US
06/02/2008 16:27
|
|
 |
Congressional approval of a defence budget request from the Bush administration could double procurement funding, it has been suggested.
Steven Kosiak of the Centre for Strategic and Budgetary Assessments told GovernmentExecutive.com that the procurement budget would match the peak year of 1985, if endorsed by Congress.
President George W Bush has called for a 7.5 per cent increase over last year's budget with his $515.4 billion (£261 billion) defence budget request.
Part of the request - almost a third - would be earmarked for military pay and healthcare with proposals set out to see service members receive a 3.4 per cent pay increase next year.
Meanwhile healthcare costs would make up $23.6 billion of the budget request with the Pentagon confirming that it wished to extend benefits to servicemen and women.
Increases in ground forces also form part of the budget with the $20.5 billion designated to adding 65,000 Army soldiers and 27,000 marines.
Steve Stanley, director of force structure, resources and assessment for the joint staff, indicated that relieving the stress on troops serving repeated tours in Iraq and Afghanistan was the main priority behind the request.
The US is currently in the grips of presidential fever with Super Tuesday seeing many states hold their presidential primary nominations.
|
| |
| Bookmark this article
|
|
|
|
|
| |
Like
this story ? Want more stories like this delivered to your desk
automatically ?
Sign-up for a
our free newsletter now ! |
Have
an opinion about this article? Visit
our blog !
|
eProcurement and
Purchasing Software Solutions are available from
Mikrofax Software
|
 |
< back
|