FY 2006 Defense Department Appropriations Bill Nearing Completion

At 5:04 A.M. on Sunday, December 18, 2005, the House of Representatives approved the final version of the $453.5 billion FY 2006 Department of Defense Appropriations Bill. The House adjourned, leaving the Senate to grapple with this funding bill containing a provision tacked on by conferees permitting drilling in the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge. Senators are scheduled to vote on the bill on Wednesday, which could be tricky because of the highly controversial drilling provision.

H.R. 2863 provides a 2.6% increase in total funding for 6.1 Basic Research, 6.2 Applied Research, and 6.3 Advanced Technology Development. Funding for the three programs increases from $13,070,676,000 in the last fiscal year to $13,414,542,000 in FY 2006. The conferees provided 27.5% more than the Administration’s request of $10,522,121,000. In fact, out of the 15 line items below, conferees provided more than the Administration’s request in every instance, with 12 of the increases in the double-digits. The conferees figures include earmarked funding.

The last Quadrennial Defense Review incorporated a Defense Science Board recommendation that 3.0% of the total DOD budget be allocated to the three S&T programs. H.R. 2863 provides 2.958% of the budget for these programs.

The conferees’ treatment of the three science and technology programs was uneven. Here are the FY 2006 figures as compared to the previous budget, as provided by the Coalition for National Security Research, to which AIP and several of its Member Societies belong:

AGGREGATE 6.1 (Basic Research) funding declines 1.5% or $22.0 million from $1,513.4 million to $1,491.4 million.. The Bush Administration requested $1,318.8 million.
AGGREGATE 6.2 (Applied Research) funding increases 8.1% or $393.8 million from $4,849.6 million to $5,243.5 million. The request was $4,139.0 million.
AGGREGATE 6.3 (Advanced Technology Development) funding decreases 0.4% or $28.0 million from $6,707.6 million to $6,679.7 million. The request was $5,064.3 million.
TOTAL AGGREGATE 6.1, 6.2 and 6.3 funding increases 2.6% or $343.9 million from $13,070.7 million to $13,414.5 million. The request was $10,522.1 million.

ARMY 6.1 funding declines 3.9% or $15.2 million from $392.9 million to $377.6 million. The request was $307.6 million.
ARMY 6.2 funding increases 13.5% or $151.3 million from $1,117.7 million to $1,269.0 million. The request was $671.3 million.
ARMY 6.3 funding increases 1.4% or $19.9 million from $1,385.1 million to $1,405.0 million. The request was $756.4 million.
TOTAL ARMY 6.1, 6.2 and 6.3 funding increases 5.4% or $156.0 million from $2,895.6 million to $3,051.6 million. The request was $1,735.3 million.

NAVY 6.1 funding declines 1.9% or $9.2 million from $491.1 million to $481.9 million. The request was $448.3 million.
NAVY 6.2 funding declines 1.8% or $14.5 million from $822.4 million to $807.9 million. The request was $597.9 million.
NAVY 6.3 funding increases 5.9% or $57.9 million from $975.0 million to $1,032.9 million. The request was $729.9 million.
TOTAL NAVY 6.1, 6.2 and 6.3 funding increases 1.5% or $34.1 million from $2,288.6 million to $2,322.7 million. The request was $1,776.1 million.

AIR FORCE 6.1 funding declines 4.0% or $15.5 million from $383.3 million to $367.9 million. The request was $340.8 million.
AIR FORCE 6.2 funding increases 14.8% or $140.4 million from $945.8 million to $1,086.2 million. The request was $851.7 million.
AIR FORCE 6.3 funding increases 2.5% or $25.0 million from $1,000.5 million to $1,025.5 million. The request was $787.7 million.
TOTAL AIR FORCE 6.1, 6.2 and 6.3 funding increases 6.4% or $149.9 million from $2,329.6 million to $2,479.5 million. The request was $1,980.2 million.

DEFENSE WIDE (DARPA, etc.) 6.1 funding increases 7.3% or $17.9 million from $264.1 million to $264.0 million. The request was $220.1 million.
DEFENSE WIDE 6.2 funding increases 5.9% or $116.6 million from $1,963.8 million to $2,080.4 million. The request was $1,963.8 million.
DEFENSE WIDE 6.3 funding declines 3.5% or $116.0 million from $3,332.4 million to $3,216.4 million. The request was $2,790.5 million.
TOTAL DEFENSE WIDE 6.1, 6.2 and 6.3 funding increases 0.3% or $18.5 million from $5,542.3 million to $5,560.8 million. The request was $5,030.6 million.