Operational Funding

摘要

Unlike past years, Congress did not include section 9006, or "train and equip" authority," in this year's Defense Appropriations Act. Previously, Congress had authorized the use of up to $500,000,000 in Department of Defense (DoD) Operation and Maintenance (O & M) funds to be used to "train, equip and provide related assistance only to military or security forces in Iraq and Afghanistan." Historically, the DoD has not exercised its authority under this section, possibly because of the weighty notification requirements. The provision required the DoD to notify, before providing assistance, all of the Congressional Defense committees, as well as the Committee on International Relations and the Senate Committee on Foreign Relations. In the conference report accompanying the Appropriations Act for this year, Congress explained that, "[t]he conferees delete language as proposed by the House, which provided funds for support to the military and security forces of Iraq and Afghanistan. These matters are addressed in the relevant appropriations accounts."