Army^[1] Secretary Christine Wormuth warned key lawmakers that the plan for yet another short-term funding cycle for the federal government could have a significant impact on the service, ranging from delays in construction projects to weapons acquisition.

In a letter to House and Senate Appropriations committee leaders Wednesday, Wormuth emphasized that a planned three-month continuing resolution set to fund the Army starting Oct. 1 will have "significant consequences on the Army's mission to maintain national security," as well as soldiers' quality of life.

Congressional leaders announced a plan Sunday to vote on a short-term spending agreement this week to fund the government through Dec. 20. The move avoids a shutdown during election season, instead punting funding questions to a lame-duck legislature and White House.

Read Next: Army's Top Enlisted Leader Removed Diversity Consideration for Top Enlisted Roles^[2]

Under the continuing resolution, the Army must work within this year's budget, hindering its ability to advance projects or contracts.

Construction on at least half a dozen projects, including a new $10 million machine gun range for Fort Wainwright^[3], Alaska, and a new $44 million rail yard to transport armored vehicles and other equipment, would see delays, potentially lasting months. Other delays could affect projects at Fort Campbell^[4], Kentucky, and Joint Base Lewis-McChord^[5], Washington.

For 2025, the service requested a near doubling of its budget for barracks, going from $1.5 billion this year to $2.35 billion next fiscal year, which starts Oct. 1. However, it's unclear whether the stopgap spending bill will delay any of the barracks projects planned at Fort Johnson^[6], Louisiana; Fort Leonard Wood^[7], Missouri; and Army Garrison Rheinland-Pfalz^[8] in Germany, among others.

The investment in barracks is one of the most dramatic changes to the service's spending and comes after media reports^[9] showed dilapidated living conditions for junior enlisted soldiers, something that raised lawmakers' ire to such a degree that a new House panel was stood up^[10] to investigate the matter.

Other delays include fielding the new weapons set to replace the M4 carbine^[11] and M249^[12] Squad Automatic Weapon^[13] to two brigade combat teams. The XM7 rifle and XM250 machine gun made their debut in March at 1st Battalion, 506th Infantry Regiment, 101st Airborne Division, though the service has been mum on whether those weapons have been successful in the field.

Both use 6.8mm ammo, which is much heavier than the current 5.56mm round widely employed in the Army but has the potential to be more effective against body armor. The XM7 is nearly one-third heavier than the currently mass-issued M4.

A planned $403 million purchase of Patriot^[14] missile hardware would also be delayed, as well as various software upgrades to missile defense systems. Those systems have been especially critical in the Middle East, where troops are under threat of drone strikes, mostly from Iran-backed militias. The service may also see a significant delay in procuring warheads and other key components for rockets.

Wormuth's warning comes after Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin expressed his own irritation with Congress over continuing resolutions earlier this month.

"We have already lost valuable time, having operated under 48 CRs for a total of almost five years since 2011. We cannot buy back this time, but we can stop digging the hole," Austin wrote in a letter to House and Senate Appropriations committee leaders from both parties.

Related: Veterans Benefits Safe After Senate Approves $3 Billion in Additional Funding Before Deadline^[15]

BOSTON — Hundreds of current and former national security experts have signed onto a letter endorsing the election of Kamala Harris in 2024, citing a need for “serious leadership” over “vengeful impulsiveness.”

In a letter released Sunday^[1], the more than 700 members of the National Security Leaders for America, a “bipartisan organization comprised of individuals who served in various senior leadership positions that include all six military branches, elected federal and state offices, and various government departments and agencies,” said reelecting former President Donald Trump would be a grave mistake.

“Mr. Trump threatens our democratic system; he has said so himself. He has called for the ‘termination^[2]’ of parts of the Constitution. He said he wants to be a ‘dictator^[3],’ and his clarification that he would only be a dictator for a day is not reassuring. He has undermined faith in our elections by repeating lies, without evidence, of “millions” of fraudulent votes,” they wrote.

