Senate panel votes to cut $8B from defense

Senate panel votes to cut $8B from defense
By Rick Maze - Staff writer
Posted : Friday Jul 16, 2010 12:16:43 EDT

A key Senate committee decided Thursday to show some fiscal discipline, cutting $14 billion from the Obama administration’s 2011 budget — including $8 billion from the Defense Department.

The 17-12 vote in the Senate Appropriations Committee came on a procedural motion that divided up money among the 12 subcommittees responsible for discretionary funding of federal programs. This was a party-line vote, with Democrats voting for it and Republicans opposing the reduction.

Initially, Sen. Daniel Inouye, D-Hawaii, the committee chairman, talked about cutting only defense, without the cuts in other federal spending. Singling out defense for cuts did not sit well with some committee members, so additional reductions were added.

The cut leaves the 2011 federal budget for discretionary, non-emergency, non-entitlement programs at $1.1 trillion.

Inouye said the budget he proposes is “austere” but “will allow the federal government to invest in the programs critical to sustaining this economic recovery, provide essential services to the American people and safeguard our national security.”



unhappycamper comment: Wowsa! At $200 grand a minute, $8 billion = 27 days in the sandbox.

</sarcasm>

The best we can do with this unimaginative crew
we have in the senate.