Small Wars Journal

Pentagon Finally Gets 2020 Budget From Congress

Fri, 12/20/2019 - 5:24am

Pentagon Finally Gets 2020 Budget From Congress by Joe Gould - Defense News

Three months late, the U.S. military finally has its budget for fiscal 2020.

Congress on Thursday sent President Donald Trump the final version of the 2020 defense appropriations bill, part of a broad $1.4 trillion spending deal to finalize federal spending for 2020 and avert a government shutdown. The defense bill would provide $738 billion.

On Thursday, the Senate passed the two spending packages that make up the deal, sending it to the White House, where the president is expected to sign it into law. Funding was in danger of expiring late Friday.

The defense bill dedicates $40 million to establish a new, sixth armed service for space, which was $32 million less than the administration’s request. Even as Congress approved a sweeping defense policy bill this week that re-designates Air Force Space Command, it included language to prohibit any new billets, meaning the organization must be built with existing forces…

Read on.