HASC Chair Won’t Intervene For Global Hawk; Pledges To Try For More DoD Dough
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CAPITOL HILL: Even though Global Hawk is built in his district, House Armed Services Committee Chairman Rep. Buck McKeon told me today that he would not personally push to save the Block 30s from oblivion. “I will not be involved in trying to force something just because it’s best for my district,” McKeon said today… Keep reading →
GOP Slams 2013 DoD Budget, Says It’s Disconnected From Strategy
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THE PENTAGON: Republicans came out swinging today as President Obama’s national security team unveiled its budget, accusing the administration of missing the connection between strategy and budgeting. President Obama’s promise to shift the military’s focus to Asia and the Pacific while relying largely on special operations forces and drones against terrorism is, at best, hard… Keep reading →
‘Killer Drone’ Demo Marks HASC Chair McKeon’s Speech
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WASHINGTON: Defense conferences rarely attract much notice from the American public but we saw a spark today as a demonstrator leapt onto the stage while Rep. Buck McKeon spoke in favor of a strong defense and robust funding for Unmanned Aerial Vehicles. “These drones are playing God,” the slight, middle-aged woman shouted, trying to unfurl… Keep reading →
Some HASC, SASC Members Think $1 Trillion Cut Doable
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The two congressional defense policy committees may not have a clear path to avoid a punishing sequestration of defense funds — that big fat $600 billion cut triggered by the failure of the Supercommittee — but they do have a plan to get their work done early so they can do what really counts on… Keep reading →
Real Cuts, Real Jobs, Real Danger: The Defense Budget Crisis
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With the Supercommittee’s wreckage still smoldering in Congress, the prospect of an additional half trillion dollars in cuts to our national defense budget isn’t hypothetical anymore. For an overstretched military needing to reset after a decade of war and the 13 million Americans already looking for work, it’s a disaster. But amazingly, even as expert… Keep reading →
House, Senate GOP To Team Up On Deficit Plan, McKeon Says
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CAPITOL HILL: House and Senate Republicans will team up on pending legislation to spare the Defense Department from a potential $1 trillion budget cut, House Armed Services Committee Chairman Buck McKeon said today. McKeon has been in contact with Senate counterparts who are pitching similar plan to clear the looming $600 billion budget cut off… Keep reading →
Pentagon ‘Has Nothing More to Give:’ HASC Chair; Bill Coming to Stop Cuts
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CAPITOL HILL: “I will be introducing legislation in the coming days to prevent cuts that will do catastrophic damage to our men and women in uniform and our national security. Our military has already contributed nearly half a trillion to deficit reduction. Those who have given us so much, have nothing more to give.” With… Keep reading →
Boehner Signals Stand Against Super Committee Defense Cuts
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Washington: If the Super Committee or anybody else in America wants to know how important keeping faith with the troops is to Buck McKeon, chairman of the House Armed Services Committee, all they need do is watch the webcast of today’s readiness hearing. They will see a fairly rare occurrence: one of the top defense… Keep reading →
HASC Chair Flip Flops on Raising Taxes
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With the Tea Party ready to pounce and the Speaker of the House adamantly against raising taxes, House Armed Services Committee Chairman Buck McKeon apparently has seen the light and has decided he will not raise taxes to forestall further defense budget cuts. Speaking at a defense budget forum in a Capitol Hill restaurant today,… Keep reading →
Elites Are Wrong; Deep Cuts Won’t Damage Military
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The stench of elitism is permeating Washington, just as it did a decade ago when everyone of consequence bought the proposition that Saddam Hussein had weapons of mass destruction – and even if there was room for doubt, he was a threat and “had to go.” Today, the subject matter is different, but the methods… Keep reading →