“Welcome to budget season 2024, the government’s split-screen effort to secure spending deals for two fiscal years at once,” Noah Robertson wrote for Defense News. “For the Pentagon, the moment is one of almost unique uncertainty.”
Lawmakers now have until March 22 to pass a defense spending bill for the current fiscal year, which is half over. Congress could instead opt for a year-long continuing resolution. That would trigger a 1% across-the-board cut, and DOD leaders have said it would hurt the Pentagon’s modernization efforts and other expenditures.
Next Year Starts Now
President Biden is set to deliver his State of the Union Address Thursday night, outlining his priorities for the coming year, and is expected to release the fiscal year 2025 budget request next week.
Lawmakers will soon begin to draft the fiscal year 2025 National Defense Authorization Act with no information on how much they’ll be able to spend.
“We’re in this bizarro world,” AEI Senior Fellow Mackenzie Eaglen told Defense News.
DOD photo by Navy Petty Officer 2nd Class Alexander Kubitza
