Big cuts in U.S. defense programs seen looming

[UpInArms]

http://today.reuters.com/PrinterFriendlyPopup.aspx?type=bondsNews&storyID=uri:2005-10-17T192813Z_01_N17553214_RTRIDST_0_ARMS-SPENDING.XML

WASHINGTON, Oct 17 (Reuters) - Major U.S. weapons programs are facing big cuts given mounting budget pressures from the war in Iraq, rising fuel and personnel costs, and the need to rebuild the U.S. Gulf Coast, defense analysts said on Monday.

The military services -- the Air Force, the Navy and the Army -- are drafting lists of programs that could be cut back before the White House's Office of Management and Budget issues its guidance to the Pentagon in mid-November.

Air Force Chief of Staff Gen. Michael Moseley lifted the veil on the highly secretive process last week when he said told a Washington audience it might be time to start "killing" programs with cost overruns and delays.

<snip>

But Sen. Jeff Sessions, an Alabama Republican, recently said it was clear the "glory days for defense budgets" -- which have driven the Pentagon's annual budget well over $400 billion a year from $300 billion in fiscal year 2001 -- were ending.

...more...

[Kolesar]

1. weapons programs..."well in excess" of $10 billion just for year 2007

C'mon dig deeper. Let those defense contractors feel some real pain. In another thread, they stopped development on the Alaska-based Star-Wars missile interceptor.

[meganmonkey]

2. As long as we cut the bullshit and not the armor and healthcare

I am all for it.

Slash away...

[Nickster]

3. But....But....But.....What do they want us to defend ourselves with...

spitballs!!!????


/edited to add Zell Miller Snark :-)

[BikeWriter]

4. Yes, it's all Klintoon's fault!

:sarcasm:

[xxqqqzme]

6. we're not defending anything

now any way. The Department of Offense needs 2 be drastically cut.

[Spinzonner]

5. But of course it was Clinton who decimated our military strength

:sarcasm:

[Xipe Totec]

7. Hey, Zell, here come the spitballs!

"This is -- This is the man who wants to be the Commander in Chief of our U.S. Armed Forces?!

U.S. forces armed with what? Spitballs?!"

- Zell Miller attacking John Kerry.

http://www.americanrhetoric.com/speeches/convention2004/zellmiller2004rnc.htm

I'd like to know what this bastard traitor has to say for himself now.

[LynnTheDem]

8. ONLY LIBRULS cut defense!

:rofl:

Rightwingnuts; stupidest MFers on the planet.

[bemildred]

9. Blowback, in spades. nt

[Renew Deal]

10. So we have to sacrifice our security for an elective war?

Yep, we're safer. :eyes:

[Javaman]

11. Like Einstien said, "the 4th world war will be fought with rocks"...

but not because of nuclear war but because there will be nothing to fuel the tanks up with.

[WhiteTara]

12. eliminate them all!

Let's live in a world without fear.

[confludemocrat]

13. My worry: Dems trying to one-up Rs by proposing higher spending on D

that's their whole strategy: look tougher, sound tougher, send MORE troops to Iraq. It didn't work in 2004 and won't work now but does anyone see any sign, other than Kucinich implying it, that Democrats want reduced defense spending?

[eridani]

14. Get rid of that useless missile "defense" system first

Proposed by Kucinich and others--also cutting defense spending in general.

[teryang]

15. Deception and the Defense Budget-Winslow Wheeler

http://www.counterpunch.org/wheeler10212005.html

Incompetence, Deception and the Defense Budget
Paying for Their Mistakes
By WINSLOW T. WHEELER

<snip>The Department of Defense Appropriations Act passed by the Senate on Oct. 7, 2005-by a bipartisan vote of 97 to 0-was loaded with budget gimmicks. For example, the Republican chairman of the Senate's defense appropriations subcommittee, Sen. Ted Stevens of Alaska, and the ranking Democrat, Sen. Daniel Inouye of Hawaii, both advertised the bill as a $936 million reduction from spending last year. However, an accounting by CBO found the bill is actually a $9.5 billion increase. It seems the senators conveniently forgot to include a $10.7 billion tab they must pay for the future costs of health care for military retirees. Legislation they claimed was smaller than last year's is actually much larger.

Another budget dodge was to move heaps of peacetime defense expenditures into a special $50 billion account of "emergency" spending intended to pay for the first six months of the war in 2006. This reduced the total for the portion of the bill covering regular annual spending, but it padded the war fighting account with much that did not belong there. As a result, Republicans and Democrats claimed they reduced the president's request for regular, peacetime defense spending by a seemingly impressive $7 billion, while in truth they stuffed the war fighting account with non-war extras.

In short, Congress advanced beyond mere incompetence to active deception, for example by claiming a bigger bill is actually smaller. This sets precisely the wrong example and wins the race to the bottom when it comes to managing the defense budget.<snip>

[No Exit]

16. Jeff Sessions: Evil leprechaun who is in favor of torture.