House Armed Services Chair Adam Smith (D-Wash.) said Tuesday that the White House is moving too slowly on its fiscal year 2022 budget request and that Congress may not have time to complete appropriations work before the fiscal year starts Oct. 1, Defense News reported.

“I am deeply concerned about the Biden administration dragging their feet on getting us the damn budget,” Smith said at a Ronald Reagan Institute event. “I am really worried if we get into mid- to late May and we don’t have the specific budget numbers, then you’re guaranteed a continuing resolution; we don’t have time to do our job.”

The White House released top-line budget numbers last week – including a roughly 1.5% increase in defense spending – but has not said when it will send Congress a more detailed budget request.

The administration has said budget planning was stalled early on because the outgoing administration blocked access to many documents during the transition.

Ronald Reagan Institute photo