Wary of budget cap, Army secretary hopes lawmakers pursue supplemental military funding

Wary of budget cap, Army secretary hopes lawmakers pursue supplemental military funding
Wary of budget cap, Army secretary hopes lawmakers pursue supplemental military funding

A savvy DC veteran, Sec. Christine Wormuth didn’t outright call for Congress to go above the budget caps, but, she said, “given that we want to make sure that we are not only able to support Ukraine but that we also replenish our own stocks …  a supplemental, I think, would be very helpful.”

Death To OCO: What Would Dem Sweep Mean For War Funding?

Death To OCO: What Would Dem Sweep Mean For War Funding?
Death To OCO: What Would Dem Sweep Mean For War Funding?

Deficit hawks are now nearly extinct and defense hawks are weakened. If the Democrats sweep the next election, eliminating OCO might be the mechanism for a Biden administration to cut defense.

COVID-19 Response: Pentagon Gets A Real $8.3B Slush Fund

COVID-19 Response: Pentagon Gets A Real $8.3B Slush Fund
COVID-19 Response: Pentagon Gets A Real $8.3B Slush Fund

            Mark Cancian, who used to help build and oversee execution of the defense budget at the Office of Management and Budget, peels apart the second big spending bill President Trump has proposed to help the government battle the COVD-19 virus.. From his perch at the Center for Strategic and International…

Trump Strips $3.8B For Border Wall From F-35s, Navy Ships, National Guard

Trump Strips $3.8B For Border Wall From F-35s, Navy Ships, National Guard
Trump Strips $3.8B For Border Wall From F-35s, Navy Ships, National Guard

Rep. Thornberry, the senior Republican on the House Armed Services Committee, said the White House move to repurpose military procurement money “is in violation of the separation of powers within the Constitution… and I believe that it requires Congress to take action.”

CSIS Bad Idea: Blaming OCO for Defense Budget Blunders

CSIS Bad Idea: Blaming OCO for Defense Budget Blunders
CSIS Bad Idea: Blaming OCO for Defense Budget Blunders

In other words, the fault is not with the OCO mechanism, but in many cases, with members of Congress who are critiquing its use.

Dems Lash Out At Trump ‘Fake OCO’ Budget Gambit; Hint At Budget Deal

Dems Lash Out At Trump ‘Fake OCO’ Budget Gambit; Hint At Budget Deal
Dems Lash Out At Trump ‘Fake OCO’ Budget Gambit; Hint At Budget Deal

The Trump Pentagon budget is “dead on arrival,” a top defense House Democrat says. And a Republican colleague rips budget gimmicks in the 2020 request.

Army Lumbers Into Future: $33B In 2020-2024 For Big 6, Eventually

Army Lumbers Into Future: $33B In 2020-2024 For Big 6, Eventually
Army Lumbers Into Future: $33B In 2020-2024 For Big 6, Eventually

Good news: That’s more money than the Army thought it could get for its top priorities. Bad news: We won’t see most of it this year.

2020 BUDGET: Airpower Wins Big; ‘Multi-Domain’ Emerges

2020 BUDGET: Airpower Wins Big; ‘Multi-Domain’ Emerges
2020 BUDGET: Airpower Wins Big; ‘Multi-Domain’ Emerges

For all the talk of major changes, the Pentagon is pouring money into some pretty traditional priorities.

2019 Forecast: Budget Battles & Confirmation Wars

2019 Forecast: Budget Battles & Confirmation Wars
2019 Forecast: Budget Battles & Confirmation Wars

Trump’s pick to replace Sec. Jim Mattis will be a key indicator about where the president wants to drive the department — and the confirmation process will show what the Senate will accept — while the defense budget may be collateral damage from a bitterly divided Congress.

What Really Matters In The Defense Authorization Act & What Didn’t Get Done

What Really Matters In The Defense Authorization Act & What Didn’t Get Done
What Really Matters In The Defense Authorization Act & What Didn’t Get Done

Most coverage of the annual defense policy bill has focused on program changes: more ships (including six icebreakers!), no change to F-35’s, more RDT&E, no JSTARS recap, a growl (but no more) on ZTE, and many more (the bill and report run 2,500 pages). Less discussed, but of more import in the long run, are the…

Budget Deal: It’s Beginning to Look a Lot Like Christmas (…2013)

Budget Deal: It’s Beginning to Look a Lot Like Christmas (…2013)
Budget Deal: It’s Beginning to Look a Lot Like Christmas (…2013)

After heading off a government shutdown with a “clean” temporary spending bill on December 7th, lawmakers are scrambling to reach a consensus under a new Continuing Resolution that funds the government beyond December 22nd. If leaders cannot come to a final agreement on spending levels and other thorny policy issues for a government spending deal…

House, Senate Only 0.6% Apart On Defense Budget: $704B vs. $708B

House, Senate Only 0.6% Apart On Defense Budget: $704B vs. $708B
House, Senate Only 0.6% Apart On Defense Budget: $704B vs. $708B

WASHINGTON: Despite reported differences, the House and Senate Armed Services Committees propose almost identical toplines for national security spending. In an apples to apples comparison, after correcting for discrepancies in what the two committees count, HASC’s total is $704 billion, SASC’s is $708. That’s a difference of just 0.6 percent, presenting a strong united front…

Thornberry Compromises: $631B For Defense

Thornberry Compromises: $631B For Defense
Thornberry Compromises: $631B For Defense

UPDATED: Harrison says Senate Dems are key CAPITOL HILL: The House Armed Services Committee will propose $631.5 billion in funding for defense, HASC staff told reporters this afternoon. That is about 1.4 percent less than the $640 billion HASC chairman Mac Thornberry and his Senate counterpart John McCain campaigned for, but it’s also 4.7 percent above…

Trump’s 2018 DoD Budget Stresses RDTE, Rebuilding

Trump’s 2018 DoD Budget Stresses RDTE, Rebuilding
Trump’s 2018 DoD Budget Stresses RDTE, Rebuilding

President Trump’s just-released 2018 budget proposal meets the goals set by Secretary Jim Mattis when he came into office, the Pentagon insists, even though the budget does not deliver the impressive defense growth the president promised. Instead, it will, the administration says, be enough to patch up a “depleted” military that needs to be brought back to health after…