The Senate on Aug. 23 wasted no time in passing its version of the fiscal year 2019 defense appropriations legislation as part of an $856.9 billion “minibus” spending package (H.R. 6157).

The Senate has not moved this fast on the appropriations bill in the better part of a decade. The legislation was passed following two days of debate, by a vote of 85-7. The legislation supports funding the measures in the FY2019 National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA), including the 2.6 percent pay raise for troops. But the approval process is not done yet, and there is a chance Congress would instead pursue a continuing resolution and more budget uncertainty.

[SEND A MESSAGE TO CONGRESS: Please let your members of Congress know you support their efforts to stay on pace with this important legislation. Click here and act now.]

Sen. Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) said in a statement, “as ever, our obligation to this all-volunteer force is to provide adequate training, weaponry, and skills so that Americans always prevail on the battlefield.”

[RELATED READING:President Trump signs NDAA into law at Fort Drum]

The Senate bill, which approved $674.9 billion in discretionary defense spending, will now be reconciled with the House version of the FY2019 defense spending legislation in conference when the House returns in September.

The House passed their defense spending bill, on June 28, by a vote of 359-49, approving $674.6 billion in discretionary spending for defense.

Uncertainty ahead

Congressional leadership has maintained a pace to have both the NDAA and appropriations bill completed and signed into law by the President before Oct. 1, the start date of the new fiscal year.

There is a concern, however, that other non-defense related political issues in this midterm election year, might slow down or even possibly derail this effort forcing a potential situation that could lead to a continuing resolution (CR) instead of a fully funded NDAA.

MOAA's President and CEO Lt. Gen. Dana T. Atkins, USAF (Ret.), sent a letter to the leadership of the House and Senate appropriations committees, the day after the Senate bill was passed. In his letter, Gen. Atkins thanked them for their “effective leadership and commitment they have demonstrated on behalf of our men and women in uniform” and he urged them to remain “steady in their focus to deliver by the end of September the appropriations necessary to fully support the FY2019 NDAA.”

We remain a nation at war. Our services over the past several years have suffered from the long-term effects of successive continuing resolutions, which have over time, contributed to a decline in the overall readiness of the joint force.

As the FY2019 defense appropriations legislation now moves into its final phase with Congress, before going to the President, we need MOAA members to engage with their elected representatives. Let them know that you strongly support their efforts to stay on pace to complete the defense spending bill and get it signed into law by the President before the start of the new fiscal year.

Please click here to send a message to your elected representatives.