US Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin speaks during a press conference at the Pentagon in Washington, DC, on November 16, 2022. (Photo by Mandel NGAN / AFP) (Photo by MANDEL NGAN/AFP via Getty Images)
OAN Newsroom
UPDATED 1:50 PM PT – Tuesday, November 29, 2022
Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin has warned Congress that failure to pass a new spending bill for the Pentagon will result in significant harm to the U.S. and National Security.
Biden signed an interim spending bill which secures funding for Federal agencies until December 16th. However, a new bill must be agreed upon by then to avoid a Government shutdown. The clock is ticking for lawmakers to pass a new spending bill.
In a letter on Monday, Austin urged congressional lawmakers to act quickly to secure funding for the Pentagon and other government agencies.
“The CR costs us time as well as money, and money can’t buy back time, especially for lost training events,” Austin stated. “Under the CR, Congress prohibits the military from commencing new initiatives, such as those requested by our theater commanders in the Indo-Pacific and around the world or in support of service members and their families at home.”
One option is for Congress to pass a continuing resolution. That resolution would maintain funding. The second option would be a temporary funding measure that would give lawmakers more time to agree on a bigger omnibus spending package.
In his concluding remark, Austin pointed out that with our hands are tied behind our back three, four, five or six months of every fiscal year and that the United States would never be able to outcompete China. Officials have referred to this as the most serious foe.
New York Governor Andrew Cuomo and the Democratic nominee for New York City mayor, Eric Adams, hold a joint news conference in Brooklyn where the two leaders spoke on the rising rates of gun violence across the city on July 14, 2021 in New York City. (Photo by Spencer Platt/Getty Images)