIONAL GUARD
The Committee recommends the following appropriations for
Operation and Maintenance, Air National Guard:
TACTICAL AIR CONTROL PARTY DIVESTITURE
The Committee is concerned about the Air Force's potential
divestiture of Tactical Air Control Party units from the Air
National Guard prior to the completion of an evaluation by the
Air Force. Therefore, the Committee directs the Secretary of
the Air Force to refrain from taking any action to reduce the
number of Tactical Air Control Party units in the Air National
Guard until the Air Force, in consultation with the National
Guard Bureau, has completed its evaluation.
COMBAT READINESS TRAINING CENTERS
The Committee is concerned about reductions in the fiscal
year 2024 President's budget request for operation of the Air
National Guard's four combat readiness training centers. The
Committee notes the centers' critical role in training airmen
through robust joint aerial combat exercises against simulated
near-peer threats. The Committee directs the Secretary of the
Air Force to provide adequate and consistent resources for the
continuation of such training.
UNITED STATES COURT OF APPEALS FOR THE ARMED FORCES
Fiscal year 2024 budget request....................... $16,620,000
Committee recommendation.............................. 16,620,000
Change from budget request............................ - - -
The Committee recommends an appropriation of $16,620,000
for the United States Court of Appeals for the Armed Forces.
ENVIRONMENTAL RESTORATION, ARMY
Fiscal year 2024 budget request....................... $198,760,000
Committee recommendation.............................. 198,760,000
Change from budget request............................ - - -
The Committee recommends an appropriation of $198,760,000
for Environmental Restoration, Army.
ENVIRONMENTAL RESTORATION, NAVY
Fiscal year 2024 budget request....................... $335,240,000
Committee recommendation.............................. 345,240,000
Change from budget request............................ +10,000,000
The Committee recommends an appropriation of $345,240,000
for Environmental Restoration, Navy.
ENVIRONMENTAL RESTORATION, AIR FORCE
Fiscal year 2024 budget request....................... $349,744,000
Committee recommendation.............................. 359,744,000
Change from budget request............................ +10,000,000
The Committee recommends an appropriation of $359,744,000
for Environmental Restoration, Air Force.
ENVIRONMENTAL RESTORATION, DEFENSE-WIDE
Fiscal year 2024 budget request....................... $8,965,000
Committee recommendation.............................. 8,965,000
Change from budget request............................ - - -
The Committee recommends an appropriation of $8,965,000 for
Environmental Restoration, Defense-Wide.
ENVIRONMENTAL RESTORATION, FORMERLY USED DEFENSE SITES
Fiscal year 2024 budget request....................... $232,806,000
Committee recommendation.............................. 232,806,000
Change from budget request............................ - - -
The Committee recommends an appropriation of $232,806,000
for Environmental Restoration, Formerly Used Defense Sites. The
Committee expects the Secretary of Defense and the Service
Secretaries to execute the Military Munitions Response Program
in a manner consistent with the budget request.
OVERSEAS HUMANITARIAN, DISASTER, AND CIVIC AID
The Committee recommends the following appropriation for
Overseas Humanitarian, Disaster, and Civic Aid:
EXPLANATION OF PROJECT LEVEL ADJUSTMENTS
[In thousands of dollars]
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Budget Committee Change from
Request Recommended Request
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
FOREIGN DISASTER RELIEF............................................ 20,000 22,500 2,500
Program increase............................................... 2,500
HUMANITARIAN ASSISTANCE............................................ 79,900 100,000 20,100
Program increase............................................... 20,100
HUMANITARIAN MINE ACTION PROGRAM................................... 15,000 20,000 5,000
Program increase............................................... 5,000
--------------------------------------------
TOTAL, OVERSEAS HUMANITARIAN, DISASTER, AND CIVIC AID...... 114,900 142,500 27,600
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
The Committee directs the Secretary of Defense to submit a
spend plan for Humanitarian Assistance and the Humanitarian
Mine Action Program to the House and Senate Appropriations
Committees not later than 45 days after the enactment of this
Act. The plan shall include amounts planned for each combatant
command, country, and program area, as well as a comparison to
funding provided in the previous two fiscal years. Such
information shall be included in the justification materials
that accompany the fiscal year 2025 President's budget request.
The Committee directs the Secretary of Defense to inform
the House and Senate Appropriations Committees of any planned
foreign disaster relief not later than 72 hours following a
disaster declaration that involves a request for Department of
Defense support.
COOPERATIVE THREAT REDUCTION ACCOUNT
The Committee recommends the following appropriation for
the Cooperative Threat Reduction Account:
EXPLANATION OF PROJECT LEVEL ADJUSTMENTS
[In thousands of dollars]
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Budget Committee Change from
Request Recommended Request
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Strategic Offensive Arms Elimination............................... 6,815 6,815 0
Chemical Weapons Destruction....................................... 16,400 16,400 0
Global Nuclear Security............................................ 19,406 19,406 0
Biological Threat Reduction Program................................ 228,030 228,030 0
Proliferation Prevention Program................................... 46,324 46,324 0
Other Assessments/Admin Costs...................................... 34,024 34,024 0
--------------------------------------------
TOTAL, COOPERATIVE THREAT REDUCTION ACCOUNT.................... 350,999 350,999 0
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE ACQUISITION WORKFORCE DEVELOPMENT ACCOUNT
Fiscal year 2024 budget request....................... $54,977,000
Committee recommendation.............................. 54,977,000
Change from budget request............................ - - -
The Committee recommends an appropriation of $54,977,000
for the Department of Defense Acquisition Workforce Development
Account.
TITLE III
PROCUREMENT
The fiscal year 2024 Department of Defense procurement
budget request and the Committee recommendation are summarized
in the table below:
REPROGRAMMING GUIDANCE FOR ACQUISITION ACCOUNTS
The Secretary of Defense is directed to continue to follow
the reprogramming guidance as specified in the report
accompanying the House version of the Department of Defense
Appropriations bill for Fiscal Year 2008 (House Report 110-
279). Specifically, the dollar threshold for reprogramming
funds shall be $10,000,000 for procurement and research,
development, test and evaluation.
Also, the Under Secretary of Defense (Comptroller) is
directed to continue to provide the congressional defense
committees quarterly, spreadsheet-based DD Form 1416 reports
for Service and defense-wide accounts in titles III and IV of
this Act. Reports for titles III and IV shall comply with the
guidance specified in the explanatory statement accompanying
the Department of Defense Appropriations Act, 2006. The
Department shall continue to follow the limitation that prior
approval reprogramming actions are set at either the specified
dollar threshold or 20 percent of the procurement or research,
development, test and evaluation line, whichever is less. These
thresholds are cumulative from the base for reprogramming value
as modified by any adjustments. Therefore, if the combined
value of transfers into or out of a procurement (P-1) or
research, development, test and evaluation (R-1) line exceeds
the identified threshold, the Secretary of Defense must submit
a prior approval reprogramming to the congressional defense
committees. In addition, guidelines on the application of prior
approval reprogramming procedures for congressional special
interest items are established elsewhere in this report.
FUNDING INCREASES
The funding increases outlined in these tables shall be
provided only for the specific purposes indicated in the
tables.
PROCUREMENT SPECIAL INTEREST ITEMS
Items for which additional funds have been recommended or
items for which funding is specifically reduced as shown in the
project level tables detailing recommended adjustments or in
paragraphs using the phrase ``only for'' or ``only to'' in this
report are congressional special interest items for the purpose
of the Base for Reprogramming (DD Form 1414). Each of these
items must be carried on the DD Form 1414 at the stated amount,
as specifically addressed elsewhere in this report.
MUNITIONS STOCK
The Committee remains concerned by the insufficient
quantity and capability in the Department of Defense's
munitions inventory. While some of this is the result of
support to Ukraine and supply chain challenges, it is not clear
the industrial base is well-postured to meet the rising demand.
The Committee encourages the Secretary of Defense to increase
stockpiles of existing munitions and expedite the delivery of
those in development. More importantly, the Committee
encourages the Department to leverage non-traditional suppliers
working in conjunction with the traditional defense industrial
base to broaden the sources of components and materials to
better posture the Nation in time of crisis. The Committee
believes that broadening these sources creates resiliency in
the supply chain and could be a catalyst for novel munitions to
create new dilemmas for the adversary. Therefore, the Committee
directs the Under Secretary of Defense for Research and
Engineering, in coordination with Under Secretary of Defense
for Acquisition and Sustainment, the Director of the Defense
Innovation Unit, and the munitions program executive officers
in the Services to submit a report to the congressional defense
committees not later than 120 days after the enactment of this
Act. The report shall identify current and future munitions
shortfalls, areas of greatest operational risk in the most
pressing theaters, novel munitions employment approaches to
create platform optionality and reduce integration cost,
munitions that are currently being produced by non-traditional
suppliers, potential sources of low-cost components through
non-traditional suppliers, viable paths for system integration
through non-traditional suppliers or relationships with
traditional suppliers, and a strategy for leveraging a broader
industrial base for expanding munitions capability and
capacity.
ROCKET MOTOR SUPPLY
The Committee is concerned about risk in the development
and production capacity of rocket propulsion, particularly of
solid rocket motors needed to build a critical munitions
stockpile. The Committee supports efforts to increase the
capacity of the existing supplier base, as well as initiatives
to reduce vulnerability in the supply chain with a broader
industrial base. Additionally, the Committee encourages the
Department to use the authorities and resources of the Office
of Manufacturing Capability Expansion and Investment
Prioritization and other mechanisms to expand this industrial
base.
ADVANCED LIGHTWEIGHT STAINLESS STEEL FOR AMMUNITION
The Committee is encouraged bySpecial Operations Command's
(SOCOM) progress on the design, development, and testing of
advanced stainless steel lightweight ammunition casing and
links. The Committee encourages the Commander, SOCOM and the
Secretary of the Army to continue exploring and refining the
use of advanced lightweight stainless steel cased ammunitions
and ammunition links across all calibers to reduce ammunition
weight, improve mobility, and enhance the survivability of the
warfighter.
AIRCRAFT PROCUREMENT, ARMY
The Committee recommends the following appropriations for
Aircraft Procurement, Army:
CH-47 BLOCK II
The Committee continues to support the CH-47 Block II
aircraft program and remains concerned by the Army's continued
lack of support for the program. While the Committee recognizes
that the Army is investing in its modernization priorities,
without a clear path to a new heavy lift platform, the F Block
II program should be considered a priority.
MISSILE PROCUREMENT, ARMY
The Committee recommends the following appropriations for
Missile Procurement, Army:
PROCUREMENT OF WEAPONS AND TRACKED COMBAT VEHICLES, ARMY
The Committee recommends the following appropriations for
Procurement of Weapons and Tracked Combat Vehicles, Army:
PROCUREMENT OF AMMUNITION, ARMY
The Committee recommends the following appropriations for
Procurement of Ammunition, Army:
OTHER PROCUREMENT, ARMY
The Committee recommends the following appropriations for
Other Procurement, Army:
INFANTRY SQUAD VEHICLE
The Committee commends the Army for successful production
and steady fielding of the Infantry Squad Vehicle (ISV). The
nine-passenger Ground Mobility Vehicle program of record
achieved full-rate production in March 2023 and provides 90
percent commercial-off-the-shelf components. The Committee
encourages the Secretary of the Army to explore options for
increased monthly production of the ISV to allow the Army to
maximize efficiencies and more rapidly field this tactical
mobility capability to the warfighter.
FAMILY OF ALL TERRAIN CRANES
The Army's Family of All Terrain Cranes (FOATC) supports
the National Defense Strategy by enabling Army soldiers
specializing in engineering, construction, and clearance to
offload critical supplies such as weapons, ammunition,
artillery pieces, fuel, and water to the battlefield. The
Committee strongly encourages the Secretary of the Army to
adequately fund the continued advancement of the FOATC Type I
crane production to ensure that the Army is moving toward
meeting its acquisition objective in sufficient quantities to
maintain a reliable production capability and capacity.
HIGH MOBILITY MULTIPURPOSE WHEELED VEHICLES ANTILOCK BRAKE SYSTEM/
ELECTRONIC STABILITY CONTROL
Since 2018, all new High Mobility Multipurpose Wheeled
Vehicles (HMMWV) have come equipped with Antilock Brake System/
Electronic Stability Control (ABS/ESC) to prevent rollovers.
However, legacy HMMWV require an ABS/ESC retrofit kit to
provide enhanced rollover protection. The Committee views
soldier safety as a top priority and is concerned with the pace
at which the Army is producing and installing ABS/ESC kits onto
legacy HMMWV. At the current pace, it will take over 50 years
to provide the entire HMMWV fleet with this lifesaving
protection. This is unacceptable. The Committee expects the
Secretary of the Army to place a higher priority on resourcing
this critical capability that is proven to reduce rollover
incidents that result in fatalities and serious injuries. In
addition, the Committee directs the Secretary of the Army to
provide quarterly updates to the House and Senate
Appropriations Committees on the execution of ABS/ESC funding
including contract execution status, production rates, and
installation schedules.
JOINT LIGHT TACTICAL VEHICLE EXPLOSIVELY FORMED PENETRATOR KITS
The Joint Light Tactical Vehicle (JLTV) Explosively Formed
Penetrator (EFP) kit protects soldiers from shaped charges
designed to breach various types of armor on tactical and
combat vehicles. The Committee encourages the Secretary of the
Army to appropriately resource JLTV EFP kits to ensure that
JLTVs fielded in theater have the highest level of protection.
AIRCRAFT PROCUREMENT, NAVY
The Committee recommends the following appropriations for
Aircraft Procurement, Navy:
F/A-18 SUPER HORNET AIRCRAFT
The Committee remains deeply concerned by the Navy's
continued strike fighter aircraft shortfall, which contravenes
the legislative requirement of ten carrier air wings by 2025.
The Navy projects it will not resolve this gap until 2031. To
mitigate the impacts of the shortfall, the Department of
Defense Appropriations Acts for 2022 and 2023 included a total
of 20 additional F/A-18 Super Hornet aircraft. The Committee is
frustrated that the Navy has yet to put any of the aircraft on
contract and is extremely troubled by the Navy's failure to
comply with congressional intent. The Committee expects the
Secretary of the Navy to award these aircraft, as required by
law, with appropriate expediency.
NAVY ADVERSARY AIRCRAFT FOR TRAINING PURPOSES
The Committee notes the growing requirement for near-peer
representative air-to-air training using aggressor aircraft
with capabilities similar to that of advanced adversaries. The
Committee remains supportive of ongoing efforts to increase
capabilities of aircraft assigned to aggressor squadrons;
however, the Committee remains concerned about the overuse of
some legacy aircraft to carry out this mission in the long-
term. To maintain strategic Navy Reserve air strike fighter and
air aggressor capability, the Committee encourages the
Secretary of the Navy to transition deployable F/A-18E/F
aircraft considered for divestment, as available, from the
Active Component to Navy Reserve aviation squadrons.
WEAPONS PROCUREMENT, NAVY
The Committee recommends the following appropriations for
Weapons Procurement, Navy:
PROCUREMENT OF AMMUNITION, NAVY AND MARINE CORPS
The Committee recommends the following appropriations for
Procurement of Ammunition, Navy and Marine Corps:
SHIPBUILDING AND CONVERSION, NAVY
The Committee recommends the following appropriations for
Shipbuilding and Conversion, Navy:
EXPEDITIONARY MEDICAL SHIP
The Committee remains supportive of the Expeditionary
Medical Ship (EMS) class and recognizes the operational utility
of these ships, especially in the Indo-Pacific Command area of
operations. The Committee notes the Navy awarded contracts for
the three ships funded in fiscal years 2022 and 2023, with an
option to add EMS 4 to the contract. Therefore, the Committee
supports the expeditionary capabilities of the EMS ship class
and recognizes the need for additional ships to be funded in
future fiscal years.
OTHER PROCUREMENT, NAVY
The Committee recommends the following appropriations for
Other Procurement, Navy:
PROCUREMENT, MARINE CORPS
The Committee recommends the following appropriations for
Procurement, Marine Corps:
AIRCRAFT PROCUREMENT, AIR FORCE
The Committee recommends the following appropriations for
Aircraft Procurement, Air Force:
F-22 SENSOR ENHANCEMENTS
The Committee strongly supports the increased investment in
modernizing the F-22A, which is critical to executing the
National Defense Strategy. In particular, the Committee finds
that the Sensor Enhancement program is aligned with several key
Operational Imperatives and is also fundamental to future air
superiority. However, the Committee is deeply concerned by the
program's developmental delays and the lack of corresponding
adjustments in the fiscal year 2024 President's budget request,
despite significant reprogramming actions in fiscal year 2023.
Due to the pending Manufacturing Readiness Review and flight
test demonstration, the Committee recommends a reduction of
$434,997,000 to Sensor Enhancements Group B. The Committee
urges the Secretary of the Air Force to keep the congressional
defense committees informed on the outcomes of these tests and
other developments so it can make informed future decisions.
C-40 AIRCRAFT
While the Committee supports recent funding to upgrade
certain aspects of the C-40, it is concerned about the aging
fleet given the operational demands placed on the aircraft. The
Committee also understands that there may be affordable
inventory on the commercial airline market that could be
converted at low cost to ensure aircraft availability for
government senior leaders, including combatant commanders.
Therefore, the Committee directs the Secretary of the Air Force
to submit a report to the congressional defense committees, not
later than 60 days after the enactment of this Act, that
includes a market survey of available aircraft that could be
modified for executive airlift, the total cost impact of such
an action, and a recommendation on the future fleet size for
the C-40 aircraft.
REPAIRED AND REFURBISHED AEROSPACE BEARINGS
The Committee recognizes that the repair and refurbishment
of aerospace bearings, which can generate cost savings for both
fixed and rotary wing platforms, may produce similar service
life and reliability when compared to new bearings. However,
the Committee is concerned that the Department of Defense's
acquisition practices prevent domestic independent bearing
repair service providers from openly participating in
solicitations involving Original Equipment Manufacturers, which
may have an adverse impact on the defense industrial base.
Therefore, the Committee urges the Secretary of Defense to
consider ways to improve participation by domestic bearing
repair service providers. The Committee directs the Secretary
of the Air Force to submit a report to the congressional
defense committees, not later than 180 days after the enactment
of this Act, detailing the actions taken to support these
domestic independent bearing repair service providers.
C-130H ENGINE UPGRADES
The Committee remains concerned that aircraft at multiple
C-130H units are operating without Series 3.5 engine upgrades.
The Committee is aware the Air National Guard conducted
analysis prior to the fiscal year 2024 budget submission and
found the Air Force's plan to upgrade remaining C-130H aircraft
using refurbished engines to be non-viable. Despite this
analysis, the Air Force's fiscal year 2024 budget request did
not fund C-130H engine upgrade acquisition. Therefore, the
Committee directs the Commander of Air Force Materiel Command
to brief the congressional defense committees not later than 90
days after the enactment of this Act on the Air Force's plans
to ensure the C-130H aircraft without Series 3.5 engine
upgrades are appropriately upgraded to meet operational
requirements. The brief shall detail the Department's plan to
obligate and expend funding provided in prior fiscal years for
the program, along with any plan to obligate National Guard and
Reserve Equipment Account resources or reprogrammed funding
from the operations and maintenance accounts originally
designated to execute engine refurbishment activities. The
briefing shall also identify remaining budget requirements in
fiscal year 2025.
MISSILE PROCUREMENT, AIR FORCE
The Committee recommends the following appropriations for
Missile Procurement, Air Force:
PROCUREMENT OF AMMUNITION, AIR FORCE
The Committee recommends the following appropriations for
Procurement of Ammunition, Air Force:
OTHER PROCUREMENT, AIR FORCE
The Committee recommends the following appropriations for
Other Procurement, Air Force:
PROCUREMENT, SPACE FORCE
The Committee recommends the following appropriations for
Procurement, Space Force:
NATIONAL SECURITY SPACE LAUNCH
The Committee directs the Secretary of Defense and the
Director of National Intelligence to utilize the Space Force
launch enterprise phase 2 contract, until such time as a
successor contract is in place, for National Security Space
Launch class missions, unless they certify to the congressional
defense and intelligence committees that commercial launch or
delivery-on-orbit procurement for a designated mission is in
the national security interest of the government and outline
the rationale for such a determination.
