Washington, D.C. – Today, the House of Representatives met to consider the Defense Appropriations Act, 2025. The measure was approved by a vote of 217 to 198.
Defense Subcommittee ChairmanKen Calvert (R-CA) said, “I am proud of this year’s defense appropriations bill, which adheres to the fiscal constraints of the Fiscal Responsibility Act while providing a strong military to defend America, our allies, and partners. As Chairman of the Defense Subcommittee, the FY25 bill continues my focus on deterring China’s aggression with strategic investments in the Pacific, promoting innovation and modernization, optimizing the Pentagon’s civilian workforce, increasing the Department’s role in countering the flow of fentanyl into the U.S., and supporting our close ally, Israel. There’s no greater responsibility than supporting our servicemembers and their families, which is why the bill includes a 4.5% pay raise for all military personnel, plus $2.5 billion towards an additional 15% pay raise for junior enlisted servicemembers. This bill procures where we can, trains where we must, and invests in capabilities that will make our adversaries wake up every day and say, ‘today is not the day to provoke the United States of America.’”
Chairman Tom Cole (R-OK) said, “Whenever America calls, our military is there to carry out the mission before them. That must never change. This FY25 Defense bill ensures our defenders are equipped, trained, and prepared to protect the United States. It leads with strength against our adversaries, investing in capabilities to confront and defeat threats—if and when they arise. We enact pay raises for the nation’s junior enlisted, rejecting the Biden Administration’s calls to shortchange our servicemembers. Chairman Calvert concentrated each investment to delivering a combat-ready military that can preserve freedom. We hope for peace, while always being prepared to sustain it. Today’s passage shows the nation and each hero in uniform our dedication to doing just that.”
Subcommittee Chairman Calvert’s floor remarks are available here.
Chairman Cole's floor remarks, submitted for the record, are available here.
Fiscal Year 2025 DefenseAppropriations Act
The Defense Appropriations Act provides a total discretionary allocation of $833.053 billion, which is $8.57 billion (1%) above the Fiscal Year 2024 level and consistent with the limit set in law by the Fiscal Responsibility Act.
The bill strategically refocuses the Pentagon on its core mission: delivering combat-ready military forces to deter war and ensure national security. It eliminates funding for divisive social agendas and initiatives that do not align with the Department’s primary purpose.
Due to persistent oversight of program execution across the Department of Defense (DOD), the bill rejects $18 billion in unjustified and unnecessary items included in the President’s Budget Request and redirects those resources to programs and activities that counter the People’s Republic of China and other near-peer adversaries, foster innovation, enhance the DOD’s role in combating the flow of fentanyl and other illegal drugs, and support servicemembers and their families.
Key Takeaways
- Prioritizes the fight against China by:
- Allocating $200 million for Taiwan's international security cooperation programs and prioritizing defense articles and services to Taiwan.
- Preventing the early retirement of three ships and retaining the U-2 and certain F-15s, rejecting the Biden Administration’s naval and air force divestment plans.
- Increasing investments in 5th and 6th generation aircraft like the F-35 and Next Generation Air Dominance.
- Supporting the Pacific Deterrence Initiative, which enhances U.S. military capabilities in the Indo-Pacific region, including funding for several INDOPACOM unfunded priorities.
- Promotes innovation and modernizes our military by:
- Funding the Office of Strategic Capital’s loans and loan guarantees to maximize the use of private capital to advance emerging technologies and manufacturing, including through private investment funds.
- Allocating over $1.3 billion for the Defense Innovation Unit (DIU) and select Defense-Wide innovation efforts to deliver capabilities from nontraditional sources, including small and medium-sized businesses.
- Continuing $220 million in direct support to combatant commanders through the DIU to quickly obtain the cutting-edge technology and weapons they need and to rapidly get them to the warfighter.
- Increasing funding for DIU Fielding efforts and the military services to accelerate acquisition processes to ensure we have the most innovative technology in time for the fight.
- Fostering competition to attract America’s best companies and talent, increasing flexibility for DIU Fielding in exchange for greater transparency with Congress.
- Providing $400 million for the Accelerate the Procurement and Fielding of Innovative Technologies (APFIT) program to help bridge a “Valley of Death” and transition cutting-edge capabilities to the warfighter in an accelerated timeline.
