Gates Will Give Lawmakers ‘Hard Choices’ on Pentagon Priorities

[Joanne98]

Source: Bloomberg


Jan. 27 (Bloomberg) -- Defense Secretary Robert Gates will tell lawmakers the U.S. faces “hard choices” on weapons spending that may lead to cuts in some programs as he offers an early glimpse at how President Barack Obama plans to wage two wars.

Members of the Senate and House Armed Services committees will look to Gates today for clues on how Obama will reverse the deteriorating security conditions in Afghanistan and manage the transition to a less active combat role in Iraq.

Gates is testifying as Obama and Congress contend with contradictory budgetary pressures generated by a mounting federal deficit and the need to finance two wars and buy new satellites, vessels and aircraft for later conflicts.

“We may have to invest more in the future-oriented program of one service and less in that of another service, particularly when both programs were conceived with the same threat in mind,” Gates, 65, will say, according to a draft of his testimony to the Senate panel.

Even as spending to ease the credit crisis and stimulate the economy has driven the deficit to more than $1 trillion, the U.S. has about 177,000 troops deployed in Iraq and Afghanistan.



Read more: http://www.bloomberg.com/apps/news?pid=20601087&sid=aIxjcsWYcRio&refer=home

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The only way to keep funding the Empire is to slash Social Security and Medicare benefits! Get ready for the fight of the century!

[Earth_First]

1. Actually, Mr. Gates...

alot of Americans are looking towards a reduction in defense spending. We spend $643 billion dollars annually on your department. That is accounts for $143 billion MORE than ALL WORLD MILITARY BUDGET SPENDING COMBINED!

[unhappycamper]

2. The 2009 military budget is almost a trillion.

These fuckers have been spending money like a drunken sailor. You can look at any service and find room for cuts. The Navy has their Deepwater program, the Army has the Future Combat Systems program, the Air Force has their rather expensive airplane programs, and the Marine Corps gets the leftovers.

BTW, the Veterans Administration is still not fully funded.

[Joey Liberal]

3. The Army needs infantrymen

I have been concerned by the Army's insistance on funding the Future Combat Systems (and they do need some of it) while the fact remains that they don't have enough infantry soldiers. I think the so called "transformation" has been an expensive joke on the American people. The Army reminds me a lot of the banks that are recieving bailout money. While bankers are buying jets and paying out million dollar bonuses, the Army is funding needless uniform changes. This whole latest round of BRAC was a taxpayer rip-off too.

[dixiegrrrrl]

4. Let's start by getting rid of mercenaries and other private contractors.

that cost 5 x as much per day as the military equivalent does,