Congress agrees on defense plan that would raise Navy pay, fund projects in Hampton Roads

[unhappycamper]

http://hamptonroads.com/2015/10/congress-agrees-defense-plan-would-raise-navy-pay-fund-projects-hampton-roads

Congress agrees on defense plan that would raise Navy pay, fund projects in Hampton Roads
By Bill Bartel
The Virginian-Pilot
© October 8, 2015

A complex 2016 defense spending bill that includes major Hampton Roads military projects and changes to sailors' pay and benefits was approved by Congress and sent to President Barack Obama on Wednesday.

The legislation's fate remains in doubt. Obama has threatened to veto it because of a partisan debate over how to get around automatic budget cuts.

~snip~

The dispute centers on automatic budget cuts - known as sequestration - that require caps on military and domestic spending as a way to ease the federal deficit. The 2016 spending bill would give the Pentagon $38 billion more than the cap allows by increasing funding for a war-fighting account. That account is exempt from the cap.

Obama and many Democrats disagree with restoring defense funds while keeping intact caps on domestic programs.