2017 mark: $81.6 billion (including OCO)
2017 OCO: $172 million
2016 Enacted: $79.9 billion
2016 OCO: $0
President's Request: $82.8 billion (including OCO)
MILITARY CONSTRUCTION: $5.6 billion, which is $120 million less than the President’s budget request, is provided for Military Construction programs.
* The total funding for Reserve Components is $672.6 million, which is $122 million above the FY2016 enacted level and equal to the President’s request.
* The Chairman’s mark fully funds the 2015 budget request for Family Housing construction at $1.3 billion, which is $84.4 million less than the FY2016 level.
* The Chairman’s mark provides $230.2 million for the Base Realignment and Closure (BRAC) account, which is $36 million less than the FY2016 level and $25 million more than the President’s budget request.
* The Chairman’s mark continues language preventing the transfer of detainees and prohibiting closure or realignment of Naval Station Guantanamo Bay Cuba.
VETERANS AFFAIRS: The Chairman’s mark includes $73.5 billion in discretionary funding, which is $2.1 billion above the 2016 level.
* As authorized by Congress in 2009, the VA medical services accounts are provided funding one year in advance, and the Chairman’s mark includes the budget request of $66.3 billion in discretionary funding for the FY2018 advance appropriations for VA medical services.
* The Chairman’s mark includes $850 million for the current year budget request for medical services, which is $228 million less than the request level. This is in addition to the FY 2016 advance appropriation provided in the FY 2015 law.
* The Chairman’s mark provides $663 million for Medical and Prosthetic Research, which is $32 million above the FY 2016 enacted level and equal to the President’s request.
* The Chairman’s mark provides $528 million for Construction, Major Projects, which is $1.2 billion less than the FY2016 enacted level and equal to the President’s request. The mark also continues restricting availability of funding for major construction projects costing more than $100 million until VA certifies having obtained independent design and construction oversight for the project.
* The Chairman’s mark includes $337 million for VA General Administration, which is equal to the FY2016 enacted level and $81 million less than the President’s budget request.
* The Chairman’s mark includes $4.2 billion for VA Information Technology, which is $87.5 million more than the FY2016 enacted level and $57 million less than the President’s request.
* The Chairman’s mark does not include the current year budget request of $649 million for Non-recurring maintenance in Medical Facilities.
* The Chairman’s mark includes language preventing Senior Executives at the VA from receiving performance bonuses.
OTHER VA ISSUES:
* Electronic Health Records: Consistent with previous Appropriations bills, the Chairman’s mark includes language requiring the VA to provide information on the VistA Evolution system before release of the funding provided.
* Disability Claims Backlog: The Chairman’s mark continues monthly reporting requirements from regional offices on disability claims processing performance and quality reports on remediation efforts at the poorest performing regional offices.
Source: U.S. Department of HCA