PROCUREMENT, DEFENSE-WIDE
The Committee recommends the following appropriations for
Procurement, Defense-Wide:
ACCELERATING THE PROCUREMENT AND FIELDING OF INNOVATIVE TECHNOLOGIES
The joint explanatory statement accompanying the Department
of Defense Appropriations Act, 2022, included $100,000,000 for
the Agile Procurement Transition Pilot. The purpose of these
funds is to transition technologies from pilot programs,
prototype projects, and research projects to scale to
capability, software, or service acquisitions. These funds are
also to be used for the rapid procurement of commercially
available technologies that can directly aid the warfighter. In
its first year, the program funded ten different emerging
technology companies to move from prototype to fielding,
accelerating fielding by at least 12 months and in some cases
as much as 48 months. In the second year, the program increased
total funding by $50,000,000, with contract sizes doubling for
many of the companies in the program to quickly scale
capabilities for the warfighter.
The Committee supports continued investment in this fund
and notes that the fiscal year 2024 President's budget request
included $100,000,000 for this effort. Therefore, the Committee
recommends a total of $300,000,000, an increase of $200,000,000
above the President's budget request. Additionally, the
Committee directs the Under Secretary of Defense for Research
and Engineering to brief the congressional defense committees,
not later than 90 days after the enactment of this Act, on the
capabilities being tested and the proposed path to scale
innovative technologies, including successes and failures to
date, as well as the use of all prior year funds.
MUNITIONS STOCK DOMESTIC PRODUCTION OF TITANIUM SPONGE
The Committee remains concerned about the domestic
industrial base reliance on foreign suppliers for critical
defense materials, including titanium sponge. The Committee
encourages the Secretary of Defense to enhance cooperative
efforts with the United States titanium industry to explore
opportunities for domestic sponge manufacturing through the
Defense Production Act, and to identify resources necessary for
the upgrade and modernization of idled United States sponge
facilities to become commercially viable.
CHINESE PLASTIC
The People's Republic of China (PRC) is one of the largest
global suppliers of plastics, which are essential to critical
components for national security and defense. The Committee
encourages the Secretary of Defense to take meaningful efforts
to reduce dependency on plastics from the PRC. It is important
to consider a multitude of alternative materials that could be
produced and certified domestically. The Committee encourages
the Department of Defense to lessen its dependency on China and
when applicable, transition quality production materials to
U.S. grown hemp, a more cost-effective, bio-based alternative
to plastic. Therefore, the Committee directs the Secretary of
Defense to submit a report to the congressional defense
committees not later than 180 days after the enactment of this
Act. The report shall identify the progress the Department has
made in utilizing alternatives to Chinese plastics and provide
a quantitative and qualitative characterization of domestic
national defense dependency on Chinese plastics.
DEFENSE SUPPLY CHAIN PACKAGING MATERIAL
The Committee recognizes the importance of protective
packaging to ensure the safe transport and storage of military
equipment. Packaging materials and solutions are specifically
tailored based on detailed calculations for each requirement
across the logistics and supply chain. The Committee urges the
Secretary of Defense, prior to proposing any limitation or
prohibition on packaging materials, to evaluate and confirm no
adverse financial, performance, or public safety impact or
unintended consequence from any proposed alternative or
substitute packaging materials.
CRYSTALS FOR OPTICAL COMPONENTS
The Committee recognizes the importance of silicon and
germanium crystals for use in electro-optical and infrared
devices. The Committee also understands there are supply chain
and intellectual property risks based on reliance on China for
these materials and components. Therefore, the Committee
directs the Secretary of Defense to conduct a review of the
amount of silicon and germanium optical components in U.S.
defense systems that are being sourced from China and submit a
report to the congressional defense committees not later than
180 days after the enactment of this Act. The Committee also
encourages the Secretary of Defense to phase out the
procurement of Chinese silicon and germanium optical components
and support domestic growth and component manufacturing
requirements.
DEFENSE PRODUCTION ACT PURCHASES
The Committee recommends the following appropriations for
the Defense Production Act Purchases:
EXPLANATION OF PROJECT LEVEL ADJUSTMENTS
[In thousands of dollars]
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Budget Committee Change from
Request Recommended Request
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
DEFENSE PRODUCTION ACT PURCHASES 968,605 978,605 -350,000
Execution risk................................................. -350,000
--------------------------------------------
TOTAL, DEFENSE PRODUCTION ACT PURCHASES.................... 968,605 618,605 -350,000
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
NATIONAL GUARD AND RESERVE EQUIPMENT ACCOUNT
Fiscal year 2024 budget request....................... - - -
Committee recommendation.............................. $1,000,000,000
Change from budget request............................ +1,000,000,000
The Committee recommends $1,000,000,000 for the National
Guard and Reserve Equipment Account. Of that amount,
$312,000,000 is for the Army National Guard; $305,000,000 is
for the Air National Guard; $155,000,000 is for the Army
Reserve; $55,000,000 is for the Navy Reserve; $18,000,000 is
for the Marine Corps Reserve; and $155,000,000 is for the Air
Force Reserve to meet urgent equipment needs in the coming
fiscal year. This funding will allow the National Guard and
reserve components to procure high priority equipment used by
these components for both their military missions and missions
in support of State governors. The funding within this account
is not to be used to procure equipment designated as high-
density critical equipment, major weapon systems, aircraft, and
other equipment central to a unit's ability to perform its
doctrinal mission. The funding within this account is not to be
used to procure equipment purchased by the senior Service, to
expand or accelerate current Service procurement plans, to
purchase expendable items, or to purchase facilities or
equipment for any requirement able to be satisfied elsewhere.
The Committee directs the Secretary of Defense to ensure
that the National Guard and Reserve Equipment Account is
executed by the Chiefs of the National Guard and reserve
components with priority consideration given to the following
items: acoustic hailing devices; crash-worthy, ballistically
tolerant auxiliary fuel systems for UH-60 helicopters; degraded
visual environment systems; improved thermal acoustic blanket;
KC-135 aircraft emergency response refuel equipment kits; KC-
135 aircrew ground cooling units; land surveying systems;
lightweight, rapidly deployable, computer-based artillery call
for fire training and simulation; litter stabilization systems;
modular small arms ranges and small arms training simulators
and tools; secure enterprise, emergency, and social
communication; software defined radios; UH-72A/B mission
equipment modernization; and upgraded commercial-off-the-shelf
ground mapping for C-130 aircraft.
TITLE IV
RESEARCH, DEVELOPMENT, TEST AND EVALUATION
The fiscal year 2024 Department of Defense research,
development, test and evaluation budget request and the
Committee recommendation are summarized in the table below:
REPROGRAMMING GUIDANCE FOR ACQUISITION ACCOUNTS
The Secretary of Defense is directed to continue to follow
the reprogramming guidance as specified in the report
accompanying the House version of the Department of Defense
Appropriations bill for Fiscal Year 2008 (House Report 110-
279). Specifically, the dollar threshold for reprogramming
funds shall be $10,000,000 for procurement and research,
development, test and evaluation.
Also, the Under Secretary of Defense (Comptroller) is
directed to continue to provide the congressional defense
committees quarterly, spreadsheet-based DD Form 1416 reports
for Service and defense-wide accounts in titles III and IV of
this Act. Reports for titles III and IV shall comply with the
guidance specified in the explanatory statement accompanying
the Department of Defense Appropriations Act, 2006. The
Department shall continue to follow the limitation that prior
approval reprogramming actions are set at either the specified
dollar threshold or 20 percent of the procurement or research,
development, test and evaluation line, whichever is less. These
thresholds are cumulative from the base for reprogramming value
as modified by any adjustments. Therefore, if the combined
value of transfers into or out of a procurement (P-1) or
research, development, test and evaluation (R-1) line exceeds
the identified threshold, the Secretary of Defense must submit
a prior approval reprogramming to the congressional defense
committees. In addition, guidelines on the application of prior
approval reprogramming procedures for congressional special
interest items are established elsewhere in this report.
FUNDING INCREASES
The funding increases outlined in these tables shall be
provided only for the specific purposes indicated in the
tables.
RESEARCH, DEVELOPMENT, TEST AND EVALUATION SPECIAL INTEREST ITEMS
Items for which additional funds have been recommended or
items for which funding is specifically reduced as shown in the
project level tables detailing recommended adjustments or in
paragraphs using the phrase ``only for'' or ``only to'' in this
report are congressional special interest items for the purpose
of the Base for Reprogramming (DD Form 1414). Each of these
items must be carried on the DD Form 1414 at the stated amount,
as specifically addressed elsewhere in this report.
COMMERCIAL CONTRACTING SOFTWARE
The Department of Defense procurement systems, including
contract writing systems, are overly complicated, difficult to
use, and do not leverage modern software found in the
commercial marketplace which contributes to their
inefficiencies. The Services continue to experience cost
overruns and schedule delays as they attempt to update their
systems. The Committee encourages the Service Secretaries to
explore commercial solutions in order to identify efficiencies,
improve quality, accelerate delivery times, and lower costs.
AUTONOMOUS MODELING AND SIMULATION
The Committee is keenly aware of the transformative
potential of autonomous capabilities across the spectrum of
warfare. However, the Committee assesses that the Department of
Defense does not clearly characterize the full cost and utility
of these systems. The Committee recommendation includes
additional funding for the Chief Data and Artificial
Intelligence Office to expand its capacity for virtual testing,
evaluation, and simulation of autonomous platforms to ensure
the development of a joint concept of operations.
SPACE-BASED SURVEILLANCE FOR NORTHERN COMMAND AND SOUTHERN COMMAND
The Committee recognizes the immense value that persistent
and unmanned systems can provide to United States Northern
Command (NORTHCOM) and United States Southern Command
(SOUTHCOM) in support of operations across their areas of
responsibility. The Committee is encouraged by the development
and fielding of space-based capabilities, including
commercially provided capabilities, that can meet critical
intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance (ISR)
requirements for both combatant commands. Therefore, the
Committee encourages the Secretary of Defense to provide
increased support for space-based ISR to NORTHCOM and SOUTHCOM.
RESEARCH, DEVELOPMENT, TEST AND EVALUATION, ARMY
The Committee recommends the following appropriations for
Research, Development, Test and Evaluation, Army:
CYBERSPACE ELECTRO-MAGNETIC ACTIVITIES
Cyberspace Electro-Magnetic Activities (CEMA) exploit
electronic warfare, cyber, and security capabilities to deliver
information advantages in multi-domain operations. CEMA
superiority will be critical in the next significant modern
conflict. The Army appropriately invests in specialized CEMA
research through several independent, program-associated lines
of effort. However, the Army lacks a robust, centralized
research line for advanced deep CEMA research for application
broadly across Army platforms. As the Army pursues high
priority modernization programs for integration through the
Integrated Air and Missile Defense Battle Command System and
Joint All-Domain Command and Control, dedicated CEMA research
and development is critical. The Committee directs the
Secretary of the Army to establish an additional research and
development program element line in the fiscal year 2025
President's budget request focused on broadly applicable
advanced CEMA research. This line is not intended to
consolidate or eliminate existing CEMA research, but rather to
be additive and integrative in nature, unless the Secretary
believes such consolidation becomes constructive. The Committee
also directs the Secretary of the Army to brief the House and
Senate Appropriations Committees on the Army's plans and
progress not later than 90 days after the enactment of this
Act.
CROWS-AHD
The Committee commends the Army for the successful
implementation of the Acoustic Hailing Device (AHD) program
which has provided military police and transportation security
units with the ability to de-escalate dangerous situations,
reduce both combatant and non-combatant casualties, and improve
overall combat effectiveness across the full spectrum of
conflict. Incorporating AHDs into existing Common Remotely
Operated Weapon Stations (CROWS) is a logical extension of the
current program and the Committee is encouraged by the progress
that the Army has made in this effort. The Committee directs
the Secretary of the Army to provide a briefing to the House
and Senate Appropriations Committees, not later than 90 days
after the enactment of this Act, on the CROWS-AHD program with
a focus on the acceleration of prototyping, testing, and
fielding of this capability.
ENGINEERED REPAIR MATERIALS FOR ROADWAYS
Military infrastructure requires rapidly deployable
solutions to enable effective maneuver of assets from military
bases to theaters of operation. New infrastructure technologies
are required to support the military's repair requirements of
paved and unpaved roadways to support military missions. The
Committee encourages the Secretary of the Army to develop
engineered road repair materials that leverage the use of local
materials, thus allowing for less logistical import of
materials and more rapid construction.
WIRE ARC ADDITIVE MANUFACTURING
The Committee supports the development of wire arc additive
manufacturing technology (WAAM) of optimized multi-metal
components for the future of U.S. combat systems. This research
is key to maintaining a strong lead in the race for innovation
against near-peer competitors, as well as securing the future
of the defense supply chain.
RESEARCH, DEVELOPMENT, TEST AND EVALUATION, NAVY
The Committee recommends the following appropriations for
Research, Development, Test and Evaluation, Navy:
AUTOMATED TEST AND RE-TEST
The Committee remains supportive of the Navy's use of
Automated Test and Re-test (ATRT) technologies in support of
several individual programs to improve the efficiency and
quality of testing, analysis, and certification. ATRT is a
critical, validated, and cost-effective technology that enables
rapid insertion of capabilities to address emerging threats.
However, the Committee is concerned that the Navy is not
rapidly evaluating current and future acquisition programs for
ATRT applicability. Therefore, the Committee recommendation
includes a total of $120,000,000 to expand the use of ATRT
technologies throughout the Navy enterprise. Further, the
Committee again urges the Secretary of the Navy to budget for
ATRT in future budget requests.
LARGE DIAMETER UNMANNED UNDERSEA VEHICLES
The Committee recommendation includes $35,000,000 for the
Navy to acquire commercially available large diameter unmanned
undersea vehicle (LDUUV) test platforms, ancillary equipment,
and support services that can rapidly integrate a broad range
of payloads and sensors to serve as test beds for organizations
and expedite the delivery of these capabilities to the fleet.
The Secretary of the Navy should focus experimentation efforts
on platforms that are commercially available, at a high
technology readiness level, do not require submarines as host
platforms to conduct operations, and possess mission-relevant
range and endurance characteristics for the United States Indo-
Pacific Command area of operations. Further, the platforms
should be capable of operating at full ocean depth and be
rapidly reconfigurable to enable a broad range of payload
integration and fleet experimentation activities.
AUTONOMOUS SURFACE AND UNDERWATER DUAL-MODALITY VEHICLES
The Committee is aware of dual-modality autonomous surface
and undersea vehicle technology that exists to address multiple
warfighting requirements. The Committee encourages the
Secretary of the Navy to explore dual-modality capabilities and
determine whether the technology can satisfy near-term
intelligence and oceanographic requirements. The Committee also
encourages the Secretary of the Navy to prioritize this effort
in future fiscal years.
COASTAL ENVIRONMENTAL RESEARCH
The Committee understands the importance of the littoral
region to Navy operations worldwide and believes that testing
and training must replicate the operational and threat
environments that submarines and unmanned systems are likely to
encounter in these areas. The Committee believes that
additional research of the magnetic, electric, and acoustic
ambient fields in the littoral regions and the development of
predictive techniques to distinguish ships and submarines from
naturally occurring background features would be beneficial for
littoral operations. The Committee encourages the Secretary of
the Navy to conduct additional research in this area.
RESEARCH, DEVELOPMENT, TEST AND EVALUATION, AIR FORCE
The Committee recommends the following appropriations for
Research, Development, Test and Evaluation, Air Force:
VANGUARDS
The Committee recognizes the valuable contributions made by
the Department of the Air Force's Science and Technology (S&T)
community, in particular the Air Force Research Lab (AFRL). The
Committee finds the Air Force has improved in its efforts to
align fundamental research with urgent operational needs. The
Air Force's Vanguard programs, which share the Committee's
goals of rapid experimentation, problem identification, and
fielding, have led to several programs of record that enable
warfighting capabilities. However, the Committee has concerns
with the current and future scope of the Vanguard programs.
First, the time from operational need identification to
fielding remains far too long given the modest advances in
capability. Second, the Committee believes that the Air Force
should focus its fiscal year 2024 efforts on the existing
Vanguards and Vanguard Prospects. Due to the increase in the
budget request for the Vanguards over the future years defense
program, the Committee urges the Air Force to demonstrate how
it can more rapidly transition current Vanguard Prospects to
programs of record before it invests in the Pathfinders.
Additionally, it is not clear that the Vanguards are
sufficiently leveraging emerging technologies in the commercial
sector. Lastly, the Committee is concerned that standard
business operations in AFRL perpetuate the gap between the
operators, acquirers, and the S&T workforce, limiting the
military utility and speed of fielding. Understanding how AFRL
is closing this gap is of key interest to the Committee.
Therefore, the Committee recommends a reduction of
$86,552,000 to the Vanguards and provides no funding for the
Pathfinders. The Committee looks forward to continued updates
on the fielding of the funded Vanguards and ways the Air Force
is addressing the previously mentioned concerns.
FIGHTER AIRCRAFT ENGINE DEVELOPMENT
In the fiscal year 2024 President's budget request, the Air
Force requested $254,685,000 for the F135 Engine Core Upgrade
(ECU), $595,352,000 for the Next Generation Adaptive Propulsion
(NGAP) program, and no additional funding for the Adaptive
Engine Transition Program (AETP). The Committee recognizes that
the independent cost assessment completed by the Director of
Cost Assessment and Program Evaluation found that fielding
adaptive cycle engine technology on only the F-35A would drive
unsustainable costs in future years for the Air Force. The
Committee concurs with this finding and understands the Air
Force has fully budgeted for ECU activities in fiscal year 2024
and the future years defense program. The Committee fully funds
the request for F135 ECU to improve the F-35 engine program.
Further, the Committee finds the business case analysis
completed by the Joint Program Office and other analyses
provided to the Committee to be incomplete in assessing whether
the F135 engine will meet the expected thrust and thermal
management capacity requirements. While the Committee assesses
that the F135 engine may meet future needs with the planned
upgrades, it also finds that continued investment in engine
testing for fighter aircraft is justified. NGAP, F135 ECU, and
other programs that direct research to improve engine
capabilities are required to ensure a robust industrial base
and enable the Air Force's fighter aircraft inventory during
future conflict. The Committee supports increased funding for
these programs in fiscal year 2024 but also believes that
continuing the AETP program will mitigate risk for both
adaptive cycle and future engine development programs.
Therefore, the Committee recommendation provides
$150,000,000 to continue AETP in the Advanced Engine
Development budget line to ensure coordinated design efforts
with NGAP. The testing objectives for AETP shall align with
funding provided in prior fiscal years and shall dually inform
the enabling design for Next Generation Air Dominance
capabilities. The Committee emphasizes that this increase is
not intended to incentivize the Air Force, or any other
Service, to create an alternative engine program for the F-35.
Therefore, the Act includes a general provision that prohibits
the use of funds to integrate an alternative engine on any F-35
aircraft.
COLLABORATIVE COMBAT AIRCRAFT
The fiscal year 2024 President's budget request includes
$392,210,000 for Collaborative Combat Aircraft (CCA). The
Committee notes the significant growth projected for the
program over the future years defense program. The Committee
understands the proposed operational concepts of CCA and is
encouraged by its co-development with the Next Generation Air
Dominance program. The Committee notes with support the co-
development efforts with allies and partners and believes these
efforts should be continued and expanded where possible. While
the Committee recommendation supports the funding request for
fiscal year 2024, the Committee is concerned that CCA requires
such a degree of concept refinement that it will unnecessarily
delay the fielding of available technologies. The Committee
looks forward to regular updates on CCA refinement and
fielding, recognizing that the funds provided in fiscal year
2024 will, in part, be used for these purposes.
