FY 2014 Senate Department of Defense Appropriations Bill: S&T Programs
Earlier this month the Senate Appropriations Committee approved S. 1429, the Department of Defense Appropriations Bill for FY 2014. Accompanying this $594.4 billion bill is Senate Report 113-85 detailing the committee’s budget and policy recommendations.
Title IV of this report, starting on page 144, outlines the committee’s recommendations regarding Research, Development, Test and Evaluation. The Obama Administration requested $67,520.2 million; the bill provides $65,806.8 million.
House appropriators have approved their version of this FY 2014 funding bill; see FYI #104 for their recommendations. As explained in #104, and as is true in this FYI:
The tables in the committee report did not show current post-sequestration funding levels, using only the “Budget Request” for comparison purposes. The FY 2012 budget levels below, which were continued this year and then subjected to an approximate 8 percent sequestration reduction, and the FY 2014 request figures, are taken from FYI #67.
FY 2012 funding was $2,010.2 million
The FY 2014 request is $2,164.9 million, an increase of $154.7 million or 7.7 percent
The House Appropriations Committee recommendation is $2,169.9 million, an increase of $159.7 million or 7.9 percent compared to the FY 2012 level
The Senate Appropriations Committee recommendation is also $2,169.9 million, an increase of $159.7 million or 7.9 percent compared to the FY 2012 level
Total 6.2 Applied Research:
FY 2012 funding was $4,729.7 million
The FY 2014 request is $4,626.9 million, a decrease of $102.8 million or 2.2 percent
The House Appropriations Committee recommendation is $4,679.2 million, a decrease of $50.5 million or 1.1 percent compared to the FY 2012 level
The Senate Appropriations Committee recommendation is $4,641.9 million, a decrease of $87.8 million or 1.9 percent compared to the FY 2012 level
Total 6.3 Advanced Technology Development:
FY 2012 funding was $5,318.0 million
The FY 2014 request is $5,191.8 million, a decrease of $126.2 million or 2.4 percent
The House Appropriations Committee recommendation is $5,467.5 million, an increase of $149.5 million or 2.8 percent compared to the FY 2012 level
The Senate Appropriations Committee recommendation is $5,238.1 million, a decrease of $79.9 million or 1.5 percent compared to the FY 2012 level
Total 6.1, 6.2, and 6.3:
FY 2012 funding was $12,057.9 million
The FY 2014 request is $11,983.6 million, a decrease of $74.3 million or 0.6 percent
The House Appropriations Committee recommendation is $12,316.6 million, an increase of $258.7 million or 2.2 percent compared to the FY 2012 level
The Senate Appropriations Committee recommendation is $12,049.9 million, a decrease of $8.0 million or 0.1 percent compared to the FY 2012 level
Total Army 6.1, 6.2, and 6.3:
FY 2012 funding was $2,406.3 million
The FY 2014 request is $2,204.7 million, a decrease of $201.6 million or 8.4 percent
The House Appropriations Committee recommendation is $2,298.8 million, a decrease of $107.5 million or 4.5 percent compared to the FY 2012 level
The Senate Appropriations Committee recommendation is $2,395.8 million, a decrease of $10.5 million or 0.4 percent compared to the FY 2012 level
Total Navy 6.1, 6.2, and 6.3:
FY 2012 funding was $2,077.3 million
The FY 2014 request is $2,032.9 million, a decrease of $44.4 million or 2.1 percent
The House Appropriations Committee recommendation is $2,088.7 million, an increase of $11.4 million or 5.5 percent compared to the FY 2012 level
The Senate Appropriations Committee recommendation is $2,063.0 million, a decrease of $14.3 million or 0.7 percent compared to the FY 2012 level
Total Air Force 6.1, 6.2, and 6.3:
FY 2012 funding was $2,392.0 million
The FY 2014 request is $2,270.2 million, a decrease of $121.8 million or 5.1 percent
The House Appropriations Committee recommendation is $2,272.2 million, a decrease of $119.8 million or 5.0 percent compared to the FY 2012 level
The Senate Appropriations Committee recommendation is $2,294.5 million, a decrease of $97.5 million or 4.1 percent compared to the FY 2012 level
Total Defense-Wide (i.e., DARPA) 6.1, 6.2, and 6.3:
FY 2012 funding was $5,182.3 million
The FY 2014 request is $5,475.7 million, an increase of $293.4 million or 5.7 percent
The House Appropriations Committee recommendation is $5,656.9 million, an increase of $474.6 million or 9.2 percent compared to the FY 2012 level
The Senate Appropriations Committee recommendation is $5,296.8 million, an increase of $114.5 million or 2.2 percent compared to the FY 2012 level
The Senate report contains much language regarding defense R&D. In an introductory section entitled Committee Initiatives (page 7), the report explains:
“The Committee has included funding above the President’s budget request for several programmatic initiatives which the Committee believes are of inherent value for national defense. . . . For instance, the Committee provides additional research funding in the following areas: alternative energy, unexploded ordnance and landmine detection, nanotechnology, advanced metals and materials, military burn treatment, and traumatic brain injury and psychological health. The Committee believes additional research funding is warranted in these and other areas to ensure that the Department of Defense continues to pursue technological advances that are critical to our national defense.”
Navy:
“Defense Research Sciences. -- The Committee encourages the Department to continue to invest in advanced science and technology research. Examples of research include high temperature-resistant and other high performance materials, advanced structural systems for next generation aircraft, and other aerospace weapon systems. In addition, the Committee encourages the Department to invest in functional polymeric silicon materials for advanced energy storage, photovoltaic, and electronic applications.” (page163)
“Open Access to Federal Research. -- The Committee is concerned that despite significant Federal investments in scientific research, public access to the published results are limited. Improved access to cutting edge research will help individuals and commercial enterprises more rapidly translate research results into new products and services. To that end, the Committee encourages the Department of Defense to continue its actions to execute the Federal research public access policy recommendations as outlined by the Office of Science and Technology Policy in an effort to increase public access to published scientific research.” (page 180)
