Todd Harrison, director of the Center for Strategic and International Studies’ defense budget analysis and aerospace security project, has said that it’s time to update the federal government’s budgeting process, Defense One reported Tuesday.
Harrison told attendees at the Reagan National Defense Forum in California that the current process “has not been working for a long time†and that implementing two-year appropriations bills along with mid-point assessments would help improve procedures. He also suggested aligning the U.S. government fiscal years with the calendar year to provide lawmakers with more months to analyze spending deals.
According to Harrison, these potential changes may also impede the military’s efforts to innovate. He added that he is confident the Congress can work through budgeting issues amidst the impeachment hearings against President Trump.
“There will be political challenges, there are differences of views, but we have to do better to work faster to get things done,” noted Army Secretary Ryan McCarthy. “The world’s incredibly complex and dangerous. We have to get these capabilities.â€
The 2020 National Defense Authorization Act proposes $738 billion for military projects such as the acquisition of F-35 fighter jets and the establishment of a Space Force.
