Gen. Wright Statement on H.R. 6229: Bipartisan Air Force Budget Transparency

April 30, 2020

Gen. Wright Statement on H.R. 6229: Bipartisan Air Force Budget Transparency

As many national security leaders know, the most significant and long-time budget decrement to supporting dominant Air and Space Forces is that more than 20% of the Department of the Air Force budget goes to the Intelligence Community and is not visible to taxpayers or Airmen and Space Force professionals directly involved in combat operations. Most Americans have no idea what billions of classified dollars are being spent for. Worse, many of our joint Warfighters could be much more decisive in combat operations if the over-classified capabilities in the “pass through” were visible to them and their leadership, and not just hidden inside the Department of the Air Force budget.

In an historically unprecedented peer threat environment that could deny or destroy America’s most vital interests, Rep. Don Bacon (R-NE), who is on the House Armed Services Committee, has it exactly right – “now is the time to resolve this lingering budget anomaly and restore transparency to the Air Force budget.” Billions of dollars that could ensure a stronger joint Warfighter and Intelligence Community partnership should be in an appropriate DoD account and not just subtracted from budgets and support that our Airmen and Space Force professionals deserve.

Please show your support for our Department of the Air Force and new U.S. Space Force by reaching out to your Congressman and Senators. Let them know you strongly support H.R. 6229, the “Air Force Budget Transparency Act.” It is time to make this change to support a stronger national defense, our Intelligence Community, and our Airmen and Space Force professionals.