‘NEVER BACK DOWN’ SENTIMENT FUELS GRIDLOCK: Every year, the Pentagon decries the impact of temporary funding measures that lock in spending at current levels, and every year, despite some of its best intentions, Congress fails to pass a budget on time and is forced to fall back on continuing resolutions, known as CRs.

This year was supposed to be different because, under a deal to raise the debt ceiling negotiated by House Speaker Kevin McCarthy (R-CA) and signed by President Joe Biden, the Pentagon’s budget was capped at $886 billion and to encourage bipartisan compromise, the deal included an automatic 1% cut in discretionary spending if Congress does not pass all 12 appropriations bills by Jan. 1, 2024.