Inflation and budget gridlock take a toll on the Pentagon
By Joe Gould
Dec 21, 08:00 AM
WASHINGTON ― Inflation is now a national security issue.
The prospect of increased weapons costs and rising wages are already causing significant problems for Pentagon planners as they craft President Joe Biden’s upcoming budget proposal for fiscal 2023, defense experts say.
Complicating matters, the White House Office of Management and Budget, or OMB, has not yet given the Pentagon a topline for fiscal 2023, with the budget submission deadline just weeks away. Experts say that’s likely because Congress has yet to reach a longer-term spending deal for 2022 and passed a continuing resolution into mid-February instead.
“They had a budget, but I think they’re finding that because of the pay raise, and because of inflation being a lot higher than expected, they’re going to need more money,” said Todd Harrison, director of defense budget analysis at the Center for Strategic and International Studies.
https://www.militarytimes.com/congress/2021/12/21/inflation-and-budget-gridlock-take-a-toll-on-the-pentagon/
