Letter on Golden Dome Funding and Continuing Resolutions

Dear Congressional Leaders:

As you well know, the defense of the U.S. homeland is a primary and foundational priority of the 2025 National Security Strategy and 2026 National Defense Strategy. Fundamental to continuing to achieve this strategic objective is the expedited development and operational deployment of the integrated homeland air and missile defense system called Golden Dome. Congress has allocated over $24 billion for this project. However, approximately 90 percent of this funding has come through reconciliation and not the appropriations process. Therefore, since the Congress is considering funding our military, in the interim, with a Continuing Resolution (CR), absent a specific anomaly or other statutory authority, a conventional CR would not provide the funding and new-start authorities necessary to execute the Fiscal Year 2027 (FY’27) Golden Dome as requested. Accordingly, the Air & Space Forces Association – on behalf of its 350,000 members — respectfully requests if a CR is utilized to provisionally provide funds until consideration of the appropriations and reconciliation process is completed, Congress fully fund Golden Dome at the level sought in the President’s FY’27 Budget Request (PBR). In addition, AFA recommends any CR contain statutory text authorizing “new starts” for the Golden Dome system.

According to the Director of Golden Dome, General Michael Guetlein, USSF, if additional funding is not contained in the CR the development of Golden Dome will “stop.” It is ironic this risk has arisen just as General Guetlein has reported a recent major test was “exceptionally effective.” Specifically, “…a fall-based test… hit the target in the intended threat environment and hit precisely as a bullseye hit.”

This was followed by a second test in January which General Guetlein stated was “the most complex integrated missile defense test that we have pulled off as a nation.” He also added
the test was “exceptionally effective and really demonstrated the capabilities that we’re going to be deploying around the homeland.”

General Guetlein also discussed other program milestones: “We’re building something completely differently, and that architecture is coming together, and is being proven every single day…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…”

However, fully funding Golden Dome is not enough. Golden Dome routinely works to develop new capabilities that may constitute new programs or activities for appropriated purposes. Therefore, the traditional prohibition “new starts” under a CR could cause unnecessary delays and complications, negatively impacting the system timely operational deployment. Therefore, it is essential that if a CR is utilized it contain specific legislative text authorizing “new starts” for the Golden Dome system.

To continue Golden Dome’s progress, the PBR seeks a total of approximately $17.5 billion in FY’27. Most of this request is to be provided through reconciliation. Only approximately $400 million is requested through the appropriations process. Maintaining the momentum of Golden Dome’s development is essential. Therefore, if Congress seeks to fund our military in the interim through a CR, that legislation must fund the entirety of the FY’27 PBR for Golden Dome. AFA additionally recommends any CR contain statutory text authorizing “new starts” for the Golden Dome system.

Thank you for your attention to this matter.

Yours truly,