1997 Defense Budget

GAO examined the Defense Department's (DOD) fiscal year 1997 budget request and prior years' appropriations for selected procurement and research, development, test, and evaluation (RDT&E) programs. GAO identified opportunities to reduce fiscal year 1997 procurement and RDT&E requests by $3.2 billion and to rescind prior years' procurement and RDT&E appropriations by nearly $455 million. These reductions can be made because schedules slipped, requirements changed, and issues affecting program funding have emerged since the budget request was developed. The potential rescissions include $35.6 million in excess prior years' appropriations for which obligational authority expires on September 30, 1996. DOD has requested congressional approval to reprogram some of these excess funds in its fiscal year 1996 omnibus reprogramming request and has considered using some of these excess funds to pay for operations in Bosnia.

GAO found that: (1) GAO identified opportunities to reduce FY 1997 procurement and RDT&E requests by $3.2 billion and to rescind prior years' procurement and RDT&E appropriations by about $454.9 million; (2) these reductions and/or rescissions can be made because schedules slipped, requirements changed, and issues affecting program funding emerged since the budget request was developed; (3) the potential rescissions include about $35.6 million in excess prior years' appropriations for which obligational authority expires on September 30, 1996; and (4) DOD has requested congressional approval to reprogram some of these excess funds in its FY 1996 omnibus reprogramming request and has identified some of these excess funds for possible use to pay for Bosnia operations.