Audit of the Impact of Continuing Resolutions on DoD Acquisition Programs , July 30 , 2025
Audit of the Impact of Continuing Resolutions on DoD Acquisition Programs , July 30 , 2025
From the report: "Objective The objective of this audit was to determine the DoD’s ability to effectively manage the constraints of continuing resolutions on acquisition programs.
Background A continuing resolution (CR) provides temporary funding that allows the Government to continue operations when final appropriations have not been approved by Congress and the President. Generally, a CR is enacted when Congress has not yet passed a new appropriations bill by the first of October or when the President has vetoed congressionally passed appropriations bills. In the absence of an appropriations act, a CR can prevent a Government shutdown.1 CRs provide funding for certain activities that are typically based on the prior fiscal year’s funding. The DoD has operated under a CR in 9 of the last 10 fiscal years.2 During each of those 9 fiscal years, the DoD operated under a CR, ranging from as low as 76 days in FY 2015 to as high as 216 days in FY 2017, before a final appropriation was passed. In that time, Congress enacted 32 separate short‑term CRs for a total of 1,136 days, equivalent to more than 3 years. As it relates to the time frame of our audit, there were four CRs in FY 2024. Figure 1 shows the number and duration of the CRs that affected the DoD from FY 2015 through FY 2024."
Authors - Department of Defense Office of Inspector GeneralRelated Resources