The Committee directs the Secretary of the Air Force to
submit to the House and Senate Appropriations Committees, in
coordination with the submission of the fiscal year 2025
President's budget request, a detailed plan of how the Air
Force intends to transition CCA concepts into an operational
program of record, how it intends to mitigate developmental
risk through the rapid fielding of existing technologies, what
unit cost variances exist for attritable and expendable
aircraft, ways to enhance co-development with allies and
partners, how it is aligning autonomy or mitigating the lack
thereof with its concept of operations, and a proposal for an
acquisition strategy over the future years defense program.
TANKER RECAPITALIZATION
The Air Force has revised its previous tanker
recapitalization approach in favor of a reduced number of
bridge aircraft and a more rapid transition to the Next
Generation Air-Refueling System (NGAS). The Committee further
notes that the fiscal year 2024 President's budget request for
NGAS will fund an Analysis of Alternatives, the refinement of
future requirements, and a development schedule. The Committee
is concerned by the potential risk to tanker availability
during the recapitalization, due to the aging nature of legacy
aircraft in the fleet and the uncertain delivery date of NGAS,
and the Committee reemphasizes its support of competition
throughout all phases of tanker recapitalization. Therefore,
the Committee directs the Secretary of the Air Force to submit
a report to the House and Senate Appropriations Committees, in
coordination with the fiscal year 2025 President's budget
request, that includes a detailed 10-year schedule for the
recapitalization of the tanker fleet, planned tanker aircraft
divestitures over that same period, and a risk assessment of a
reduced bridge tanker procurement prior to the delivery of
NGAS.
RESEARCH, DEVELOPMENT, TEST AND EVALUATION, SPACE FORCE
The Committee recommends the following appropriations for
Research, Development, Test and Evaluation, Space Force:
SPACE FORCE ACQUISITION
The fiscal year 2024 President's budget request for the
Space Force is $30,197,634,000, an increase of $3,907,806,000
or 15 percent over last year's enacted level, continuing a
trend of double-digit growth over the past several years. The
request also adds a total of $16,080,860,000 through fiscal
year 2027 compared to last year's projection over the same
period.
However, despite these significant increases, the budget
request continues to include serious shortfalls and
disconnects. The Space Force does not fully fund several core
programs in the five-year budget projection, including the Next
Generation Overhead Persistent Infrared ground program known as
FORGE, the Deep Space Advanced Radar Capability site 1, and
Global Positioning System (GPS) User Equipment Increment 2.
None of these programs are new, and all are core capabilities
the Space Force says it must have. As such, the Committee
expects that these programs, and any others in a similar
situation, will be fully funded in the future years defense
program submitted with the fiscal year 2025 budget request.
Moreover, the Space Force should not count on continued double-
digit topline budget increases to address future funding
shortfalls or reduce acquisition risk.
In addition, the Committee remains very concerned about
programs the Space Force has reported as its poorest performing
acquisition programs, including the GPS Next Generation
Operational Control Segment (OCX). According to the Government
Accountability Office, the total cost for OCX has grown from
$4,005,000,000 to $6,939,000,000, which is 73 percent growth
over the original estimate. Further, OCX is nearly seven years
late and not yet delivered. This is unacceptable and demands
senior leader attention to ensure the program has the
appropriate resources to complete OCX development and deliver
the capability as soon as possible. The Committee remains
concerned by other poor performing programs including Space
Command and Control, Family of Advanced Beyond-line-of-site
Terminals, Military GPS User Equipment Increment 1, and
Enterprise Ground Services.
The Committee supports efforts by Space Force acquisition
leaders to improve management rigor and accountability for
delivering programs on schedule and within budget, and to pay
particular attention to corrective actions on poorly performing
programs. The Committee expects more frequent and timely
updates on troubled programs and directs the Assistant
Secretary of the Air Force for Space Acquisition and
Integration to provide the House and Senate Appropriations
Committees a detailed programmatic update at the beginning of
each quarter of the fiscal year on the status of corrective
actions for each of its poorest performing programs.
NUCLEAR COMMAND, CONTROL, AND COMMUNICATIONS
The Space Force fiscal year 2024 President's budget request
proposes to cancel the third geosynchronous spacecraft (GEO-3)
in the Next Generation Overhead Persistent Infrared (OPIR)
program. The Next Generation OPIR program is a critical
component of the Strategic Missile Warning and Nuclear Command,
Control, and Communications (NC3) enterprise. The Committee is
troubled by the lack of analysis to support the proposal to
cancel the GEO-3 spacecraft, especially given its importance to
the NC3 mission. The Committee understands the Space Force is
pivoting to more resilient, proliferated space architectures,
and strongly supports those initiatives. Yet the Department of
Defense has not addressed how these new architectures will meet
the NC3 mission needs, and if not, how the NC3 mission needs
will be met after the Next Generation OPIR program.
Therefore, the Committee directs the Commander, United
States Strategic Command, as the lead for the NC3 Enterprise
Center, in coordination with the Under Secretary of Defense for
Acquisition and Sustainment, as the NC3 capability portfolio
manager, and the Chief of Space Operations to submit a report
to the congressional defense committees, not later than 90 days
after the enactment of this Act, with an analysis and
assessment of the impacts to the NC3 mission of eliminating the
GEO-3 spacecraft. The report shall also address the feasibility
of modifying or tailoring the NC3 community's requirements and
certification processes for future space systems that meets the
needs and intent of the NC3 mission while taking into
consideration the proliferation of spacecraft and diversity of
orbits proposed in the Space Force's plans. The Committee
directs that the Space Force may not obligate more than 90
percent of the fiscal year 2024 funds appropriated for the
Resilient Missile Warning-Missile Tracking Medium-Earth Orbit
program (PE 1206447SF) until the report is delivered to the
congressional defense committees.
Further, the Committee directs the Secretary of the Air
Force to continue to provide quarterly briefings on the status
of its missile warning-related programs including both the Next
Generation OPIR program and the Resilient Missile Warning-
Missile Tracking program as an integrated set of programs.
COMMERCIAL SATELLITE COMMUNICATIONS
The Committee notes the burgeoning commercial sector that
is building out large constellations of highly capable
commercial satellite communications systems in a range of
orbits, from low-earth orbit to medium-earth orbit and
geostationary orbit. The Committee encourages the Space Force
to leverage these commercial space networks to build a
resilient, low-latency, high-capacity network for future
military communications, and to seek out opportunities to
incorporate near-term commercial demonstrations of capabilities
with potential to meet national security needs.
RESEARCH, DEVELOPMENT, TEST AND EVALUATION, DEFENSE-WIDE
The Committee recommends the following appropriations for
Research, Development, Test and Evaluation, Defense-Wide:
PEOPLE: THE NON-TRADITIONAL INNOVATION FIELDING ENTERPRISE
The Committee commends the Secretary of Defense on the
announcement of a new Director of the Defense Innovation Unit
(DIU) and elevation of the role reporting directly to the
Secretary. Given mounting global security risks, the Department
must do more to mobilize a broader industrial base. This DIU
transition provides a timely milestone to deliberately create a
hedge portfolio to these risks and focus and enable
organizations capable of executing that hedge strategy. This
portfolio is a hedge against growing and innate tactical and
logistical risks to current weapon systems, as well as a hedge
against industrial base risk, given lack of capacity and
diversity. The development of non-traditional sources and non-
traditional solutions are essential to this hedge, and it will
require intentionally taking calculated risks to incentivize
positive deliberate accelerated change. If properly executed,
this hedge has the potential to reduce the taxpayer's burden by
leveraging private capital, expand America's economic advantage
by accelerating emerging technology, and broaden the pool of
talent supporting national defense.
Therefore, the Committee directs the Service Secretaries to
provide a brief to the congressional defense committees, not
later than 60 days after the enactment of this Act, identifying
one Service-level Non-traditional Innovation Fielding
Enterprise (NIFE) lead, per Service, with proven competence in
partnering with non-traditional industry and investors, and
provide a plan that ensures the Service NIFE has proper
leadership, multi-disciplinary and high performing staff,
funding, authorities, reporting, and consolidated structures to
avoid dilution of effort and confusion among stakeholders.
Further, the Committee directs the DIU Director to submit a
report to the congressional defense committees not later than
90 days after the enactment of this Act. The report shall
detail the organize, train, and equip support for DIU, to
include staffing, hiring speed, physical and digital
infrastructure, functional support, authorities, security,
budgeting processes, and any other information deemed relevant.
Further, the Committee directs the DIU Director to submit a
report to the congressional defense committees, not later than
120 days after the enactment of this Act, providing similar
details on the support for each Service NIFE.
PORTFOLIO: DEFINING AND RESOURCING A HEDGE
The Committee recommendation includes $1,033,064,000,
approximately one tenth of one percent of the fiscal year 2024
President's budget request, to begin deliberately fielding a
hedge portfolio within one to three years. This hedge portfolio
of many smart, affordable, modular, and sustainable systems
could include, but is not limited to, low-cost, light-logistics
multi-domain drones, satellites, and munitions; agile
communications, compute, and sensor nodes; and artificial
intelligence agents and users. It could create asymmetric
advantage to support combatant command operational challenges
like contested logistics, electronic warfare, resilient
communications, Joint All-Domain Command and Control, and
weapon and platform capacity. The Committee directs execution
of these funds by the Defense Innovation Unit (DIU), supported
by Service Non-traditional Innovation Fielding Enterprises
(NIFEs), and in cooperation with the Joint Staff and combatant
commands. These funds should mature fielding models like Task
Force 59 and propagate acquisition models like AFWERX Prime to
the joint community, accelerating military relevant
technologies with external capital and talent by using the
Department's unique ability to reduce technical, regulatory,
and financial risks in emerging technology sectors.
Collaboration might be facilitated through an advisory board
composed of those organizations as well as the Chief Digital
and Artificial Intelligence Officer and the Director of the
Office of Strategic Capital. Participation by Service
laboratories and program executive offices is encouraged, and
those organizations could compete for funding through the
Service NIFE. Service funding execution targets should align to
overall Service budget percentages, and projects should be
focused on novel concepts of employment in support of the Joint
Warfighting Concept.
Further, the Committee directs the DIU Director, in
coordination with the Joint Staff and Service NIFEs, to submit
a report to the congressional defense committees not later than
90 days after the enactment of this Act. The report shall
include an acquisition strategy and spend plan to field a hedge
portfolio with ten candidate projects to the combatant
commands, supported by service NIFEs. It shall also identify
cost, schedule, performance, risk, and other potential
authorities needed to accelerate fielding in one to three
years.
PROCESSES: SPEED, NEXUS, AND AGILE REQUIREMENTS
With a focus on speed, the Non-traditional Innovation
Fielding Enterprise (NIFE) will bring together the nexus of
best practices identified in the last several years of defense
innovation. These designated Nexus fielding projects will begin
with a problem statement and will iteratively mature
requirements while developing software and hardware for
fielding at scale within three years using small teams of
warfighters, acquirers, and technologists. Some of these
projects will come from Service and Joint Staff collaboration
to compete for funding. Additionally, the Committee recommends
$220,000,000 for the Defense Innovation Unit (DIU) to provide
direct support to the combatant commands to accelerate fielding
of capabilities from this hedge portfolio. In many instances
early, yet operationally relevant, versions of this portfolio
can be rapidly adopted for use by a combatant command,
potentially by using service contracts. This approach could
allow accelerated and agile requirements development,
simultaneously driving concept innovation with technology
innovation. It enables a structure for software and hardware
acquisition refresh rates for deterrence in peacetime, but more
importantly it builds the right team for rapid refresh rates
that outpace the adversary in wartime. An agile approach of
experiment, exercise, and deploy low-rate production,
potentially as a service, allows developers refining the
technology to work beside the operators refining the doctrine,
organization, training, materiel, leadership, personnel,
facilities, and policies for accelerated adoption. Finally,
this model expedites acquisition decision cycles with earlier
insights into cost, capability, and capacity, which is often
difficult for emerging technologies.
In addition to any reports required by section 8056 of this
Act, the Committee directs the DIU Director to submit a
quarterly report for ongoing and new projects including project
descriptions; milestones; risks; obligations and expenditures;
planned acquisition and transition strategy; Service, combatant
command, and interagency involvement; program estimated annual
and total cost; current and future cost sharing options with
other government organizations, investors, or industry;
opportunities for building international partner capacity; and
intended impact to United States and adversary operations plans
with supporting operations analysis.
PRACTICES: FLEXIBILITY AND ACCOUNTABILITY
The metric for success is speed to fielding affordable,
operationally relevant capability. Increased warfighter
flexibility and better congressional oversight are possible
using modern business practices. Of the recommended Defense
Innovation Unit (DIU) funding, $649,785,000 is allocated to
budget activity eight, the Software and Digital Technology
Pilot, detailed in this Act for agile research, development,
test and evaluation, procurement, production, modification, and
operation and maintenance. To minimize the reporting burden,
optimize insights, and accelerate decisions, the Committee
directs the Chief Digital and Artificial Intelligence Officer
(CDAO), in coordination with the DIU Director, to submit a
report to the congressional defense committees, not later than
60 days after the enactment of this Act, on a development,
data, and deployment strategy of an appropriately secure web
interface that can provide access to data described for DIU
project reporting to the congressional defense committees. It
will also have a modern workflow interface for rapid approval
and archiving of decisions. Further, the effort will explore
continuous metadata tagging for decisions and transactions to
provide more timely and granular insights into the execution of
budget activity eight funding to properly assess the value of
expanding its use. The recommendation includes a program
increase of $50,000,000 to CDAO in support of this management
innovation pilot and other activities. The Committee directs
the CDAO, in coordination with the DIU Director, to submit a
report to the congressional defense committees not later than
one year after the enactment of this Act. The report shall
include progress on data sharing, metrics on the use of budget
activity eight, recommendations on data interfaces, needed
resources, and potential further use of budget activity eight.
DIGITAL TRANSFORMATION
The Committee applauds the Department of Defense's
establishment of the Chief Digital and Artificial Intelligence
Office (CDAO) to create the foundation for analytics, data, and
AI-enabled capabilities to be developed and fielded at scale.
In many instances, the Committee recommends transfers to help
drive a more integrated development of enterprise solutions.
The Committee looks forward to seeing broad collaboration with
CDAO across the Department to help accelerate digital
transformation. However, unclear roles and responsibilities are
a potential risk to this success. Therefore, the Committee
directs the Chief Digital and Artificial Intelligence Officer,
in coordination with the Undersecretary of Defense for
Acquisition and Sustainment, the Undersecretary of Defense for
Research and Engineering, the Undersecretary of Defense
(Comptroller), the Chief Information Officer, the Director of
Operational Test and Evaluation, and the Director of the
Defense Innovation Unit, to submit a report to the
congressional defense committees not later than 120 days after
the enactment of this Act. The report shall detail delineations
and coordination to facilitate efficiency and expedited
adoption of Joint All-Domain Command and Control, advanced
digital business practices, due diligence for foreign influence
among industry and academia seeking or receiving Department
funding, metrics tracking to accelerate funding apportionment
and distribution, analytics to support operations and
investment decisions, and digital engineering and testing.
Further, the Committee directs the Chief Information
Officer to submit a report to the congressional defense
committees, not later than 120 days after the enactment of this
Act, detailing opportunities to streamline the Authority to
Operate process to accelerate secure adoption of advance
software.
Finally, the Committee directs the Service Chiefs, in
coordination with the Federal Aviation Administrator, to submit
a report, not later than 120 days after the enactment of this
Act, on a collaborative path to digital airworthiness and
aircraft certification, as well as opportunities for resource
sharing and reciprocity to create government efficiencies and
accelerated safe adoption of advanced aircraft using digital
practices.
DIGITAL TOOLS FOR SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY INVESTMENT
The Committee is grateful for the leadership provided by
the Under Secretary of Defense for Research and Engineering.
The establishment of the Rapid Defense Experimentation Reserve
and the Pilot Program to Accelerate the Procurement and
Fielding of Innovative Technologies have been key drivers in
advancing warfighting capabilities. While there have been great
strides, opportunities remain to more effectively harness data
and digital infrastructure to support defense science and
technology (S&T) investment and drive rapid transition. Over
the last several years there have been key trends that have
broadened the number of participants in defense S&T. Commercial
technologies with military applications have become widely
available, and the Committee appreciates the efforts to put
non-traditional companies on contract more rapidly.
The result is a vast pool of technologies and technology
providers, as well as many more warfighters directly engaged in
technology adoption. The challenge is that in a very short
time, the number of participants in the Department's S&T
activities has quickly grown. It was once easily managed by a
small number of participants in a more hierarchical structure
with the Service labs and the Office of the Secretary of
Defense, but it has quickly expanded to include anyone in the
Department who wants to start an innovation project and any
start-up with a small business contract. Unfortunately,
adoption of digital tools to harness the energy of this broad
pool of innovation has not kept up, undermining transition of
the highest impact capabilities.
Therefore, the Committee directs the Under Secretary of
Defense for Research and Engineering, in coordination with the
Chief Data and Artificial Intelligence Officer and the Director
of the Defense Innovation Unit, to submit a report to the
congressional defense committees not later than 90 days after
the enactment of this Act. The report shall address cost,
schedule, performance, and risk in developing and adopting a
digital environment across the Department, at multiple
classification levels, to identify and categorize defense
technologies, technologists, acquirers, users, and companies in
a way that minimizes redundant investment and maximizes
collaboration for accelerated fielding.
OFFICE OF STRATEGIC CAPITAL
The Committee commends the Secretary of Defense on the
announcement of the new Office of Strategic Capital. It is
essential that the United States deliberately expand the tools
to effectively compete in the current global technology race.
To that end, the Committee directs the Secretary of Defense, in
coordination with the heads of other federal agencies, to
submit a report to the congressional defense committees not
later than 120 days after the enactment of this Act. The report
shall address the successes since the establishment of the
office, opportunities for additional strategic capital tools,
and other needed resources or authorities that could drive
greater impact.
ADVANCED AIR MOBILITY
Advanced Air Mobility represents a critical sector in
technological competition as it accelerates key capabilities in
autonomy, advanced manufacturing, and novel propulsion. The
Committee congratulates the Department of Defense on last
year's notable milestones in each Service in Advanced Air
Mobility, but there is still risk of losing a competitive
advantage in this sector. Therefore, the Committee directs the
Secretary of Defense, in coordination with the Secretary of
Transportation, the Federal Aviation Administrator, and the
Service Secretaries to submit a report to the congressional
defense committees not later than 180 days after the enactment
of this Act. The report shall address opportunities for joint
and interagency collaboration to bolster the Advanced Air
Mobility industrial base and accelerate fielding to support
warfighting needs. The report shall describe efforts to ensure
closer interagency collaboration on airworthiness, pilot, and
safety standards; the potential for developing modular cargo
standards for improved logistics interoperability; and
alterations to Department of Defense Directive 4500.56 to
create opportunities for early fielding and broad use of these
aircraft in the National Capitol Region for logistics
efficiencies.
MICROREACTORS FOR NATURAL DISASTER RESPONSE EFFORTS
The Committee encourages the Under Secretary of Defense for
Research and Engineering to coordinate with the Under
Secretary, Office of Strategy, Policy, and Plans of the
Department of Homeland Security, and the Under Secretary of
Energy for Infrastructure to develop a national strategy to
utilize nuclear microreactors currently under development by
the Department of Defense for natural disaster response
efforts.
PER- AND POLYFLUOROALKYL SUBSTANCES
The Committee recognizes that widely used Per- and
Polyfluoroalkyl Substances (PFAS) chemicals are the cause of
significant health, environment, and safety concerns. However,
the Committee recognizes the uses of PFAS in a range of
materials that are components of weapons, communication, and
aerospace systems. One such example is microelectronics, which
currently require PFAS chemicals in the manufacturing process.
The Committee is concerned there are no alternative sources,
and directs the Secretary of Defense to submit a report to the
congressional defense committees, not later than 120 days after
the enactment of this Act, based on its PFAS critical uses
report, to coordinate with relevant agencies, industry, and
academia to research alternatives to these critical PFAS uses
and submit that report. The plan shall include a scientific
evaluation and review of key technical standards for PFAS
critical materials to ensure that the standards are effective,
accurately represent the desired performance outcomes, and
ensure that viable PFAS-free alternatives are not artificially
excluded. The Committee also encourages the Secretary of
Defense to commission a study from the National Academies on
PFAS essential uses and alternatives.
