The Senate Armed Services Committee is expected to begin debate on their version of the Defense Authorization Bill in mid-June. Eventually the House and Senate bills will be reconciled in Conference Committee.
H.R. 1540 authorized spending and set policy for the Department of Defense for FY 2012. The bill provides $367 million to DOD for military construction projects on Guam and allocates $33 million in federal assistance to Guam for infrastructure improvements, as requested in the president’s budget. Servicemembers will receive a 1.6 percent pay increase, and DOD would be required to assess the structural integrity and infrastructure improvements needed for strategic seaports to meet national security and readiness requirements.
Bordallo also sponsored several amendments to the NDAA. These amendments include providing an additional $10 million for operational facilities within the Army National Guard; $983,000 for the Navy Sea Cadet Corps; and $2 million for a study on renewable and alternative energy applications for military installations and operations. Bordallo also sponsored an amendment that requires the Department of Defense to update a report on strategic seaports to determine the true costs of improving infrastructure at seaports, and what future legislative changes may be necessary to fund such improvements.
The NDAA fully authorizes all military construction on Guam totaling $367 million; however, the fuel systems maintenance hangar project at Andersen Air Force Base will be incrementally funded over two years. Thus the actual appropriated funds for military construction are reduced to $303 million in FY 2012. The Committee will generally incrementally fund military construction projects that are large and will take several years to complete.
