Recent Blog Posts
Dec 11 2012
McKeon: National security and economy affected by more military cuts
The Foreign Policy Initiative, writers from the Washington Examiner and New York Post weigh in.
Chairman McKeon on Bloomberg TV Appearing on Bloomberg TV 's "Street Smart," House Armed Services Committee Chairman Buck McKeon discussed how further defense cuts, in addition to the $487 billion already made, would not only affect our national security, but also have a negative impact on our economy. |
FPI Analysis: Don’t Throw National Defense Off Fiscal Cliff “...further cuts to Pentagon spending risks imperiling national security.” … “Second, the Pentagon’s leaders have repeatedly warned that President Obama’s defense budget for FY 2013—which cuts $487 billion from core annual spending over 10 years—is the absolute floor for funding the military’s current strategy to defend the United States.” … “Contrary to the prevailing wisdom, defense spending has been repeatedly cut in recent years.” … “Domestic spending—not national defense spending—has been and continues to be the primary driver of total federal spending, and therefore the primary driver of America’s federal debt.” … Hugh Hewitt: Rescuing Defense from the fiscal hostage crisis “…I interviewed Tom Donnelly, Mackenzie Eaglen, and Gary Schmitt of the American Enterprise Institute and Max Boot of the Council on Foreign Relations -- all experts on the Pentagon and the impacts of the cuts should they fall…. All of those voices and there are many more, are unanimous in urging that the mindless cutting at the Pentagon be stopped. The president pledged that it would not occur during the campaign. So why are our troops and the equipment on which they depend and the comfort and safety of their families part of the hostage negotiations over tax rates, spending cuts and entitlement reform?” Arthur Herman: Gutting US defense - The other fiscal-cliff fallout “If our Pentagon ends up going over the fiscal cliff, it will set off the most decisive shift in the balance of world power since the fall of the Berlin Wall.” … “We end up with armed forces less willing and able to project power or put their remaining assets at risk—and an America with a smaller strategic footprint than at any time since the end of the Vietnam War. By the way, the cuts have grim implications for the US economy, too. A study by George Mason’s Stephen Fuller puts the impact at a loss of nearly 1 million defense-related jobs — many of them union jobs — and an $86.5 billion drop in national GDP.” … “In short, defense cuts are going to further weaken an already feeble economy — even as friends and foes alike start the countdown on the decline of American power around the world.” |
Nov 01 2012
Washington Post: Lingering Questions about Benghazi
"The Obama administration needs to level with the country,"
The Washington Post’s David Ignatius asks in a recent Op-Ed, “Lingering questions about Benghazi”: ...So what did happen on the night of Sept. 11, when Woods, Ambassador Christopher Stevens and two others were killed? The best way to establish the facts would be a detailed, unclassified timeline of events; officials say that they are preparing one and that it may be released this week. That’s a must, even in the campaign’s volatile final week. In the meantime, here’s a summary of some of the issues that need to be clarified. ... "Second, why didn’t the United States send armed drones or other air assistance to Benghazi immediately? … What more could have been done? A Joint Special Operations Command team was moved that night to Sigonella air base in Sicily, for quick deployment to Benghazi or any of the other U.S. facilities in danger that night across North Africa. Armed drones could also have been sent. Defense Secretary Leon Panetta summarized last Thursday the administration’s decision to opt for caution: 'You don’t deploy forces into harm’s way without knowing what’s going on.' …. The Obama administration needs to level with the country about why it made its decisions. |
Sep 27 2012
WSJ Editorial: The Libya Debacle
"The more we learn, the more Benghazi looks like a gross security failure."
Read the full article
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"None of the initial explanations offered by the White House and State Department since the assault on the Benghazi consulate has held up. First the Administration blamed protests provoked by an amateurish anti-Islam clip posted on YouTube. Cue Susan Rice, the U.N. Ambassador and leading candidate for Secretary of State in a second Obama term: 'What happened initially was that it was a spontaneous reaction . . . as a consequence of the video, that people gathered outside the embassy and then it grew very violent.'"
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"Journalists have stayed on the case, however, and their reporting is filling in the Administration's holes. On Friday, our WSJ colleagues showed that starting in spring, U.S. intelligence had been worried about radical militias in eastern Libya. These armed groups helped topple Moammar Ghadhafi last year but weren't demobilized as a new government has slowly found its legs. As we've noted since last winter, the waning of American and European interest in Libya could have dangerous consequences."
"Deteriorating security was no secret. On April 10, for example, an explosive device was thrown at a convoy carrying U.N. envoy Ian Martin. On June 6, an improvised explosive device exploded outside the U.S. consulate. In late August, State warned American citizens who were planning to travel to Libya about the threat of assassinations and car bombings."
