WASHINGTON — The U.S. Department of Defense has delivered its fiscal 2017 budget supplemental plan to the White House for review, the agency announced Friday.
The Pentagon was supposed to deliver the budget amendment material to the Office of Management and Budget by March 1, but that delivery was delayed.
Pentagon spokesman Lt. Col. Eric Badger emphasized that the budget process is "iterative" and said the Pentagon will continue to work with OMB to finalize the details. He also underscored calls from top department officials for a return to regular budgetary order.
"Of note, the amendment doesn't change the fact that we strongly favor passage of the FY 2017 DoD appropriations bill, and avoiding a year-long continuing resolution," Badger said in a statement.
DoD is operating under a continuing resolution which caps spending at FY16 levels. This year represented the first time that there was a change of administration while under a continuing resolution. The current stopgap continuing resolution to fund the government runs out on April 28, and to avert a government shutdown Congress would have to pass appropriations or another extension.
On Wednesday, the House voted to pass a $578 billion defense spending bill for FY17, but it is unclear how the Senate will act on that version of the budget plan.
While full details of the supplemental defense spending bill are hazy, a few concrete data points have leaked out. Air Force Chief of Staff Gen. David Goldfein told reporters last month that his service will include some money for a light attack aircraft demonstration, amidst other plus-ups.
Aaron Mehta was deputy editor and senior Pentagon correspondent for Defense News, covering policy, strategy and acquisition at the highest levels of the Defense Department and its international partners.
