Army secretary warns passing House's 6-month temp spending bill would jeopardize national security

The Secretary of the Army wrote letters Wednesday to several members of Congress warning that a six-month continuing resolution would impede U.S. Army operations.

When the letters arrived is unclear, but the GOP-led House on Wednesday night failed to pass a six-month resolution to keep the government fully operational past September. The measure failed in part because of a contentious voter-integrity component. 

Army Secretary Christine Wormuth said the temporary funding "would have significant consequences on the Army's mission to maintain national security and the quality of life of our soldiers and their families," according to an Army press release.

Members of Congress have raised similar concerns. 

With funding for only part of the year, "the Army would have to delay as much as $8.2 [billion] in critical investments for recruiting, training, and capability development, including 23 new start procurement programs valued at $400 [million]," according to the letters.

Wormuth said the continuing resolution would impede recruiting and thwart Army investment in air and missile defense, uncrewed aerial systems, next-generation squad weapons, munitions, organic industrial base modernization, and military construction.

Wormuth wrote letters to Sens. Patty Murray, a Washington Democrat and chairwoman of the Senate Committee on Appropriations, and Susan Collins, a Maine Republican and vice chairwoman of the Senate Committee on Appropriations.

Wormuth also wrote to Reps. Tom Cole, an Oklahoma Republican and chairman of the House Committee on Appropriations, and Rosa DeLauro, the top Democrat on the committee.