BIOTECHNOLOGY MANUFACTURING INSTITUTES
The Committee recognizes potential opportunities to
mitigate supply chain risks and to create affordable and novel
new materials by using biomanufacturing. The Committee
continues to support the development of a network of
bioindustrial manufacturing facilities to conduct research and
development to improve the ability of the industrial base to
assess, validate, and scale new, innovative bioindustrial
manufacturing processes for the production of chemicals,
materials, and other products necessary to support national
security, such as melanin used for hypersonics heat shielding.
The Committee recommendation includes $100,000,000 for the
Biotechnology Manufacturing Institutes and expects these
efforts to be focused on warfighter needs and the defense
industrial base. The Committee directs the Under Secretary of
Defense for Research and Engineering to provide a briefing on
this effort to the congressional defense committees not later
than 120 days after the enactment of this Act. The brief shall
contain details on the biomanufacturing strategic plan, a list
of defense-specific technologies being targeted and addressed,
and a complete funding profile of the effort. Additionally, the
Committee directs the Under Secretary of Defense for Research
and Engineering to submit a spend plan to the House and Senate
Appropriations Committees not later than 30 days prior to
obligation of these funds.
ALTERNATIVE BATTERY CHEMISTRY
The Committee is concerned by the dependence on offshore
sources for batteries and battery raw materials. While
potential alternatives, such as lithium-sulfur, exist, it is
not clear there is sufficient effort to reduce the growing risk
to this critical supply chain. Therefore, the Committee directs
the Deputy Secretary of Defense to provide a brief to the
congressional defense committees, not later than 120 days after
the enactment of this Act, on potential alternatives or
advanced battery chemistries to address strategic
vulnerabilities, an assessment of the security risk associated
with the sourcing of raw and processed materials from outside
the United States, and a Department-wide plan to address these
vulnerabilities.
SECURE COMMUNICATIONS
The Committee recognizes the importance of secure
communications for warfighters that provides anonymous and
resilient capabilities. The Committee encourages U.S. Special
Operations Command to explore diverse methodologies that haven
been previously demonstrated and provide positive outcomes in
real-world engagements and deployments.
LOITERING MUNITIONS
The Committee supports new and innovative concepts for
loitering munitions and supports multiple activities being
developed across the Department of Defense. The Irregular
Warfare Technical Support Directorate recently awarded a
development contract for the ROC-X VTOL Loitering Munition
within the Combating Terrorism Technical Support Office. The
Committee is interested in these efforts and looks forward to
evaluating the technology as it matures.
DRONE TECHNOLOGIES
The Committee is concerned that the Department of Defense
has not sufficiently prioritized the advancing and fielding
drone technologies to include swarming, weaponization, and
counter-drone defense. The Committee strongly encourages
renewed efforts to ensure the Department has a global
competitive advantage in this sector.
NATIONAL CENTERS OF ACADEMIC EXCELLENCE IN CYBERSECURITY
The Committee's recommendation provides $25,000,000 above
the request for the National Centers of Academic Excellence in
Cybersecurity (NCAE-C) program. The Committee intends that
these funds be used, to the greatest extent practicable, to
sustain NCAE-C broad agency announcement grants to centers of
academic excellence to promote cybersecurity workforce
development initiatives, advanced cyber research, and K-12
pipelines. The Committee further encourages the expansion of
the current NCAE-C Challenge and Workforce Assessment Tool to
include the Department of Defense Cyber Workforce Framework for
assessments required by law, as well as expansion of access to
higher education institutions with students from underserved or
underrepresented populations.
OPERATIONAL TEST AND EVALUATION, DEFENSE
The Committee recommends the following appropriations for
Operational Test and Evaluation, Defense:
EXPLANATION OF PROJECT LEVEL ADJUSTMENTS
[In thousands of dollars]
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Budget Committee Change from
Request Recommended Request
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
OPERATIONAL TEST AND EVALUATION.................................... 169,544 139,544 -30,000
Transfer to RDTE,DW line 124................................... -25,000
Transfer to RDTE,DW line 130................................... -5,000
LIVE FIRE TESTING.................................................. 103,252 103,252 0
OPERATIONAL TEST ACTIVITIES AND ANALYSIS........................... 58,693 42,648 -16,045
Inadequate justification....................................... -16,045
TOTAL, OPERATIONAL TEST & EVALUATION, DEFENSE.............. 331,489 285,444 -46,045
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
TITLE V
REVOLVING AND MANAGEMENT FUNDS
DEFENSE WORKING CAPITAL FUNDS
The Committee recommends the following appropriations for
the Defense Working Capital Funds accounts:
EXPLANATION OF PROJECT LEVEL ADJUSTMENTS
[In thousands of dollars]
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Budget Committee Change from
Request Recommended Request
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
WORKING CAPITAL FUND, ARMY......................................... 29,213 29,213 0
WORKING CAPITAL FUND, AIR FORCE.................................... 83,587 83,587 0
WORKING CAPITAL FUND, DEFENSE-WIDE................................. 114,667 106,367 -8,300
Unjustified request............................................ -8,300
DEFENSE WORKING CAPITAL FUND, DECA................................. 1,447,612 1,447,612 0
TOTAL, DEFENSE WORKING CAPITAL FUNDS....................... 1,675,079 1,666,779 -8,300
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
NATIONAL DEFENSE STOCKPILE TRANSACTION FUND
The Committee recommends an appropriation of $7,629,000 for
the National Defense Stockpile Transaction Fund.
TITLE VI
OTHER DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE PROGRAMS
DEFENSE HEALTH PROGRAM
The Committee recommends the following appropriations for
the Defense Health Program:
REPROGRAMMING GUIDANCE FOR THE DEFENSE HEALTH PROGRAM
The Act includes a provision which caps the funds available
for Private Sector Care under the TRICARE program subject to
prior approval reprogramming procedures. The provision and
accompanying report language should not be interpreted as
limiting the amount of funds that may be transferred to the In-
House Care budget sub-activity from other budget sub-activities
within the Defense Health Program. In addition, funding for the
In-House Care and Private Sector Care budget sub-activities are
designated as congressional special interest items. Any
transfer of funds in excess of $10,000,000 into or out of these
sub-activities requires the Secretary of Defense to follow
prior approval reprogramming procedures for operation and
maintenance funds.
The Committee directs the Secretary of Defense to provide
written notification to the congressional defense committees of
cumulative transfers in excess of $10,000,000 out of the
Private Sector Care budget sub-activity not later than 15 days
after such a transfer. Furthermore, the Committee directs the
Secretary of Defense to submit a report to the congressional
defense committees, not later than 30 days after the enactment
of this Act, that delineates transfers of funds, and the dates
any transfers occurred, from the Private Sector Care budget
sub-activity to any other budget sub-activity.
Additionally, the Committee is increasingly concerned by
the repurposing of Facilities Sustainment, Restoration and
Modernization (FSRM) funding throughout the fiscal year.
Deferring FSRM projects in favor of more immediate needs of the
Defense Health Program may seem prudent at the time but comes
with costly, severe, and enduring ramifications for
servicemembers and beneficiaries. For this reason, the
Committee directs the Secretary of Defense to provide written
notification to the congressional defense committees of
cumulative transfers in excess of $10,000,000 out of the Base
Operations and Communications budget sub-activity not later
than 15 days after such a transfer.
The Committee further directs the Assistant Secretary of
Defense for Health Affairs to provide quarterly briefings to
the congressional defense committees, not later than 30 days
after the end of each fiscal quarter, on budget execution data
for all Defense Health Program budget activities, and to
adequately reflect changes to the budget activities requested
by the Services in future budget submissions. These reports
shall also be provided to the Government Accountability Office.
CARRYOVER
For fiscal year 2024, the Committee recommends one percent
carryover authority for the operation and maintenance account
of the Defense Health Program. The Committee directs the
Assistant Secretary of Defense for Health Affairs to submit a
detailed spending plan for any fiscal year 2023 designated
carryover funds to the congressional defense committees not
less than 30 days prior to executing the carryover funds.
MEDICAL RESEARCH
Beginning in fiscal year 2023, most medical research
conducted by the U.S. Army Medical Research and Materiel
Command will transition to the Defense Health Agency Research
and Development organization. The Committee continues to
monitor the transition of medical research assets and funding
closely to ensure that core medical research funding is
responsive to the needs of servicemembers. Additionally, the
Committee recommendation for fiscal year 2024 includes
$1,154,000,000 for the Congressionally Directed Medical
Research Programs (CDMRP) to fund high-risk, high-reward
medical research. The Committee directs the Assistant Secretary
of Defense for Health Affairs to submit to the House and Senate
Appropriations Committees a request for prior approval for any
changes in management structure; functional alignment; or the
two-tiered, peer-reviewed process proposed for the CDMRP
program, not less than 30 days prior to any proposed changes
taking place.
Additionally, the Committee is aware of the use of agile
contracting methods, such as other transaction agreements, that
may help mitigate the impacts on medical readiness through
public-private partnerships and encourages the Department to
continue to leverage these mechanisms to ensure expeditious
delivery of medical solutions.
PEER-REVIEWED SPINAL CORD RESEARCH PROGRAM
The Committee commends the Department of Defense for its
ongoing work to expand technologies for improving outcomes
following spinal cord injury and for the creation of the
clinical translation research award. Preclinical research shows
great promise for creating neuroplasticity to promote recovery
of function. The Committee encourages the Director of the
Congressionally Directed Medical Research Programs to support
neuroplasticity projects with clear scientific merit and direct
relevance to military populations as part of the peer-reviewed
spinal cord research program.
PEER-REVIEWED CANCER RESEARCH PROGRAM
The Committee recommends $150,000,000 for the peer-reviewed
breast cancer research program, $110,000,000 for the peer-
reviewed prostate cancer research program, $45,000,000 for the
peer-reviewed ovarian cancer research program, $50,000,000 for
the peer-reviewed kidney cancer research program, $25,000,000
for the peer-reviewed lung cancer research program, $40,000,000
for the peer-reviewed melanoma research program, $15,000,000
for the peer-reviewed pancreatic cancer research program,
$17,500,000 for the peer-reviewed rare cancer research program,
and $130,000,000 for the peer-reviewed cancer research program
that would research cancers not addressed in the aforementioned
programs currently executed by the Department of Defense.
The funds provided in the peer-reviewed cancer research
program are directed to be used to conduct research in the
following areas: bladder cancer; blood cancers; brain cancer,
including glioblastoma; colorectal cancer; endometrial cancer;
esophageal cancer; germ cell cancers; liver cancer; lymphoma;
metastatic cancers; myeloma; neuroblastoma; pediatric brain
tumors; pediatric, adolescent, and young adult cancers;
sarcoma; stomach cancer; and thyroid cancer. The inclusion of
the individual rare cancer research program shall not prohibit
the peer-reviewed cancer research program from funding the
previously mentioned cancers or cancer subtypes that may be
rare by definition.
The funds provided under the peer-reviewed cancer research
program shall be used only for the purposes listed above. The
Committee directs the Assistant Secretary of Defense for Health
Affairs to submit a report, not later than 180 days after the
enactment of this Act, to the congressional defense committees
on the status of the peer-reviewed cancer research program. For
each research area, the report shall include the funding amount
awarded, the progress of the research, and the relevance of the
research to servicemembers and their families.
The Committee commends the Department of Defense for
ensuring that projects funded through the various peer-reviewed
cancer research programs maintain a focus on issues of
significance to military populations and the warfighter. This
includes promoting collaborative research proposals between
Department of Defense researchers and non-military research
institutions. These collaborations leverage the knowledge,
infrastructure, and access to clinical populations that the
partners bring to the research effort. Additionally, promoting
these collaborations provides a valuable recruitment and
retention incentive for military medical and research
personnel. The Committee encourages the Assistant Secretary of
Defense for Health Affairs to continue to emphasize the
importance of these collaborations between military and non-
military researchers throughout the peer-review process.
METASTATIC CANCER RESEARCH
While existing research shows there is a genetic basis for
susceptibility to metastatic cancer or resistance to
metastasis, the Committee believes more research and data are
required to develop a comprehensive understanding of this
complex process. Clinical trials are an important aspect of
that process, and a diverse representation of patients in
clinical trials is integral to the development of medications
and therapies that effectively treat disease. In fiscal year
2023, the Committee directed the Assistant Secretary of Defense
for Health Affairs to provide an update on the progress of
implementing outstanding recommendations from the April 2018
Task Force Report to Congress on Metastatic Cancer and looks
forward to the release of the report to continue to advance and
support the work. The Committee encourages the Director of the
Congressionally Directed Medical Research Programs to continue
to partner with outside experts and other federal agencies to
implement the outstanding recommendation from the April 2018
Task Force Report to Congress on Metastatic Cancer concerning
diverse enrollment in clinical trials. The Committee also
encourages the Assistant Secretary of Defense for Health
Affairs to implement the recommendations to inform patients
about risk factors for metastasis, increase cancer patient
awareness of healthcare resources, and create standardized
survivorship care plans for patients with metastatic cancer
while validating whether their use improves outcomes for these
patients. The Committee remains interested in areas where
assistance from other federal agencies is required to fully
implement the recommendations of the Task Force's report.
JOINT WARFIGHTER MEDICAL RESEARCH PROGRAM
The Committee recommendation includes $20,000,000 for the
continuation of the joint warfighter medical research program.
The funding shall be used to augment and accelerate high
priority Department of Defense and Service medical requirements
and to continue prior year initiatives that are close to
achieving their objectives and yielding a benefit to military
medicine. The funding shall not be used for new projects nor
for basic research, and it shall be awarded at the discretion
of the Secretary of Defense following a review of medical
research and development gaps as well as unfinanced medical
requirements of the Services. Further, the Committee directs
the Assistant Secretary of Defense for Health Affairs to submit
a report, not later than 180 days after the enactment of this
Act, to the congressional defense committees that lists the
projects that receive funding. The report should include the
funding amount awarded to each project, a thorough description
of each project's research, and the benefit the research will
provide to the Department of Defense.
COMBAT READINESS MEDICAL RESEARCH PROGRAM
The Committee recommendation includes $5,000,000 for the
Combat Readiness Medical Research program. The program should
focus on medical needs of the warfighter on the battlefield,
specifically including research to improve care during the
``golden hour'' for servicemembers with life-threatening
injuries, battlefield diagnostics, and medical threats and
treatments for warfighters deployed around the world.
The Committee expects the Assistant Secretary of Defense
for Health Affairs to identify current gaps in medical planning
and resources, consider medical capabilities that may mitigate
fatalities, enhance battlefield diagnostics, and identify
solutions for life threatening complications after battlefield
injury.
The funding in the Combat Readiness Medical Research
program should be used for freeze dried plasma and platelets;
purified exosomal product to treat battlefield orthopedic
injuries; battlefield wound care technologies, including
therapies and devices; dietary interventions and non-invasive
brain stimulation in support of post-traumatic stress disorder;
hydrocephalus research; hemorrhage field care; medical
simulation technology; sleep disorders; eating disorders;
Myalgic Encephalomyelitis/Chronic Fatigue Syndrome;
sarcoidosis; combat medical skills sustainment training; highly
infectious disease treatment and transport; telemedicine;
Valley Fever; antibiotic susceptibility test development; TBI
biomarkers; blast sensor technology; and infectious diseases.
Additionally, future contested environments and multi-
domain operational scenarios will require new solutions and
advanced blood products to care for casualties for prolonged
periods of time. The Committee encourages the Director of the
Defense Health Agency to explore the benefits of on-demand
blood and other blood solutions that could be used to address
battlefield trauma in a safe, effective, and logistically
feasible way.
PEER-REVIEWED TOXIC EXPOSURES RESEARCH PROGRAM
The Committee is concerned by the number of known and
unknown toxins servicemembers are exposed to as part of their
military service. The Committee remains committed to veterans
affected by Gulf War Illness and acknowledges a commonality
between this community and others exposed to substances,
including burn pit exposure, that result in multiple, diverse
symptoms and health abnormalities. Therefore, the Committee
recommends $30,000,000 for the peer-reviewed toxic exposures
research program. The Assistant Secretary of Defense for Health
Affairs is directed to select research projects of clear
scientific merit and direct relevance to military exposures to
toxic substances, including toxic industrial chemicals,
materials, metals, and minerals. The inclusion of the toxic
exposures research program shall not prohibit research in any
other congressionally directed research program that may be
associated with conditions or health abnormalities linked to
toxic exposures.
As with other research programs, the Committee expects
projects funded through the peer-reviewed toxic exposures
research program to maintain a focus on issues of significance
to military populations and the warfighter and that the program
shall promote collaborative research proposals between
Department of Defense researchers and non-military research
institutions.
NEXT-GENERATION VIRAL VECTORS
The Committee recognizes the importance of having robust
vaccine platforms to mitigate disease non-battle injuries and
preserve servicemember medical readiness. The Committee
understands that next-generation vectors derived from
rhabdoviruses offer promising opportunities to support
servicemember health and readiness. Vaccine formulations based
on rhabdoviral vectors are known to be stable and can offer
lasting protection with a single dose. As such, the Committee
encourages the Director of the Defense Health Agency (DHA) to
explore the development of rhabdoviral vaccines.
RAPID DEPLOYABLE SYNTHETIC VACCINE DEVELOPMENT
The Committee notes the significant advancements in vaccine
development and the need to rapidly distribute countermeasures
to combat infectious diseases and virus variants when required
for the protection of military personnel worldwide. The
Committee encourages the Director of the Defense Health Agency
and Director of the Congressionally Directed Medical Research
Programs to continue exploring the research and development of
low cost, single dose, and highly scalable synthetic peptide
vaccines that allow for rapid deployment to military personnel.
NUCLEAR MEDICINE
The Committee is encouraged by innovation in the field of
nuclear medicine research and the potential of precision
medicine through the use of novel diagnostic imaging and
targeted radiotherapy. To enhance the development of precision
imaging and advanced targeted therapies while creating medical
and economic efficiencies, the Committee encourages the
Director of the Congressionally Directed Medical Research
Programs to include nuclear medicine imaging and related
techniques in descriptions of funding opportunities, where
relevant, to support early diagnosis, enhance treatment, and
improve outcomes for servicemembers and their families.
NOVEL STRATEGIES TO PREVENT INFECTION IN SEVERE FRACTURES
The Committee is aware of emerging research and techniques
to mitigate infections in servicemembers who suffer from severe
fractures, especially, those serving in special operations,
airborne operations, air assault operations, military freefall
operations, and mountain warfare operations. The Committee
notes that preventing infections is critical to a
servicemember's recovery and return to duty, and therefore, the
Committee directs the Assistant Secretary of Defense for Health
Affairs, in consultation with the Under Secretary of Defense
for Research and Engineering, to provide a briefing to the
congressional defense committees, not later than 180 days after
the enactment of this Act, on the plan to utilize emerging
research and techniques to prevent infection in servicemembers
who suffer severe fractures.
LONG COVID AND MYALGIC ENCEPHALOMYELITIS/CHRONIC FATIGUE SYNDROME
The Committee continues to encourage the Secretary of
Defense, through the Assistant Secretary of Defense for Health
Affairs and in conjunction with the Services' Surgeons General,
to conduct research on diagnostic testing, cures, and
treatments of post-viral illness in military populations,
specifically to address Long COVID and Myalgic
Encephalomyelitis/ Chronic Fatigue Syndrome (ME/CFS).
MUSCULOSKELETAL INJURIES
The Committee understands servicemembers must often undergo
orthopedic procedures and that musculoskeletal injuries account
for a significant number of medical separations or retirements
from military service. Given the importance of training for
orthopedic procedures related to injuries to the knee,
shoulder, and other extremities, the Committee encourages the
Assistant Secretary of Defense for Health Affairs to explore
partnerships with medical professional societies that maintain
best practices on arthroscopic surgery and techniques, and to
ensure that military orthopedic health professionals are
provided opportunities for related advanced surgical training.
