Congress Agrees on 2016 Defense Spending Bill

Lawmakers in the House and Senate agreed Sept. 29 on a $604.2 billion defense-spending bill for fiscal year 2016, which began Oct. 1 and continues through next Sept. 30. The measure includes a 1.3-percent raise in basic pay for service members, to take effect Jan. 1. General and flag officers would receive no pay raise. The House passed its version of the bill May 15 by a 269-151 vote. The Senate approved its version June 18 by a vote of 71-25. Including $515 billion for national defense and $89.2 billion for overseas contingency operations, the bill matches the level the Obama administration requested in the initial budget request earlier this year.