OVERNIGHT DEFENSE: Big bump for Pentagon in budget plan

DOD BUDGET BREAKS CAPS: The Pentagon unveiled a $585.2 billion budget request for fiscal 2016 on Monday  — an increase of $24.9 billion, or four percent from last year.

The amount requested breaks defense budget caps imposed under the 2011 Budget Control Act. The request includes $534.3 billion for its base budget next year, which is $36 billion above caps and $38.2 billion above 2015 base funding. 

{mosads}The Pentagon is requesting $50.9 billion for its overseas operations account, which is $13.3 billion lower than the 2015 level of $64.2 billion.

The request, though, is likely to spark opposition on Capitol Hill and from military advocacy groups over cuts to troop benefits and compensation, and calls for new base closures.

Pentagon officials Monday defended the budget request, saying it accurately reflected the nation’s defense priorities.

The Pentagon’s efforts against the Islamic State of Iraq and Syria, in West Africa against Ebola, and work to bolster Eastern European allies against Russia, have placed additional pressures on the budget, according to a Defense overview on Monday. 

“[At] Funding levels lower than the president is proposing, especially at full sequestration cap levels, our defense strategy will become brittle and more prone to breaking,” Deputy Defense Secretary Robert Work said Monday. 

Still, the Pentagon proposed many of the same reforms that were rejected by Congress last year, including retiring the A-10 attack aircraft, closing excess military bases and facilities, slowing the growth of troops’ basic pay and housing allowances, cutting benefits for healthcare, and reducing commissary subsidies. 

The budget would increase spending to modernize the nuclear arsenal as well as for missile defense, cyber security and to more effectively deploy U.S. military strength around the globe.

The budget would increase spending on prioritized weapons systems, including the F-35 Joint Strike Fighter, KC-46 tanker aircraft, C-130J Hercules cargo aircraft, a new stealth bomber, the P-8A Poseidon patrol aircraft, and the Army’s Joint Light Tactical Vehicle. 

The Navy would get $678 million to overhaul the USS George Washington aircraft carrier, maintaining the fleet at 11 carriers. 

BUDGET REACT: 

Rep. Mac Thornberry (R-Texas), House Armed Services Committee chairman: “Overall, the President’s budget includes many proposals that he knows will never pass in Congress.  And yet, in spite of the growing threats to our national security, the President continues to give speeches that polarize the country and Congress…The Armed Services Committee will continue to examine the serious state of security challenges we face and help develop a serious budget proposal to address them.”

Rep. Randy Forbes (R-Va.) House Armed Services Seapower and Projection Forces Subcommittee chair: While this year’s budget proposal does not undermine essential elements of U.S. military power, like our 11 aircraft carrier Fleet or our robust amphibious capability as it has in years past, there remains far more to do in restoring our national defense after years of reckless cuts.” 

Retired Navy Vice Adm. Norb Ryan, Military Officers Association of America (MOAA) president: “…the administration’s budget just rehashes many of the same piecemeal proposals that Congress blunted or blocked last year. These proposals will further erode servicemembers’ pay and benefits that are fundamental to sustaining the quality of the all-volunteer force.”

House Armed Services Committee Ranking Member Adam Smith (D-Wash.): “I applaud the President for putting forth a budget proposal that would do away with sequestration… In today’s dangerous world, we need to make sure that we are supporting our military and providing it with the tools and resources that it needs to protect national security and allowing the threat of sequestration to persist flies in the face of that responsibility.”

ARMS FOR UKRAINE? The White House on Monday said it is “continually assessing” options for countering Russia’s military incursions into Ukraine amid media reports that the administration is reviewing whether to supply Kiev with lethal weapons.

“The president’s view continues to be that this administration needs to be continually assessing what our strategy should be,” White House press secretary Josh Earnest said.

Pressure to provide more support to Kiev follows some of the deadliest fighting since a ceasefire agreement was signed five months ago. Peace talks between Ukraine’s government and pro-Russian separatists faltered over the weekend.

NATO military commander Gen. Philip Breedlove and Defense Secretary Chuck Hagel reportedly both back providing weapons to Ukraine’s military after recent ground gains by the separatists.

The administration has thus far limited aid to non-lethal equipment like body armor, rations, blankets and medical kits.

Earnest acknowledged “a wide variety of opinions about this” and said the administration is evaluating all possibilities because the current economic sanctions regime has not slowed Moscow’s aggression.

President Obama will host German Chancellor Angela Merkel next Monday at the White House. The two are expected to discuss next steps in Ukraine.

WEEK AHEAD:

On Tuesday, the Senate Armed Services Committee begins another busy week with a hearing on the recommendations from the Military Compensation and Retirement Modernization Commission. The panel will gavel in at 9:30 a.m. to hear from the commission’s eight members.

At 10:00 a.m., the House Armed Services Committee will come to order for a hearing on “World Wide Threats” that features the head of the Defense Intelligence Agency and members of the Joint Staff.

The Veterans Affairs Department will host a press conference at 11:00 a.m. with Secretary Robert McDonald and the leaders of the House and Senate Veterans’ Affairs panels.

The Senate Armed Services Committee comes together again at 9:30 on Wednesday to consider Ashton Carter’s nomination to be the next Defense Secretary. Lawmakers are anticipating a lunch break after the morning session and could reconvene at 2:30 p.m.

Members of the House Armed Services Committee will have their chance to grill some of the Military Compensation and Retirement Modernization commissioners at 10:00 a.m. on Wednesday.

On Thursday at 9:30 a.m., the Senate Armed Services panel meets for its third hearing of the week, this time on the military prison at Guantanamo Bay, Cuba, and the future of U.S. detention policy.

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