Massive COVID government spending bill includes $696 billion to beef up America's defense

After months of negotiations, Congress has passed a massive spending package Monday evening, which includes $900 billion in COVID-19 relief and $1.4 trillion to avoid a government shutdown. The bill includes roughly $696 billion in funding for the Pentagon for fiscal year 2021, according to a summary of appropriations.

The defense allocation is an increase of $2.6 billion compared to fiscal year 2020 spending and $2.1 billion below President Trump's initial budget request.

“The American people expect us to do our job, and after many months of work on this legislation, I am hopeful we can swiftly advance the bipartisan package through Congress and on to the President’s desk. Funding the government, including our Armed Forces, is our fundamental responsibility,” Senate Appropriations Committee Chairman Richard Shelby, R-Ala., said in a statement.

CONGRESS UNVEILS MASSIVE $900B COVID GOVERNMENT SPENDING BILL AFTER MONTHS OF NEGOTIATIONS

The defense portion of the package includes $627.3 billion in base funding, an increase of $4.6 billion compared to fiscal year 2020 spending and $2.1 billion below Trump's budget request, and $68.7 billion for Overseas Contingency Operations funding, a decrease of $2 billion from the fiscal year 2020 and equal to Trump's budget request. It also provides full funding for a 3% military pay raise.

The bill also funds requests for 24 F/A-18E/F Super Hornet aircraft at $1.7 billion, 96 F-35 aircraft, including 60 F-35As, 10 F-35Bs, and 26 F-35Cs at $9.6 billion, 2 F-15EX aircraft to recapitalize the F-15C/D fleet at $1.2 billion, nine P-8A Poseidon aircraft at $1.6 billion and 17 C/MC/KC-130J aircraft, including two additional C-130Js only for the Air Force Reserve and an additional six C-130Js only for the Air National Guard, at $1.5 billion.

In addition, the bill contains $2.7 billion for 15 KC-46 tankers, $1.4 billion for 15 V-22 aircraft, $1.1 billion for nine CH-53K helicopters, $1.1 billion for 19 HH-60W combat rescue helicopters, $854 million for 52 AH-64 Apache helicopters, $786 million for five E-2D Advanced Hawkeye aircraft, $578 million for five VH-92 executive helicopters and $344 million for 16 MQ-9 Reaper air vehicles.

The package also surpasses Trump's funding requests for five CH-47F Block II Chinook aircraft by $189 million, 42 UH/HH-60M Blackhawk helicopters by $141 million and 12 MQ-1 Gray Eagle unmanned aircraft systems by $110 million.

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Meanwhile, $23.3 billion is provided in the bill to procure 10 Navy ships, including two DDG-51 guided missile destroyers, two Virginia Class Submarines, one Columbia Class Submarine, one Frigate, two towing salvage, and rescue ships, one Expeditionary Fast Transport, and one amphibious transport dock. Included in those funds is also $500 million for an LH9 amphibious assault ship and $73 million for advance procurement for one Expeditionary Sea Base.

For the Army, it funds upgrades for 271 Stryker combat vehicles at $1.16 billion, or $375 million over the request and 89 Abrams tanks to the M1A2 SEPv3 tank variant for $968 million. In addition, $100 million is provided for the Army National Guard to modernize Humvees.

It also funds the Army’s request for 1,920 Joint Light Tactical Vehicles and 1,334 JLTV companion trailers at $884 million and provides $861 million in funding for the Army's long-range hypersonic weapon. There is also $88.1 million above the request for systems integration and testing in support of the Army's mid-range missile development and $161 million to support the Army's Indirect Fire Protection capability program.

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