Republican appropriators on Monday introduced a $984 billion government-funding bill that takes several steps to cushion the Pentagon and other agencies from the blow of $85 billion in sequester spending cuts.
It would shift about $10.4 billion into the Pentagon’s operations and maintenance account by cutting other defense accounts, including a $3.6 billion reduction in personnel funds, $2.5 billion less in research and development, and $4.2 billion less in equipment procurement.
The change would give the Pentagon more flexibility to put money into operations accounts that were facing a shortfall this year and were threatened by a full-year continuing resolution, including training programs, weapons maintenance, civilian personnel and military healthcare.
“The key is they are moving the money into the accounts where it’s needed, so that DOD will not have to make as drastic as reductions in things like readiness,” Todd Harrison, a budget analyst at the Center for Strategic and Budgetary Assessments, said. “This helps alleviate the problem, but it’s also important to note it does not fully alleviate the problem [due to sequestration].”