Statement By SASC Chairman John McCain Opposing The Continuing Resolution

Statement

U.S. Senator John McCain (R-AZ), Chairman of the Senate Armed Services Committee, released the following statement today on his opposition to the two-week Continuing Resolution:

"For the past year, I have implored Congress and the White House to negotiate a bipartisan budget agreement, because without one, the military will be funded under a Continuing Resolution at the Budget Control Act levels. Now into the third month of our fiscal year, we must once again pass a Continuing Resolution while we await a budget agreement. That is both disappointing and unacceptable.

"In a recent letter to the Senate Armed Services Committee, Secretary Mattis explained, "BCA-level funding reverses the gains we have made in readiness, and undermines our efforts to increase lethality and grow the force. Without relief from the BCA caps, our air, land, and sea fleets will continue to erode. BCA caps obstruct our path to modernization, and continue to narrow the technical competitive advantage we presently maintain over our adversaries.' Our choice is clear: provide our military with the adequate, predictable funding they need or continue to watch as our military forces and our technological advantage erode.

"Every day we spend on a Continuing Resolution is a day that our military must try to do more with less, modernization is delayed, and readiness is degraded. For that reason, I cannot support this Continuing Resolution. The President and an overwhelming majority of Congress agree we need to increase investment in the military to rebuild our forces. This will only be possible with a bipartisan budget agreement. I hope that following today's meeting between Congressional leaders and the White House, that budget agreement will provide for substantial, sustained growth to defense spending for this year and next."

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