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More in: Armed Forces News
The House is continuing to advance appropriations bills that reduce funding levels for most federal agencies. Image: Mega Pixel/Shutterstock.com
Service members would get a 4.5-percent raise in basic pay on Jan. 1, under the version of the $8.57 billion 2025 defense-spending bill that cleared the House June 28 by a 217-198 vote. The measure also calls for an additional $2.5 billion, to be used to provide a 15-percent pay hike for junior enlisteds.
The House measure does away with or significantly changes a host of provisions put forth in the Biden administration’s proposed bill, which was submitted earlier this year. Gone is the $916 million the administration requested for the civilian workforce. Instead, the House wants to focus on exploring which Defense Department jobs can be done through technology (it would bring back A-76 outsource studies) rather than by civilian employees.
Funding for counterdrug activities would be set at $1.4 billion – a $242-million increase above the administration’s request. The National Guard would play a greater role in drug-interdiction missions as well.
The bill would also prohibit the moving of National Guard missions, functions, or personnel to the Space Force.
Also included are numerous provisions related to social policy and other issues that likely will necessitate a continuing resolution beyond the end of the fiscal year, such as blocking funding for DEI initiatives, and barring paid leave for travel and expenses for service members and dependents who are seeking abortions or abortion-related services, and prohibiting funding for climate change executive orders and regulations, and cutting $621.2 million from the WH request for climate change initiatives.
The House is continuing to advance appropriations bills that reduce funding levels for most federal agencies—with potential implications for staffing levels and agency operations—while also targeting telework and other federal workplace practices.
The chamber now has passed six of the 12 regular appropriations bills for fiscal 2025, most recently the measures covering DHS; State and related agencies; as well as DoD. All of those bills would defund DEI programs at affected agencies and most would require those agencies to more fully account for their telework practices and building occupancy rates as a possible prelude to reducing the former and forcing agencies to shed under-used space.
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