Kelsey Snell writes the Senate is expected to vote on the omnibus spending bill before the week-long continuing resolution expires Friday.
The spending package that would fund government operations through September proposes at least $15 billion in funds for defense and $1.5 billion in border security spending, the report added.
Valerie Insinna also reports for Defense News the proposed fiscal 2017 spending measure would allocate $1.338 billion in research and development funds for the U.S. Air Forceâs B-21 bomber program, down from $1.358 billion the service branch originally requested for the program.
The bill also requires the Defense Departmentâs inspector general to review the B-21 program and classifies the bomber initiative as a âcongressional special interest itemâ that would provide lawmakers authority over âtransfer of funds and prior approval reprogramming procedures,â according to budget documents obtained by Defense News.
The proposed legislation would also allocate $75 million in additional funds for a program to replace the Air Force’s fleet of UH-1N Huey helicopters, Defense News said in a separate report Wednesday.
The proposed budget increase would bring the total funding for the Huey aircraft replacement program to $93 million, up from $18 million the Obama administration requested in 2016, the report added.