What This Bill Does
This bill would reduce the amount of money authorized (approved to be spent) for the Department of Defense in fiscal year 2024. The bill states that Congress believes many serious threats to national security are not military in nature and that defense budget cuts should be redirected to other national priorities.
Who It Affects
The Department of Defense and its programs are directly impacted. Military personnel, Defense Health Program beneficiaries (people who receive military health care), and federal civil service employees in defense-related positions are affected.
Key Provisions
• The Department of Defense's 2024 budget authorization would be reduced by $100,000,000,000 from the amount appropriated in the previous year (Sec. 3(a))
• Funding for the Defense Health Program would remain at the amount authorized for fiscal year 2024 (Sec. 3(b)(1))
• All military personnel accounts would keep their fiscal year 2024 authorized funding levels (Sec. 3(b)(2))
• Pay and benefits accounts for federal civil service employees would maintain their fiscal year 2024 authorized funding levels (Sec. 3(b)(3))
• The Secretary of Defense must consider recommendations from a Congressional Budget Office report titled "Illustrative Options for National Defense Under a Smaller Defense Budget" from October 2021 when deciding where to reduce spending (Sec. 3(c))
What Changes
If passed, the Department of Defense would receive $100,000,000,000 less in authorized funding than the prior year, while certain specific programs like military healthcare and personnel pay would be protected.
Important Definitions
None defined in the bill text.
I
118TH CONGRESS
1ST SESSION H. R. 1134
To reduce the amount authorized to be appropriated for the Department
of Defense for fiscal year 2024, and for other purposes.
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
FEBRUARY 21, 2023
Ms. LEE of California (for herself, Mr. POCAN, Mr. BLUMENAUER, Ms. BUSH,
Mr. GARCI´A of Illinois, Mr. GRIJALVA, Ms. NORTON, Ms. JAYAPAL, Ms.
OMAR, Mr. MCGOVERN, Ms. TLAIB, and Mrs. WATSON COLEMAN) intro-
duced the following bill; which was referred to the Committee on Armed
Services
A BILL
To reduce the amount authorized to be appropriated for
the Department of Defense for fiscal year 2024, and
for other purposes.
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representa-
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tives of the United States of America in Congress assembled,
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SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.
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This Act may be cited as the ‘‘People Over Pentagon
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Act of 2023’’.
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SEC. 2. SENSE OF CONGRESS.
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It is the sense of Congress that—
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•HR 1134 IH
(1) many of the most urgent threats to the na-
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tional security of the United States are not military
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in nature;
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(2) the Federal budget should reflect the na-
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tional priorities of the United States; and
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(3) in order to better protect the security of all
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people and address the national priorities of the
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United States, the budget of the Department of De-
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fense should be reduced and the associated savings
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should be reallocated.
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SEC. 3. REDUCTION IN AMOUNTS AUTHORIZED TO BE AP-
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PROPRIATED FOR THE DEPARTMENT OF DE-
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FENSE FOR FISCAL YEAR 2024.
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(a) IN GENERAL.—The amount authorized to be ap-
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propriated for the Department of Defense for 2024 is—
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(1) the aggregate amount appropriated for the
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Department of Defense for fiscal year 2023 in divi-
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sion C of the Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2023
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(Public Law 117–103), reduced by
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(2) $100,000,000,000.
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(b) FUNDING
FOR
CERTAIN
ACCOUNTS.—The
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amount authorized to be appropriated for each of the fol-
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lowing accounts of the Department of Defense shall be the
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amount authorized to be appropriated for such account
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for fiscal year 2024:
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•HR 1134 IH
(1) The Defense Health Program.
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(2) Each military personnel account.
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(3) Each account providing for pay and benefits
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for persons appointed into the civil service as defined
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in section 2101 of title 5, United States Code.
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(c) APPLICATION OF FUNDING CUTS.—In reducing
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funding for Department of Defense programs in accord-
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ance with subsection (a), the Secretary of Defense shall
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take into consideration the findings and recommendations
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contained in the Congressional Budget Office report enti-
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tled ‘‘Illustrative Options for National Defense Under a
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Smaller Defense Budget’’ and dated October 2021.
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Æ
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