The U.S. House Appropriations Committee on June 24 voted 34-27 to advance the Department of Defense Appropriations Act for Fiscal Year 2027, an historic discretionary funding package totaling more than $1 trillion led by U.S. Rep. Ken Calvert (R-CA) to prioritize next-generation weapons, operational readiness, and military personnel.
“The passage of our annual defense appropriations bill fulfills our commitment to keep America safe and ensure the U.S. military remains the strongest fighting force in the world,” said Rep. Calvert, who drafted H.R. 9495, which now heads to the full chamber for consideration. “The increased funding provided in this bill aims to achieve that urgent goal in addition to building off the defense innovation programs I have prioritized as chairman” of the House Appropriations Subcommittee on Defense.
Rep. Calvert also had two amendments to H.R. 9495 approved by the committee. The first makes technical, bipartisan changes to the bill and report, while the second strengthens military readiness, upholds pro-life principles, and prevents defense resources from being diverted to diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI), critical race theory (CRT), and other non-mission-focused programs.
The congressman also pointed out that the Defense Innovation Unit, the U.S. Department of Defense APFIT program, and the Civil Reserve Manufacturing Network are prioritized in the 152-page bill “to get our warfighters access to game-changing technologies, weapons, and the tools they need to win on the battlefield.”
Among some of the key highlights of the bill are that it would provide: $836 million to procure, for the first time, new-entrant low-cost munition systems and multiyear procurement authority; more than $7.5 billion for hypersonic weapons and test infrastructure; a military pay raise; an additional $15 million for the Military and Family Life Counseling Program; and $1.2 billion for counter-drug programs, among numerous other provisions.