U.S. military leaders from across the service branches told lawmakers at a Senate Armed Services subcommittee hearing today that budget uncertainties are hindering their efforts to maintain military readiness.
With Congress yet to pass a full-year regular appropriations bill for fiscal year (FY) 2025 which ends in September, lawmakers have relied on continuing resolution (CR) funding bills to fund the government at FY2024 levels.
Defense leaders argued today that CRs restrict the military’s ability to launch new programs, make long-term investments, and adapt to shifting operational needs.
“Our priority remains our readiness accounts, which are most vulnerable under a CR or sequestration,” Admiral James W. Kilby, vice chief of Naval Operations for the Department of the Navy, said to lawmakers on the Subcommittee on Readiness and Management Support.
“The Navy will need to make hard choices this year if we are operating under a full-year continuing resolution,” he said.
The House narrowly passed the latest CR bill with a 217-213 vote on Tuesday afternoon. The temporary funding bill now moves to the Senate, but it remains unclear when or if the Senate will approve the measure. The Senate has until Friday to pass the bill to avoid a government shutdown, but as of today, there was no scheduled vote on their agenda.
Lt. Gen. Adrian L. Spain, deputy chief of Staff for Operations for the Department of the Air Force, also explained that “the CR clearly has an impact on our readiness up to the tune of about $4 billion, and with the Fiscal Responsibility Act kicking in, it’s closer to $14 billion which we cannot afford.”
Despite the constraints of the CR, Spain hopes the final version, if approved, will provide the services with “flexibility and agility to spend as required and maintain readiness to the highest possible level.”
If it is approved, the CR would increase defense spending by approximately $6 billion above fiscal year 2024 levels, providing a temporary boost to military funding for the next six-plus months.
However, military leaders also urged Congress to avoid cutting the services’ budgets in efforts to advance military readiness.
Gen. Michael Guetlein, vice chief of Space Operations for the U.S. Space Force, explained that budget cuts have worsened resource constraints in the building of “a resilient hybrid space architecture.”
The U.S. Space Force’s FY2025 budget request is $29.4 billion, a slight decrease from the FY2024 request of $30 billion. This accounts for just three percent of the Department of Defense’s (DoD) proposed $852.2 billion FY2025 budget, which is still pending approval.
“The Space Force offers an immense value proposition for the joint force and for our nation. However, it is woefully under resourced to meet the nation’s demand for space capabilities,” Guetlein said.
“For space superiority, the strategic choices we make today will determine whether space remains a domain for peace and progress or becomes a contested battleground for future conflicts,” he said.
Gen. James J. Mingus, vice chief of Staff of the Army, also addressed the impact of budget constraints, noting that the Army has been forced to reduce procurement to minimum sustainable rates, delay the fielding of new equipment, and cut research and development, which slows technological advancements.
“Ultimately, the Army can afford a large, ready, modern force. But with the current budget, it cannot afford all three. Either we provide soldiers the capabilities needed to win or accept greater risks in other areas,” he added.
Where Do the Services Need to Improve Military Readiness?
Diana C. Maurer, director of Defense Capabilities and Management at the Government Accountability Office (GAO), explained that DoD faces widening gaps between its missions and available resources. As a result, the services are increasingly assuming risk due to imbalances between their assigned tasks and the personnel, equipment, and facilities they have on hand.
“The Pentagon needs to focus more on sustainment. Buying new systems is just the beginning,” Maurer said. “Ensuring combat-ready units can operate and sustain those systems is the hard part, and too often, sustainment issues arise.” She also pointed out that DoD’s ability to move and support forces is lagging behind operational needs.
“The services are facing potential adversaries who will contest the movement of people, material, and information. DoD must adapt its long-standing reliance on uncontested logistics,” Maurer added.
Maurer further criticized the Pentagon for failing to implement over 100 GAO recommendations aimed at improving military readiness. These recommendations span various domains, and she emphasized that DoD still needs to take significant action to put most of them into effect.
