Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin appeared before Senate lawmakers on Wednesday to testify about the Department of Defense’s budget request of $850 billion for fiscal year 2025, Defense News reported.
Although he acknowledged that debt ceiling caps hamper DOD’s modernization goals, he noted that the requested budget is aligned to the department’s strategy.
“We made tough but responsible decisions that prioritize near-term readiness, modernization of the joint force and support for our troops and their families,” Austin, a three-time Wash100 awardee, told the Senate Appropriations Committee’s defense subcommittee.
“Our approach dials back some of the near-term modernization for programs not set to come on line until the 2030s,” he added.
Talks over the debt ceiling caps emerged during the hearing as top senators on the subcommittee called for a higher defense topline for FY 2025.
“If we’re going to invest in future technologies, this number has to be bigger,” said Sen. Jon Tester, D-Mont., chairman of the Senate Appropriations defense subcommittee. “The military services and combatant commands are telling us they’re having unfunded priorities in excess of $20 billion. The price of fuel is much higher. Our military is engaged in operations around the world.”