While the nation swirls in the Sufi-dance around surveillance, the congressional defense committees have had their heads down, marking up the DOD money bills for the coming fiscal year (FY 2014).
When it comes to the overall totals in the defense money bills, the House committees are following the theme of sequestration-avoidance, which has characterized the congressional approach to defense all this year. This means providing funds more or less around the levels requested by the administration.
But the committees, especially the appropriators (who provide the real money), are also winking and nodding toward the reality that the sequester will probably continue this year and may well come around again next January if there is no broader agreement on the federal budget this year. Using every flexible tool they can find, the committees are looking for ways to make DOD whole, as far as possible.
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