{"id":33384,"date":"2023-04-19T23:11:03","date_gmt":"2023-04-19T23:11:03","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/federaltimes\/uncategorized\/2023\/04\/19\/army-warns-it-could-lose-53-billion-if-congress-fails-to-pass-budget\/"},"modified":"2026-08-08T00:42:23","modified_gmt":"2026-08-08T00:42:23","slug":"army-warns-it-could-lose-53-billion-if-congress-fails-to-pass-budget","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/federaltimes\/congress\/2023\/04\/19\/army-warns-it-could-lose-53-billion-if-congress-fails-to-pass-budget\/","title":{"rendered":"Army warns it could lose $5.3 billion if Congress fails to pass budget"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

WASHINGTON \u2014 The U.S. Army will not be able to put $5.3 billion toward modernization efforts key to competing with<\/a> China if Congress doesn\u2019t pass a budget this year<\/a>, the service secretary said in a Wednesday House Armed Services Committee hearing.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The Pentagon has become accustomed to short-term continuing resolutions early in the fiscal year and generally schedules less programmatic activity in the first quarter of the fiscal year. A continuing resolution allows funding to continue without a budget in place, but holds spending to the previous fiscal year\u2019s levels.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

But there are new concerns, with Congress divided over the debt ceiling and spending<\/a>, that a full-year CR is a possibility.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Asked how a CR would impact the Army, Secretary Christine Wormuth said \u201cit would be, I think, a significant problem for us, first of all, at a time where we are competing against China<\/a>.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

A CR means \u201cfighting with one hand tied behind our back. A CR would essentially tie down about $5.3 billion in terms of procurement programs,\u201d she added.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Without an approved fiscal 2024 budget, the Army would not be able to start <\/b>at least 10 new procurement programs and would not be able to launch dozens of research, development and testing efforts.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The Army\u2019s biggest modernization push in 40 years is underway, as the service is poised to deliver to soldiers roughly 24 systems in 2023<\/a>. It\u2019s seeking to procure 36 new systems by 2030 for a fully modernized force.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cWe are often criticized for being slow in modernization,\u201d Army Chief of Staff James McConville said at the same hearing. \u201cBut right now we have the opportunity to transform the Army \u2026 and new start production increases \u2014 those things don\u2019t happen under a CR.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Additionally, a continuing resolution would halt planned pay raises for troops, Wormuth added, and would delay parts of a major organic industrial base overhaul<\/a>, including an effort to modernize and ramp up ammunition production vital to supplying the war in Ukraine and replenishing Army stock<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The Army plans to spend $1.5 billion for modernization efforts at depots and plants in FY24.<\/p>\n\n\n