Defense Tech: Pass Supplemental Spending Bill Or We Start Doing Stupid Things: Gates

[unhappycamper]

Pass Supplemental Spending Bill Or We Start Doing Stupid Things: Gates
Greg Grant

I have to give it to Defense Secretary Robert Gates, he does know how to grab people’s attention. He told Senate appropriators today that if Congress doesn’t pass the $33 billion supplemental spending request by July 4 the Pentagon will start doing “stupid things.”

Our own Colin Clark covered the hearing and reports on some of the stupid that might result if the Pentagon doesn’t get the money it needs:

“Among those “stupid” things: performing “disruptive” planning on how to manage money for operations. What might happen? Gates said the Navy and Marines will begin to run out of money in July; the “Army comes along a little behind that.” Things would start to get serious in early to mid August when money in the base budget would begin to run out and the department would face the dire prospect of first having to furlough civilians and then having to consider the possibility that it could not pay some of those in uniform.”

What’s holding up the supplemental?

“The defense spending bill has gotten tangled in $23 billion for teachers, an issue close to heart of Rep. David Obey, chairman of the House Appropriations Committee, who largely controls the progress of all spending bills in the House. And, of course, teachers unions are major supporters of the Democratic Party. That may have something to do with reports that House Speaker Nancy Pelosi is supportive of Obey’s move to hold up the war supplemental until the teachers get something.”

unhappycamper comment: I'm OK with stupid things - the military budget is sucking up over 50% of all discretionary spending.

[hobbit709]

1. What does he mean by "start"?

[unhappycamper]

3. Good point.

I stand corrected. :hi:

[hobbit709]

4. I figured you knew exactly what I meant.

:toast:

[Sherman A1]

5. +1, Agreed & Well Said!

:fistbump:

[old mark]

2. I went into the military in 1968, and they were doing stupid things back then,

and it seemed they had been doing them that way for quite some time.

Get rid of a few thousand contractors and tighten up the Navy and Air Force budgets...remember it was huge military debt that brought down the Soviet Union...and if we are laying off cops and teachers, cutting back on school programs and unemployment benefits, the military might want to wake the fuck up and start doing things that are not so stupid.

We should end the generational careerism and the percieved entitlement to high rank and top jobs that goes with it...just because daddy was an admiral does not mean that ensign sonny should grow up to be one, too...especially if daddy was a lousy admiral!

mark