The list includes, among others, former Secretaries of Defense Leon Panetta, Chuck Hagel, William Cohen, and William Perry; former CIA Directors, John Brennan, John Deutch, and Gen. Michael Hayden; former Secretaries of State Hillary Clinton and John Kerry; and more than a dozen former cabinet secretaries and service chiefs.

They are joined in signing by more than 100 former and retired ambassadors, hundreds of retired admirals and generals, and dozens more top-ranking formerly-enlisted military leaders.

The group, comprised of Democrats, Republicans, and Independents, says they swore an oath to the U.S. Constitution and that they don’t hold loyalty to any one person.

“We do not agree on everything, but we all adhere to two fundamental principles. First, we believe America’s national security requires a serious and capable Commander-in-Chief. Second, we believe American democracy is invaluable. Each generation has a responsibility to defend it. That is why we, the undersigned, proudly endorse Kamala Harris to be the next President of the United States,” they wrote.

The group goes on to quote former President Ronald Reagan, calling the U.S. a “shining city on a hill^[4],” and warning that “in this election, one of President Reagan’s more ominous warnings^[5] is equally relevant. ‘Freedom,’ he said, ‘is never more than one generation away from extinction.’”

“Our endorsement of Vice President Harris is an endorsement of freedom and an act of patriotism. It is an endorsement of democratic ideals, of competence, and of relentless optimism in America’s future. We hope you will join us in voting for her,” they wrote.

The Trump campaign responded by taking aim at Harris’ other endorsements, pointing to a recent nod^[6] from the National Treasury Employees Union as proof that the vice president is “a weak, failed, dangerously liberal candidate.”

“Bottom line: this endorsement, and the Harris campaign’s effort to elevate it, illustrate exactly how desperate and out of touch she is,” they wrote.

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WASHINGTON — The U.S. is sending additional troops to the Middle East in response to a sharp spike in violence^[1] between Israel and Hezbollah forces in Lebanon that has raised the risk of a greater regional war, the Pentagon said Monday.

Pentagon press secretary Maj. Gen. Pat Ryder would provide no details on how many additional forces or what they would be tasked to do. The U.S. currently has^[2] about 40,000 troops in the region.

On Monday, the aircraft carrier USS Truman, two destroyers and a cruiser set sail from Norfolk, Virginia, headed to the Mediterranean on a regularly scheduled deployment, opening the possibility that the U.S. could keep both the Truman and the aircraft carrier USS Abraham Lincoln, which is in the Gulf of Oman, nearby in case further violence breaks out.

“In light of increased tension in the Middle East and out of an abundance of caution, we are sending a small number of additional U.S. military personnel forward to augment our forces that are already in the region. But for operational security reasons, I’m not going to comment on or provide specifics.”

The new deployments come after significant strikes by Israeli forces against targets inside Lebanon that have killed hundreds and as Israel is preparing to conduct further operations. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Monday warned Lebanese civilians in a videotaped message^[3] to evacuate their homes ahead of a widening air campaign. He spoke as Israeli warplanes continued to strike alleged Hezbollah targets in southern and eastern Lebanon.

The State Department is warning Americans to leave Lebanon as the risk of a regional war increases.

“Due to the unpredictable nature of ongoing conflict between Hezbollah and Israel and recent explosions throughout Lebanon, including Beirut, the U.S. Embassy urges U.S. citizens to depart Lebanon while commercial options still remain available,” the State Department cautioned Saturday. Ryder would not say if those additional forces might support the evacuation of those citizens if needed.

Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin held back-to-back calls with Israeli Defense Minister Yoav Gallant over the weekend as he pressed for a cease-fire and a reduction of tensions in the region, Ryder said.

“Given the tensions, given the escalation, as I highlighted, there is the potential for a wider regional conflict. I don’t think we’re there yet, but it’s a dangerous situation,” Ryder said.

The U.S. presence in the Middle East is designed both to help defend Israel and protect U.S. and allied personnel and assets. Navy warships are scattered across the region, from the eastern Mediterranean Sea to the Gulf of Oman, and both Air Force and Navy fighter jets are strategically based at several locations to be better prepared to respond to any attacks.