The most fundamental part of our representatives’ job is to pass a bill each year to fund the military that protects America and thereby allows us all the rights to life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness.

The deadline for doing that job is just days away, on September 30, 2024. It is the same deadline every year. Despite knowing this, the Congress almost never gets its job done on time.

There is plenty of blame to go around, and placing the blame, rather than getting the work done, is often the focus of effort as the deadline approaches. Instead of passing the bill to fund the military each year, Congress usually passes a continuing resolution (CR), or a series of them, which is incremental, temporary funding that extends what they did last year into the next year.

This may not sound so bad, and it is better than the expensive, dangerous train wreck of a government shutdown. But, it is bad. It stalls progress on buying better weapons, damages America’s security, hurts industry and the economy, and wastes our money since it costs more to buy things bit by bit.

America’s military has lost nearly one-third of the last 15 years—that is 1793 days, or nearly five years—to CRs. We can’t buy back that time and, even if we could, we wouldn’t have the money. We waste billions in buying power during CRs which means that the money that should be on hand to spend on defense priorities is not actually available. To understand how debilitating this is, imagine running a race and spending 25–30 percent of the time just looking for your shoes. What are your chances of winning?

The consequences of CRs can be dire: lost lives, poor living conditions for US service members, and delayed contracts necessary to procure and manufacture the defense equipment and technology we need.

Last year alone, 33 service members were killed in training-related accidents. Nine soldiers perished when two HH-60 Black Hawk helicopters crashed during a nighttime training accident in Kentucky. Eight Air Force special operators were killed in a November CV-22 crash in Japan during a training mission. Similar stories account for the other deaths that occurred during air refueling, parachute, and other air and ground training missions. Accidents during military training can have many causes, but it is clear that delayed and unpredictable funding disrupts training schedules and, as a result, impacts the safety of our servicemembers. Consistent training and meticulous care of equipment are cornerstones of an effective, professional—and safe—military. These tenets are more difficult to uphold when there is not enough money or when the money is delayed.

Livable housing for our servicemembers and their families is another such basic need. Yet, according to numerous reports and audits, poor conditions, including safety risks, abound in military barracks and family housing. Sewage overflows, inoperable fire systems, broken windows, bug infestations, cold showers, lack of heat or cooling, and mold are just some of the problems facing uniform personnel and their families. The Pentagon is trying to improve things, but lack of sufficient, consistent, on-time funding for such a fundamental and fixable need damages the readiness of our forces and thereby negatively impacts America’s security.

In addition to these crucial consequences on uniform personnel, the nation’s military capabilities and competitiveness are also put in jeopardy by delays in funding. The Pentagon can’t start new programs, and therefore can’t award contracts, until it has its annual money. During that time, industry waits. The workforce waits. The supply chain waits. As a result, the health and resilience of the entire system withers while America’s military equipment ages. By the way, older equipment is also more expensive to maintain.

In the meantime, while the greatest nation in the world sits on its hands with self-inflicted wounds, China and Russia move ahead. The commission charged with reviewing the nation’s defense strategy recently said that “in many ways, China is outpacing the United States” and that Russia is expected to spend 29 percent of its federal budget on defense this year as it reconstitutes its military and economy in support of its ongoing aggression toward Ukraine.

Assuming we work hard for our pay and that our pay would be in jeopardy if we didn’t actually do our job, should we expect less from those we send to Washington to represent us?

There are plenty of dangers outside our control that require preparation. The lack of predictable, on-time funding should not be part of the threat our military faces. America’s leaders must put the nation, its armed forces, and the taxpayer first.

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