Senate Defense panel approves $594B Pentagon appropriations bill

The Senate Appropriations subcommittee on Defense on Tuesday passed a $594.4 billion bill that keeps Pentagon spending at pre-sequester levels in 2014.

The bill, which includes $516.4 billion in base defense spending and $77.8 billion in war spending, does not take sequestration into account, following the same path as the other three Defense bills Congress has moved this year.

If sequestration is not averted, the Pentagon’s 2014 budget proposal would face a $52 billion cut.

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