"Pentagon's Budget Shortfall Halts Middle East Buildup"

The Pentagon has ordered additional military assets to the Middle East following recent terrorist attacks on Israel, but is facing a funding shortfall due to congressional dysfunction and operating under a temporary funding measure. As a result, the Pentagon has had to pull money from existing accounts, impacting training, exercises, and deployments. The lack of a full-year spending bill also hampers the Pentagon's ability to start new programs or pay for anything above the previous year's levels. The burden of operating under a stopgap measure is particularly challenging as the Pentagon supports two wars in Ukraine and Israel simultaneously. If the bickering over a full-year spending bill continues, the Pentagon and other federal agencies may face a 1 percent across-the-board spending cut.