Defense Budget Alert

ANNAPOLIS, MD -- The Navy's top acquisition official said today the service is looking at ways to shift and save funding for its upcoming budget request, citing the recently canceled Assault Amphibious Vehicle survivability upgrade program as an example.

Though Congress recently broke a streak of fiscal dysfunction and provided on-time funding to the Pentagon for the first time in a decade, some lawmakers say there could be a partisan budget fight looming, particularly if Democrats win a majority in one or both chambers of Congress.

As the House sits poised to pass an on-time defense spending package for the first time in a decade, Republicans and Democrats on the House Armed Services Committee today staked out opposing territory in what is slated to become a major fight over the future of the U.S. defense budget, especially if mid-term elections are carried by a blue wave.

The Pentagon has about 10 weeks to make budget choices for fiscal year 2020 that will likely impact military modernization for the next 50 years, according to Deputy Defense Secretary Pat Shanahan.

Lawmakers have rescinded $115 million in fiscal year 2018 Tomahawk missile funding and directed the Navy secretary to conduct a full program review following the service's request to repurpose some of those funds.

Lawmakers have cut $329 million from the Navy's fiscal year 2019 budget for programs the service has deemed "accelerated acquisitions," and are concerned the designation is causing "imprudent program management decisions."

The defense spending bill agreed to by conference negotiators limits how the Pentagon can spend its funding for cloud efforts, including the high-profile Joint Enterprise Defense Infrastructure initiative. 

The Pentagon is considering a plan to potentially spend $450 million to enhance existing fencing and construct additional barriers along 31 miles of an Arizona bombing range that borders Mexico.

The House Armed Services Committee's top Democrat, in line to become the next chairman should his party win a majority in November, said today the defense budget is too big and that the United States should not “cling” to notions of post-World War II dominance given today's fiscal and geopolitical realities.