For a lot of Americans who can add, subtract, multiply and divide, the only way out of the current financial catastrophe and federal budget meltdown, as well as the only way to pay for universal health care and the inevitable job creation programs President Obama will have to adopt, is for the federal government to begin to drastically scale down its military commitments.
But Defense Secretary Gates, whom Obama is said to be considering keeping on in the new administration, has thrown down the Pentagon's gauntlet, requesting $57 billion in new Defense spending for next year and $450 over the next five years -- on top of the already massive base Defense budget of $526 billion and on top of the supplemental spending on the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan, which brings the annual budget to well over $671 billion.
These costs do not include "defense" costs spread over other departmental budget categories, such as intelligence and spy satellites, which experts believe put the annual defense budget well over $1 trillion.
Yes, you heard that right: Secretary Gates wants an additional $57 billion above and beyond the Pentagons budget and the cost of the two wars for next year alone. In other words, the Pentagon does not want to engage in any cost cutting in the coming years.
This $57 billion request, combined with other expected requests for increases in Defense spending, moreover, would be permanent additions to the base budget, so the increases would total over $450 billion in the first five years. Of the $57 billion requested for next year, at least $30 billion would be for an ill-defined "contingency fund."
According to news sources,
the massive request is designed to "put pressure" on the incoming administration to accede to the Pentagon's request
to "drastically increase" the size of the Defense budget:
http://news.yahoo.com/s/cq/20081009/pl_cq_politics/politics2973555Pentagon Wants $450 Billion Increase Over Next Five Years
By Josh Rogin, CQ Staff Josh Rogin, Cq Staff – Thu Oct 9, 5:20 pm ET
Pentagon officials have prepared a new estimate for defense spending that is $450 billion more over the next five years than previously announced figures.
The new estimate, which the Pentagon plans to release shortly before President Bush leaves office,
would serve as a marker for the new president and is meant to place pressure on him to either drastically increase the size of the defense budget or defend any reluctance to do so, according to several former senior budget officials who are close to the discussions.
Experts note that releasing such documents in the twilight of an administration is a well-worn tactic, and that incoming presidents often disregard such guidance in order to pursue their own priorities.
...
The fiscal 2010 portion of the estimate includes a $57 billion increase, out of which $30 billion would go for a vaguely defined contingency fund and $14 billion would go for replacing or fixing existing equipment, called reset, and modernization, the former officials said.
<end excerpt>
http://www.bloomberg.com/apps/news?pid=20601109&sid=aYdmA70X40hw&refer=news<scroll down>
Defense Secretary Robert Gates has said increasing defense spending may act as a boost to the economy.
``We are trying to persuade people it would be a good thing'' to increase the projected 2010 defense budget of $526.7 billion by $57 billion, Gates said in an Oct. 21 interview. ``If you want to talk about a stimulus package, the defense budget's not bad and obviously a lot of jobs around the country depend'' on military spending.
Printer-friendly format
Email this thread to a friend
Bookmark this thread
(1000+ posts)
Send PM |
Profile |
Ignore
