Senate Committee Approves FY 2025 Defense Appropriations Bill

08.01.24

Washington, D.C. - The Senate Committee on Appropriations today approved the Fiscal Year (FY) 2025 Defense Appropriations Act, providing the U.S. military services with the funding needed to deter China and Russia, support service members and their families, and strengthen the defense industrial base.

The measure, which was advanced by a unanimous vote 28-0, provides $851.7 billion in discretionary funding - 3.3 percent higher than the FY 2024 enacted budget and 2.3 percent higher than the President's budget request for FY 2025.

"At a time when we face numerous complex threats around the globe, this legislation strengthens our military across all domains: in the air, on land, at sea, in space, and in cyberspace. In addition to supporting our service members and allies, the bill also makes key investments to strengthen military readiness, address inflation, promote innovation, and enhance counter-drug efforts," said Senator Collins, Vice Chair of the Appropriations Committee and Ranking Member 0f the Defense Subcommittee.

Bill Highlights:

Service Members: $180.7 billion for the pay and benefits of service members and families, which is $4.4 billion above the FY 2024 enacted level.

• Fully funds the 4.5% pay raise requested for service members and provides a 5.5% pay raise for the most junior enlisted personnel.
• $1 billion to accelerate modernization of Marine Corps barracks that are in failing condition, which is $349 million more than the President's budget request.
• $135 million more than the President's budget request for the Army's operational deployment pay that recognizes the greater than normal rigors of deployments away from home.
• $251 million for the basic needs allowance to provide a monthly allowance for any military family with a household income that is less than 200 percent of Federal poverty guidelines.

Military Readiness: $300.6 billion for the sustainment of operations, weapons, training, and readiness activities.

• $3.4 billion more than the President's budget request to make nearly 500 more Air Force aircraft available, including $600 million for six additional F-15EX aircraft and funding for an Air Force's unfunded requirement to purchase aircraft spare parts, preventing the grounding of an estimated 221 airplanes.
• $14.5 billion to fully fund the request for Navy ship repairs, which is $800 million above the FY 2024 enacted level.
• Eliminates $1.1 billion in unnecessary civilian personnel costs.

Procurement and Research and Development (R&D): $175.2 billion for the procurement of weapon systems and $145.1 billion for research, development, and testing of platforms.

• $1 billion more than the President's budget request for counter-drone capabilities, including $350 million for 1,200 counter-drone systems and more radars, which are the Army's top unfunded priorities to address this growing and evolving threat.
• $3 billion more than the President's budget request to strengthen the U.S. defense industrial base, including $500 million to address supply chain bottlenecks and expand solid rocket motor production; $500 million to increased raw materials purchases for critical weapons systems; and $2 billion to modernize Army plants and the Navy's public shipyards.
• $5.9 billion to maximize production of eight critical munitions to continue the transition from a "just-in-time" to a "just-in-case" approach to weapons manufacturing, including PATRIOT air defense missiles, Tomahawk cruise missiles, long range anti-ship missiles, and the Precision Strike Missile which will replace the Army's existing ATACM missile.
• $989 million more than the President's budget request to expand other munition production, including the procurement of 182 additional Stinger anti-air missiles and 24 SM-3 Block 1B ballistic missile interceptors, which are the same type of missile used to shoot down Iranian ballistic missiles on April 13^th. This funding also accelerates the fielding of the Army's next PATRIOT air defense battalion by one year and includes $10 million for one-way loitering munitions.
• $2.7 billion more than the President's budget request to deter and counter China's growing military capability across all domains, including $181 million for the Guam Defense System and $123 million to enhance Indo-Pacific Command's targeting capabilities.
• $3.2 billion for development of hypersonic missiles across the Services.
• $12.3 billion for development and procurement of 68 F-35 Joint Strike Fighters.

Navy: $81.2 billion for procurement and $26.2 billion in R&D.

• $37 billion for Navy shipbuilding and fully funds seven battle force ships, including an additional $1.5 billion for a third DDG-51 destroyer, $695 million to support multi-year procurement of four amphibious ships that will result in more than $900 million in savings versus buying the ships individually, $417 million to procure three additional Ship to Shore Connectors, $357 million for a second ship set of Virginia-class sub material, and $1 billion to enable the award of two FY 2024 Virginia-class submarines.

• $252 million for the nuclear-armed sea-launched cruise missile (SLCM-N).
• $954 million for development of the Next Generation Fighter (F/A-XX).

Army: $25.8 billion for procurement and $14.5 billion in R&D.

• $1.2 billion for development of the Army's Future Long Range Assault Aircraft that will replace the Blackhawk helicopter.

• $850 million for 45 Abrams tanks, which is 15 tanks and $77 million more than the President's budget request.

Air Force: $56.4 billion in procurement and $46.8 billion in R&D.

• $2.7 billion for the Next Generation Air Dominance program.
• $2.4 billion for the requested number of B-21 bombers.
• $2.4 billion for 24 F-15EX aircraft.
• $402 million for the continued development related to E-7 radar aircraft.
• $2.9 billion to procure 15 KC-46A tanker aircraft.

Space Force: $4.1 billion for procurement and $19.8 billion for R&D, which is $950 million more than the President's budget request to address offensive space control and other space capabilities that were excluded from the request.

National Guard: $1 billion excluded from the President's budget request for the National Guard and Reserve modernization fund to address capability gaps and equipment shortfalls and $53 million for the state partnership program.

U.S.-Israeli Missile Defense: $500 million for Iron Dome, David's Sling, and Arrow missile defense program. The bill also includes $150 million for cooperative initiatives related to anti-tunneling ($47.5 million), emerging technology ($47.5 million), and countering drones ($55 million).

General Provisions and Policy Rider Highlights:

• $800 million more than the President's budget request to rearm U.S. troops in harm's way and to continue U.S. Central Command operations and force protection activities past September 30, 2024.
• $1.2 billion more than the President's budget request for fuel costs due to higher than expected inflation.
• $500 million to buy new defense articles for Taiwan.
• Blocks closure of Guantanamo Bay and the transfer of detainees to the United States.

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