Cut the Defense budget "After the F-22"

Both the House and Senate have now passed initial, separate FY 2010 Defense Department budgets. Both made cuts in the F-22 program. Both, as they blend the two bills, need to make further cuts.

The NY Times chimed in with an editorial titled “After the F-22” calling for further cuts (here):

We were pleased to see the House join the Senate in voting to end the F-22 jet fighter program. The votes were important victories in President Obama’s effort to ensure that the Pentagon spends precious tax dollars on essential equipment — not glitzy, self-indulgent toys….

Just look at the House bill, approved 400 to 30. It seeks to finance billions of dollars (by some estimates more than $6 billion) in weapons that the Pentagon did not request and/or the administration rightly wants to kill or cut back. These include more than $400 million for the new presidential helicopter, $560 million for an alternate engine for another new fighter plane (the F-35), $674 million for three extra C-17 transport planes and an additional $603 million for the F-18 fighter jet program.

The House also reaffirmed its undying addiction to projects lawmakers insert in legislation to curry favor in their districts. Led by Representative John Murtha, head of the defense appropriations subcommittee, the House beat back efforts by two Republicans, Jeff Flake and John Campbell, to cut up to $2.7 billion in such earmarks. You would think Mr. Murtha might scale back, given the ongoing investigation into a lobbying firm with ties to him and other congressmen over insider contracts…..

The choices are tough, but we hope that when the final defense bill is passed, Democratic Congressional leaders will ensure that the F-22 is not the only major unneeded weapon system to have been axed.

It’s not like the US doesn’t have other high priority needs for the funds, like reducing the deficit, funding health care, or, my favorite, expanding foreign language and study abroad programs.

Comments

[Account Deleted]

i think if the budget is cut then it will be a very good decision as it will be invested in some better cause

[fatima]

definitely, It is a good decision to cut the budget,We need that money to be invested somwhere else