The Congressional Budget Deal and Defense Spending

While the Murray-Ryan budget deal does not eliminate the challenges that the Department of Defense faces from sequestration, it does provide an opportunity to reduce defense spending responsibly.

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Idea of the Day

Idea of the Day

The budget deal announced by Senate Budget Committee Chairwoman Patty Murray (D-WA) and House Budget Committee Chairman Paul Ryan (R-WI) is an important step forward but leaves important long-term questions unresolved for the Department of Defense, or DOD.

If enacted by the House and Senate, the deal could pave the way for an omnibus appropriations bill to fund the federal government, including DOD, before January 15 when the current continuing resolution expires. This preliminary agreement offers an opportunity for Congress to return to a semblance of regular order. After several years of last-minute continuing resolutions and partial appropriations, this is an important chance to realign government funding with government priorities.

For more on this topic, please see:

For the Pentagon, Diminished Sequester Still Looms Under Congressional Budget Deal by Lawrence J. Korb, Kate Blakeley, and Max Hoffman

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