WASHINGTON — Influential lawmakers from both parties urged the Defense secretary in a letter Tuesday to curtail the department’s submission to Congress of “unfunded priorities lists” — annual requests for billions of dollars in military spending above White House budget proposals.
“The Department of Defense must show taxpayers that it is a responsible steward of its funds,” wrote four senators and two representatives in a letter to Defense Secretary Lloyd J. Austin III that was obtained by CQ Roll Call. “That must begin with eliminating the practice of sending Congress bloated wish lists for additional funds on top of its core budget submissions.”
The letter was signed by an unlikely coalition. The signatories were Sens. Elizabeth Warren, D-Mass., and Angus King, I-Maine, both of whom are members of the Armed Services Committee; Rep. Pramila Jayapal, D-Wash., who leads the Congressional Progressive Caucus; plus three fiscally conservative Republicans: Sens. Mike Lee of Utah and Mike Braun of Indiana and Rep. Tom McClintock of California.
