The short-term budget deal approved by Congress freezes billions of dollars in planned Pentagon acquisitions programs, as well as some of President Joe Biden’s top priorities to deter China. It could be months before they move ahead.
House appropriators proposed $1.7 billion more for weapons procurement and $1.6 billion less for development and testing of cutting-edge technologies meant to deter China.
Top Pentagon officials are asking Congress to let them use the upcoming budget to shed unneeded weapons in order to invest in forward-looking technologies now. It wasn't an easy conversation.