Washington Digest: House vote would freeze most military spending

WASHINGTON - The House last week approved $606 billion in its annual spending bill for defense after debating dozens of amendments seeking cuts or changes in Pentagon policies.

The bill that covers fiscal 2013 operations passed 326-90. It would spend $2 billion more than requested by President Barack Obama, and it drew an Obama veto threat for exceeding a budget cap that Congress set last summer.

The Senate is forming its own defense bill, but Majority Leader Harry Reid, D-Nev., has said it is unlikely to be considered before October, the beginning of the new fiscal year.

Reps. Shelley Berkley, D-Nev., and Joe Heck and Mark Amodei, both R-Nev., voted for the bill.

Before passage, lawmakers approved an amendment that freezes defense spending at 2012 levels, except for military pay, health programs and the Afghanistan war.

The freeze amounted to a reduction of $1.1 billion from the bill written by the House Appropriations Committee. Amendment sponsor Mick Mulvaney, R-S.C., said it still was comfortably more than the Pentagon requested.

"If I thought for a second that this amendment would put a single citizen at risk, I would take it down immediately," Mulvaney said.

"All it does is freeze spending from last year. If we cannot do that simple task, do we really think we have an honest chance of solving our debts and our deficit problems?"

In rebuttal, Rep. Rodney Freling­huysen, R-N.J., said the spending freeze will leave gaps in defense.

"We need to be prepared to respond to every future crisis," he said. "Who knows where that may be."

Mulvaney's amendment passed, 247-167. Berkley and Amodei voted for it. Heck voted against it.

SPORTS RECRUITING DEFENDED

Lawmakers voted to defend the National Guard's practice of soliciting recruits by sponsoring sporting events such as NASCAR races and bass fishing.

Rep. Jack Kingston, R-Ga., proposed to strip $72 million set aside for sports sponsorships, arguing they were not effective tools. He noted the Army dropped its NASCAR affiliation earlier this month.

"The demographic of NASCAR is that 69 percent of the people are over 35," Kingston said. "So when they go and they're pushing their brand or advertising at NASCAR, nearly 70 percent of the people aren't eligible. That's not their target group."

Rep. Patrick McHenry, R-N.C., responded the amendment amounted to micromanaging the National Guard. He said the sponsorships generate good will and media exposure.

"It comes from 5.5 million pieces of merchandise and apparel that has 'National Guard' on it, which has a value of roughly $70 million," he said. "This is a huge return for the buck."

Kingston's amendment was killed 202-216. Berkley, Heck and Amodei voted against it.

SENATE IN KNOTS

The Senate failed to move forward, with Republicans blocking action on two Democratic bills.

A bill called the DISCLOSE Act would require individuals and corporations to disclose campaign donations of more than $10,000 to independent groups that run political ads.

It failed to get more than 53 votes when 60 were needed to advance.

Democrats, who are being outspent by Republican-backed "superPACs" fueled by large and sometimes undisclosed donations, said anonymous spending is tilting political discourse in favor of big-dollar interests.

Republicans said the bill amounted to an attack on free speech. They also accused Democrats of giving a pass to their labor union allies.

The Senate took two votes on the DISCLOSE Act before moving on to other matters. The final try was 53-45.

Sen. Harry Reid, D-Nev., voted for the DISCLOSE Act. Sen. Dean Heller, R-Nev., voted to block it.

Democrats also failed to overcome a GOP blockade of a bill they said would discourage companies from outsourcing U.S. jobs.

The bill would offer a 20 percent tax credit for companies that shift overseas jobs to the United States, while eliminating tax credits for companies that send jobs abroad.

Senators voted 56-42 on a procedural motion, short of the 60 needed. Leaders could not agree if any amendments would be allowed for debate on the bill.

Reid and Heller voted to advance the bill.

Contact Stephens Washington Bureau Chief Steve Tetreault at stetreault@stephensmedia.com or 202-783-1760. Follow him on Twitter @STetreaultDC.