Navy Secretary Ray Mabus said Tuesday the massive spending bill unveiled by lawmakers this week that will fund the government through the remainder of the fiscal year could be a sign of coming stability after years of budget turmoil and unpredictability.
Mabus said the proposed omnibus spending measure will help the Navy better plan to meet priorities, and represents a break from years of continuous resolutions that bring uncertainty to the process.
“I hope this agreement…signals the start of more regular budget cycles,” Mabus told a gathering at the Surface Navy Association gathering outside Washington.
Lawmakers outlined the details of the omnibus bill Monday night. It calls for a baseline defense budget of $487 billion for fiscal 2014, which ends Sept. 30. It also, at least for now, could end the threat of a another possible shutdown as took place in October. But it must be passed by Wednesday night.
The bill adds billions to the Navy’s shipbuilding budget and preserves plans to for block buys at 10 apiece of the Virginia-class submarines and Arleigh Burke-class destroyers.