- Investing in next-generation fighter aircraft, helicopters, tactical combat vehicles, and submarines.
- Supporting the modernization of the nuclear triad: the B-21 Raider, the Columbia Class Submarine, and Sentinel.
- Provides for our servicemembers and their families by:
- Funding a 4.5% pay raise for all military personnel.
- Providing $2.5 billion for an additional 15% pay increase for junior enlisted servicemembers.
- Prohibiting the moving of National Guard missions, functions, or personnel to the Space Force in contravention of current law.
- Continues to optimize the Pentagon’s civilian workforce by:
- Cutting over $916 million from the President’s Budget Request for the civilian workforce.
- Maintaining pressure on the Pentagon and the military services to, in coordination with the Department’s technology experts, take a serious look at what functions can be done better by technology than by civilians.
- Ensuring the Department has an appropriate workforce for areas that directly serve the warfighter, like depots and shipyards.
- Cutting $500 million from the President’s Budget Request for excess advisory and assistance contractors.
- Identifying $100 million in savings to account for efficiencies and management improvements.
- Enhances DOD’s role in countering the flow of illicit fentanyl and synthetic opioids by:
- Allocating $1.14 billion for drug interdiction and counterdrug activities, which is $242 million above the President’s Budget Request.
- Increasing funding for the National Guard Counterdrug Program.
- Transferring Mexico from U.S. Northern Command’s jurisdiction to U.S. Southern Command for better coordination and prioritization.
- Supports our close ally Israel by:
- Providing $500 million for the Israeli Cooperative Missile Defense Programs, to include Iron Dome, David’s Sling, and Arrow missile defense systems.
- Providing $80 million above the President’s Budget Request for U.S.-Israeli anti-tunneling cooperation.
- Providing $55 million above the President’s Budget Request for counter-UAS development and directed energy and laser technology cooperation.
- Prohibiting funds to withhold the delivery of defense articles and defense services from the United States to Israel, requiring that any defense article withheld from delivery to Israel be delivered within 15 days, and requiring the Secretary of Defense to obligate any remaining unobligated balances for assistance for Israel within 30 days.
- Prohibiting funds for the United Nations Relief and Works Agency (UNRWA).
- Focuses the Department on its core responsibilities by:
- Cutting $18 billion from the President’s Budget Request and redirecting that funding to address warfighting needs, counter China, and support our servicemembers and their families.
- Cutting $621.2 million from the President’s Budget Request for climate change initiatives.
- Cutting $53 million from the President’s Budget Request for diversity and inclusion initiatives.
- Prohibiting funds to House illegal immigrants on military installations.
- Prohibiting censoring constitutionally protected speech of Americans.
- Prohibiting funding for diversity, equity, and inclusion offices.
- Prohibiting the implementation, administration, or enforcement of the Biden Administration’s executive orders on diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI).
- Defunding the position of Deputy Inspector General for Diversity and Inclusion and Extremism in the Military and the position of Chief Diversity Officer.
- Prohibiting the use of funds to perform medical procedures that attempt to change an individual’s biological gender.
- Prohibiting events on military installations or as part of recruiting programs that bring discredit upon the military, such as a drag queen story hour for children or the use of drag queens as military recruiters.
- Prohibiting the promotion or advancement of critical race theory (CRT).
- Prohibiting funding for the President’s controversial climate change executive orders and regulations.
- Supports American values and principles by:
- Prohibiting paid leave and travel or related expenses of a servicemember or their dependents to obtain an abortion or abortion-related services.
- Protecting Americans against religious discrimination.
- Prohibiting the recruitment, hiring, or promotion of any person who has been convicted of charges related to child p*rnography or other sexual misconduct.
- Prohibiting the granting, renewing, or maintaining of a security clearance for individuals listed as a signatory on the “Public Statement on the Hunter Biden Emails” dated October 19, 2020.
- Prohibiting contracts with NewsGuard Technologies Inc. which is known to target conservative news outlets.
- Preventing COVID-19 vaccine and mask mandates.
- Prohibiting funding for the Wuhan Institute of Virology and EcoHealth Alliance.
A summary of the bill,before adoption of amendments, is availablehere.
Bill text, before adoption of amendments, is available here.
Bill report is available here.
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