On the recordMarch 9, 2011
I believe the Defense bill before you today strikes a fair balance between responsible reductions and protection of our military forces. The defense portion of this bill provides a total of $671.5 billion in base and overseas contingency operation funding for fiscal year 2011. The base budget is $513.6 billion, which is $17.3 billion less than the President's budget request. This bill cuts an additional $2.13 billion more than H.R. 1 for defense. I believe that these reductions are prudent, and reflect the reality of today's challenging fiscal environment where all programs are subject to reductions. But let me be clear--this bill continues to fully support our men and women in uniform and protects funding for four important national security priorities. First, the bill takes care of our military personnel. It fully funds the 1.4 percent authorized pay raise and provides $887 million above the budget request to cover shortfalls in the military personnel accounts that were identified by the services.
