The House overwhelmingly approved a $289 billion defense appropriations bill for 2001 that includes more than $250 million for information technology programs.
The House voted 367 to 58 on Wednesday for passage of the bill, which provides a $150 million increase for information assurance and computer network security programs, including $36 million for hardware and software designed to monitor the military's global networks for security breaches.
House and Senate conferees also added $3.5 billion for research and development.
Major efforts are under way within all the military services to restructure and reorganize based on their ability to gather and disseminate information faster than potential adversaries. That would allow U.S. forces to better understand the battlefield situation and to make decisions more quickly.
Military officials and other experts and proponents have pushed steadily for an increase in defense spending, citing increased deployments, funding shortfalls and decreasing readiness. And at least one lawmaker has suggested that the Pentagon may require even more funding in the future.
"[The defense appropriations bill] is a good start toward ensuring that America's military can meet the challenges that lie ahead and ensure the safety and security of all Americans well into the 21st Century," said Floyd Spence, chairman of the House Armed Services Committee. "While this bill makes a significant contribution to reversing a decade of defense cuts, revitalizing our military forces will take an even more aggressive and sustained effort in the years ahead."
The Senate is expected to quickly approve the appropriations bill, and the president has indicated he will sign it.
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Story copyright 2000 FCW Government Technology Group. All rights reserved.
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