House and Senate conferees completed work on the 2008 defense appropriations bill, providing about $460 billion in spending authority. Rep. John Murtha, chairman of the defense panel of the House Appropriations Committee, said in a statement that the agreement “achieves a balance” between near-term deployment requirements and modernization to meet future threats. The measure is almost $40 billion more than enacted for Fiscal 2007 and does not include funding for Operation Iraqi Freedom. And, here’s the Senate Appropriations Committee summary.
With no end to the government shutdown in sight, Airmen, Guardians, and defense civilians face increasing uncertainty about whether or not they will be paid—and how to make ends meet if they are not.
