Senate Sends Defense Budget to Clinton
The Senate on Tuesday sent President Clinton a $263.8-billion defense budget for 1995 that closely reflects White House priorities while adding funds for bombers and cutting money for peacekeeping.
The measure, passed 80 to 18, slightly increases Clinton’s defense budget request for the fiscal year beginning Oct. 1 and represents an increase of $2.8 billion over this year’s defense budget. Adjusted for inflation, however, that translates into a cut of slightly less than 1%, the 10th consecutive real decline in the defense budget.
Included in the defense bill for fiscal 1995 is authorization for another aircraft carrier, three guided-missile destroyers and six C-17 air-lifters. It authorizes development funds for a new attack submarine, the F-22 fighter, a Marine Corps V-22 tilt-rotor troop carrier, and a new reconnaissance helicopter for the Army.
In the only significant cut from Clinton’s weapons procurement request, the final bill reduces funding for the troubled Tri-Service Standoff Attack Missile, or TSSAM, saving $298 million from the President’s original request of $606 million and reducing the request for 48 missiles to only 15 for research and testing.
The bill eliminates Clinton’s request for $300 million in Pentagon funds for United Nations peacekeeping operations.
Get the L.A. Times Politics newsletter
Deeply reported insights into legislation, politics and policy from Sacramento, Washington and beyond. In your inbox three times per week.
You may occasionally receive promotional content from the Los Angeles Times.
