Rep. Buck McKeon (R-Calif.), House Armed Services Committee chairman, called on each of the service Chiefs and combatant commanders as well as the National Guard Bureau chief to provide a list of military requirements that the President’s Fiscal 2015 budget request does not fund. McKeon wants their respective lists by March 4, according to the letters he penned to these 14 leaders on Feb 14. “Unfortunately, this well-established tradition of providing unfunded priority lists has waned in recent years, as defense leadership restricted the services and commands from providing this information,” wrote McKeon in his missive to Air Force Chief of Staff Gen. Mark Welsh. McKeon said the Pentagon’s forthcoming budget request—expected to go to Congress in early March—would include $26 billion in unfunded requirements as part of an “investment fund.” “While I welcome [the President’s] list, I am more interested in hearing directly from our service Chiefs and commanders on their unfunded requirements rather than receiving an edited White House list tailored to scoring political points,” stated McKeon in his release announcing the letters.
Lawmakers are growing impatient for an overdue fighter recapitalization study from the Air Force, and members say they'll demand more detailed justifications for future aircraft retirements.