Further, the Committee notes additional research on the
injury mitigation and performance needs of women who are at a
high risk for sustaining musculoskeletal injuries could be
beneficial for their health and retention. As such, the
Committee urges the Director of the Defense Health Agency and
Director of the Congressionally Directed Medical Research
Programs to support research into the musculoskeletal issues
faced by women serving in infantry and other combat roles.
PEER-REVIEWED ARTHRITIS RESEARCH
The Committee is concerned by the detrimental impact of
arthritis on servicemembers and notes its impact on retention.
Therefore, the Committee recommendation includes $10,000,000
for the peer-reviewed arthritis research program. Funding
provided in the peer-reviewed arthritis research program shall
be used to conduct research on all forms of arthritis including
osteoarthritis, posttraumatic arthritis, and rheumatoid
arthritis. Further, arthritis research shall not be provided
for in other peer-reviewed research programs beginning in
fiscal year 2024. The inclusion of the peer-reviewed arthritis
research program shall not prohibit research in any other
congressionally directed research program that may be
associated with conditions or health abnormalities related to
arthritis.
CHIROPRACTIC CARE
The Committee believes that servicemembers can benefit from
chiropractic care and encourages the Director of the Defense
Health Agency to explore ways to expand access to chiropractic
care across the Military Health System.
ELECTRONIC HEALTH RECORDS
The Committee continues to support the efforts the
Department of Defense and the Department of Veterans Affairs
have been undertaking with regard to electronic health records
and the health record system. It is the Committee's ongoing
expectation that the Departments' electronic health record
systems will be interoperable with seamless compatibility. The
Committee directs the Director of the Federal Electronic Health
Record Modernization (FEHRM) program office to continue to
submit quarterly reports on the progress of interoperability
between the two Departments to the House and Senate Defense
Appropriations Subcommittees and the House and Senate Military
Construction, Veterans Affairs, and Related Agencies
Appropriations Subcommittees.
The Program Executive Officer of Defense Healthcare
Management Systems (PEO DHMS), in conjunction with the Director
of the FEHRM and the Director of the Defense Health Agency, is
directed to submit quarterly reports to the congressional
defense committees on the cost of the program, including any
indirect costs funded outside of the DHMS Modernization
Electronic Health Record program; and the schedule of the
program, to include milestones, knowledge points, and
acquisition timelines, and quarterly obligations. Further, the
Committee directs the PEO DHMS to continue to brief the House
and Senate Defense Appropriations Subcommittees on a quarterly
basis, coinciding with the report submission.
The Department of Defense's electronic health record
system, MHS GENESIS, is expected to be fully deployed and enter
sustainment in fiscal year 2024. The Committee expects the PEO
DHMS to communicate system adjustments, offer adequate
training, and maintain support to users after each enhancement.
Therefore, the Committee directs the PEO DHMS, within 60 days
of enactment of this Act, to develop goals to improve user
satisfaction, and begin measuring progress against those goals.
The Committee directs the Comptroller General to continue
quarterly performance reviews of MHS GENESIS with a focus on
whether the program is meeting expected cost, schedule, scope,
quality, and risk mitigation expectations, to include system
enhancements, and expects the PEO DHMS will provide the
Comptroller General regular and in-depth access to the program
to facilitate these reviews.
MILITARY HEALTH SYSTEM REFORM: STRATEGY AND INTEGRATION PLAN
The Committee remains concerned that reforms to the
Military Health System (MHS), mandated by the National Defense
Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2017, have been implemented
in a manner that has resulted in a more fractured healthcare
system for servicemembers and beneficiaries. Specifically, the
Committee is concerned about continued issues in medical
readiness, medical manpower, and access to care. In order to
achieve a more unified medical enterprise and integrated
healthcare system that best supports servicemembers and
beneficiaries, the Committee directs the Secretary of Defense
to develop a strategy to address deficiencies within the MHS
enterprise and brief the congressional defense committees on
the strategy not later than 180 days after the enactment of
this Act. The strategy shall address MHS roles and
responsibilities; operational and Military Treatment Facility
staffing; Defense Health Agency organizational structure; the
Services' military medical manpower organizational structure;
training and management of military and civilian medical
personnel; the National Defense Strategy and Joint Medical
Estimate; and resourcing requirements across the enterprise.
The strategy should leverage insight from the MHS Executive
Review.
MILITARY MEDICAL MANPOWER
The Committee remains concerned that the Department's
handling of military medical billet reductions, in response to
the reforms mandated by the National Defense Authorization Act
for Fiscal Year 2017, has negatively impacted access to quality
healthcare services for servicemembers and beneficiaries. The
Committee continues to direct the Services' Surgeons General to
submit vacancy rates by occupational code to the congressional
defense committees on a monthly basis and further directs the
Director of the Defense Health Agency (DHA) to submit vacancy
rates among military and civilian medical personnel by location
and specialty to the congressional defense committees on a
quarterly basis.
Further, the Committee is concerned by the understaffing of
Military Treatment Facilities perpetuated by the current DHA
market structure. In both rural and non-rural areas surrounding
military installations, the restructuring of medical manpower
and network inadequacies are negatively impacting regional
access to care, particularly in areas deemed high risk and
health shortage areas by the Department of Health and Human
Services. Therefore, the Committee directs the Director of the
DHA to submit a report to the House and Senate Appropriations
Committees, not later than 60 days after the enactment of this
Act, which shall provide recommendations on restructuring the
DHA market structure, strengthening partnerships with community
providers especially in rural areas, and reassigning personnel
to address critical access to care issues in communities deemed
high risk and health shortage areas.
Additionally, the Committee acknowledges DHA's difficulties
in attracting and hiring qualified medical personnel,
particularly nurses. The Committee believes that current hiring
practices leave the Department at a disadvantage when
recruiting personnel. The Committee directs the Director of the
DHA to examine the hiring policies for nurses, related
specifically to required professional experience, and provide a
briefing to the House and Senate Appropriations Committees, not
later than 180 days after the enactment of this Act, describing
potential solutions to this impediment and the feasibility of
providing market directors greater hiring flexibility.
MENTAL HEALTH PROFESSIONALS AND TRAINING
The Committee remains concerned about the shortage of
current and prospective mental health care professionals,
including social workers, clinical psychologists, and
psychiatrists, for servicemembers and beneficiaries. To address
the shortage across the Military Health System (MHS), the
Committee urges the Assistant Secretary of Defense for Health
Affairs, the Director of the Defense Health Agency, and the
Services' Surgeons General, to review the tools available to
the Department of Defense to increase the number of mental
health professionals it educates, trains, and hires. This
review should consider how the Health Professions Scholarship
Program and programming through Uniformed Services University
of the Health Sciences (USUHS) could be expanded to increase
the number of mental health-related scholarships granted with
the goal of increasing the pipeline of mental health providers.
Further, the Committee encourages the Assistant Secretary of
Defense for Health Affairs to revise regulations regarding
employment of clinical psychologists to include those who
graduate from programs accredited by the Psychological Clinical
Science Accreditation System.
Additionally, while professionals working in the MHS are
accustomed to dealing with the special needs of those who have
experienced combat, many civilian providers lack the clinical
expertise to effectively treat many of these unique mental
health conditions. The Committee encourages the Assistant
Secretary of Defense for Health Affairs to leverage USUHS, in
collaboration with leaders at the Department of Veterans
Affairs, to develop a curriculum that could be accessed by
civilian mental health students to broaden their knowledge,
skills, and abilities that are necessary to evaluate and treat
servicemembers, veterans, and military family members.
NON-URGENT MENTAL HEALTH ASSESSMENTS
The Committee notes that many of the recommendations of the
August 2020 Department of Defense Inspector General Evaluation
of Access to Mental Health Care in the Department of Defense
are resolved but remain open or are pending further review.
Therefore, the Committee directs the Director of the Defense
Health Agency (DHA) to provide an updated briefing to the
congressional defense committees, not later than 90 days after
the enactment of this Act, on the status of implementing the
recommendations. In particular, the Committee is interested in
DHA's development of a standard definition and required
elements for an initial non-urgent mental health assessment and
a way to track whether the assessment is completed, in either a
primary care or a specialty mental health clinic within the 7-
day standard. The briefing shall also include resource
requirements that may be necessary to accomplish implementation
of the Inspector General's recommendations.
NATIONAL INTREPID CENTER OF EXCELLENCE
As servicemembers and veterans continue to face higher
rates of brain trauma than the civilian population, it is
imperative that agencies continue to collaborate to study
neurological conditions. The Committee recognizes the high-
quality mental health care and neurological research conducted
at the Centers of Excellence for Psychological Health and
Traumatic Brain Injury, and encourages the Assistant Secretary
of Defense for Health Affairs to leverage the tremendous
efforts of the National Intrepid Center of Excellence to expand
its work and share best practices with the Department of
Veterans Affairs. The Committee also applauds the partnership
across the Military Health System Centers of Excellence and
encourages the Assistant Secretary of Defense for Health
Affairs to streamline and standardize operating procedures and
collaboration guidelines across locations.
PHARMACEUTICAL SUPPLY CHAIN
The Committee remains concerned with the Department of
Defense's reliance on foreign suppliers in the pharmaceutical
supply chain. The Committee believes the Department should
ensure medication supply stability for deploying units and
servicemembers in the event of a contingency or supply chain
disruption. Moreover, the Defense Health Agency (DHA) should
understand the quantity of critical pharmaceuticals needed for
routine operations at Military Treatment Facilities and develop
a plan on allocating these resources in case of disruption. The
Committee anticipates the Department's response to House Report
117-118, which requires a report by the Defense Logistics
Agency (DLA) on the feasibility and estimated cost of expanding
the Warstopper program, as well as solutions to mitigate
pharmaceutical supply chain shortages. The Committee encourages
the Director of the DHA and the Director of DLA to continue
collaboration on these issues and ensure domestic sourcing of
ingredients and production of pharmaceuticals where deemed
appropriate.
COMMUNITY PHARMACIES
The Committee is concerned that military families may have
lost benefits at certain community pharmacies as a result of
the Department of Defense's transition to the TRICARE 5th
Generation Pharmacy Contract. Therefore, the Committee directs
the Assistant Secretary of Defense for Health Affairs to
provide a briefing to the congressional defense committees, not
later than 90 days after enactment of this Act, on the
reimbursement model for community pharmacies, efforts to ensure
that the TRICARE pharmacy contract does not reimburse rates to
community pharmacies that are less than the cost of the
medications, and a plan to ensure that community pharmacies are
engaged and given the opportunity to participate in the TRICARE
network.
NATIONAL DISASTER MEDICAL SYSTEM PILOT AND JOINT CIVILIAN-MILITARY
MEDICAL SURGE CAPACITY
The Committee notes a need for focus on medical
capabilities and capacity required for the homeland defense
mission. To address these gaps, Congress provided an additional
$30,000,000 over fiscal years 2021 and 2022 to accelerate a
pilot program on civilian and military partnerships to enhance
interoperability and medical surge capability and capacity of
the National Disaster Medical System (NDMS). While the
Committee recommendation includes $5,000,000 for the effort in
fiscal year 2024, it expects the Department of Defense to
adequately plan, program, and budget for the remaining aspects
of the pilot.
The Committee's fiscal year 2024 recommendation also
includes $28,480,000 for the third and final phase for a joint
civilian-military modular surge capacity and capability to
include an additional training function in partnership with the
NDMS. As previously noted, the modular medical surge and
training capacity should be adjacent to existing medical
facilities; include laboratories, intensive care units, and x-
rays; and leverage staff and services available in the adjacent
medical facility. The medical surge and training capacity
should allow for research and development of best practices for
preparedness and response and include transportable clinical
response functionality.
SPACE FORCE HEALTH AND FITNESS PILOT
The Committee acknowledges the Space Force's new health and
fitness pilot, which will provide wearable fitness devices to
servicemembers to track diet, exercise, and sleep, in lieu of
annual physical fitness evaluations. The Committee encourages
the Secretary of Defense and Service Secretaries to monitor
this pilot and consider expansion as appropriate.
HUMAN PERFORMANCE OPTIMIZATION
The Committee continues to support the health, well-being,
and performance of our servicemembers through human performance
optimization (HPO) programs. The Committee believes further
research in this area would contribute to the Services'
readiness requirements and therefore encourages collaboration
across the Defense Health Agency, Services, and Defense
Advanced Research Projects Agency, in partnership with
universities and private entities, to share relevant research
to enhance the operational purpose of HPO efforts.
CHEMICAL AGENTS AND MUNITIONS DESTRUCTION, DEFENSE
The Committee recommends the following appropriations for
Chemical Agents and Munitions Destruction, Defense:
EXPLANATION OF PROJECT LEVEL ADJUSTMENTS
[In thousands of dollars]
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Committee Change from
Budget Request Recommended Request
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
OPERATION AND MAINTENANCE....................................... 89,284 89,284 0
RESEARCH, DEVELOPMENT, TEST AND EVALUATION...................... 1,002,560 1,002,560 0
-----------------------------------------------
TOTAL, CHEMICAL AGENTS AND MUNITIONS DESTRUCTION, DEFENSE.. 1,091,844 1,091,844 0
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
DRUG INTERDICTION AND COUNTER-DRUG ACTIVITIES, DEFENSE
The Committee recommends the following appropriations for
Drug Interdiction and Counter-Drug Activities, Defense:
EXPLANATION OF PROJECT LEVEL ADJUSTMENTS
[In thousands of dollars]
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Committee Change from
Budget Request Recommended Request
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
COUNTER-NARCOTICS SUPPORT....................................... 643,848 693,848 50,000
Program increase--enterprise-wide intelligence programs..... 25,000
Program increase--Project 5111: NORTHCOM Counternarcotics 15,000
Mission Support............................................
Program increase--Project 3309: Joint Interagency Task 10,000
Force--West................................................
DRUG DEMAND REDUCTION PROGRAM................................... 134,313 138,313 4,000
Program increase--Young Marines............................. 4,000
NATIONAL GUARD COUNTER-DRUG PROGRAM............................. 102,272 300,000 197,728
Program increase............................................ 167,728
Program increase--equipment................................. 30,000
NATIONAL GUARD COUNTER-DRUG SCHOOLS............................. 5,993 30,000 24,007
Program increase............................................ 24,007
-----------------------------------------------
TOTAL, DRUG INTERDICTION AND COUNTER-DRUG ACTIVITIES, 886,426 1,162,161 275,735
DEFENSE................................................
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
The Committee notes that over one hundred thousand
Americans died from drug overdoses in 2022, mostly as a result
of illicit fentanyl. The Committee believes the fentanyl crisis
is a national security issue that demands a whole-of-government
approach, and the Department of Defense has an important role
to play. The Committee recommendation includes $693,848,000 for
Counter-Narcotics Support, including an additional $50,000,000
for programs to counter illicit fentanyl and synthetic opioids.
The Secretary of Defense is directed to submit a spend plan for
these additional funds to the House and Senate Appropriations
Committees not later than 60 days after the enactment of this
Act.
The Committee recommendation supports the Department of
Defense's intelligence programs in support of law enforcement
partner efforts to deter, disrupt, and defeat global drug-
trafficking, illicit finance, and transnational organizations.
Increased funding shall be for programs to counter illicit
fentanyl and synthetic opioids, and related transnational
criminal organizations including programs that go after the
finances of these organizations. The Secretary of Defense
should prioritize this funding on procuring technologies to
enhance the capabilities of these programs. Increases in
personnel in the future years defense program should be
considered only following the completion of a workforce
assessment.
The Committee recommendation includes an additional
$15,000,000 to support Joint Task Force-North's support for
United States government efforts to undermine transnational
criminal organizations responsible for the flow of illicit
fentanyl and synthetic opioids into the United States. Funds
should be used to establish a dedicated cell to provide
intelligence analysis, counter threat finance analysis, and
other support to interagency operations to crack down on
illicit fentanyl and synthetic opioid precursors, pill presses,
clandestine labs, and money laundering that facilitate cartel
operations. The Secretary of Defense, in coordination with the
heads of other federal agencies, as appropriate, shall submit
an implementation plan to the congressional defense committees
not later than 90 days after the enactment of this Act. The
Committee expects the Department of Defense to increase
coordination with other agencies including the Drug Enforcement
Agency and Customs and Border Protection. Funds should also be
used for military working dog teams to support law enforcement
efforts to disrupt the flow of illicit fentanyl and synthetic
opioids at United States ports of entry.
The Committee notes the model of the Joint Interagency Task
Force-South (JIATF-S), which has conducted detection and
monitoring operations to support law enforcement disruptions of
drug trafficking in the Caribbean for decades. The Committee
directs the Secretary of Defense, in coordination with the
heads of other federal agencies, as appropriate, to submit a
report to the congressional defense committees, not later than
90 days after the enactment of this Act, on efforts to increase
interagency coordination to counter illicit fentanyl and
synthetic opioids production and trafficking to the United
States. The report shall include an analysis of current
mechanisms for coordinating interagency efforts and the
feasibility of establishing a Department of Defense joint
interagency task force for this purpose.
The Committee recommendation includes an additional
$10,000,000 for Joint Interagency Task Force-West's support of
United States government efforts to counter the smuggling of
chemical precursors from Asia to the Western Hemisphere.
The Committee recommendation includes $300,000,000 for the
National Guard Counter-Drug Program, of which $30,000,000 is
provided for equipment, including equipment to enhance the
National Guard's digital forensics capabilities. The
recommendation also includes $30,000,000 for the National Guard
Counterdrug Schools Program.
The Committee directs the Secretary of Defense to provide
the following briefings to the House and Senate Appropriations
Committees not later than 60 days after the enactment of this
Act:
(1) a briefing on current Administration strategies to
counter illicit fentanyl and synthetic opioid production,
including the Strategic Implementation Plan to Commercially
Disrupt the Illicit Fentanyl Supply Chain, and any Department
of Defense activities and programs in support of these
strategies; and
(2) a briefing on the National Guard Governors State Plans
Program as it relates to measures to counter the flow of
illicit fentanyl and synthetic opioids into the United States,
including a description of plans approved and denied by the
Department during the previous year.
The Committee directs the Secretary of Defense to provide
the following reports to the House and Senate Appropriations
Committees not later than 90 days after the enactment of this
Act:
(1) a report on the performance, capacity, and throughput
of each of the five counterdrug schools and an analysis of
whether the current number of schools is meeting training
demands; and
(2) a report on commercial technologies that are available,
in development, or that could be modified to detect or
otherwise combat the flow of illicit fentanyl and synthetic
opioids into the United States.
The Secretary of Defense is directed to ensure that
international programs requested and supported by this account
do not duplicate programs funded by the Defense Security
Cooperation Agency in the Operation and Maintenance, Defense-
Wide account. Any congressional notification submitted pursuant
to 10 U.S.C. 284 shall identify any resources within the
Operation and Maintenance, Defense-Wide account that are
allocated for similar or related purposes.
The Secretary of Defense is directed to provide quarterly
reports to the House and Senate Appropriations Committees on
the use and status of funds provided under this heading,
including information for each project as identified in the
Project Definitions (PB 47) budget exhibit of the fiscal year
2024 budget justification materials and other documentation
supporting the fiscal year 2024 President's budget request. The
report shall be submitted in unclassified form but may be
accompanied by a classified annex.
COMPTROLLER GENERAL REVIEW OF DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE INSTRUCTIONS
The Committee directs the Comptroller General of the United
States to review Department of Defense Instruction 3000.14,
Counterdrug and Counter-Transnational Organized Crime Policy,
and Instruction 3100.01B National Guard Counterdrug Support
Program, and examine whether such documents unduly limit the
ability of the Department of Defense and National Guard Bureau
to support counterdrug efforts under the law. The Comptroller
General shall submit a report to the congressional defense
committees not later than 90 days after the enactment of this
Act.
