1994 Defense Budget

This report reviews the Defense Department's (DOD) budget request for fiscal year 1994 and prior years' appropriations for certain procurement programs. Schedule delays, threat changes, program requirement changes, and questions that have arisen since the budget request was developed provide opportunities to reduce the funding levels. GAO identified potential budget cuts of nearly $2 billion for fiscal year 1994 and potential rescissions of about $902 million to prior years' appropriations. GAO also identified nearly $1.2 billion in requested funding that Congress can restrict.

GAO found that: (1) DOD FY 1994 and prior years' appropriations for selected procurement programs can be reduced due to schedule delays, questions over the budget request process, changes in threat and program requirements; (2) potential DOD budget reductions totalled $$1,981.9 million, prior year rescissions totalled $902.2 million, and congressional restrictions on DOD obligational authority totalled $1,178.9 million; (3) potential budget reductions in the Army's procurement budget request totalled $234.085 million, rescissions in the Army's 1992 and 1993 procurement budget request totalled $51.8 million, and restrictions on the Army's 1994 obligational authority totalled $791.190 million; (4) potential budget reductions in the Navy's procurement budget request totalled $59.187 million, rescissions in the Navy's 1992 and 1993 procurement budget request totalled $542.325 million, and restrictions on the Navy's 1994 obligational authority totalled $143.348 million; (5) potential budget reductions in the Air Force's procurement budget request totalled $1,658.838 million, rescissions in the Air Force's 1992 and 1993 procurement budget request totalled $248.104 million, and restrictions on the Air Force's 1994 obligational authority totalled $234.400 million; and (6) potential reductions in multiservice and DOD-wide appropriations totalled $29.8 million, rescissions in multiservice and DOD-wide 1993 appropriations totalled $60 million, and restrictions on multiservice and DOD-wide obligational authority totalled $10 million.