1.4: War Spending Limits
REQUIRE THE PRESIDENT TO PROPOSE ANNUAL LIMITS FOR WAR SPENDING. Other Information:
Create a separate category for Overseas Contingency Operations (OCO). Discretionary spending constraints must not ignore spending
for the conflicts in Iraq and Afghanistan and other future conflicts. At the same time, budget rules should not determine
war policy. In order to balance these competing goals, the Commission chose as a starting point the more gradual of CBO’s
troop drawdown scenario, while providing the President and Congress with an opportunity to adjust the path to more accurately
track with actual projections of OCO spending needs. Spending for OCO would not count against the general security spending
cap, but would constitute a separate category subject to a dollar limit of its own. The Commission proposes establishing limits
on OCO spending based on CBO’s projection for a reduction of troop levels to 60,000 by 2015. In his FY 2012 budget, the President
may propose adjustments to the limits on OCO spending to reflect the administration’s projections for the costs of current
war policy. Any spending above the OCO limit must be either offset or subject to a 60-vote point of order (and all other requirements
established for regular emergency spending). OCO funds would be limited to spending that meets the OMB criteria for OCO designation.
Under these criteria funding for OCO could only be used in geographic areas in which combat or direct combat support operations
occur, and would generally be limited to: 1) Operations and maintenance for the transport of personnel, equipment, and supplies
to, from and within the theater of operations; deployment-specific training and preparation for units and personnel to assume
their directed mission; and the incremental costs above the funding programmed in the base budget to build and maintain temporary
facilities; provide food, fuel, supplies, contracted services and other support; and cover the operational costs of coalition
partners supporting US military missions; 2) Military personnel spending for incremental special pays and allowances for Service
members and civilians deployed to a combat zone; and incremental pay, special pays and allowances for Reserve Component personnel
mobilized to support war missions; 3) Procurement costs to replace losses that have occurred, but only for items not already
programmed for replacement in the Future Years Defense Plan; 4) Military construction spending for facilities and infrastructure
in the theater of operations in direct support of combat operations; and 5) Research and development projects required for
combat operations in these specific theaters that can be delivered in 12 months.
Indicator(s):
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