Cochran Mum on Extra $38 Billion for Defense
WASHINGTON — The chairman of the Senate subcommittee that doles out defense dollars is playing coy about whether he will include $38 billion in extra funds in his 2016 Pentagon spending bill.
The House and Senate Armed Services committees, followed this week by the House Appropriations Defense subcommittee, crafted legislation with nearly $90 billion overseas contingency operations (OCO) funds. That’s $38 billion more than the White House requested — monies added by GOP leaders to secure defense hawks’ votes on their 2016 budget blueprint.
CongressWatch on Wednesday asked Senate Appropriations Committee Chairman Thad Cochran, R-Miss., if he would do the same. Cochran kept his cards close.
Defense News
5/20/15
Magnolia Tribune
