So first, the good news: the U.S. ended April in the black. Yes, it was largely the result of tax revenues from Tax Day but still, black.
The bad news: it won’t last long. We’re ramping up spending yet again. The latest culprit is H.R.4310, known as the Military Construction Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2013, which was passed by the House yesterday. The bill would authorize $643 billion in defense spending: nearly 15% of that would be used in the war in Afghanistan.
The bill passed with a 69% approval, mostly Republican-driven, in the House (you can see the roll call here – note the 12 abstentions, almost all Democrat). It’s not certain how the bill will fare in the Democratic Senate.
The bill puts forth a defense budget that is larger than agreed upon in prior years; the prior agreements included reductions in spending over time. The budget as outlined in the bill is also slightly bigger than President Obama’s defense budget proposal, which makes you wonder – if the bill passes the Senate – whether the President might attempt a veto. It also comes at a time when House Speaker John A. Boehner (R-OH) has vowed that House Republicans will not increase the debt ceiling again without cutting spending, raising questions about exactly what will be cut to make up for the difference.
The 1,166-page bill (you can read it here) does a lot more than simply bump spending – although it certainly does that. As you read through the bill, you can’t help but be struck by how many zeros you see… I found myself, on more than one occasion, trying to work out whether certain items were listed as millions or billions.
The bright spot in the bill for my family was an increase in basic pay for the rates of monthly basic pay for members of the uniformed services by 1.7%. My brother will be pleased to see this as he has watched as Congress has consistently voted increases for themselves – assuming the bill becomes law.
The rest of the bill was not an easy read. And, as usual, there was plenty in the bill not related to the budget. Some of the highlights:
- A prohibition on marriage or “marriage-like” ceremonies for same-sex couples on military installations or other military property;
- Authorization for the award of a Purple Heart to members of the Armed Forces who were victims of the attacks at recruiting station in Little Rock, Arkansas, and at Fort Hood, Texas;
- Designation of the bugle call “Taps” as the National Song of Remembrance;
- Extension of the commercial office space in D.C. for the Stars and Stripes newspaper “to preserve the actual and perceived editorial and management independence” of the paper;
- Allowing usable commissary store foods and other food prepared for the armed forces to be donated to charitable organizations; and
- Affirmation that the Secretary of Defense is authorized to conduct military activities in cyberspace.
Perhaps the most interesting (at least for me):
The military department designated as the Department of the Navy is redesignated as the Department of the Navy and Marine Corps.
The bill goes on further to say “[t]he term ‘military department’ means the Department of the Army, the Department of the Navy and Marine Corps, and the Department of the Air Force.” The Marines have long been a part of the Department of the Navy – now they might get to share official billing in the title. If it becomes law, it’s kind of a cool footnote in military history. I say “if” because this proposal has been on tap before and has been largely opposed by senior members of the military (go figure).
So that’s the gist of the bill. While there are a lot of specifics to pick through, expect the most major battles to be over the budget provisions (among others) in the Senate this week.
