Leaders of U.S. military branches are pushing for a fiscal 2016 Pentagon base budget that is $60 billion higher than the projected $535 billion defense spending cap in 2016, Defense News reported Sunday.Citing a source, Paul McCleary writes the Joint Chiefs of Staff proposed the increase during a meeting with President Barack Obama.
Alan Estevez, principal deputy defense undersecretary for acquisition, technology and logistics, said Thursday the Pentagon will request an FY 2016 budget in January and “it’s going to be above sequestration levels,” according to the publication.
Last week, the Congressional Budget Office released a report that forecasts the Pentagon’s annual base spending proposals for fiscal years 2015 to 2019 to be $47 billion over the limits mandated by the Budget Control Act.
Defense Secretary Chuck Hagel estimates the department will need billions of dollars annually in the coming years to upgrade its nuclear weapons systems.
