{"id":41294,"date":"2022-04-27T18:45:24","date_gmt":"2022-04-27T18:45:24","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/defensenews\/uncategorized\/2022\/04\/27\/pentagons-fuel-prices-rose-3b-amid-inflationary-pressures\/"},"modified":"2026-08-07T23:24:33","modified_gmt":"2026-08-07T23:24:33","slug":"pentagons-fuel-prices-rose-3b-amid-inflationary-pressures","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/defensenews\/congress\/2022\/04\/27\/pentagons-fuel-prices-rose-3b-amid-inflationary-pressures\/","title":{"rendered":"Pentagon\u2019s fuel prices rose $3 billion amid inflationary pressures"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

WASHINGTON \u2015 Spiking fuel prices will cost the Pentagon $3 billion more than expected in fiscal 2022, and it will have to go to Congress for more money, a senior official said in congressional testimony on Wednesday.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Comptroller Mike McCord<\/a>, during a hearing on the Pentagon\u2019s $773 billion FY23 defense budget request, said fuel will cost $1.8 billion more than expected for the rest of the year \u2015 after Congress added $1.5 billion for increased fuel costs in the budget signed into law last month.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cFuel is our most volatile and easily recognizable price increase when prices changed,\u201d McCord told the House Budget Committee.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cLargely due to the Russian invasion of Ukraine, we estimate a bill of $1.8 billion for the rest of this year, so over $3 billion across the course of this fiscal year,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The comments came as Republicans and some centrist Democrats have criticized the low inflation rate used to plan the FY23 budget, arguing the national defense budget top-line should be higher than the $813 billion the administration is seeking. The FY23 budget is $30 billion, or 4%, over the $783 billion Congress appropriated this fiscal year.<\/p>\n\n\n\t