Defense Primer: Department of Defense Unfunded Priorities
Abstract
Introduction. Department of Defense (DOD) unfunded priorities generally refer to reports submitted to Congress pursuant to United States Code provisions (10 U.S.C. statute 222a and 10U.S.C. statute 222b) listing military programs, activities, or mission requirements that were not included in the Presidents annual budget request but that the department would fund with additional appropriations. The highest-ranking officers of the U.S. military services, combatant commands (COCOMs), and Missile Defense Agency (MDA) submit the reports, which are sometimes called unfunded priorities lists or unfunded requirements. Some observers have described DOD unfunded priorities as "wish lists" that reduce budget discipline and increase unnecessary spending. Others have described them as "risk lists" that identify items intended to support strategic objectives. For FY2022, DOD identified $23.85 billion in unfunded priorities, according to CRS analysis of the documents. Congress is debating whether to increase funding in FY2022 defense authorization and appropriation legislation, in part to fund DOD unfunded priorities.
Document Details
- Document Type
- Technical Report
- Publication Date
- Nov 09, 2021
- Accession Number
- AD1152449
Entities
People
- Brendan W. Mcgarrey
- Mauren Trujillo
Organizations
- Congressional Research Service