Bipartisan congressional negotiators have agreed to a sweeping $1.16 trillion omnibus spending bill for 2017, with $593 billion for the military. The deal, if passed, would fund the government through Sept. 30.
After funding the government at 2016 levels for more than half the fiscal year, Congress is expected to vote on a 2017 appropriations omnibus this week. The deal does not contain the border wall funding sought by President Donald Trump and opposed by Democrats, but it does contain $1.5 billion in border security funding.
Republicans, who control Congress and the White House, sought to avoid a government shutdown that could reflect poorly on them, which provided leverage to Democrats, whose votes will likely be needed. Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., released a statement Sunday evening saying that the deal "is a good agreement for the American people, and takes the threat of a government shutdown off the table."
The deal contains less than half the $30 billion defense supplemental Trump sought, but $19.9 billion more than in the last year of the Obama administration.
Adding in emergency funds, the Pentagon’s budget would total $598.5 billion for 2017, according to a House Appropriations Committee fact sheet.
.......For defense, the bill contains $223 billion in operations and maintenance funding, $73.7 billion for research and development and $123.3 billion for equipment procurement......
........
The bill contains $21.2 billion 13 Navy ships, including three DDG-51 guided missile destroyers, three littoral combat ships, one LPD-17 amphibious transport dock, and a down payment on future polar icebreaker procurement.
The bill funds 74 F-35 fighter jets at $8.2 billion, with $1.1 billion for 14 F/A-18E/F Super Hornets—a dozen more than requested. There’s also $2.6 billion for 15 KC-46 tanker aircraft and $1.3 billion for 17 C-130J aircraft variants.
........
