Chairman Calvert Statement on the FY24 Defense Appropriations Act

oday, Defense Appropriations Subcommittee Chairman Ken Calvert (CA-41) announced the details of the defense appropriations act contained in the second package of final Fiscal Year 2024 appropriations bills.

“The Fiscal Year 2024 Defense Appropriations Act provides our military with the resources it needs to protect America and defend our interests around the globe,” said Chairman Calvert. “Consistent with the top line agreement, this package reinvests in our men and women in uniform and funds the capabilities necessary to secure our nation. As Chairman of the House Appropriations Defense Subcommittee, I have prioritized five areas that are reflected in this act: countering China and staying ahead of our adversaries; prioritizing innovation for military superiority; achieving a more efficient and effective Pentagon; enhancing the military’s role in counterdrug efforts; and supporting our servicemembers and their families.”

Countering China

“To stay ahead of our most pressing national security challenge, a rising China, the FY24 defense appropriations act focuses on the capabilities and assets required to put us in a position, along with our allies, to secure our priorities in the Pacific.”

The act includes:

• Funding to max out production of critical munitions.
• Doubling security cooperation funding for Taiwan.
• Funding the modernization of the nuclear triad.
• $33.5 billion for procurement of 8 new battle force ships and rejecting divestment of 4 ships.
• Procurement of next-generation aircraft, including 86 F-35, 15 KC-46A, and 24 F-15EX.
• More than $200 million in support of the Replicator autonomous systems initiative.
• 8 C-130Js and 750 modernized Humvees for the National Guard to defend the homeland.

Prioritizing Innovation

“The best way to leverage America’s technological superiority into a military advantage is to disrupt the status quo in our weapons acquisition process and find new ways to deliver innovative tools more rapidly to our warfighters. I am proud of the historic investments included in this act for new funding pathways to invest in innovation.”

The act includes:

• Nearly $1 billion for the Defense Innovation Unit and military services to accelerate acquisition, a substantial increase from the $100 million requested in the President’s Budget, including
  • $220 million to accelerate fielding of the most pressing combatant commander priorities, and
  • $134 million for the DIU and Service Non-traditional Innovative Fielding Enterprise.
• $84 million for the newly authorized Office of Strategic Capital.
• $300 million for APFIT, a program spearheaded by Rep. Calvert to provide bridge funding for needed capability in the near term.
• Authority for DIU fielding activities to utilize budget activity eight (BA8) for agile research, development, test and evaluation, procurement, production, modification, and operation and maintenance.

Funding a More Efficient and Effective Pentagon

“With more fiscally restrained budgets chasing increasing national security needs we simply cannot afford inefficiencies at the Defense Department. The changes included in the act will force long overdue modernization and optimization at the Pentagon.

The act includes:

• Reinvestment of over $30 billion in unjustified requests towards warfighter needs.
• Cutting $1.2 billion from the request for additional civilian bureaucrats.
• $749.6 million to accelerate the Department’s digital transformation of business practices.

Enhances The Military’s Role in Combatting the Fentanyl Crisis

“No foreign activity is killing more Americans than the importation of fentanyl. The act increases the role of the U.S. military as part of a whole-of-government approach to attacking the movement of fentanyl base chemicals produced in China and then sold to Mexican drug cartels, resulting in massive amounts of fentanyl-related drug products flowing across our border and into our communities.”

The act includes:

• $703 million for counternarcotics support.
• $138 million for demand reduction.
• $306 million for the National Guard Counterdrug program, the highest level on record.
• $30 million for National Guard Counterdrug Schools.
• $20 million for train and equip programs with Mexico.

Caring for our Servicemembers and their Families

“The men and women serving in our military are what truly separates our fighting force from any other in the world. The FY24 act invests in our most important assets with a pay raise to keep up with the increased cost-of-living and important family resources.”

The act includes:

• 5.2% basic military pay increase, the largest in over 20 years.
• $123 million for recruiting and retention incentives and cost-of-living adjustments.
• $30 million for the military services to combat food insecurity.
• $177 million for additional quality-of-life initiatives.
• An additional $85 million for a total of $211.5 million for the National Guard Youth Challenge.