The Defense Department expects Congress to reject the Pentagon’s estimated $70 billion proposal to fund other areas by reshuffling the military compensation structure, Federal News Radio reported Wednesday.
Jared Serbu writes congressional committees worked to reverse $31 billion in proposed weapons programs retirement and modification efforts.
Deputy Defense Secretary Robert Work told the station his department also expects to operate under a continuing resolution when it introduces its fiscal year 2016 budget proposal in February.
Congressional disapproval of DoD’s cost-reduction proposals comes as the U.S. military seeks to help combat the Islamic State group and other global crises without additional appropriations from Congress, according to the report.
The Center for Strategic and Budgetary Assessments estimates the cost of U.S. air strikes on IS-held territories to reach $930 million so far, Serbu reports.
Work told Federal News Radio the department funded those operations out of its overseas contingency operations budget.
He said that DoD plans to develop new methods to employ surge forces from troops who are about to deploy or already deployed in order to build readiness, the station reports.
