Carlos Del Toro, secretary of the Navy and a 2023 Wash100 awardee, said Congress should take immediate action to approve the Department of Defense’s annual budget to fund the U.S. Navy and U.S. Marine Corps to deter adversaries and ensure freedom of the seas.
In an opinion piece published Thursday in Federal Times, Del Toro noted that the Department of the Navy is operating “under a cloud of uncertainty due to the temporary nature of our appropriations,” preventing the department from responding to threats posed by China and supporting partners in Ukraine to counter Russian aggression, among others.
The secretary cited the impact of stopgap funding measure on DON.
“If any agency of the federal government remains under a continuing resolution come January, the Department of the Navy will face a $15 billion cut to the FY23 spending levels we are still operating under — well below what we need to man, train and equip our Navy and Marine Corps today,” Del Toro wrote.
He also mentioned the potential effect of sequestration on the acquisition of ships, munitions and aircraft, particularly on multiyear procurement contracts.
“We are a maritime nation, and Congress has a constitutional duty to resource our Navy and Marine Corps, ensuring we remain the world’s premier naval services,” Del Toro added.
