As I report seemingly endlessly, the regular defense authorization and appropriation legislation are moving forward in both houses of Congress in fits and starts, but time is beginning to run out if Congress is to avoid the use of continuing resolutions to fund our national defense.At this writing there are two more weeks in July available for the Senate to pass its version of the defense authorization bill through the Armed Services Committee and if history is any indication, that just will not happen.Also, the Senate Appropriations Committee has announced it will mark up the Senate version of the defense appropriations legislation this week.Both the House and Senate leadership have said at various times that they will finish the defense appropriations process before the end of the fiscal year on Sept. 30.However, Congress will be gone from the beginning of August until after Labor Day, so the number of days available to complete these crucial pieces of legislation grows smaller and smaller.My guess is that we will have to deal with a continuing resolution until after the November election and that Congress perhaps will pass its defense authorization and appropriations bills in late November or early December.Once each house has passed its version of the bill, the legislation must go to conference where differences are ironed out.There is a long road ahead, but AUSA will be monitoring the process closely and will make our voice heard if the issues our constituents care about are not properly addressed.While we are monitoring the doings on the Hill, we are also gearing up for the AUSA resolutions process that takes place before the Association’s Annual Meeting and Exposition in October.The AUSA Resolutions Committee will review draft resolutions in August and the final resolutions will be printed for distribution during the Annual Meeting.Gen. Gordon R. Sullivan. USA, Ret., AUSA president, has said of his expectations for the resolutions, "My criteria for issues are not new, and I have mentioned them before: those items of policy or budgetary action that will have impact on the prosecution of the war on terror; the readiness of the force; the well-being of our soldiers and their families and the continued momentum of Army Transformation – materiel, equipment, training, and facilities. They define where we stand as an Association."The issues relate to: people – soldiers and their families, retirees, and Army civilians – readiness and modernization."Some of the major categories are closing the pay gap, keeping medical care fees and deductibles from rising, funding wounded warrior, Post-Traumatic Stress and Traumatic Brain Injury care and research initiatives, as well as funding housing programs and expanding veteran, spousal and family member education and employment opportunities and the list goes on."The size of the Army, and indeed the defense force as a whole, must be sufficient to accomplish our national security goals."Acknowledgement of the radically changed role of our reserve component must result in redesigned structures, pay and benefits as well as retirement that reflect the way that segment of our defense establishment is now used."Further, money must be available to reset (repair or replace) equipment for the Current Force. Also, operations and maintenance funds to allow completion of active and reserve missions as well as training dollars also must be available."All of these issues have enormous impact on our Army, our soldiers and families every day."The Resolutions Committee will weave these into the tapestry that becomes the Association’s legislative agenda."Resolutions are published and provided to every member of Congress as well as opinion leaders in local communities and within the Army."I am very proud of the volunteers who create AUSA’s resolutions and make them an effective instrument of policy for AUSA."Well, folks, there you have it directly from the president of the Association.The Government Affairs Directorate will coordinate and oversee the resolutions process.As always, AUSA thanks you for your dedication to our Army, its soldiers and families, and for your membership in the Association.