{"id":30361,"date":"2017-12-06T14:41:51","date_gmt":"2017-12-06T14:41:51","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/defensenews\/uncategorized\/2017\/12\/06\/air-force-chief-budget-caps-would-devastate-the-air-force\/"},"modified":"2026-08-07T22:32:13","modified_gmt":"2026-08-07T22:32:13","slug":"air-force-chief-budget-caps-would-devastate-the-air-force","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/defensenews\/congress\/budget\/2017\/12\/06\/air-force-chief-budget-caps-would-devastate-the-air-force\/","title":{"rendered":"Air Force chief: Budget caps would \u2018devastate the Air Force\u2019"},"content":{"rendered":"
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Gen. David Goldfein, the U.S. Air Force’s chief of staff, describes strains on the service that keep him up at night.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n

WASHINGTON \u2014 As the clock ticks down on the government\u2019s current funding stream, Air Force leaders are carefully watching Congress for signs of a budget deal.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Although another short continuing resolution (CR) seems all but inevitable, Air Force leaders remain hopeful for a broader budget agreement that will raise defense spending limits and allow the service to boost its end strength, flight hours and weapons procurement.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cIf we can actually start improving our readiness, then we can really get at some of the systemic challenges we have in our flight hour program, in getting our munition stocks up to where we need to be, [and] investing in airmen by getting them the kind of training we need,\u201d Air Force Chief of Staff David Goldfein said in an exclusive Dec. 3 interview with Defense News.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Air Force Secretary Matt Donovan said he\u2019s hopeful that Congress will be able to hammer out a deal before the end of the year.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cWe\u2019ve had two bipartisan budget agreements over the past four years, that have raised the caps and have given us relief from [the Budget Control Act],\u201d he told Defense News on Dec. 2. \u201cIf it extends for another two-week CR , that won\u2019t have a lot of impact to us.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

But little time remains for hammering out a deal, and other matters \u2014 from lawmakers\u2019 sexual harassment scandals to disagreements on illegal immigration \u2014 threaten to derail discussions on whether to boost discretionary spending. The current CR, which sets government funding at the same funding levels as fiscal year 2017, will come to an end on Dec. 8. Lawmakers are scrambling to pass another short-term stopgap, but the specifics of a deal are still in the air.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

House and Senate leaders prefer a two-week continuing resolution to buy time for a deal to fund the federal government for 2018, but there was talk among lawmakers Tuesday on a range of options: CR\u2019s through Dec. 22 (before Congress\u2019s Christmas break) and Dec. 30, and even into January.<\/p>\n\n\n\t