Date: April 10, 2014 The Hawks Are Coming Out To PlayThere is a...
Date: April 10, 2014
The Hawks Are Coming Out To Play
There is a law, congressional law, to stick to budget spending limits. The Republicans insisted that they always want limits as part of “fiscal responsibility.” And yet, they are about to flagrantly break those limits again in favor of the need to exercise American offense (defense is hardly the appropriate word any more).
The Defense Department, the Pentagon, has said they need $534 billion to fund day-to-day operations worldwide and another $51 billion for what they call “fluctuating needs associated with warfighting.” According to AvWeek, “Defense Secretary Ashton Carter and Army Gen. Martin Dempsey, the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, have told lawmakers that the military’s plans are based on the budget it put forward.” Now let’s be fair, that’s a huge budget.
Well, it is not big enough for the hawks in Congress. Now that they have seized control of both Houses, they are focusing on their own budget demands of $612 billion plus $90 billion for “overseas contingency operations.” Yup, they want an additional $117 billion, or an additional 20% increase. Twenty percent!
Okay, sometimes one side or the other asks for more, or as in this case the President and the Pentagon are asking for a reduction of 4% over last year. It is part of the bargaining dance due to end by September (one hopes, to avoid a shutdown). However, no one has ever seen a 20% increase proposed. The increased figure represents, as a source says, “that’s not just an upper limit, that’s a reality they want to force through.”
Now, no one ever heard of the military turning away money, especially since the Pentagon has come up with a list of “unfunded requirements”—lists of items that did not make the cut in the overall budget. AvWeek: Secretary “Carter has said these should be used only if Congress exceeds its own budget caps…” Which he knows they plan to – in an effort to appear strong in the 2016 election year. Military might is often seen as patriotic, that is, vote worthy.
What’s on that Pentagon list? Well, since they are actually using equipment, the so-called “lifespan” of some high-tech items is shortening, require replacements “sooner than expected.” It’s not a small list, a few tens of billions… 22 EA-18G Growlers, 12 F/A-18A-D Super Hornets, 8 F-35C, and 6 F-35Bs… just to get started.
Oh, and one more little budget item… seems we’re pals with Egypt again. Remember when President Barack Obama put a hold on the delivery of F-16 aircraft, Harpoon missiles and M1A1 tank kits? Well, now, to enlist Egypt’s help in providing stability to the Middle East, the USA is returning to its friendship program with the Egyptian military, lifting its hold on the delivery of weapons, and resuming more than $1 billion in annual military assistance. Yes, every year, $1 billion.
The cost of one child per year at a public school (including colleges if they were taxpayer funded) is $10,000 including everything (buildings, teachers, supplies, busses, everything). The Pentagon budget alone would pay for 60 million children’s school years. Hey, I have an idea… Why don’t we declare peace, keep defense strong, and only cut the military budget by 20% in favor of education – that’s 12 million kids, 2/3rds of all college students, who could go to college free!