OFFICE OF THE INSPECTOR GENERAL
The Committee recommends the following appropriations for
the Office of the Inspector General:
EXPLANATION OF PROJECT LEVEL ADJUSTMENTS
[In thousands of dollars]
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Committee Change from
Budget Request Recommended Request
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
OPERATION AND MAINTENANCE....................................... 520,867 502,131 -18,736
Program decrease--civilian workforce........................ -4,000
Program decrease............................................ -15,736
PROCUREMENT..................................................... 1,098 1,098 0
RESEARCH, DEVELOPMENT, TEST AND EVALUATION...................... 3,400 3,400 0
-----------------------------------------------
TOTAL, OFFICE OF THE INSPECTOR GENERAL.................. 525,365 506,629 -18,736
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
END-USE MONITORING FOR UKRAINE
The Committee directs the Department of Defense Inspector
General to review the efficacy of the Department of Defense
end-use monitoring program for United States defense articles
designated for Ukraine since the February 24, 2022, Russian
invasion of Ukraine and to submit a report and recommendations
to the congressional defense committees not later than 90 days
after the enactment of this Act.
ENHANCED UKRAINE OVERSIGHT
The Committee requires enhanced oversight and
accountability measures for funds appropriated for Ukraine.
Therefore, the recommendation includes additional funding to
carry out reviews of assistance provided for Ukraine in this
and other Department of Defense Appropriations Acts. Such funds
shall be used to establish an Office of the Special Inspector
General for Ukraine Assistance, if authorized.
TITLE VII
RELATED AGENCIES
NATIONAL AND MILITARY INTELLIGENCE PROGRAMS
The National Intelligence Program and the Military
Intelligence Program budgets funded in this Act consist
primarily of resources for the Director of National
Intelligence, including the Intelligence Community Management
staff, the Central Intelligence Agency (CIA), the Defense
Intelligence Agency, the National Reconnaissance Office, the
National Security Agency, the National Geospatial-Intelligence
Agency, the intelligence services of the Departments of the
Army, Navy, and Air Force, and the CIA Retirement and
Disability fund.
CLASSIFIED ANNEX
Adjustments to classified programs are addressed in a
separate, detailed, and comprehensive classified annex. The
Intelligence Community, the Department of Defense, and other
organizations are expected to fully comply with the
recommendations and directions in the classified annex
accompanying the Department of Defense Appropriations Act,
2024.
CENTRAL INTELLIGENCE AGENCY RETIREMENT AND DISABILITY SYSTEM FUND
Fiscal year 2024 budget request....................... $514,000,000
Committee recommendation.............................. 514,000,000
Change from budget request............................ - - -
The Committee recommends an appropriation of $514,000,000
for the Central Intelligence Agency Retirement and Disability
System Fund. This is a mandatory account.
This appropriation provides payments of benefits to
qualified beneficiaries in accordance with the Central
Intelligence Agency Retirement Act of 1964 for Certain
Employees (Public Law 88-643), as amended by Public Law 94-522.
This statute authorized the establishment of the CIA Retirement
and Disability System for certain employees and authorized the
establishment and maintenance of a fund from which benefits
would be paid to those beneficiaries.
INTELLIGENCE COMMUNITY MANAGEMENT ACCOUNT
Fiscal year 2024 budget request....................... $650,000,000
Committee recommendation.............................. 608,820,000
Change from budget request............................ -41,180,000
The Committee recommends an appropriation of $608,820,000
for the Intelligence Community Management Account.
TITLE VIII
GENERAL PROVISIONS
Title VIII of the accompanying bill includes 154 general
provisions. A brief description of each general provision
follows.
Section 8001 prohibits the use of funds for publicity or
propaganda purposes not authorized by Congress.
Section 8002 provides for conditions and limitations on the
payment of compensation to, or employment of, foreign
nationals.
Section 8003 limits the availability of funds.
Section 8004 limits the obligation of funds during the last
two months of the fiscal year.
Section 8005 provides general transfer authority of funds
to other military functions.
Section 8006 provides that the tables titled ``Explanation
of Project Level Adjustments'' shall be carried out in the
manner provided by the tables to the same extent as if the
tables were included in the text of this Act.
Section 8007 provides for the establishment of a baseline
for application of reprogramming and transfer authorities for
the current fiscal year.
Section 8008 provides for limitations on the use of
transfer authority of working capital fund cash balances.
Section 8009 prohibits the use of funds to initiate a
special access program without prior notification to the
congressional defense committees.
Section 8010 provides limitations and conditions on the use
of funds to initiate multiyear procurement contracts.
Section 8011 provides for the use of funds for humanitarian
and civic assistance costs.
Section 8012 prohibits the use of funds to influence
congressional action on any matters pending before the
Congress.
Section 8013 prohibits the use of funds to reduce the
number of strategic delivery vehicles and launchers.
Section 8014 provides for the transfer of funds for the
Department of Defense Pilot Mentor-Protege Program.
Section 8015 provides for the Department of Defense to
purchase anchor and mooring chains manufactured only in the
United States.
Section 8016 prohibits funds for any non-appropriated
activity of the Department of Defense that procures malt
beverages and wine except under certain conditions.
Section 8017 prohibits the use of funds to demilitarize or
dispose of certain surplus firearms and small arms ammunition
or ammunition components.
Section 8018 provides a limitation on funds being used for
the relocation of any Department of Defense entity into or
within the National Capital Region.
Section 8019 provides for incentive payments authorized by
section 504 of the Indian Financing Act of 1974 (25 U.S.C.
1544).
Section 8020 provides for the conveyance, without
consideration, of relocatable housing units that are excess to
the needs of the Air Force.
Section 8021 provides funds for the mitigation of
environmental impacts on Indian lands resulting from Department
of Defense activities.
Section 8022 prohibits funds for the Defense Media Activity
from being used for national or international political or
psychological activities.
Section 8023 has been amended and provides funding for the
Civil Air Patrol Corporation.
Section 8024 prohibits funds from being used to establish
new Department of Defense Federally Funded Research and
Development Centers.
Section 8025 defines the congressional defense committees.
Section 8026 defines the congressional intelligence
committees.
Section 8027 provides for competitions between private
firms and Department of Defense depot maintenance activities.
Section 8028 requires the Department of Defense to comply
with the Buy American Act.
Section 8029 provides for the Department of Defense to
procure carbon, alloy, or armor steel plate melted and rolled
only in the United States and Canada.
Section 8030 provides for the revocation of blanket waivers
of the Buy American Act.
Section 8031 prohibits the use of funds for the procurement
of ball and roller bearings other than those produced by a
domestic source and of domestic origin.
Section 8032 prohibits the use of funds to purchase
supercomputers which are not manufactured in the United States.
Section 8033 provides a waiver of Buy American provisions
for certain cooperative programs.
Section 8034 prohibits the use of funds for the purchase or
manufacture of a United States flag unless such flags are
treated as covered items under section 4862(b) of title 10
United States Code.
Section 8035 provides for the availability of funds
contained in the Department of Defense Overseas Military
Facility Investment Recovery Account.
Section 8036 provides authority to use operation and
maintenance appropriations to purchase items having an
investment item unit cost of not more than $350,000.
Section 8037 has been amended and provides authority to use
operation and maintenance appropriations for the Asia Pacific
Regional Initiative Program.
Section 8038 prohibits the sale of tobacco products in
military resale outlets below the most competitive price in the
local community.
Section 8039 prohibits the use of Working Capital Funds to
purchase specified investment items.
Section 8040 provides limitations on the availability of
funds appropriated for the Central Intelligence Agency.
Section 8041 places limitations on the use of funds made
available in this Act to establish field operating agencies.
Section 8042 places restrictions on converting to
contractor performance an activity or function of the
Department of Defense unless it meets certain guidelines.
(RESCISSIONS)
Section 8043 provides for the rescission of $804,687,000
from the following programs:
2022 Appropriations:
Missile Procurement, Army:
Lethal Miniature Aerial Missile System........ 9,093,000
Procurement of Weapons and Tracked Combat
Vehicles, Army:
Assault Bridge (MOD).......................... 1,900,000
Other Procurement, Army:
Disaster Incident Response Communications 1,600,000
Terminal.....................................
Husky Standoff Minefield Detection System..... 2,372,000
Render Safe Sets, Kits, and Outfits........... 1,074,000
Accessions Information Environment............ 39,635,000
Aircraft Procurement, Navy:
Common Ground Equipment....................... 1,428,000
Weapons Procurement, Navy:
Aerial Targets................................ 13,058,000
Procurement of Ammunition, Navy and Marine Corps:
Infantry Weapons Ammunition................... 1,012,000
Other Procurement, Navy:
Underwater EOD Equipment...................... 2,975,000
Cooperative Threat Reduction:
Cooperative Threat Reduction.................. 75,000,000
2023 Appropriations:
Operation and Maintenance, Defense-Wide:
DSCA Security Cooperation..................... 75,000,000
Counter-ISIS Train and Equip Fund:
Counter-ISIS Train and Equip Fund............. 50,000,000
Other Procurement, Army:
Disaster Incident Response Communications 4,066,000
Terminal.....................................
Aircraft Procurement, Navy:
Marine Group 5 UAS Series..................... 10,033,000
Weapons Procurement, Navy:
Tomahawk...................................... 40,000,000
Aerial Targets................................ 13,139,000
Other Procurement, Navy:
LCS SUW Mission Modules....................... 1,550,000
Procurement, Marine Corps:
EOD Systems................................... 26,554,000
Radio Systems................................. 128,750,000
Other Procurement, Air Force:
Classified Adjustment......................... 45,000,000
Procurement, Defense Wide:
Mentor Protege...................... 32,148,000
Research, Development, Test and Evaluation, Air
Force:
AC/HC/MC-130J................................. 29,300,000
No-Year Appropriations:
Defense Working Capital Funds:
Army Working Capital Fund..................... 100,000,000
Navy Working Capital Fund..................... 100,000,000
Section 8044 prohibits the use of funds to reduce
authorized positions for military technicians (dual status) of
the Army National Guard, Air National Guard, Army Reserve, and
Air Force Reserve unless such reductions are a direct result of
a reduction in military force structure.
Section 8045 prohibits funds for assistance to the
Democratic People's Republic of Korea unless specifically
appropriated for that purpose.
Section 8046 provides for reimbursement to the National
Guard and reserve when members of the National Guard and
reserve provide intelligence or counterintelligence support to
the combatant commands, defense agencies, and joint
intelligence activities.
Section 8047 prohibits the transfer of Department of
Defense and Central Intelligence Agency drug interdiction and
counter-drug activities funds to other agencies except as
specifically provided in an appropriations law.
Section 8048 provides funding for Red Cross and United
Services Organization grants.
Section 8049 provides funds for the Small Business
Innovation Research program and the Small Business Technology
Transfer program.
Section 8050 prohibits funds for contractor bonuses being
paid due to business restructuring.
Section 8051 provides transfer authority for the pay of
military personnel in connection with support and services for
eligible organizations and activities outside the Department of
Defense.
Section 8052 provides conditions for the use of equipment
of the National Guard Distance Learning Project on a space-
available, reimbursable basis.
Section 8053 prohibits funds to retire C-40 aircraft, with
certain exceptions.
Section 8054 prohibits the use of funds to procure end-
items for delivery to military forces for operational training,
operational use or inventory requirements.
Section 8055 prohibits funds for repairs or maintenance to
military family housing units.
Section 8056 provides obligation authority for new starts
for defense innovation acceleration or rapid prototyping
program demonstration projects only after notification to the
congressional defense committees.
Section 8057 requires a classified quarterly report on
certain matters as directed in the classified annex
accompanying this Act.
Section 8058 provides for the use of National Guard
personnel to support ground-based elements of the National
Ballistic Missile Defense System.
Section 8059 prohibits the use of funds to transfer certain
ammunition.
Section 8060 provides for a waiver by the Chief of the
National Guard Bureau or his designee for all or part of
consideration in cases of personal property leases of less than
one year.
Section 8061 provides for the transfer of funds made
available in this Act under Operation and Maintenance, Army to
other activities of the federal government for classified
purposes.
Section 8062 prohibits the use of funds to separate, or to
consolidate from within, the National Intelligence Program
budget from the Department of Defense budget.
Section 8063 provides the authority to transfer funding
from operation and maintenance accounts for the Army, Navy, and
Air Force to the central fund for Fisher Houses and Suites.
Section 8064 provides grant authority for the construction
and furnishing of additional Fisher Houses to meet the needs of
military family members when confronted with the illness or
hospitalization of an eligible military beneficiary.
Section 8065 provides for the authority to transfer funding
made available in this Act under Operation and Maintenance,
Navy to the John C. Stennis Center for Public Service
Development Trust Fund.
Section 8066 prohibits the modification of command and
control relationships to give Fleet Forces Command operational
and administrative control of United States Navy forces
assigned to the Pacific fleet.
Section 8067 requires notification for the rapid
acquisition and deployment of supplies and associated support
services.
Section 8068 provides funding and transfer authority for
the Israeli Cooperative Programs.
Section 8069 provides for the funding of prior year
shipbuilding cost increases.
Section 8070 provides authorization for funds for
intelligence and intelligence related activities until the
enactment of an Intelligence Authorization Act.
Section 8071 prohibits funds to initiate a new start
program without prior written notification.
Section 8072 prohibits the use of funds for the research,
development, test, evaluation, procurement, or deployment of
nuclear armed interceptors of a missile defense system.
Section 8073 has been amended and prohibits funds for the
decommissioning of certain ships.
Section 8074 provides limitations on the Shipbuilding and
Conversion, Navy appropriation.
Section 8075 prohibits the use of funds to reduce or
disestablish the operation of the 53rd Weather Reconnaissance
Squadron of the Air Force Reserve.
Section 8076 prohibits the use of funds from being used to
transfer program authority relating to current tactical
unmanned aerial vehicles from the Army and requires the Army to
retain responsibility for and operational control of the MQ-1C
Unmanned Aerial Vehicle.
Section 8077 prohibits funds for the integration of foreign
intelligence information unless the information has been
lawfully collected and processed during conduct of authorized
foreign intelligence activities.
Section 8078 limits the availability of funding provided
for the Office of the Director of National Intelligence beyond
the current fiscal year, except for funds appropriated for
research and technology.
Section 8079 provides for the establishment of a baseline
for application of reprogramming and transfer authorities for
the Office of the Director of National Intelligence for the
current fiscal year.
Section 8080 provides for limitations on funding provided
for the National Intelligence Program to be available for
obligation or expenditure through a reprogramming or transfer
of funds in accordance with the National Security Act of 1947.
Section 8081 provides the Director of National Intelligence
with general transfer authority, with certain limitations.
Section 8082 places limitations on the reprogramming of
funds from the Department of Defense Acquisition Workforce
Development Account.
Section 8083 prohibits funds for federal contracts in
excess of $1,000,000 unless the contractor meets certain
conditions.
Section 8084 provides funds for transfer to the Joint
Department of Defense-Department of Veterans Affairs Medical
Facility Demonstration Fund.
Section 8085 prohibits the use of funds in contravention of
the provisions of section 130h of title 10, United States Code.
Section 8086 provides for the purchase of heavy and light
armored vehicles for the physical security of personnel or for
force protection purposes up to a limit of $450,000 per
vehicle.
Section 8087 authorizes the use of funds in the
Shipbuilding and Conversion, Navy account to purchase two used
auxiliary vessels for the National Defense Reserve Fleet.
Section 8088 provides that any agency receiving funds made
available in this Act shall post on a public website any report
required to be submitted to Congress with certain exceptions.
Section 8089 directs the Secretary of Defense to post grant
awards on a public website in a searchable format.
Section 8090 Section 8090 prohibits the use of funds by the
National Security Agency for targeting United States persons
under authorities granted in the Foreign Intelligence
Surveillance Act.
Section 8091 places restrictions on transfer amounts
available to pay salaries for non-Department of Defense
personnel.
Section 8092 has been amended and provides that operation
and maintenance funds may be used for any purposes related to
the National Defense Reserve Fleet.
Section 8093 prohibits the use of funds to award a new TAO
Fleet Oiler or FFG Frigate program contract for the acquisition
of certain components unless those components are manufactured
in the United States.
Section 8094 prohibits the use of funds for the development
and design of certain future naval ships unless any contract
specifies that all hull, mechanical, and electrical components
are manufactured in the United States.
Section 8095 prohibits certain transfers from the
Department of Defense Acquisition Workforce Development
Account.
Section 8096 provides for the procurement of certain
vehicles in the United States Central Command area, with
limitations.
Section 8097 prohibits the use of funds for gaming or
entertainment that involves nude entertainers.
Section 8098 prohibits the use of funds for information
technology systems that do not have pornographic content
filters.
Section 8099 places restrictions on the use of funding for
military parades.
Section 8100 prohibits the use of funds to enter into a
contract or provide a loan to any corporation that has any
unpaid Federal tax liability.
Section 8101 provides funds for certain software pilot
programs.
Section 8102 prohibits the transfer of the National
Reconnaissance Office to the Space Force.
Section 8103 prohibits the use of funds in contravention of
the United Nations Convention Against Torture.
Section 8104 provides security assistance for Ukraine.
Section 8105 prohibits funds to the Azov Battalion.
Section 8106 provides for the obligation of funds in
anticipation of receipt of contributions from the Government of
Kuwait.
Section 8107 provides funding for International Security
Cooperation Programs.
Section 8108 provides funding to reimburse certain
countries for border security.
Section 8109 prohibits the use of funds in contravention of
the War Powers Resolution.
Section 8110 prohibits the use of funds in violation of the
Child Soldiers Prevention Act of 2008.
Section 8111 prohibits funds for any member of the Taliban.
Section 8112 provides that certain support to friendly
foreign countries be made in accordance with section 8005 of
this Act.
Section 8113 prohibits the use of funds to enter into a
contract with Rosoboronexport.
Section 8114 provides funding to reimburse key cooperating
nations for logistical, military, and other support.
Section 8115 requires notification of the receipt of
contributions from foreign governments and notification prior
to obligating such funds.
Section 8116 requires the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs to
report on any unplanned activity or exercise.
Section 8117 requires notification if a foreign base is
opened or closed.
Section 8118 prohibits the use of funds with respect to
Iraq in contravention of the War Powers Resolution.
Section 8119 prohibits the use of funds with respect to
Syria in contravention of the War Powers Resolution.
Section 8120 prohibits funds to establish permanent bases
in Iraq or Afghanistan or United States control over Iraq or
Syria oil resources.
Section 8121 prohibits the use of funds under certain
headings to procure or transfer man-portable air defense
systems.
Section 8122 provides security assistance to Jordan.
Section 8123 requires the United States Southern Command to
assume combatant command responsibility for activities related
to Mexico.
Section 8124 prohibits the use of funds to transfer,
release, or assist in the transfer or release to or within the
United States of certain detainees.
Section 8125 prohibits the use of funds to transfer any
individual detained at United States Naval Station Guantanamo
Bay, Cuba, to the custody or control of the individual's
country of origin or any other foreign country.
Section 8126 prohibits the use of funds to construct,
acquire, or modify any facility in the United States to house
any individual detained at United States Naval Station
Guantanamo Bay, Cuba.
Section 8127 prohibits the use of funds to carry out the
closure of the United States Naval Station Guantanamo Bay,
Cuba.
Section 8128 has been amended and reflects savings due to
favorable foreign exchange rates.
Section 8129 provides guidance on the implementation of the
Policy for Assisted Reproductive Services for the Benefit of
Seriously or Severely Ill/Injured Active Duty Service Members.
Section 8130 prohibits the use of funds to support the
Wuhan Institute of Virology, or any laboratory owned or
controlled by the governments of foreign adversaries.
Section 8131 prohibits the use of funds for any work to be
performed by EcoHealth Alliance, Inc. in China on research
supported by the Government of the People's Republic of China.
Section 8132 requires the Secretary of the Navy to provide
pay and allowances to Lieutenant Ridge Alkonis.
Section 8133 provides the authority for the Secretary of
Defense to obligate funds to modify up to six F-35 aircraft to
a test configuration.
Section 8134 prohibits the use of funds to integrate an
alternative engine on any F-35 aircraft.
Section 8135 provides the authority to be used to enter
into a contract for the CH-53K heavy lift helicopter program.
Section 8136 directs the Secretary of Defense to allocate
amounts made available from the Creating Helpful Incentives to
Produce Semiconductors (CHIPS) for America Defense Fund.
DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE ALLOCATION OF FUNDS: CHIPS AND SCIENCE ACT FISCAL
YEAR 2024
[In thousands of dollars]
------------------------------------------------------------------------
------------------------------------------------------------------------
Research, Development, Test and Evaluation, Defense-Wide
Budget Activity 02, Applied Research:
Microelectronics
Commons............................................. 65,062,000
Budget Activity 03, Advanced Technology Development:
Microelectronics
Commons............................................. 269,256,000
Budget Activity 04, Advanced Technology Development:
Microelectronics
Commons............................................. 65,682,000
------------------------------------------------------------------------
Section 8137 enables the Office of Strategic Capital to use
appropriated funds for loans and loan guarantees.
Section 8138 provides funds to increase pay for certain
enlisted grades.
Section 8139 prohibits the use of funds to release certain
information regarding a current or former member of the Armed
Forces without their consent except in cases of law enforcement
or Freedom of Information Act requests.
Section 8140 prohibits the use of certain funds for United
States Space Command until such time as the Secretary of the
Air Force formally selects and publicly announces the permanent
location of the United States Space Command Headquarters.
Section 8141 prohibits funds to carry out section 554(a) of
the National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2021
(Public Law 116-283).
Section 8142 prohibits funds to implement, administer,
apply, enforce, or carry out measures relating to the
Department of Defense diversity, equity, inclusion, and
accessibility strategy, certain executive orders, and execute
activities that promote or perpetuate divisive concepts related
to race or sex.
Section 8143 prohibits the use of funds to perform surgical
procedures or hormone therapies for the purposes of gender
affirming care.
Section 8144 prohibits the use of funds to promote, host,
facilitate, or support a drag queen story hour for children on
United States military installations or for military recruiting
programs that feature drag queens.
Section 8145 prohibits the use of funds to recruit, hire,
or promote any person who has been convicted of charges related
to child pornography or other sexual misconduct.
Section 8146 prohibits the use of funds for paid leave and
travel or related expenses of a federal employee or their
dependents for the purposes of obtaining an abortion or
abortion-related services.
Section 8147 prohibits the use of funds to finalize,
implement, or promulgate the rule proposed by the Department of
Defense on November 14, 2022, titled ``Federal Acquisition
Regulation: Disclosure of Greenhouse Gas Emissions and Climate-
Related Financial Risk.''
Section 8148 prohibits funds to carry out any program,
project, or activity that promotes or advances Critical Race
Theory or any concept associated with Critical Race Theory.
Section 8149 prohibits the use of funds to label
communications by United States persons as misinformation,
disinformation, or malinformation or to partner with or fund
nonprofits or other organizations that pressure private
companies to censor lawful and constitutionally protected
speech.
Section 8150 prohibits the use of funds to grant, renew, or
maintain a security clearance for any individual listed as a
signatory in the statement titled ``Public Statement on the
Hunter Biden Emails'' dated October 19, 2020.
Section 8151 prohibits funds to take any discriminatory
action against a person, wholly or partially, on the basis that
such person speaks, or acts, in accordance with a sincerely
held religious belief, or moral conviction, that marriage is,
or should be recognized as, a union of one man and one woman.
Section 8152 prohibits funding to fly or display flags
other than those specified in this section.
Section 8153 directs the Secretary of Defense to submit a
report on excessive contractor payments.
Section 8154 establishes a spending reduction account.
HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES REPORTING REQUIREMENTS
The following items are included in accordance with various
requirements of the Rules of the House of Representatives:
STATEMENT OF GENERAL PERFORMANCE GOALS AND OBJECTIVES
Pursuant to clause 3(c)(4) of rule XIII of the Rules of the
House of Representatives, the following is a statement of
general performance goals and objectives for which this measure
authorizes funding:
The Committee on Appropriations considers program
performance, including a program's success in developing and
attaining outcome-related goals and objectives, in developing
funding recommendations.
PROGRAM DUPLICATION
No provision of this bill establishes or reauthorizes a
program of the Federal Government known to be duplicative of
another Federal program, a program that was included in any
report from the Government Accountability Office to Congress
pursuant to section 21 of Public Law 111-139, or a program
related to a program identified in the most recent Catalog of
Federal Domestic Assistance.
TRANSFER OF FUNDS
Pursuant to clause 3(f)(2) of rule XIII of the Rules of the
House of Representatives, the following is submitted describing
the transfer of funds provided in the accompanying bill.
Language has been included under ``Operation and
Maintenance, Defense-Wide'' which provides for the transfer of
funds for certain classified activities.
Language has been included under ``Environmental
Restoration, Army'' which provides for the transfer of funds
for environmental restoration, reduction and recycling of
hazardous waste, removal of unsafe buildings and debris, or for
similar purposes.
Language has been included under ``Environmental
Restoration, Navy'' which provides for the transfer of funds
for environmental restoration, reduction and recycling of
hazardous waste, removal of unsafe buildings and debris, or for
similar purposes.
Language has been included under ``Environmental
Restoration, Air Force'' which provides for the transfer of
funds for environmental restoration, reduction and recycling of
hazardous waste, removal of unsafe buildings and debris, or for
similar purposes.
Language has been included under ``Environmental
Restoration, Defense-Wide'' which provides for the transfer of
funds for environmental restoration, reduction and recycling of
hazardous waste, removal of unsafe buildings and debris, or for
similar purposes.
Language has been included under ``Environmental
Restoration, Formerly Used Defense Sites'' which provides for
the transfer of funds for environmental restoration, reduction
and recycling of hazardous waste, removal of unsafe buildings
and debris, or for similar purposes.
Language has been included under ``Drug Interdiction and
Counter-Drug Activities, Defense'' which provides for the
transfer of funds to appropriations available to the Department
of Defense for military personnel of the reserve components;
for operation and maintenance; for procurement; and for
research, development, test and evaluation for drug
interdiction and counter-drug activities of the Department of
Defense.
Language has been included under ``General Provisions, Sec.
8005'' which provides for the transfer of working capital funds
to other appropriations accounts of the Department of Defense
for military functions.
Language has been included under ``General Provisions, Sec.
8008'' which provides for the transfer of funds between working
capital funds and the ``Foreign Currency Fluctuations,
Defense'' appropriation and the operation and maintenance
appropriation accounts.
Language has been included under ``General Provisions, Sec.
8014'' which provides for the transfer of funds from the
Department of Defense Pilot Mentor-Protege Program to any other
appropriation for the purposes of implementing a Mentor-Protege
Program development assistance agreement.
Language has been included under ``General Provisions, Sec.
8051'' which provides for the transfer of funds from
``Operation and Maintenance, Defense-Wide'' to appropriations
available for the pay of military personnel in connection with
support and services of eligible organizations and activities
outside the Department of Defense.
Language has been included under ``General Provisions, Sec.
8061'' which provides for the transfer of funds from
``Operation and Maintenance, Army'' to other activities of the
federal government.
Language has been included under ``General Provisions, Sec.
8063'' which provides for the transfer of funds from
``Operation and Maintenance, Army'', ``Operation and
Maintenance, Navy'', and ``Operation and Maintenance, Air
Force'' to the central fund established for Fisher Houses and
Suites.
Language has been included under ``General Provisions, Sec.
8064'' which provides for the transfer of funds for the
construction and furnishing of additional Fisher Houses to meet
the needs of military family members when confronted with the
illness or hospitalization of an eligible military beneficiary.
Language has been included under ``General Provisions, Sec.
8065'' which provides for the transfer of funds from
``Operation and Maintenance, Navy'' to the John C. Stennis
Center for Public Service Development Trust Fund.
Language has been included under ``General Provisions, Sec.
8068'' which provides for the transfer of funds from
``Procurement, Defense-Wide'' and ``Research, Development, Test
and Evaluation, Defense-Wide'' for the Israeli Cooperative
Programs.
Language has been included under ``General Provisions, Sec.
8069'' which provides for the transfer of funds from
``Shipbuilding and Conversion, Navy'' to fund prior year
shipbuilding cost increases.
Language has been included under ``General Provisions, Sec.
8081'' which provides for the transfer of funds for the
National Intelligence Program.
Language has been included under ``General Provisions, Sec.
8084'' which provides for the transfer of funds appropriated
for operation and maintenance for the Defense Health Program to
the Joint Department of Defense--Department of Veterans Affairs
Medical Facility Demonstration Fund.
Language has been included under ``General Provisions, Sec.
8087'' which provides for the transfer of funds from
``Shipbuilding and Conversion, Navy'' to purchase two used
auxiliary vessels for the National Defense Reserve fleet.
RECISSIONS
Pursuant to clause 3(f)(2) of rule XIII of the Rules of the
House of Representatives, the following table is submitted
describing the recissions recommended in the accompanying bill:
2022 Appropriations:
Missile Procurement, Army:
Lethal Miniature Aerial Missile System........ 9,093,000
Procurement of Weapons and Tracked Combat
Vehicles, Army:
Assault Bridge (MOD).......................... 1,900,000
Other Procurement, Army:
Disaster Incident Response Communications 1,600,000
Terminal.....................................
Husky Standoff Minefield Detection System..... 2,372,000
Render Safe Sets, Kits, and Outfits........... 1,074,000
Accessions Information Environment............ 39,635,000
Aircraft Procurement, Navy:
Common Ground Equipment....................... 1,428,000
Weapons Procurement, Navy:
Aerial Targets................................ 13,058,000
Procurement of Ammunition, Navy and Marine Corps:
Infantry Weapons Ammunition................... 1,012,000
Other Procurement, Navy:
Underwater EOD Equipment...................... 2,975,000
Cooperative Threat Reduction:
Cooperative Threat Reduction.................. 75,000,000
2023 Appropriations:
Operation and Maintenance, Defense-Wide:
DSCA Security Cooperation..................... 75,000,000
Counter-ISIS Train and Equip Fund:
Counter-ISIS Train and Equip Fund............. 50,000,000
Other Procurement, Army:
Disaster Incident Response Communications 4,066,000
Terminal.....................................
Aircraft Procurement, Navy:
Marine Group 5 UAS Series..................... 10,033,000
Weapons Procurement, Navy:
Tomahawk...................................... 40,000,000
Aerial Targets................................ 13,139,000
Other Procurement, Navy:
LCS SUW Mission Modules....................... 1,550,000
Aircraft Procurement, Army:
EOD Systems................................... 26,554,000
Radio Systems................................. 128,750,000
Other Procurement, Air Force:
Classified Adjustment......................... 45,000,000
Procurement, Defense Wide:
Mentor Protege...................... 32,148,000
Research, Development, Test and Evaluation, Air
Force:
AC/HC/MC-130J................................. 29,300,000
No-Year Appropriations:
Defense Working Capital Funds:
Army Working Capital Fund..................... 100,000,000
Navy Working Capital Fund..................... 100,000,000
DISCLOSURE OF EARMARKS AND CONGRESSIONALLY DIRECTED SPENDING ITEMS
Pursuant to clause 9 of rule XXI of the Rules of the House
of Representatives, neither the bill nor this report contains
any congressional earmarks, limited tax benefits, or limited
tariff benefits as defined in clause 9 of rule XXI of the Rules
of the House of Representatives.
CHANGES IN THE APPLICATION OF EXISTING LAW
Pursuant to clause 3(f)(1)(A) of rule XIII of the Rules of
the House of Representatives, the following statements are
submitted describing the effect of provisions in the
accompanying bill which directly or indirectly change the
application of existing law.
Language is included in various parts of the bill to
continue ongoing activities which require annual authorization
or additional legislation, which to date has not been enacted.
The bill includes a number of provisions which place
limitations on the use of funds in the bill or change existing
limitations and which might, under some circumstances, be
construed as changing the application of law.
The bill includes a number of provisions which provide for
the transfer of funds and which might, under some
circumstances, be construed as changing the application of law.
The bill includes a number of provisions, which have been
virtually unchanged for many years that are technically
considered legislation.
The bill provides that appropriations shall remain
available for more than one year for some programs for which
the basic authorizing legislation does not presently authorize
each extended availability.
In various places in the bill, the Committee has allocated
funds within appropriation accounts in order to fund specific
programs.
Language is included in various accounts placing a
limitation on funds for emergencies and extraordinary expenses.
Language is included that provides not more than $2,981,000
for the Combatant Commander Initiative Fund.
Language is included that provides not less than
$55,000,000 for the Procurement Technical Assistance
Cooperative Agreement Program, of which not less than
$5,000,000 shall be available for centers.
Language is included that prohibits the consolidation of
certain legislative affairs or liaison offices.
Language is included that makes available $25,968,000 for
certain classified activities, allows such funds to be
transferred between certain accounts, and exempts such funds
from the investment item unit cost ceiling.
Language is included under the heading ``Counter-ISIS Train
and Equip Fund'' that provides for the use of funds for certain
purposes, compliance with vetting standards, management of
contributions, the submission of certain reports, and making
certain funds unavailable until a report is submitted.
Language is included that limits the use of funds for
official representation purposes under the heading ``United
States Court of Appeals for the Armed Forces.''
Language is included that limits funds credited or
transferred under the heading ``Department of Defense
Acquisition Workforce Development Account.''
Language is included that provides for specific
construction, acquisition, or conversion of vessels under the
heading ``Shipbuilding and Conversion, Navy.''
Language is included that provides for the incurring of
additional obligations for certain activities under the heading
``Shipbuilding and Conversion, Navy.''
Language is included that prohibits the use of funds
provided under the heading ``Shipbuilding and Conversion,
Navy'' for the construction of any naval vessel, or the
construction of major components for the construction or
conversion of any naval vessel, in foreign facilities or
shipyards.
Language is included under the heading ``National Guard and
Reserve Equipment Account'' providing for the procurement of
certain items and the submission of modernization priority
assessments.
Language is included under the heading ``Research,
Development, Test and Evaluation, Navy'' that provides funds
for certain activities related to the V-22.
Language is included that specifies the use of certain
funds provided under the heading ``Defense Health Program.''
Language is included that provides that not less than
$12,000,000 of funds provided under the heading ``Defense
Health Program'' shall be available for HIV prevention
educational activities.
Language is included under the heading ``Defense Health
Program'' that provides that not less than $1,154,000,000 shall
be made available to the Defense Health Agency to carry out
congressionally directed medical research programs.
Language is included that specifies the use of certain
funds provided under the heading ``Chemical Agents and
Munitions Destruction, Defense.''
Language is included that specifies the use of certain
funds provided under the heading ``Drug Interdiction and
Counter-Drug Activities, Defense.''
Language is included that prohibits the use of funds for
publicity or propaganda purposes not authorized by Congress.
Language is included that provides for conditions and
limitations on the payment of compensation to, or employment
of, foreign nationals.
Language is included that limits the availability of funds.
Language is included that limits the obligation of funds
during the last two months of the fiscal year.
Language is included that provides general transfer
authority of funds to other military functions.
Language is included that provides that the tables titled
``Explanation of Project Level Adjustments'' shall be carried
out in the manner provided by the tables to the same extent as
if the tables were included in the text of this Act.
Language is included that provides for the establishment of
a baseline for application of reprogramming and transfer
authorities for the current fiscal year.
Language is included that provides for limitations on the
use of transfer authority of working capital fund cash
balances.
Language is included that prohibits the use of funds to
initiate a special access program without prior notification to
the congressional defense committees.
Language is included that provides limitations and
conditions on the use of funds to initiate multiyear
procurement contracts.
Language is included that provides for the use of funds for
humanitarian and civic assistance costs.
Language is included that prohibits the use of funds to
influence congressional action on any matters pending before
the Congress.
Language is included that prohibits the use of funds to
reduce the number of strategic delivery vehicles and launchers.
Language is included that provides for the transfer of
funds for the Department of Defense Pilot Mentor-Protege
Program.
Language is included that provides for the Department of
Defense to purchase anchor and mooring chains manufactured only
in the United States.
Language is included that prohibits funds for any non-
appropriated activity of the Department of Defense that
procures malt beverages and wine except under certain
conditions.
Language is included that prohibits the use of funds to
demilitarize or dispose of certain surplus firearms and small
arms ammunition or ammunition components.
Language is included that provides a limitation on funds
being used for the relocation of any Department of Defense
entity into or within the National Capital Region.
Language is included that provides for incentive payments
authorized by section 504 of the Indian Financing Act of 1974
(25 U.S.C. 1544).
Language is included that provides for the conveyance,
without consideration, of relocatable housing units that are
excess to the needs of the Air Force.
Language is included that provides funds for the mitigation
of environmental impacts on Indian lands resulting from
Department of Defense activities.
Language is included that prohibits funds for the Defense
Media Activity from being used for national or international
political or psychological activities.
Language is included that has been amended and provides
funding for the Civil Air Patrol Corporation.
Language is included that prohibits funds from being used
to establish new Department of Defense Federally Funded
Research and Development Centers.
Language is included that defines the congressional defense
committees.
Language is included that defines the congressional
intelligence committees.
Language is included that provides for competitions between
private firms and Department of Defense depot maintenance
activities.
Language is included that requires the Department of
Defense to comply with the Buy American Act.
Language is included that provides for the Department of
Defense to procure carbon, alloy, or armor steel plate melted
and rolled only in the United States and Canada.
Language is included that provides for the revocation of
blanket waivers of the Buy American Act.
Language is included that prohibits the use of funds for
the procurement of ball and roller bearings other than those
produced by a domestic source and of domestic origin.
Language is included that prohibits the use of funds to
purchase supercomputers which are not manufactured in the
United States.
Language is included that provides a waiver of Buy American
provisions for certain cooperative programs.
Language is included that prohibits the use of funds for
the purchase or manufacture of a United States flag unless such
flags are treated as covered items under section 4862(b) of
title 10 United States Code.
Language is included that provides for the availability of
funds contained in the Department of Defense Overseas Military
Facility Investment Recovery Account.
Language is included that provides authority to use
operation and maintenance appropriations to purchase items
having an investment item unit cost of not more than $350,000.
Language is included that has been amended and provides
authority to use operation and maintenance appropriations for
the Asia Pacific Regional Initiative Program.
Language is included that prohibits the sale of tobacco
products in military resale outlets below the most competitive
price in the local community.
Language is included that prohibits the use of Working
Capital Funds to purchase specified investment items.
Language is included that provides limitations on the
availability of funds appropriated for the Central Intelligence
Agency.
Language is included that places limitations on the use of
funds made available in this Act to establish field operating
agencies.
Language is included that places restrictions on converting
to contractor performance an activity or function of the
Department of Defense unless it meets certain guidelines.
Language is included that provides for the rescission of
$643,687,000.
Language is included that prohibits the use of funds to
reduce authorized positions for military technicians (dual
status) of the Army National Guard, Air National Guard, Army
Reserve, and Air Force Reserve unless such reductions are a
direct result of a reduction in military force structure.
Language is included that prohibits funds for assistance to
the Democratic People's Republic of Korea unless specifically
appropriated for that purpose.
Language is included that provides for reimbursement to the
National Guard and reserve when members of the National Guard
and reserve provide intelligence or counterintelligence support
to the combatant commands, defense agencies, and joint
intelligence activities.
Language is included that prohibits the transfer of
Department of Defense and Central Intelligence Agency drug
interdiction and counter-drug activities funds to other
agencies except as specifically provided in an appropriations
law.
Language is included that provides funding for Red Cross
and United Services Organization grants.
Language is included that provides funds for the Small
Business Innovation Research program and the Small Business
Technology Transfer program.
Language is included that prohibits funds for contractor
bonuses being paid due to business restructuring.
Language is included that provides transfer authority for
the pay of military personnel in connection with support and
services for eligible organizations and activities outside the
Department of Defense.
Language is included that provides conditions for the use
of equipment of the National Guard Distance Learning Project on
a space-available, reimbursable basis.
Language is included that prohibits funds to retire C-40
aircraft, with certain exceptions.
Language is included that prohibits the use of funds to
procure end-items for delivery to military forces for
operational training, operational use or inventory
requirements.
Language is included that prohibits funds for repairs or
maintenance to military family housing units.
Language is included that provides obligation authority for
new starts for defense innovation acceleration or rapid
prototyping program only after notification to the
congressional defense committees.
Language is included that requires a classified quarterly
report on certain matters as directed in the classified annex
accompanying this Act.
