A spending bill introduced to the House on Monday allocates an additional $10.4 billion to the Department of Defense to help soften the blow of sequestration.
The House Appropriations Committee introduced the $982 billion bill that would fund the government through the end of the fiscal year and prevent a government shutdown on March 27 when the current spending bill expires.
The bill takes the $85 billion in sequestration effects, but allocates extra money into the Pentagon’s operations and maintenance account. It includes $518 billion for defense, $2 billion more than President Obama requested in this year’s budget.
“The legislation will avoid a government shutdown on March 27th, prioritize DoD and Veterans programs, and allow the Pentagon some leeway to do its best with the funding it has,” Chairman Hal Rogers said in a statement.
