House passes bloated "defense" bill which spends much more money than the Pentagon asked for

[Cali_Democrat]

It also abandons the deficit-cutting agreement that President Obama and congressional Republicans backed last summer. The bill also includes a ban on "same-sex marriages and 'marriage-like' ceremonies on military bases."

House passes $642 billion defense bill under veto threat
by Joan McCarter

The House ignored the requests of the generals and a White House veto threat today, passing their bloated defense spending authorization bill, 299-120.

The bill breaks the spending agreement made last year as part of the Budget Control Act, and spends much more than the Pentagon has asked for on programs it opposes.

That includes: a new missile defense system on the east coast keeping ships and aircraft that the Pentagon is trying to retire; rejecting the military's request for domestic base closings; and about $4 billion more than the administration and the Pentagon set as a spending limit.

And there's more, including a ban on "same-sex marriages and 'marriage-like' ceremonies on military bases." Additionally, it includes "indefinite detention without trial of terrorism suspects, including U.S. citizens, captured on U.S. soil," despite a decision by a federal judge issued yesterday to block implementation of indefinite detention as included in last year's National Defense Authorization Act.

http://www.dailykos.com/story/2012/05/18/1092792/-House-passes-642-billion-defense-bill-under-veto-threat-

I thought Republicans were concerned about the deficit?

[Johnny Rico]

1. I wouldn't characterize $642 billion as "much more" than $638 billion. It's less than 1% more.

The rest of the article aside, it's a misleading headline.

[Cali_Democrat]

3. The $642 billion is the spending limit

not what was asked for.

[Johnny Rico]

5. How much was asked for?

[TheWraith]

10. The planned level was $472 billion. nt

[Johnny Rico]

11. Does that include spending on the war in Afghanistan?

As per Wikipedia, last year's defense budget was $683.7 billion. I can't imagine the Pentagon asking for a cut in excess of $200 billion!

[TheWraith]

12. Last year's official DOD budget was $525 billion.

And it's not just about what the Pentagon wants, it's about percentage cuts year over year.

[think]

4. $4 billion isn't a lot of money now days?

[Johnny Rico]

6. Compared to a potential defense budget in excess of half a trillion, no it's not.

[think]

2. sickening

[aint_no_life_nowhere]

7. Republicans don't really care about the deficit

If they did, they'd raise revenues, especially on the rich who can afford it.

[gateley]

8. So what we have to make clear is that the Republicans want to shovel even more

money into the Military Industrial Complex than the enormous amount asked for at the expense of programs that all Americans depend on. We should ask cui bono? But we won't.



Edit : typo

[RobertEarl]

9. I'm Shocked!!

Not really. i expect the MIC to get more than it asks for, because it owns congress.

Make note of the fact that programs meant to keep people healthy and alive are being cut. While programs to kill people are being boosted.

And then ask yourself if they really care about people like you.

[WI_DEM]

13. these assholes only care for millionaires and throwing money at the pentagon

and care not one iota for the poor, students, disabled, or elderly--yet they are running even with the president in the election. God help us if we have a GOP congress with a GOP president.

[kentuck]

14. They cannot be trusted to keep their word...

A very important point to make.

[Tierra_y_Libertad]

15. I wonder what the cut is for the congresscritters who sign off on these ripoffs.

"It could probably be shown by facts and figures that there is no distinctly native American criminal class except Congress." Mark Twain