Senate Budget Resolution Sets Up Battle With House Over Defense Funding

The Senate Budget Committee released its version of the Fiscal Year 2016 budget resolution, setting up a battle with the House over disagreements on defense spending. In contrast to the House version of the budget resolution, the Senate adhered to the $523 billion defense cap put in place by the Budget Control Act and maintained Overseas Contingency Operations funding at $58 billion. The House budget resolution calls for $94 billion in OCO funds, which could free up defense money to support increase for strategic nuclear programs in President Obama’s FY 2016 budget request. The Senate plan also would create a “deficit-neutral reserve fund” that could boost defense spending if an agreement is reached later this year to do away with budget caps put in place in the Budget Control Act.