Summary: GAO examined the Department of Defense's fiscal year (FY) 2000 budget request and prior years' appropriations for selected weapon system procurement and research, development, test, and evaluation (RDT&E) programs.
GAO noted that: (1) opportunities to reduce the aggregate FY 2000 procurement and RDT&E requests by about $966.9 million and to rescind prior years' total procurement and RDT&E appropriations by $27.5 million; (2) based on the results of GAO's ongoing program reviews and budget scrub review, GAO found these reductions and rescissions can be made because schedules have slipped, requirements have changed, and issues affecting program funding have emerged since the budget request was developed; (3) the potential rescissions include $21.1 million in prior years' appropriations for which obligational authority expires on September 30, 1999; (4) in addition, GAO identified issues on several program funding requests that Congress may want to assure have been satisfactorily resolved before appropriated funds are spent; and (5) such potential funding restrictions total $301.9 million.
