Senate stopgap carves out billions for defense amid funding freeze

(The Center Square) – The short-term funding bill the U.S. Senate passed early Saturday to keep the government running through Dec. 11 would provide about $843.9 billion for defense, nearly half of the about $1.7 trillion in annualized budget authority it covers, according to a new Congressional Budget Office estimate.

The measure would largely maintain federal agencies at prior-year funding rates, but it carves out billions in exceptions, including for Navy shipbuilding programs with prior-year cost increases.