The House and Senate made it home in time for the holidays after a flurry of activity that included final passage of the FY 2010 Defense Appropriations Act.  The defense bill was the last spending measure to pass because it was a strong bi-partisan vehicle to attach extraneous provisions, such as extensions for unemployment insurance and the PATRIOT Act, funding for highway programs, food stamps, and Small Business Administration Loans.  The House passed the defense bill on December 16 by a 395-34 vote.  The Senate followed suit on December 19 by an 88-10 vote.

The FY 2010 bill provides $636 billion for defense, approximately $4 billion less the President Obama requested at the beginning of the year.  The total amount represents a 4.5 percent increase over FY 2009.  By comparison, the other FY 2010 spending bills averaged a 12 percent increase.

Specifically, the defense bill provides $1.6 billion for 22 EA-18 G Growlers; close to $1 billion for Global Hawk and Reaper unmanned aerial vehicles; and $248.5 million for EW devices.  The bill also includes $101 billion for existing operations in Iraq and Afghanistan ($2.3 billion below request); however, there is no additional funding for the President’s new security strategy.  Congress expects the President to deliver a detailed request in the coming weeks.

Congress is now in recess until January 2010 when it returns to commence its 2^nd session.  Since 2010 is an election year, there will be a lot at stake as the legislative calendar develops.  An early initiative that the AOC will be watching closely and engaging on is consideration of spectrum inventory and reallocation legislation.  Additionally, the Defense Department will release its 2010 Quadrennial Defense Review in February, and the first annual EW strategy report is due to Congress in accordance with the defense authorization amendment authored by EW Working Group Co-Chairman Rick Larsen (WA-02).

2010 will undoubtedly be a big year for EW.  Stay tuned.