WASHINGTON - Congress will settle on a $833 billion defense spending topline for fiscal 2025, one House leader says quoted by Defense One.

But in typical fashion, it will not be on time—so lawmakers are readying a budget extension.

“It looks like there's going to be another continuing resolution that will come up next week, probably the middle of next week. The debate has been: how long should that CR go?” Rep. Rob Wittman, R-Va., vice chairman of the House Armed Services Committee, said Wednesday at a Defense News event.

Translated, that means the budget won’t be passed before the start of the new fiscal year—Oct. 1—so Congress will temporarily fund the Defense Department at 2024 levels for an as-yet-undetermined time. Since it’s an election year, lawmakers may well punt the final decisions on 2025 spending until a new Congress has taken office in January.

Continuing resolutions are a reality, but Wittman said they are “the worst way for us to be able to manage the defense enterprise.” Pentagon officials regularly bemoan the costs of a continuing resolution, which costs the department billions in buying power and prevents the services from starting new initiatives.

Lawmakers, now returning from August recess, have much to negotiate in both the defense authorization and appropriations bills. The full Senate has yet to approve its versions, which differ on both policy provisions and the overall top line from the House versions largely crafted by GOP lawmakers.

Despite many differences, and whether it happens in the 118th Congress or 119th, Wittman said lawmakers will settle on $833 billion for the topline, which falls in line with the requirements of last year’s Fiscal Responsibility Act.

Pentagon officials have signaled that another supplemental funding package will be needed if wars in Europe and the Middle East continue. Congress passed a $95 billion supplemental package earlier this year to fund weapons for Ukraine, Israel, Taiwan, and support Indo Pacific security needs.