Army leaders are concerned about receiving proper and timely funding for fiscal 2020, Army Undersecretary Ryan D. McCarthy said.

Speaking at a Feb. 26 breakfast hosted by the Association of the U.S. Army’s Institute of Land Warfare, McCarthy said officials expect the budget to be rolled out March 12, more than a month later than usual.

The Army continues to work closely with Congress on trying to make sure the service is funded in a timely manner, McCarthy said.

“Continuing resolutions breed mediocrity,” McCarthy said. “We had a 10-year run where offices did not see an appropriations bill. You can’t have predictability in an environment where you’re getting an installment every three or six months.”

Continuing resolutions also affect the companies that work with the Army, McCarthy said.

“How do companies know if they’re going to get paid or not?” he said. “How can you get the system primed to hit optimal levels?”

McCarthy said he understands the delay has put Congress in a “difficult spot.”

“They’ve lost at least six weeks from their process, but the indications I’ve heard from the committees with jurisdiction over the Defense Department is that they’re still going to press hard on their schedules to try to have their bills marked and moving through the summertime.”

McCarthy said he hopes “we’re going to get there by Oct. 1, but they’re in a tough place.”