On June 16, the House Armed Services Committee approved, 61-0, the FY2010 Defense Authorization bill, (H.R. 2647). The subcommittees, including Military Personnel, approved their portions of the bill last week (see The Source, 6/12/09).
The measure would provide $690.4 billion in discretionary funds, which includes $130 billion for ongoing operations in Afghanistan and Iraq.
According to the committee summary, the bill would authorize spending for several health-related programs, including $26.9 billion for the Defense Health Program (p. 36), “and would direct the Department of Defense (DoD) to report on the health care needs of military families (p. 37).” The bill also would require service members with post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) or traumatic brain injury (TBI) to receive a medical examination before leaving the armed forces (p. 37).
Designating 2009 as the “Year of the Military Family,” the bill would authorize $135.7 billion “to meet the needs of our service members and their families (p. 36).” Included in that amount is $2.1 billion, which supports the president’s request for family support programs (p. 38). In addition, H.R. 2647 contains provisions that would help military spouses develop “portable careers” by establishing an internship pilot program with federal government agencies (p. 38-39), provide local education agencies with $50 million to support military children (p. 39), and require the DoD to review the monthly standards for calculating the basic housing allowance (p. 39).
H.R. 2647 reflects the committee’s ongoing concerns regarding the increased incidence of domestic violence within military families and sexual assault in the military ranks (p. 39). To that end, “[t]he committee directs [the] GAO [Government Accountability Office] to review and assess the progress DoD has made in implementing recommendations to reduce domestic violence incidents. The committee believes more needs to be done to reduce domestic violence within military families.”
With regard to sexual assault, the committee summary also states, “Stopping sexual assault is a significant priority. The committee believes DoD must take all necessary actions to prevent sexual assaults from occurring and must fully investigate and prosecute any such incidents. GAO is directed to report on the capacity of each of the services to investigate and adjudicate allegations of sexual assault. The department is also required to develop a sexual assault prevention program and must report on its ability to conduct investigations in a combat zone. Finally, DoD must inform a service member protected by a military restraining order that she or he has the right to request moving to a different base.”
Speaking in support of the defense authorization bill, Rep. Susan Davis (D-CA) said, “I am proud that this mark continues to improve the quality of life for our service members, their families, and military survivors…Service members and their families are bearing the burden of multiple deployments after nearly eight years of conflict. It is our responsibility to support our men and women in uniform and their families, given the enormous sacrifices they are making in defense of our nation.” Regarding sexual assault, Rep. Davis added, “The subcommittee continues its oversight and commitment to significantly reducing sexual assaults and harassment within the Department of Defense. The mark builds upon the past programs and policies and moves forward on efforts to reduce sexual assault and harassment within the Department of Defense.”
