House DOD appropriations bill puts cyber under microscope

Editor's Note: By a vote of 326-90, the House of Representatives passed a Defense appropriations bill for fiscal year 2013 the night of July 19.

The House is expected to pass its version of the 2013 defense appropriations bill, a $608 billion budget poised to take a significant hit if sequestration becomes a reality, reports FCW, a sister publication of Defense Systems. The vote is expected July 20.

In the bill, lawmakers call for DOD leadership to provide more information on cyber-related budget requirements, including separate budget justification and details on progress, goals, initiatives and operations, the story said.

The 2013 defense bill includes $518.2 billion in the base budget and $88.5 billion in funding for overseas contingency operations, the story said. The 2013 plan is an increase of more than $1 billion over last year’s Defense Department budget, and is $3 billion more than President Barack Obama’s defense budget request.

It includes measures to revive programs Pentagon leadership had planned to retire next year, including a version of the Global Hawk unmanned vehicles, the story said.