See How Your Politicians Voted
Title: Authorization bill FY96, Defense Department
Vote Smart's Synopsis:
Vote to adopt a conference report that appropriates $266.55 billion to the Department of Defense, sets armed forces personnel strengths, and revises Department of Defense policies.
Highlights:
- Requires the mandatory discharge or immediate retirement of an HIV-positive member of the Armed Forces.
- Bans the use of any overseas military facility for performance of an abortion unless the health of the woman is endangered, or if the pregnancy is the result of a rape or incest.
- Increases the rates of basic pay for members of the uniformed forces by 2.4 percent.
- Sets end strengths for active duty personnel at 495,000 for the Army, 428,340 for the Navy, 388,200 for the Air Force and 174,000 for the Marine Corps.
- Requires the number of active duty armed forces to exceed the amount necessary for the United States to be able to successfully conduct two simultaneous regional contingencies.
- Expresses the sense of Congress that the United States, Russia, and all parties of the START II Treaty and the Chemical Weapons Convention should promptly ratify and implement both treaties.
- Continues missile defense programs and urges the President to work to get the cooperation of allies to develop, deploy, and operate ballistic missile defenses.
- $94.32 billion for operation and maintenance, including $21.41 billion for the Navy, $18.69 billion for the Army, $18.67 billion for the Air Force, and $9.88 billion for medical programs.
- $69.3 billion for military personnel.
- $35.61 billion for research, development, testing, and evaluation.
- $16.78 billion for procurement for the Air Force, including funds for B-2 bombers.
- $16.07 billion for procurement for the Navy and Marine Corps.
- $11.57 billion for national security programs, including $3.71 billion for weapons activities.
- $11.23 billion for military construction.
- $7.89 billion for procurement for the Army.