Obama signs $633-billion defense bill

  • Published
  • By Jim Garamone
  • American Forces Press Service
WASHINGTON (AFPS) --  President Barack Obama signed the $633 billion fiscal 2013 National Defense Authorization Act into law Jan. 2.

The legislation, which cleared Congress last month, authorizes the Defense Department to act in any number of instances and allows the department to institute pay raises, bonuses and incentive pay for personnel.

It includes a 1.7 percent pay raise for military personnel, and contains $527.5 billion for DOD's base budget, $88.5 billion for overseas contingency operations and $17.8 billion for national security programs in the Energy Department and Defense Nuclear Facilities Safety Board.

It also extends the Commanders' Emergency Response Program that has been used in Afghanistan and Iraq. It authorizes a one-year extension of the Afghan Infrastructure Fund and extends the Coalition Support Fund and the Pakistan Counterinsurgency Fund. In Iraq, the law authorizes U.S. training activities.

The law also authorizes changes needed to deter sexual assault in the military.
In addition, it establishes the Military Compensation and Retirement Modernization Commission which will examine all aspects of military compensation. Officials stress that any possible changes to military retirement benefits that the group recommends will not affect current service members.

Air Force structure was of some concern to the department going into the process, but officials say they were pleased with the outcome. The Air Force also received 32 more C-130 Hercules aircraft than requested.

The act raises the co-pay for medications under Tricare through 2022. The legislation also limits any annual increases in pharmacy co-payments to increases in retiree cost of living adjustments.

The authorization also provides DOD funds for servicewomen who need abortions in case of rape or incest.

Among other programs, the act authorizes the defense biofuel initiative as well as counternarcotic authorities.

Passage of the legislation is particularly important this year because the department is operating on a continuing resolution through March which may be continued again through the rest of the fiscal year. The resolution maintains funding at 2012 budget levels, without which mission-essential programs would be shut down.