Language is included that provides for the use of National
Guard personnel to support ground-based elements of the
National Ballistic Missile Defense System.
Language is included that prohibits the use of funds to
transfer certain ammunition.
Language is included that provides for a waiver by the
Chief of the National Guard Bureau or his designee for all or
part of consideration in cases of personal property leases of
less than one year.
Language is included that provides for the transfer of
funds made available in this Act under Operation and
Maintenance, Army to other activities of the federal government
for classified purposes.
Language is included that prohibits the use of funds to
separate, or to consolidate from within, the National
Intelligence Program budget from the Department of Defense
budget.
Language is included that provides the authority to
transfer funding from operation and maintenance accounts for
the Army, Navy, and Air Force to the central fund for Fisher
Houses and Suites.
Language is included that provides grant authority for the
construction and furnishing of additional Fisher Houses to meet
the needs of military family members when confronted with the
illness or hospitalization of an eligible military beneficiary.
Language is included that provides for the authority to
transfer funding made available in this Act under Operation and
Maintenance, Navy to the John C. Stennis Center for Public
Service Development Trust Fund.
Language is included that prohibits the modification of
command and control relationships to give Fleet Forces Command
operational and administrative control of United States Navy
forces assigned to the Pacific fleet.
Language is included that requires notification for the
rapid acquisition and deployment of supplies and associated
support services.
Language is included that provides funding and transfer
authority for the Israeli Cooperative Programs.
Language is included that provides for the funding of prior
year shipbuilding cost increases.
Language is included that provides authorization for funds
for intelligence and intelligence related activities until the
enactment of an Intelligence Authorization Act.
Language is included that prohibits funds to initiate a new
start program without prior written notification.
Language is included that prohibits the use of funds for
the research, development, test, evaluation, procurement, or
deployment of nuclear armed interceptors of a missile defense
system.
Language is included that has been amended and prohibits
funds for the decommissioning of certain ships.
Language is included that provides limitations on the
Shipbuilding and Conversion, Navy appropriation.
Language is included that prohibits the use of funds to
reduce or disestablish the operation of the 53rd Weather
Reconnaissance Squadron of the Air Force Reserve.
Language is included that prohibits the use of funds from
being used to transfer program authority relating to current
tactical unmanned aerial vehicles from the Army and requires
the Army to retain responsibility for and operational control
of the MQ-1C Unmanned Aerial Vehicle.
Language is included that prohibits funds for the
integration of foreign intelligence information unless the
information has been lawfully collected and processed during
conduct of authorized foreign intelligence activities.
Language is included that limits the availability of
funding provided for the Office of the Director of National
Intelligence beyond the current fiscal year, except for funds
appropriated for research and technology.
Language is included that provides for the establishment of
a baseline for application of reprogramming and transfer
authorities for the Office of the Director of National
Intelligence for the current fiscal year.
Language is included that provides for limitations on
funding provided for the National Intelligence Program to be
available for obligation or expenditure through a reprogramming
or transfer of funds in accordance with the National Security
Act of 1947.
Language is included that provides the Director of National
Intelligence with general transfer authority, with certain
limitations.
Language is included that places limitations on the
reprogramming of funds from the Department of Defense
Acquisition Workforce Development Account.
Language is included that prohibits funds for federal
contracts in excess of $1,000,000 unless the contractor meets
certain conditions.
Language is included that provides funds for transfer to
the Joint Department of Defense-Department of Veterans Affairs
Medical Facility Demonstration Fund.
Language is included that prohibits the use of funds in
contravention of the provisions of section 130h of title 10,
United States Code.
Language is included that provides for the purchase of
heavy and light armored vehicles for the physical security of
personnel or for force protection purposes up to a limit of
$450,000 per vehicle.
Language is included that authorizes the use of funds in
the Shipbuilding and Conversion, Navy account to purchase two
used auxiliary vessels for the National Defense Reserve Fleet.
Language is included that provides that any agency
receiving funds made available in this Act shall post on a
public website any report required to be submitted to Congress
with certain exceptions.
Language is included that directs the Secretary of Defense
to post grant awards on a public website in a searchable
format.
Language is included that Section 8090 prohibits the use of
funds by the National Security Agency for targeting United
States persons under authorities granted in the Foreign
Intelligence Surveillance Act.
Language is included that places restrictions on transfer
amounts available to pay salaries for non-Department of Defense
personnel.
Language is included that has been amended and provides
that operation and maintenance funds may be used for any
purposes related to the National Defense Reserve Fleet.
Language is included that prohibits the use of funds to
award a new TAO Fleet Oiler or FFG Frigate program contract for
the acquisition of certain components unless those components
are manufactured in the United States.
Language is included that prohibits the use of funds for
the development and design of certain future naval ships unless
any contract specifies that all hull, mechanical, and
electrical components are manufactured in the United States.
Language is included that prohibits certain transfers from
the Department of Defense Acquisition Workforce Development
Account.
Language is included that provides for the procurement of
certain vehicles in the United States Central Command area,
with limitations.
Language is included that prohibits the use of funds for
gaming or entertainment that involves nude entertainers.
Language is included that prohibits the use of funds for
information technology systems that do not have pornographic
content filters.
Language is included that places restrictions on the use of
funding for military parades.
Language is included that prohibits the use of funds to
enter into a contract or provide a loan to any corporation that
has any unpaid Federal tax liability.
Language is included that provides funds for certain
software pilot programs.
Language is included that prohibits the transfer of the
National Reconnaissance Office to the Space Force.
Language is included that prohibits the use of funds in
contravention of the United Nations Convention Against Torture.
Language is included that provides security assistance for
Ukraine.
Language is included that prohibits funds to the Azov
Battalion.
Language is included that provides for the obligation of
funds in anticipation of receipt of contributions from the
Government of Kuwait.
Language is included that provides funding for
International Security Cooperation Programs.
Language is included that provides funding to reimburse
certain countries for border security.
Language is included that prohibits the use of funds in
contravention of the War Powers Resolution.
Language is included that prohibits the use of funds in
violation of the Child Soldiers Prevention Act of 2008.
Language is included that prohibits funds for any member of
the Taliban.
Language is included that provides that certain support to
friendly foreign countries be made in accordance with section
8005 of this Act.
Language is included that prohibits the use of funds to
enter into a contract with Rosoboronexport.
Language is included that provides funding to reimburse key
cooperating nations for logistical, military, and other
support.
Language is included that requires notification of the
receipt of contributions from foreign governments and
notification prior to obligating such funds.
Language is included that requires the Chairman of the
Joint Chiefs to report on any unplanned activity or exercise.
Language is included that requires notification if a
foreign base is opened or closed.
Language is included that prohibits the use of funds with
respect to Iraq in contravention of the War Powers Resolution.
Language is included that prohibits the use of funds with
respect to Syria in contravention of the War Powers Resolution.
Language is included that prohibits funds to establish
permanent bases in Iraq or Afghanistan or United States control
over Iraq or Syria oil resources.
Language is included that prohibits the use of funds under
certain headings to procure or transfer manportable air defense
systems.
Language is included that provides security assistance to
Jordan.
Language is included that requires the United States
Southern Command to assume combatant command responsibility for
activities related to Mexico.
Language is included that prohibits the use of funds to
transfer, release, or assist in the transfer or release to or
within the United States of certain detainees.
Language is included that prohibits the use of funds to
transfer any individual detained at United States Naval Station
Guantanamo Bay, Cuba, to the custody or control of the
individual's country of origin or any other foreign country.
Language is included that prohibits the use of funds to
construct, acquire, or modify any facility in the United States
to house any individual detained at United States Naval Station
Guantanamo Bay, Cuba.
Language is included that prohibits the use of funds to
carry out the closure of the United States Naval Station
Guantanamo Bay, Cuba.
Language is included that has been amended and reflects
savings due to favorable foreign exchange rates.
Language is included that provides guidance on the
implementation of the Policy for Assisted Reproductive Services
for the Benefit of Seriously or Severely Ill/Injured Active
Duty Service Members.
Language is included that prohibits the use of funds to
support the Wuhan Institute of Virology, or any laboratory
owned or controlled by the governments of foreign adversaries.
Language is included that prohibits the use of funds for
any work to be performed by EcoHealth Alliance, Inc. in China
on research supported by the Government of the People's
Republic of China.
Language is included that requires the Secretary of the
Navy to provide pay and allowances to Lieutenant Ridge Alkonis.
Language is included that provides the authority for the
Secretary of Defense to obligate funds to modify up to six F-35
aircraft to a test configuration.
Language is included that prohibits the use of funds to
integrate an alternative engine on any F-35 aircraft.
Language is included that provides the authority to be used
to enter into a contract for the CH-53K heavy lift helicopter
program.
Language is included that directs the Secretary of Defense
to allocate amounts made available from the Creating Helpful
Incentives to Produce Semiconductors (CHIPS) for America
Defense Fund.
Language is included that enables the Office of Strategic
Capital to use appropriated funds for loans and loan
guarantees.
Language is included that provides funds to increase pay
for certain enlisted grades.
Language is included that prohibits the use of funds to
release certain information regarding a current or former
member of the Armed Forces without their consent except in
cases of law enforcement or Freedom of Information Act
requests.
Language is included that prohibits the use of certain
funds for United States Space Command until such time as the
Secretary of the Air Force formally selects and publicly
announces the permanent location of the United States Space
Command Headquarters.
Language is included that prohibits funds to carry out
section 554(a) of the National Defense Authorization Act for
Fiscal Year 2021 (Public Law 116-283).
Language is included that prohibits funds to implement,
administer, apply, enforce, or carry out measures relating to
the Department of Defense diversity, equity, inclusion, and
accessibility strategy, certain executive orders, and execute
activities that promote or perpetuate divisive concepts related
to race or sex.
Language is included that prohibits the use of funds to
perform surgical procedures or hormone therapies for the
purposes of gender affirming care.
Language is included that prohibits the use of funds to
promote, host, facilitate, or support a drag queen story hour
for children on United States military installations or for
military recruiting programs that feature drag queens.
Language is included that prohibits the use of funds to
recruit, hire, or promote any person who has been convicted of
charges related to child pornography or other sexual
misconduct.
Language is included that prohibits the use of funds for
paid leave and travel or related expenses of a federal employee
or their dependents for the purposes of obtaining an abortion
or abortion-related services.
Language is included that prohibits the use of funds to
finalize, implement, or promulgate the rule proposed by the
Department of Defense on November 14, 2022 titled ``Federal
Acquisition Regulation: Disclosure of Greenhouse Gas Emissions
and Climate-Related Financial Risk.''
Language is included that prohibits funds to carry out any
program, project, or activity that promotes or advances
Critical Race Theory or any concept associated with Critical
Race Theory.
Language is included that prohibits the use of funds to
label communications by United States persons as
misinformation, disinformation, or malinformation or to partner
with or fund nonprofits or other organizations that pressure
private companies to censor lawful and constitutionally
protected speech.
Language is included that prohibits the use of funds to
grant, renew, or maintain a security clearance for any
individual listed as a signatory in the statement titled
``Public Statement on the Hunter Biden Emails'' dated October
19, 2020.
Language is included that prohibits funds to take any
discriminatory action against a person, wholly or partially, on
the basis that such person speaks, or acts, in accordance with
a sincerely held religious belief, or moral conviction, that
marriage is, or should be recognized as, a union of one man and
one woman.
Language is included that prohibits funding to fly or
display flags other than those specified in this section.
Language is included that directs the Secretary of Defense
to submit a report on excessive contractor payments.
Language is included that establishes a spending reduction
account.
COMPARISON WITH THE BUDGET RESOLUTION
Pursuant to clause 3(c)(2) of rule XIII of the Rules of the
House of Representatives and section 308(a)(1)(A) of the
Congressional Budget Act of 1974, the following table compares
the levels of new budget authority provided in the bill with
the appropriate allocation under section 302(b) of the Budget
Act.
[In millions of dollars]
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
302(b) Allocation This Bill
---------------------------------------------------------------
Budget Budget
Authority Outlays Authority Outlays
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Comparison of amounts in the bill with Committee
allocations to its subcommittees: Subcommittee
on Defense
Discretionary................................... 826,448 790,121 826,448 \1\790,129
Mandatory....................................... 514 514 514 \1\514
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
\1\Includes outlays from prior-year budget authority.
FIVE-YEAR OUTLAY PROJECTIONS
In compliance with section 308(a)(1)(B) of the
Congressional Budget Act of 1974, the following table contains
five-year projections associated with the budget authority
provided in the accompanying bill.
[In millions of dollars]
------------------------------------------------------------------------
Outlays
------------------------------------------------------------------------
Projection of outlays associated with the recommendation:
2024................................................... \1\481,585
2025................................................... 203,546
2026................................................... 63,019
2027................................................... 25,999
2028 and future years..................................
------------------------------------------------------------------------
\1\Excludes outlays from prior-year budget authority.
FINANCIAL ASSISTANCE TO STATE AND LOCAL GOVERNMENTS
Pursuant to clause 3(c)(2) of rule XIII and section
308(a)(1)(C) of the Congressional Budget Act of 1974, the
Congressional Budget Office has provided the following
estimates of new budget authority and outlays provided by the
accompanying bill for financial assistance to State and local
governments.
[In millions of dollars]
------------------------------------------------------------------------
Budget
Authority Outlays
------------------------------------------------------------------------
Financial assistance to State and local 0 10
governments for 2024.........................
------------------------------------------------------------------------
1Includes outlays from prior-year budget authority.
COMMITTEE HEARINGS
For the purposes of clause 3(c)(6) of rule XIII--
The following hearings were used to develop or consider the
Department of Defense Appropriations Bill, 2024:
The Subcommittee on Defense held an oversight hearing on
February 28, 2023, entitled ``Ukraine Oversight.'' The
Subcommittee received testimony from:
The Honorable Celeste Wallander, Assistant Secretary of
Defense for International Security Affairs
Lieutenant General Douglas Sims, Director of Operations (J-
3), Joint Staff
The Subcommittee on Defense held an oversight hearing on
March 9, 2023, entitled ``Fiscal Year 2024 Member Day.'' The
Subcommittee received testimony from:
The Honorable James McGovern, Member of Congress
The Honorable Susie Lee, Member of Congress
The Subcommittee on Defense held an oversight hearing on
March 23, 2023, entitled ``Budget Hearing--Fiscal Year 2024
Request for the Department of Defense.'' The Subcommittee
received testimony from:
The Honorable Lloyd J. Austin III, Secretary of Defense
General Mark A. Milley, Chairman, Joint Chiefs of Staff
The Honorable Michael J. McCord, Undersecretary of Defense
(Comptroller)/ Chief Financial Officer
The Subcommittee on Defense held an oversight hearing on
March 28, 2023, entitled ``Budget Hearing--Fiscal Year 2024
Request for the United States Air Force and Space Force.'' The
Subcommittee received testimony from:
The Honorable Frank Kendall, Secretary of the Air Force
General Charles Q. Brown, Jr., Chief of Staff of the Air
Force
General B. Chance Saltzman, Chief of Space Operations, U.S.
Space Force
The Subcommittee on Defense held an oversight hearing on
March 28, 2023, entitled ``Budget Hearing--Fiscal Year 2024
Request for the United States Army.'' The Subcommittee received
testimony from:
The Honorable Christine Wormuth, Secretary of the Army
General James C. McConville, Chief of Staff of the Army
The Subcommittee on Defense held an oversight hearing on
March 29, 2023, entitled ``Budget Hearing--Fiscal Year 2024
Request for the United States Navy and Marine Corps.'' The
Subcommittee received testimony from:
The Honorable Carlos Del Toro, Secretary of the Navy
Admiral Michael M. Gilday, Chief of Naval Operations
General David H. Berger, Commandant of the Marine Corps
Compliance With Rule XIII, Cl. 3(e) (Ramseyer Rule)
In compliance with clause 3(e) of rule XIII of the Rules of
the House of Representatives, the Committee notes that the
accompanying bill does not propose to repeal or amend a statute
or part thereof.
MINORITY VIEWS
With this bill, the Committee has carried out its
Constitutional responsibility to recommend the appropriations
necessary to provide for the common defense of our Nation. The
Committee did this in a bipartisan fashion consistent with its
long-standing traditions.
The bill provides $826,448,000,000 in new discretionary
funding for fiscal year 2024 covering all Department of Defense
(DoD) entities and Intelligence Community functions with the
exception of Military Construction and Family Housing programs.
This is $285,867,000 above the President's budget request and
$28.8 billion above the fiscal year 2023 enacted level.
We are pleased that the majority is funding the bill close
to the Administration's request. Unfortunately, at this moment,
we are not optimistic that this bill will be enacted by the
majority by the beginning of the fiscal year as the bill
includes policy provisions that are offensive to many
Americans. We believe these provisions will have a detrimental
impact on the readiness of the current and future force.
First, the proposed bill limits the reproductive healthcare
needs of women associated with the Department of Defense, to
include Service personnel, civilians, wives and daughters. On
October 20, 2022, the Secretary of Defense released a
memorandum to ensure that Service personnel would have the
ability to obtain necessary reproductive health care no matter
where they are stationed.
According to a RAND study published in September 2022, 40
percent of active duty female troops live in states with
abortion bans or restrictions; this number increases to 43
percent for civilian women employed by DoD. Clearly, women are
an essential part of the military force, almost 20 percent of
the entire force and one third of the civilian workforce.
Needless to say, our military force would not be able to
function without the work these women provide.
With the numbers of recruitment falling for the past two
years, decisions to limit the ability of Department personnel
to obtain the healthcare they need will deter highly qualified
personnel from enlisting and ultimately could harm the future
of the force and impact retention levels among current Service
personnel.
Second, the proposed bill bans funding for Diversity,
Equity, Inclusion and Accessibility (DEIA) programs and
personnel. DEIA programs ensure that the Department of Defense
can attract, develop and retain a workforce that reflects
America's diversity and will be able to ensure mission
readiness. It is a callous view to cut them. We should be
trying to attract all that want to serve the nation and give
them the opportunity to do so.
Third, the bill includes three general provisions that are
highly offensive to the LGBTQ+ community. These provisions
serve no purpose other than to alienate and stoke culture wars.
They do not reflect the premise of our nation--``E pluribus
unum''--out of many, one. Out of many volunteers--one strong
force.
Fourth, the bill cuts $1.1 billion for funding for civilian
employees. We believe this is a misguided effort to cut costs
in the Department. Unfortunately, past attempts to achieve the
same goals have been unable to show any savings and merely
shift the work to others--such as military personnel or
expensive contractors.
Fifth, the bill cuts $714 million for climate change
programs to be administered by the Department of Defense. At a
congressional hearing this year, General Milley stated that
``climate change is going to impact natural resources, for
example, it's going to impact increased instability in various
parts of the world. It's going to impact migrations and so
on.''
The preponderance of the funds requested for the bill are
for adapting military facilities to withstand the increasingly
challenging weather conditions and for advanced technologies to
strengthen the ability to rapidly recover from disruptions to
public infrastructure and for improving installation
resilience. These are funds that provide the Services with the
ability to remain at the ready and not be hampered by the
vagaries of the weather; without them, they will continue to be
at the mercy of the elements.
The minority introduced amendments to strike each of these
divisive provisions. Although we were not successful in
removing them, we will work in conference to ensure they are
not enacted into law.
Finally, the majority is implementing a slate of 302(b)
allocations that are below the agreed levels in the Fiscal
Responsibility Act of 2023. We believe the cuts to the non-
defense bills will only inhibit the Department of Defense's
ability to recruit young men and women into the military at a
time when recruitment rates have fallen precipitously. In
addition to appropriate levels for defense, we need equitable
funding for programs in education, housing, and healthcare.
These are the tools that create able bodied young men and women
to populate the military. Equality between the defense and non-
defense bills is the only way to meet all of our national
security needs.
In closing, despite our deep concerns with the bill, we
look forward to working with the majority on completing this
task before us as earlier as possible. Both sides strongly
support the work of our men and women both in military and
civilian posts, which ensures the security of our Nation.
Rosa DeLauro.
Betty McCollum.