Today, the House approved the $578.6 billion FY15 Defense appropriations bill despite Democratic objections, both from the House and White House, to using the war accounts, known as the Overseas Contingency Operations fund, to bridge the gap between stringent BCA budget caps and the Pentagon’s spending request. The measure totals $800 million above the Administration’s request, thanks to the additional war funds.
The largely party line vote of 278 to 149 on the typically bipartisan measure (HR 2685) underscores the divide over the use of the Overseas Contingency Operations fund.
In addition, AAU has issued a statement against the measure due to the proposed cuts in basic research.