SAC Chairman Proposes Short-Term Continuing Resolution

The chairman of the Senate Appropriations Committee is asking his fellow senators to support a short-term continuing resolution that would avoid a government shutdown. The resolution would fund the government through Dec. 11, and provide overseas contingency operations funding at a level above President Obama’s budget request, but it would prohibit any federal funding for Planned Parenthood. The measure, sponsored by committee chairman Sen. Thad Cochran (R-Miss.), conforms to spending limits established by the Budget Control Act. “I encourage senators to support this continuing resolution so that we can meet our responsibilities to the American people to keep government operations open and address the challenges facing our nation,” Cochran said in a written release. The measure would support processing veterans’ disability claims “at a rate necessary to address ongoing backlogs,” according to the committee. Air Force Secretary Deborah Lee James on Friday told reporters USAF can handle a short-term continuing resolution, but that a long-term CR would be worse than sequestration cuts. Speaking at AFA’s Air and Space Conference last week, Defense Secretary Ash Car?ter said budget gridlock amounts to “self-inflicted damage” on US power and can “send the wrong message at the wrong time” to adversaries. (See also: The Return of Tiered Readiness And Make it Short, Please)