House Appropriators Complete Markup of FY2010 DOD Appropriations Bill

The House Appropriations Committee completed markup of the FY2010 Department of Defense appropriations bill today, July 22, 2009. The Defense Subcommittee had approved an additional $369 million for advanced procurement for 12 more F-22 fighters than the President requested, and it is included in the version approved by the full committee. Subcommittee chairman John Murtha (D-PA) is being quoted by Congress Daily (subscription required) as saying that he is abandoning his fight for those funds, however, and will offer an amendment to remove the funding from the bill when it reaches the House floor. President Obama has threatened to veto any bill that contains funds for the F-22 beyond the 187 that are now being built. According to the committee’s press release, funding for national security space programs was increased or reduced as follows:

• $1.3 billion, $55.7 million above the request, for three Evolved Expendable Launch Vehicles;
• $122 million, $55 million below the request, for development of the Space Based Space Surveillance System;
• $389.4 million, $97.4 million below the request, for development of the Global Positioning System III, operational control segment (OCX);
• $39 million, $104 million below the request, for the Third Generation Infrared Satellite;
• $1.8 billion, matching the request, for a fourth Advanced Extremely High
  Frequency communications satellite; and
• $626.7 million, $425 million above the request, for the Wideband Global System.