Clock Watching

Time is running out for the Defense Department, according to Defense Secretary Robert Gates.

With U.S. and coalition forces gearing up for what promises to be a difficult and bloody year ahead in Afghanistan, Gates appealed to lawmakers approve nearly $200 million in wartime funding. "I am becoming increasingly concerned about the lack of progress on the supplemental," he told members of the Senate Appropriations defense subcommittee today.

While the Senate has approved a version of the $192 million spending package, which would finance combat operations through the remaining fiscal year and into FY-11, the House version continues to languish in committee. Prior to today's hearing, Gates said he had hoped to have a wartime spending bill in place before Memorial Day.

Now, Gates has set a hard deadline of July 4 for passage of the Overseas Contingency Operations bill.

Should lawmakers fail to meet that extended deadline, DOD decisionmakers will "begin to have to do stupid things" via "disruptive plans and disruptive actions" just to keep U.S. forces ready to fight in Afghanistan.

Such rhetoric is nothing new, as Gates has expressed the same sort of urgency regarding passage of previous wartime spending bills. But with U.S. forces preparing for an large-scale counterinsurgency offensive in Southern Afghanistan, the stakes are a little higher this time around.

"Such planning is disruptive, especially in a time of war, and I ask you help in avoiding this action," he said.