Congress is likely to settle on an $833 billion defense spending level – when it gets around to passing a spending bill – Rep. Rob Wittman (R-Va.) said this week, as Defense News reported.

The topline figure he predicted is in line with a bipartisan budget agreement.

“I think that the Pentagon should be able to do most of the things that it needs to do with that number,” Wittman said at a Defense News conference.

But it’s uncertain when DOD will get that funding. None of the 12 annual spending bills has cleared both the House and Senate to be signed into law, so Congress will need to pass a continuing resolution keeping government spending at current levels when the new fiscal year starts Oct. 1. Lawmakers are still discussing how long that stopgap bill will be in place.

Army Secretary Christine Wormuth said at the same conference that the Army will need more money than its current level and will ask for a supplemental spending package.

“Not only are our barracks and housing in need of investment, our power projection infrastructure is in need of investment as well,” she said. “It’s really hard to do that all inside the existing Army top line.”

Marine Corps photo by Cpl. Scott Jenkins