Despite all this, U.S. diplomatic missions had minimal security. Officials told the Journal that the Administration put too much faith in weak Libyan police and military forces. The night of the Benghazi attack, four lightly armed Libyans and five American security officers were on duty. The complex lacked smoke-protection masks and fire extinguishers. Neither the consulate in Benghazi nor the embassy in Tripoli were guarded by U.S. Marines, whose deployment to Libya wasn't a priority.
Sep 27 2012
House Members Seek Answers on Libya Terrorist Attack
House Chairmen, Reps. Thornberry, Turner Continue to Press for Information
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Sep 20 2012
Sequestration Begins: Northrop Grumman says it wil cut its payroll by nearly 600 employees
U.S. Air Force says it may cancel Boeing Refueling Tanker Contract because of coming defense cuts
"Northrop to shed nearly 600 jobs" The Los Angeles Times Although there is much speculation about whether Congress would let those automatic cuts actually occur in January, military contractors have been ringing alarms about the potential fallout. In a worst-case scenario, the Aerospace Industries Assn., an Arlington, Va., trade group, estimated 1 million jobs of all kinds would be lost nationwide, including 126,000 in California. 'We are absolutely anticipating more cuts in employment numbers as Jan. 2 approaches," association spokesman Dan Stohr said. "There's still a great amount of detail that companies need in order to plan a way forward.' The new budget realities have especially stung Southern California's aerospace industry. In January 2011, Boeing cut 900 jobs at its sprawling Long Beach plant, where it builds C-17 cargo jets. Later that year, Lockheed Martin Corp. cut about 1,500 positions across its aeronautics business, including jobs in California. Northrop cut 500 jobs in its aerospace division last year." “I don’t want to break my contract and I’m fearful sequestration may force me to do that,” Maj Gen John Thompson, tanker program executive officer and KC-46 program director, said during a Sept. 18 briefing with reporters at an Air Force Association-sponsored conference in National Harbor, Md. Since the KC-46 contract award in February 2011, the Air Force has touted its ability to sign a fixed-price development contract for the initial batch of tankers, which are part of a 179-aircraft buy." |
Sep 05 2012
Hearing Schedule for September 10-14, 2012
Full Committee (POSTPONED)
(10:00am – 2118 Rayburn – Open)
Subcommittee on Oversight and Investigations
(2:00pm – 2212 Rayburn – Open)
Wednesday, September 12, 2012
Full Committee
(10:00am – 2118 Rayburn – Open)
Thursday, September 13, 2012
Subcommittee on Tactical Air and Land Forces
(10:00am – 2118 Rayburn – Open)
Subcommittee on Military Personnel
(11:30am – 2212 Rayburn – Open)
Subcommittee on Strategic Forces
(2:00pm – 2118 Rayburn – Open)
Friday, September 14, 2012
Subcommittee on Oversight and Investigations
(9:00am – 2118 Rayburn – Open)
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Full Committee
Tuesday, September 11, 2012 –10:00am –2118 Rayburn – Open
The committee will meet to receive testimony on a framework for building partner capacity programs and authorities to meet 21st Century challenges.
Witnesses:
Mr. Michael Sheehan
Assistant Secretary of Defense for Special Operations and Low Intensity Conflict
U.S. Department of Defense
Lieutenant General Terry Wolff, USA
Director, Strategic Plans & Policy (J5), Joint Staff
U.S. Department of Defense
Ms. Janet St. Laurent
Managing Director, Defense Capabilities and Management Team
U.S. Government Accountability Office
Full Committee
Wednesday, September 12, 2012 –10:00am –2118 Rayburn – Open
The committee will meet to receive testimony on Operational Contracting Support: Learning from the Past and Preparing for the Future.
Witnesses:
Honorable Alan F. Estevez
Assistant Secretary of Defense for Logistics and Materiel Readiness
Brigadier General Craig C. Crenshaw, USMC
Vice Director, J-4, Joint Staff
Mr. Moshe Schwartz
Specialist in Defense Acquisition
Congressional Research Service
Mr. Tim DiNapoli
Acting Director for Acquisitions and Sourcing
U.S. Government Accountability Office
Subcommittee on Oversight and Investigations
Tuesday, September 11, 2012 –2:00pm –2212 Rayburn – Open
The subcommittee will meet to receive testimony on Navy shipbuilding and impacts on the defense industrial base in a time of fiscal uncertainty.
Witnesses:
The Honorable Sean J. Stackley
Assistant Secretary of the Navy
Research, Development and Acquisition
Rear Admiral Thomas J. Eccles, USN
Chief Engineer and Deputy Commander for Naval Systems Engineering
Naval Sea Systems Command
Subcommittee on Tactical Air and Land Forces
Thursday, September 13, 2012 –10:00am –2118 Rayburn – Open
The subcommittee will meet to receive testimony on F-22 pilot physiological issues.
