The Senate Thursday sent the $270 billion Defense Authorization Act for 1999 to the President, approving the measure on a 96-2 vote.
The House passed the authorization measure last week. Both chambers have also approved the $250 billion 1999 Defense Appropriations Act, which does not include about $20 billion for nuclear programs at the Energy Department that are wrapped into the authorization bill.
The authorization bill includes a 3.6 percent pay raise for military personnel next year, restrictions on gender-integrated training and orders to cut staff in the Office of the Secretary of Defense and DoD's acquisition workforce. The bill also provides emergency funding of up to $1.9 billion for a continuing presence of U.S. forces in Bosnia.
In addition, the bill authorizes a demonstration project allowing 66,000 Medicare-eligible military retirees to enroll in the Federal Employees Health Benefits Program.
On Tuesday, lawmakers took military leaders to task for not warning them of declines in readiness in time to add money to the 1999 bills. General Henry H. Shelton, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, said the Pentagon needs an additional budget boost of $17.5 billion a year to prevent a collapse in military readiness.
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