Congress advances Defense budget bills

The Defense Department's fiscal 1999 authorization and appropriations bills are nearing President Clinton's desk as the final days of fiscal 1998 melt away.

On Thursday the House approved the conference agreement on the 1999 Defense authorization bill, which would provide $270.5 billion in budget authority. Senate and House conferees also concluded work on the 1999 Defense appropriations bill last week, approving $250.5 billion in spending.

The authorization bill includes a 3.6 percent pay raise for military personnel next year. President Clinton has agreed to extend the same raise to civilian employees. Other highlights include gender-integrated training restrictions and continued pressure to downsize the civilian workforce. The bill also authorizes emergency funding of up to $1.9 billion for a continuing presence of U.S. forces in Bosnia.

The act stopped short of mandating separate basic training programs for male and female recruits, though Congress gave the services until Oct. 1, 2001 to "provide for separate and secure housing for male and female recruits with sleeping areas separated by permanent walls and served by separate entrances." The bill also says that officers of the opposite sex can only enter sleeping areas after normal training hours if they are escorted by a member of the same gender as the recruits.

Congress included a provision forcing the Pentagon to downsize staff in the Office of the Secretary of Defense by withholding 10 percent of the office's funding until the Pentagon complies with congressional mandates for a smaller headquarters workforce. Congress also instructed DoD to further cut its acquisition workforce, mandating a 12,500 to 25,000 employee reduction by Oct. 1, 1999.

Some provisions not included in the authorization bill are as important as measures that were.

Congress ignored the Clinton Administration's request for authorization of two additional base closure rounds in 2001 and 2005. But an amendment that would have prevented any change in a base affecting more than 225 civilian workers without congressional approval was taken out in the face of opposition from Defense Secretary William Cohen.

The bill also did not include an amendment that would have ended a DoD pilot project testing a new system for procuring moving services for employees who must relocate. The project is attempting to improve military personnel's satisfaction with the moving services DoD arranges.

A provision requiring certain workloads at DoD depots be performed by federal workers, not contractors, was also removed at the Pentagon's behest.

Pentagon spokeswoman Susan Hansen said the administration is reviewing the conference report, but added, "I don't believe there is any item we see here that would call for the Secretary recommending a veto."