Witnesses:
General Gregory S. Martin, USAF (ret)
Aircraft Oxygen Generation Study Chair
USAF Scientific Advisory Board
Major General Charles W. Lyon, USAF
Director of Operations, Headquarters Air Combat Command
U.S. Air Force
Mr. Clinton H. Cragg
Principal Engineer
National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) Engineering and Safety Center
Subcommittee on Military Personnel
Thursday, September 13, 2012 –11:30am –2212 Rayburn – Open
The subcommittee will meet to receive testimony on the Federal Voting Assistance Program.
Witness:
Ms. Pamela S. Mitchell
Acting Director, Federal Voting Assistance Program
U.S. Department of Defense
Subcommittee on Strategic Forces
Thursday, September 13, 2012 –2:00pm –2118 Rayburn – Open
The subcommittee will meet to receive testimony on Y-12 Intrusion: Investigation, Response, and Accountability.
Witnesses:
The Honorable Daniel B. Poneman
Deputy Secretary of Energy
U.S. Department of Energy
The Honorable Neile L. Miller
Principal Deputy Administrator
National Nuclear Security Administration
Subcommittee on Oversight and Investigations
Friday, September 14, 2012 –9:00am –2118 Rayburn – Open
The subcommittee will meet to receive testimony on Department of Defense Auditability Challenges.
Witnesses:
Ms. Elizabeth A. McGrath
Deputy Chief Management Officer
U.S. Department of Defense
Mr. Robert F. Hale
Under Secretary of Defense (Comptroller)
U.S. Department of Defense
The Honorable Gladys J. Commons
Assistant Secretary of the Navy
Financial Management and Comptroller
U.S. Department of the Navy
Dr. Mary Sally Matiella
Assistant Secretary of the Army
Financial Management and Comptroller
U.S. Department of the Army
Ms. Marilyn M. Thomas
Deputy Assistant Secretary for Financial Management and Comptroller
U.S. Department of the Air Force
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Florida, Virginia, Ohio, Pennsylvania and Missouri will be impacted by defense cuts, voters say they want a resolution before the election |
The survey released today was conducted by Harris Interactive on - 80 percent of voters agree that leaders |
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"Building a Durable Afghanistan Peace" |
By |
The Washington Post “But the real story here is green and blue. Every day, hundreds of “These trends speak well for the future of Afghanistan, but the “This struggle is far from over, but the solution will be found in ……. “We can achieve what we set out to do in Afghanistan, defeating al-Qaeda “This moment in Afghan history has arrived not by accident or luck but in “We will not allow our efforts to be derailed by the so-called ……. “U.S., allied and Afghan security forces will continue to deal with |
Aug 16 2012
“Budget Cuts Could Cost Thousands of Jobs in Ohio, Impact Military”
Rep. Turner’s Forum Brings Focus to Sequestration Impacts on Local Communities
Washington - House Armed Services Committee Member Michael Turner (OH) hosted a community forum this week featuring local business leaders who all attested to the damage that sequestration would have on jobs and defense in the Dayton, Ohio area. "We are drowning in a sea of uncertainty,” Panel Member Sam Greenwood said about sequestration. Excerpts from a Dayton Daily News story about the forum are featured here with more news on the forum below: Budget Cuts Could Cost Thousands of Jobs in Ohio, Impact Military Dayton Daily News DAYTON — Congressional and defense industry leaders worry impending automatic budget cuts — known as sequestration — could cost thousands of jobs and mean deep cuts to weapon systems and operations, and some observers don’t expect a solution before the November election. “There is a broad feeling that implementation in this fashion would cause chaos,” said Michael Gessel, vice president of the Dayton Development Coalition’s Washington, D.C. office. “That this is a catastrophic way to deal with government spending.” … U.S. Rep. Mike Turner, R-Centerville and a member of the House Armed Services Committee, has projected cuts of 4,000 to 5,000 civilian job losses in the Miami Valley region tied to Wright-Patterson and a $1.5 billion toll to Ohio’s economy. … Other News About the Forum: WDTN-TV: Turner to Host Sequestration Forum WYSO RADIO: Congressman Mike Turner Hosts Forum on Looming Sequestration Cuts WDTN-TV: Turner Hosts Sequestration Forum WDTN-TV: Big Word Could Create Big Problems WRGT/WKEF-TV: Turner Hosts Sequestration Forum DAYTON DAILY NEWS: Possible Military Cuts Unnerve Contractors DAYTON BUSINESS JOURNAL: Forum – Sequestration Already Hitting Defense Contractors |
Aug 13 2012
Weekly Address Focuses On Defense Cuts
WASHINGTON, DC – In the Weekly Republican Address for the U.S. Senate, Senator Roger Wicker (R-Mississippi) spoke about the effects of sequestration and how “severe and indiscriminate cuts that harm our security are not the way to address America’s fiscal challenges.” A full transcript of the address follows: “Hello. I’m Senator Roger Wicker from Mississippi.
“Some defense manufacturers have already begun the process of issuing legally required layoff warning notices to shareholders and employees. According to multiple forecasts, up to 1 million jobs are at risk. One report estimates that my home state of Mississippi alone could lose more than 11,000 jobs. |