The Defense Appropriations Bill for 2014 (S. 1197)

What is S. 1197?

(Updated November 8, 2017)

This bill — the National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) — would fund the Department of Defense and all military functions for the 2014 fiscal year.

S. 1197 authorizes defense appropriations totaling $626 billion, including $81 billion to fund overseas contingency operations, primarily in Afghanistan. There are appropriations that address visas for Afghan and Iraqi citizens who assisted in previous U.S. missions in those countries. The bill would also set troop levels for the Armed Forces for the 2014 fiscal year.

All components of defense issues can be found in S. 1197: equipment procurement, pay raises, military sexual assault cases, research, investment related to future weapons systems, nuclear readiness, clandestine intelligence, cyber defense, and joint programs with NATO partners.

Personnel related issues addressed in the NDAA include pay raises, bonuses, and education for members of the armed services. It also creates new procedures for addressing sexual assault in the military, and emphasizes the responsibility of commanding officers in dealing with those incidents when they arise.

Argument in favor

This legislation contains broad reaching provisions that are essential for keeping the U.S. secure into the future.

Argument opposed

The U.S. could spend more efficiently by taking a more piecemeal approach to financing national defense.

Impact

Members of the Armed Forces, the Department of Defense, relevant congressional committees (especially appropriations and defense committees).

Cost of S. 1197

The defense appropriations authorized by this legislation total $626 billion for the 2014 fiscal year. This would require outlays of $613 billion between 2014-2018, which would fund ongoing operations. $389 billion of those outlays would occur in the 2014 fiscal year. $141 billion of those outlays would occur in the 2015 fiscal year. For reference, the 2013 version of the NDAA authorized $554 billion in base spending, with $89 billion for overseas contingency operations.

Additional Info

In-Depth:

The National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) authorizes Department of Defense (DOD) appropriations for the 2014 fiscal year, to enable procurement for the Army, Navy and Marine Corps, Air Force, and defense-wide activities. Here
are some bill highlights:

Sexual Assault Prevention and Response / Military Justice Matters

Prohibits any person convicted of rape, sexual assault, forcible sodomy, incest, or an attempted thereof from enlisting in the Armed Forces. Directs the DOD to issue regulations ensuring the timely determination of a request by the victim of a sexual assault or related offense for a permanent transfer.

Requires a substantiated complaint of a sexual-related offense to be included in the personnel record of the accused member of the Armed Forces. All sexual assault forms and records would be required to be retained for 50 years. The statute of limitations for sexual assault under the Uniform Code of Military Justice would be eliminated.

Expresses the sense of Congress that commanding officers are responsible for establishing a climate in which sexual assault allegations are properly managed, and that victims can report such activity without fear of retaliation. Failure to promote such a climate is a sufficient cause for the removal of a commanding officer from their position.

Counter-terrorism

Authorizes the Defense Secretary to transfer or release individuals detained at U.S. Naval Station Guantanamo Bay, Cuba to their home country if:

• The individual is no longer a threat to national security.

• Such a transfer or release is implementing a U.S. court or tribunal order.

• The individual has been tried and acquitted by a court or tribunal.

• Prior to transfer, determinations regarding the risk of the individual engaging in hostility against the U.S., and whether the transfer is in the interest of U.S. national security, must be made.

Compensation and Other Personnel Benefits

Increases the rates of basic pay for military personnel by 1 percent. Extends specified authorities for bonuses and incentive pay that are currently scheduled to expire.

General Service Authorities

An exception would be added to the requirement that the Armed Forces accommodate individual expressions of belief of service-members. The exemption would apply when such an expression could have an adverse impact on military readiness and unit cohesion.

The Uniformed Services University of Health Sciences  would be authorized to offer undergraduate degrees, certificates, certifications, and graduate degrees.

Research, Development, Test and Evaluation (RDT&E)

Prohibits the spending of funds appropriated for the conventional prompt global strike program from being expended until relevant committees in Congress and  DOD policymakers clarify ambiguities surround missile launches from submarine platforms.

Elements of the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA) biennial strategic plan would be revised. A pilot program for technology protection in defense systems during R&D would be extended until 2020. DOD authority for allocating percentages of funds to defense laboratories for competitive R&D technologies would also be extended until 2020.

Missile Defense Programs

Expresses the sense of Congress that:

• Defending the U.S. homeland from ballistic missile attacks is a national priority.

• The currently deployed ground-based midcourse defense system (GBMDS) provides protection for the entire U.S. against such an attack from North Korea and Iran, although its capability should be improved.

• DOD should continue to enhance the performance and reliability of the GBMDS against evolving missile threats from North Korea and Iran.

Further expresses the sense of Congress that the threat of regional ballistic missiles, particularly North Korea and Iran, is serious and threatens forward deployed U.S. personnel and allies. The DOD has an obligation to protect these forces and allies.

Congress expresses that it is in the U.S. national security interest to pursue efforts at missile defense cooperation with Russia.

• The U.S. should pursue these effort on a bilateral and multilateral basis with North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) allies.

• This cooperation with Russia should not in any way limit U.S. or NATO missile defense capabilities.

• The U.S. should pursue such cooperation in a manner that protects classified information while allowing for a defense technology cooperation agreement with Russia.

• FY2014 DOD funds would be prohibited from being used to provide the Russian Federation with sensitive missile information that would compromise U.S. national security in any way. This would include “hit-to-kill” technology, and telemetry data for missile interceptors or target vehicles.

The DOD would be directed to evaluate options and alternatives for future sensor systems used in ballistic missile defense, and report progress to relevant congressional committees.

Department of Defense Organization and Management

Directs the Defense Secretary to create a plan to streamline DOD management. This could be done by reducing the size of staffs, eliminating tiers of management, cutting functions that provide little or no added value, and consolidating overlapping programs.

Provides a plan objective of reducing aggregate spending on such headquarters by at least $100 billion over a ten-year period beginning with the 2015 fiscal year. Requires annual status reports between 2016 and 2025 to be made to Congress.

Foreign Nations

The Secretaries of State and Homeland Security would be directed to increase the efficiency with which Iraqi special immigrant visa applications are processed. Eligibility requirements for Afghan special immigrant visas would also be modified to consider employment history.

Media:

CBO Estimate

Statement of Administration Policy

Wikipedia

Defense One

Senate Republican Policy Committee

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