Senate Republicans are renewing concerns about a White House proposal to use a one-year continuing resolution (CR) to fund fiscal 2020 federal spending and avoid a potential October government shutdown, according to a report in The Hill.
Sen. Dave Perdue (R-Ga.), a member of the chamber’s Budget Committee, issued a letter co-signed by 16 GOP colleagues last week warning that resorting to one-year CR would cause “draconian conditions” for the military, the report detailed.
The Senators’ concerns were sent to senior administration officials Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin, Acting White House Chief of Staff Mick Mulvaney and Acting Office of Management and Budget Director Russell Vought.
The three administration officials have led budget talks between Democratic House leaders, Senate leaders and the White House for a two-year agreement that would lift current spending caps and avoid mandatory cuts under a 2011 budget law.
The senators emphasized that a one-year CR “must be avoided” because it would leave the Defense Department “incapable of increasing readiness, recapitalizing our force, or rationalizing funding to align with the National Defense Strategy.”
“As the world continues to become more dangerous, the American people rightfully expect their representatives in Washington to put aside political differences and do their jobs,” the senators wrote. “Simply put, our adversaries do not handcuff their militaries with funding gimmicks like continuing resolutions—nor should we.”
The high stakes budget talks are stalled over Democrat-led House demands for a nondefense spending level that is $100 billion more than the White House has stated. House negotiators want about $647 billion in fiscal 2020 nondefense funds, while the White House is pushing for nondefense spending about 10 percent below fiscal 2019 levels.
Navy photo by Mass Communication Specialist 3rd Class Rebekah Watkins