US Representative Lee: "Toss Wasteful Defense Weapons Programs Off the Cliff"

[think]

A special thanks to Rep. Barbara Lee for her efforts to reign in out of control military spending.

Toss Wasteful Defense Weapons Programs Off the Cliff
Rep. Barbara Lee
U.S. Representative, California's 9th congressional district
Posted: 12/05/2012 1:30 pm

Many of us in the Congressional Progressive Caucus recognize that no serious plan to address the deficit can go forward without defense spending reforms on the table. The bloated Pentagon budget has increased a staggering 95 percent dating back to 2000. We continue to spend billions upon billions of dollars on a nuclear arsenal and Cold War-era weapons system designed to fight a phantom Soviet army. The Cold War is over and the Soviet Union long gone -- nonetheless, today we are spending above Cold War levels in real, inflation-corrected terms. It is time to say enough is enough; we need to rein in Pentagon spending after the last decade of unchecked increases, and spend our security dollars wisely on proven programs that can meet our national security goals.

The Pentagon currently spends as much on the military as the next 12 to 15 countries combined, most of whom are allies. It dwarfs all other federal agencies in money lost to waste, fraud and abuse and is the only agency not subject to an annual audit.

~Snip~

Nearly 60 cents of every federal discretionary dollar now goes toward defense spending, and by the Pentagon's own admission, it cannot properly account for how the money is spent. There is no doubt that these circumstances have contributed to instances of waste, fraud, and abuse at the Pentagon. It is past time to audit the Pentagon just like the 34 other Executive branch agencies It is past time to audit the Pentagon just like the 34 other Executive branch agencies. That is why I introduced H.R. 6528, the Audit the Pentagon Act of 2012, and plan on reintroducing it for the 113th Congress.

~Snip~

Full post:
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/rep-barbara-lee/toss-wasteful-defense-wea_b_2245671.html

Yet with the majority of Americans and even members of the military calling for deeper cuts in spending, Obama and the rest of the Democratic leadership act oblivious to the elephant in the room. Democrats need to get serious about military spending and take a stand like Representative Barbara Lee.

[jody]

1. If you cut defense spending, it limits a president's opportunity to conduct foreign policy by bombs

and invasion.

If that happens presidents will have to learn how to use diplomacy and we don't want that to happen!