Lawmakers from Virginia vow to fight Defense Department cuts

[unhappycamper]

Lawmakers from Virginia vow to fight Defense Department cuts
By Anita Kumar
Washington Post Staff Writer
Thursday, December 9, 2010; 7:15 PM

Gov. Robert F. McDonnell and members of Virginia's congressional delegation vowed Thursday to fight Defense Secretary Robert M. Gates's decisions to shutter the Joint Forces Command, a military installation in Hampton Roads, and to slash the Pentagon's military contracting budget by 10 percent a year for the next three years.

"The decision by Secretary Gates . . . is one that is very shortsighted and is one that has not gone about anywhere near the documentation that would be needed in order to make a colossal change of this kind," said McDonnell (R). "I think the concern most of us have is that this was done in a very hasty way with no demonstrable savings to the United States or to the Department of Defense."

At the first meeting of McDonnell's statewide military commission, members focused on Gates's Aug. 9 decisions, which McDonnell said could cost Virginia thousands of jobs and have a devastating impact on the economy. The meeting, which took place at the state Capitol, was attended by Reps. Gerald E. Connolly (D), Glenn Nye (D), Robert C. Scott (D) and J. Randy Forbes (R), and Lt. Gov. Bill Bolling (R). Rep. Frank R. Wolf (R) participated by phone.

The Defense Department met Wednesday with representatives of McDonnell's office and the congressional delegation, but Virginia officials left frustrated after hearing that Gates had made a "philosophical" decision to close the Joint Forces Command rather than one based on data.

"The secretary's decisions regarding these efficiencies initiatives were based on compelling advice and analysis from senior officials within (the Department of Defense), which showed that savings could be achieved through eliminating redundancies in overhead," Defense Department spokeswoman Kathleen Kesler said.



unhappycamper comment: 10% is barely a blip on a pimple's ass. If I had my way, I'd slash the military budget (currently 58% of 2011 non-discretionary funds) now at one trillion dollars annually to around $400 billion dollars. But that's just little ole taxpayer me.

[saigon68]

1. PIGS swilling at the Trough

Oink Oink

[marylanddem]

2. Northern Virginia IS military industrial complex

They can't make it without their three-car garages and gardeners.

[leveymg]

4. Fort Meade was in Maryland, the last time I checked. ;-)

But, NSA is really everywhere - it's in my computer, your cell phone, it's even in DU . . .

[Blue_Tires]

3. yup, my beloved state of teabag politicians and enemies of 'big gummitt'

go crying to washington when the gravy train is in danger...