Senate Armed Services panel approves defense bill
The Senate Armed Services Committee passed a $625 billion defense bill Friday that would raise the cost cap on the aircraft carrier Gerald R. Ford and free up nearly $2 billion to restore cuts from sequestration.
Sen. Tim Kaine, a member of the committee, said he was pleased with facets of the bill he either drafted or supported.
Separately, the House of Representatives passed its version of the defense spending bill.
Kaine said the defense bill included key provisions of the first piece of legislation he ever introduced: the "Troop Talent Act of 2013." It would allow service members to earn civilian certifications and licenses based on their military training, expanding a Defense Department pilot program.
Sen. Mark R. Warner and Kaine co-sponsored whistleblower protection measures also included in the bill. The Whistleblower Protection Enhancement Act is aimed at boosting the ability of service members to report unwanted sexual contact without fear of retribution.
In shipbuilding, the bill increases the cost cap for the Ford carrier to $12.887, as requested. It also directs the Government Accountability Office to review how the Navy has managed the program and controlled costs.
It would restore $1.8 billion to restore cuts to all the uniformed services from sequestration. Particularly significant for Hampton Roads, Kaine said, is the boost in spending for ship operations and repairs.
Of that $1.8 billion, about $448 million is earmarked Navy-wide to address readiness shortfalls.
The bill would fund construction projects at Joint Base Langley Eustis, Naval Weapons Station Yorktown, Naval Station Norfolk and Naval Air Station Oceana. A list of those projects was not immediately available.
It authorizes a 1 percent across-the-board pay raise for uniformed service members, but rejects Defense Department proposals to establish or increase health care fees, deductibles and copayments.
In one environmental issue of note, it requires a report on the use of incinerators instead of burn pits to dispose of waste at bases in Afghanistan. Numerous service members say they now suffer a variety of health problems due to inhaling smoke from open burn pits. The military used the pits to dispose of everything from human waste to metals to computer equpiment.
As previously reported, the committee rejected the Obama administation's request for another military base-closing round in 2015. It also prohibits authorization of a future round until the Defense Department completes a formal assessment of U.S. military bases overseas.
It also contains a number of measures aimed at strengthening how cases of sexual assault are investigated and prosecuted.
It limits the authority of a higher-ranking officer to change the findings of a court martial on sexual offenses. It also requires an automatic review when a commander decides not to prosecute a sexual assault allegation.
Critics say these changes don't go far enough. A majority on the committee rejected calls from some senators to remove sexual assault cases from the chain of command and refer them to independent investigators.
The House bill would mandate at least two years in prison for a service member convicted of rape or sexual assault in a military court.
Rep. Tammy Duckworth, D-Ill., also argued that the House bill fell short. She wanted to give victims the option of going their commander in the chain of command or the Office of Chief Prosecutor. Her bid fell short.
###