A provision in the proposed fiscal 2024 National Defense Authorization Act would give the US Defense Department limited authority to begin work on urgent new programs before they are officially funded.
Referred to as "quickstart," this legislative plan has the strong support of the US Air Force and would enable services to initiate new programs or intensify ongoing ones without formal approval from US Congress. It's intended to alleviate the protracted delays in service delivery that occur when legislators adopt their budgets, which prevents the military from initiating new initiatives.
The maximum amount of money that may be spent under the NDAA would be capped at $100 million under the final version that US Congressmen from the House and the Senate worked out in conference last week. All of the military services combined, that amount is less than the $300 million that was part of the initial plan that Air Force Secretary Frank Kendall supported earlier this year.
Prior to utilizing any of these funds for program launch, a service must explain to the US defense secretary the nature of the urgent or emergency national security need, the associated costs, and the reasons why the program cannot wait until the budget is completed.
Although the US Air Force requested a more expansive quickstart provision, House lawmakers originally omitted any mention of it from the NDAA, so although it has been pared back, service officials have indicated that it would be welcomed.
