H.R. 4350 would authorize appropriations totaling an estimated $770.3 billion over the 2022-2024 period. Nearly all of that amount, $767.6 billion for 2022, would be specifically authorized for defense programs and activities of the Department of Defense (DoD) and the Department of Energy. An additional $2.7 billion would be authorized for the Maritime Administration and various other nondefense programs over the 2022-2024 period—$2.5 billion in specified authorizations and $0.2 billion in estimated authorizations. Of those amounts, a total of $2.5 billion would be authorized for 2022. CBO estimates that appropriation of the authorized amounts would increase outlays by $743.1 billion over the 2022-2026 period.
The bill also contains provisions that would affect the costs of defense programs that would be funded with discretionary appropriations in 2023 and future years. Those provisions mainly would affect force structure, compensation and benefits, and multiyear procurement of weapons systems. CBO has analyzed the costs of some of those provisions and estimates that they would, on a net basis, increase the cost of those programs compared to current law by about $12.2 billion over the 2023-2026 period. The net costs of those provisions in 2023 and beyond are not included in the total amount of outlays described above because CBO expects that appropriations for those activities would be specifically authorized in National Defense Authorization Acts in future years.
In addition, enacting H.R. 4350 would increase direct spending by $72 million over the 2022-2031 period. It would also increase revenue by $72 million over that same period; thus, the net effect on the deficit would be insignificant.
