House restores funding for military bands

The House on Wednesday afternoon voted to restore full funding for military bands, after the House Appropriations Committee voted in June to limit funding for military musicians.

By voice vote, the House approved an amendment from Rep. John Carter (R-Texas) that eliminates a section of the Department of Defense Appropriations bill that would have limited funding for bands to $200 million. By eliminating that language, DOD is allowed to fund bands up to $320 million, which DOD was planning for FY 2012.

Carter defended military bands as an "integral part of the patriotism that keeps our soldier's hearts beating fast."

Rep. Norm Dicks (D-Wash.) argued against Carter's language. "Section 8127 limits spending for military bands to $200 million for fiscal year 2012," he said. "Now, that's a lot of money."

The Appropriations Committee in June agreed to an amendment from Rep. Betty McCollum (D-Minn.) that would limit spending on military bands to $200 million. On Wednesday, McCollum defended her proposal as a necessary step at a time when other serious cuts are being imposed.

"At a time when we are cutting back on WIC, which [supplements nutrition funds] to children, at a time when we're cutting back on education and healthcare expenses, I kind of felt I had a duty as an appropriator to look at opportunities in which we could cut back on spending," she said.