Wednesday, Mar. 20, 2013

No burial delays despite Arlington budget cuts

WASHINGTON — Arlington National Cemetery staff won’t be furloughed “so there will be no delays in burials,” but needed infrastructure improvements are on hold for now, said Arlington National Cemetery’s leader.

Repairs to crumbling roads, planned expansions to the cemetery and replacing deteriorating waterlines are all on hold due to budget shortfalls resulting from the continuing resolution and sequestration, Kathryn A. Condon, executive director, Army National Military Cemeteries, told lawmakers.

Condon expressed concern for Arlington’s immediate and long-term operational future during her statement submitted Wednesday to a hearing of the House Appropriations subcommittee on military construction and veterans’ affairs.

The cemetery’s fiscal year 2013 budget request was for $173.8 million and 201 employees, she said.

A full-year continuing resolution would be a $128 million and 31-employee reduction from that requested.

Sequestration is taking an added 5-percent bite from that fiscal 2013 budget, she added. The requested fiscal 2013 budget would have funded $45.8 million for operating costs, plus $103 million for expansion projects and $25 million for critical infrastructure restoration and modernization, she explained.