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McCollum Amendment Passes House -- Reduces Spending on Military Bands Amendment Saves U.S. Taxpayers $124,800,000

Press Release

Date: July 7, 2011
Location: Washington, DC
Issues: Defense Military Personnel

This afternoon, the U.S. House of Representatives passed an amendment offered by Congresswoman Betty McCollum (MN-04) to save taxpayers $124,800,000 by limiting Pentagon spending on military bands to $200 million in the Fiscal Year 2012 defense appropriations bill. The amendment passed the House by a vote of 226-201 with 90 Republicans joining 136 Democrats. The 2012 Defense Appropriations Act -- H.R. 2219 -- proposes to spend $650 billion to fund the Pentagon and war operations in Iraq and Afghanistan.

"While I respect the service of military musicians, spending $325 million on bands and musical performances is excessive," said Congresswoman McCollum. "At a time when emergency nutritional support is being cut for hungry infants and women and other painful cuts to vulnerable Americans, spending more than $200 million on military bands is an extra America cannot afford."


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