Appropriations Committee Approves Fiscal Year 2022 Defense Funding Bill

The House Appropriations Committee today approved the fiscal year 2022 Defense bill on a 33-23 vote.

For 2022, the bill provides funding of $705.939 billion, a modest 1.4 percent increase over the current budget for 2021. This increase reflects President Biden's budget request and has been endorsed by the Secretary of Defense. In total, the bill provides overall funding of $706.453 billion in discretionary and mandatory funding. The legislation:

• Protects our national security, preserves our domestic advanced manufacturing base to support jobs and economic growth, and invests heavily in research and development with funding recommended by the Secretary of Defense
• Supports working families by providing a 2.7 percent pay raise to all 2.1 million uniformed U.S. service members and approximately 750,000 civilian Defense Department employees, and by requiring contractors to pay a $15 per hour minimum wage
• Closes the detention facility at Guantanamo Bay, eliminates the Overseas Contingency Operations budget gimmick, and limits United States involvement in Yemen
• Promotes democracy by countering China with strong funding to protect a free and open Indo-Pacific
• Provides for the transport and safe passage of Afghans who have provided faithful and valuable service to the United States and who are under serious threat
• Confronts the climate crisis with historic investments for clean energy and climate adaptation to protect facilities, readiness, and global security
• Addresses gender-based violence with funding to tackle sexual assault in the military and directs DoD to address extremist ideologies, including white supremacy.

"Democrats have landed on a responsible funding level for the Department of Defense that maintains a strong national security posture today, while making important investments in modernization that will make us even stronger in the years to come," said Defense Subcommittee Chair Betty McCollum (D-MN-04). "Across the country, millions of jobs are funded by this bill. These are jobs in all Congressional Districts – union jobs in industry, manufacturing, small businesses, as well as jobs in scientific research and academia. Whether in cyber, or advanced manufacturing, or clean energy or climate change – this bill will support a high-tech, high skilled workforce of the future. To be clear: this bill is about people, it is about quality of life, it is about American jobs, and it is about America's leadership role in the world."

"The Defense Appropriations bill provides resources requested by the Secretary of Defense to protect our national security, maintain a strong industrial base to support good paying jobs, and counter the rising threats from our adversaries, including China," Appropriations Committee Chairwoman Rosa DeLauro (D-CT-03) said. "As it protects our nation, it also honors the soldiers and civilians who serve and support our nation's military by providing for them and their families. This includes strong funding to combat sexual assault in the military, a serious and pervasive problem that for too long has been overlooked by the Pentagon."

The following amendments to the bill were adopted by the full Committee:

Rep. McCollum – The manager's amendment makes technical and noncontroversial changes to the bill and report. The amendment was adopted by voice vote.

Rep. Lee #1 – This amendment repeals the 2001 Authorization for Use of Military Force. The amendment was adopted by voice vote.

Rep. Lee #2 – This amendment repeals the 2002 Authorization for Use of Military Force. The amendment was adopted by voice vote.

A summary of the bill is here. The text of the bill, before the adoption of amendments in full Committee, is here. The bill report, before the adoption of amendments in full Committee, is here. In keeping with the Appropriations Committee's commitment to transparency, information on Community Project Funding in the bill is here.