AFA to Congress: Don’t Let a Funding Gap Halt Golden Dome

ARLINGTON, Va., Aug. 25, 2026 — The Golden Dome program could be stopped in its tracks if Congress fails to provide the authority and funds it needs to continue, the Air & Space Forces Association (AFA) warned in a new letter to congressional leaders.

AFA Chair of the Board Kathleen Ferguson and AFA President & CEO Lt. Gen. Burt Field, USAF (Ret.), detailed in the letter the risks to the planned missile defense shield if Congress fails to approve a budget instead of a stopgap continuing resolution. Because Golden Dome funding is new spending, it will remain on hold until a formal budget is approved.

“Golden Dome is being built to defend the American homeland against threats that are growing in both capability and complexity,” said Ferguson. “Gen. Guetlein has made clear that without continued funding, the program cannot maintain its momentum. Congress should provide the funding and authorities needed to keep Golden Dome moving forward and on schedule. A program this important to the defense of our homeland should not lose critical time because of a funding gap.”

Launched in 2025, the Golden Dome program is a central pillar of the 2025 National Security Strategy and the 2026 National Defense Strategy. Congress has allocated more than $24 billion to the program, with roughly 90% of that money funded not through the regular budget but instead through a separate bill that is not part of the annual appropriations process.

That distinction matters, because a continuing resolution only covers spending included in the prior year’s appropriations, enabling the government to continue to spend at those levels. It bars agencies from starting programs or funding activities not in the prior appropriations act.

With less than six weeks until the end of fiscal 2026, Congress must either pass new appropriations bills or a CR, as it has done in most years over the past three decades.

Indeed, since fiscal 1998 began, continuing resolutions have funded some or all of the government for an average of 118 days each year. That’s an average of nearly four months a year. More recently, that figure has crept up to 149 days. In 2025, as well as three other times, the government was funded by continuing resolutions for the entire year.

The President’s fiscal 2027 budget request asked for about $17.5 billion for Golden Dome, but only about $400 million of that funding was to be in the traditional appropriations measure. Without a funded reconciliation bill containing the other $17 billion, Golden Dome will run out of money.

“The nation has made a commitment to build Golden Dome, and now we need to sustain the momentum behind it,” said Ferguson. “Congress has the opportunity to ensure this vital work continues without interruption. The threats to our homeland will not pause, and neither should our efforts to defend against them.”

 “We have radars on contract. We have launchers on contract. We have space-based interceptors on contract. Hypersonic ballistic tracking system on contract. Space data network is on contract,” said Gen. Michael Guetlein, who leads the Golden Dome effort, in congressional testimony AFA quoted in its letter.

Much of Golden Dome’s development encompasses new programs or activities, owing to its reliance on novel capabilities. Under the standard new-start prohibition, those efforts could not begin even if money were available. It is because of these factors, AFA stresses the importance of both full funding and explicit statutory authority in the same measure.

“Congress and the President built this program on purpose, and it is working,” said Field. “Now, Congress needs to help finish the job. Fund Golden Dome at the levels it requires and say plainly in the bill that the work can continue, including any new starts they require during the continuing resolution timeframe. Anything less is a decision to slow down at a time when America needs it most.”

AFA’s letter was addressed to House Speaker Mike Johnson, House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries, Senate Majority Leader John Thune, and Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, and copied to the chairs and ranking members of the Armed Services and Appropriations committees in both chambers.

About AFA 

The Air & Space Forces Association is an independent, non-profit 501(c)3 association dedicated to advocating for the U.S. Air Force, the U.S. Space Force, Airmen, Guardians, and their Families. Founded in 1946, AFA is the single largest entity of its kind focused on air and space power. With more than 350,000 members and 200 chapters spread around the world, our mission is to promote dominant U.S. Air Force and Space Force as the foundation of a strong National Defense; to honor and support Airmen, Guardians, and their Families; and to remember and respect the enduring heritage of the Air Force and Space Force.