Reuters reports:
Senator John McCain, the top Republican on the Senate Armed Services Committee, said billions of dollars could be saved from the defense budget by cutting lawmakers’ pet projects, known as earmarks, and fixing troubled arms programs.
McCain told a foreign policy forum on Monday that he is confident Defense Secretary Robert Gates will be able to cut $100 billion from the defense budget over the next five years to fund personnel costs and keep weapons programs on track.
He cited several big arms programs that were over budget and behind schedule, saying they presented further opportunities to save money.
He said the Lockheed Martin Corp F-35 fighter program, now projected to cost $382 billion, was one example, saying it was “unacceptable” that the cost of each fighter jet was now double what was initially planned.
Axe the most expensive defense program ever — sounds like a good idea. But the Israelis will be disappointed. Maybe this says something about why the Obama administration is offering F-35 squadrons as though it was handing out candy.
McCain, always with the comments. How about cutting the Defense budget by 50% to start? After all, didn’t the Republicans just state that ear marks are no longer to be done? All the pet projects, save for rebuilding the infrastructure here in the U.S.A., along with the closing of every overseas base, bringing home the troops, private army’s, severing ties to Israel, no more financing the secret operations, should be enough to rebuild this country & the middle class to where it was before the sell out that has taken place since Reagan was President.
Nice idea, Norman, but didn’t you notice the real war has always been against the American middle class? (Perhaps ‘Western’ middle class for a better picture of reality.) For real profit you have to make war against someone with something to steal.