On September 10, the Senate Appropriations Committee approved, 30-0, the FY2010 Department of Defense spending bill (H.R. 3326); the Senate Appropriations Subcommittee on Defense approved the bill on September 9. The House approved its version of the spending measure on July 30 (see The Source, 7/31/09).
The bill would provide $625.815 billion in FY2010, $19.949 billion more than FY2009 (excluding emergency and supplemental appropriations) and $3.497 billion less than President Obama’s request (excluding emergency and supplemental appropriations).
The bill would fund Defense Health Programs at $28.311 billion in FY2010, $2.485 billion above FY2009 and $407.95 million more than President Obama’s request. Cancer research programs would receive $240 million in FY2010. Included in that amount is level-funding of $150 million for the Breast Cancer Research Program. The Ovarian Cancer Research Program would receive $10 million, $10 million below FY2009(p. 222)
Report Language
The committee “understands the Reach Out and Read early literacy program may present a unique opportunity to support military families with young children. The committee therefore encourages the Department [of Defense] to consider funding the continued implementation of Reach Out and Read pilot projects” (p. 58-59).
