A continuing resolution (CR) passed both chambers of Congress with strong bipartisan support late last month, as both parties were eager to avoid a government shutdown on the eve of the November elections. But while the CR will ensure the government remains open through Dec. 20 by providing most funding at FY 2024 levels, relying on short-term fixes like this one hampers military readiness, delays key projects, and threatens essential services for veterans.

Since Congress adopted the Oct. 1 fiscal year start date with the 1977 budget cycle, it has relied on at least one CR in all but three years. The last time a full fiscal year was funded without the need for a CR was in 1997.

Impact on DoD

“The stark truth is that these short-term, temporary funding measures create uncertainty throughout the U.S. military and put us at a strategic disadvantage,” Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin said in a Sept. 26 statement on the CR’s passage. This uncertainty affects military operations, readiness, and long-term planning.

While Austin praised the CR as a way to avoid the “dire impact” of a shutdown, he was not the only high-ranking DoD official to outline the undue burden placed on the services by these continued measures.

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“A CR of any length impacts [Department of the Air Force] readiness, hinders acceleration of the Space Force, delays military construction (MILCON) projects, reduces aircraft availability, and curbs modernization in our race for technological superiority,” Secretary of the Air Force Frank Kendall said in a Sept. 18 letter to the chairs and ranking members of the House and Senate Appropriations Committees. These delays and uncertainties create long-term challenges for the uniformed services to properly support servicemembers and their families, Kendall wrote.

In another Sept. 18 letter to the same recipients, Secretary of the Army Christine Wormuth warned that should Congress implement a six-month CR, the Army would delay up to $8.2 billion “in critical investments for recruiting, training, and capability development,” adding that the inability to start new programs or realign funds for existing ones “would reduce our purchasing power and create meaningful cost as well as schedule risk in Army programs.”

Impact on the VA

The VA is facing a $12 billion budget shortfall at a time when the demand for health care and benefits continues to rise, largely due to expanded coverage and access to care provided under the PACT Act … and the CR will not help the department meet these financial obligations.

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The resolution “fails to include necessary funding for the Department of Veterans Affairs, creating a risk that the agency would slow hiring and reduce healthcare services to veterans,” The Office of Management and Budget (OMB) warned in a Sept. 24 statement on the CR.

VA officials have urged Congress to address this shortfall before the end of FY 2025 to avoid any reductions to essential health care and benefit services.

What’s Next?

While the CR temporarily prevents a government shutdown and ensures funding until December, it leaves unresolved issues that significantly impact the uniformed services and veteran communities.

Congress must act before the December deadline to address these concerns and provide stability for both DoD and the VA in the new year. Further delays amount to a waste of resources which could be used to strengthen the all-volunteer force and provide service-earned benefits.

Keep up with the latest on the budget and other critical legislative topics, including the must-pass FY 2025 National Defense Authorization Act, at MOAA’s Advocacy News page.