A House Democrat got into a tense exchange with the Army’s top general on Wednesday, saying he won’t approve any more funding for war operations before finding out how the administration plans to defeat the Islamic State.
Army chief Gen. Mark Milley had just warned the House Armed Services Committee that if Congress punts on a new defense budget at the end of this month, it will result in American deaths on the battlefield. The top officers from the other services also outlined severe effects such as grounding aircraft and halting training.
Rep. John Garamendi, D-Calif., cut off the general during his answers and argued that lawmakers should not have to approve new war funding without details on how it will be spent.
He and other Democrats are smarting over President Trump’s proposal to cut non-defense spending by $54 billion to build up the military in fiscal 2018. They are now balking at approving a budget for the military without a deal on domestic spending.
“General, where is the war plan for ISIS? You were told to have it done in 30 days,” Garamendi said.
Milley declined to discuss what he said is classified information on military operations. But he told the congressman the ISIS plan was handed up the military chain of command to Defense Secretary Jim Mattis and Gen. Joseph Dunford, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff.
“It has been submitted and it has been looked at and reviewed,” Milley said.
The Army and other services pressed lawmakers to pass a new defense budget bill on April 28 when the current stop-gap funding measure expires. Trump administration has also requested an immediate supplemental bill for $25 billion for base needs and about $5 billion for overseas contingency operations.
“You have $5 billion for a war plan that has never been submitted to us,” Garamendi said. “You expect us to approve something you have not submitted to us?”
The Army chief began to respond and Garamendi cut him off to say the question was very direct.
“I would ask that you refer that to the secretary of defense or the president,” said Milley, who explained the strategy would normally not be delivered to the House Armed Services Committee. “We work through the chain of command on war plans.”
Garamendi dismissed the response as a non-answer and said the military expects to receive and spend the money without filling in Congress.
He said lawmakers are being forced to make hard choices and pointed to the Trump administration proposals to slash the State Department funding by nearly 30 percent and cut funding for medical research.
