Defense Secretary Ashton Carter warned Thursday that a short-term continuing resolution (CR) would hurt the Defense Department's European Reassurance Initiative (ERI), of which the Pentagon requested a nearly four-fold increase to help with deterrence of Russia in Europe.Carter lamented before the Senate Armed Services Committee (SASC) that the Pentagon would likely start a new fiscal year under a CR for the eighth straight year. CRs, in place of an appropriations bill signed into law, continue government funding at the previous…