House Government Funding Bill Includes $10.4B To Soften Defense Sequester

The House Appropriations Committee on Monday formally introduced a giant spending bill to keep the government funded and prevent a shutdown.

The $982 billion bill would fund the government through the end of fiscal year 2013 on Sept. 30 and prevent a government shutdown after March 27, when a current temporary spending bill runs out. It assumes that the $85 billion in sequestration cuts that went into effect on March 1 stay in place.

The bill includes detailed appropriations for the Defense and Veterans Affairs departments and to fund military construction, and shifts $10.4 billion into the Pentagon's operations and maintenance account to soften the blow of the automatic cuts. 
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