Will Introduce Amendment to Cut Nearly $800 Million from Long-term Funding Legislation
Texas Insider Report: Washington D.C. As the nonpartisan Government Accounting Office (GAO) released a report revealing numerous duplicative and potentially ineffective programs that are wasting billions of taxpayer dollars each year Sen. Kay Bailey Hutchison (R-TX) is calling for Congressional efforts to find cost-savings.
While the U.S. budget deficit surges at unsustainably high levels this most recent GAO report shows how wasteful government spending on redundant and unfocused federal programs runs rampant. As lawmakers in Congress debate the federal budget the findings from the GAO report should guide efforts to reduce spending and bring down the soaring deficit" said Sen. Hutchison.
As such Sen. Hutchison plans to introduce an amendment to the final long-term funding legislation when it is brought before the Senate that would cut nearly $800 million from overseas military construction spending where there are excesses and duplications. During the 111th Congress Sen. Hutchison introduced an amendment to the FY 2011 Defense Authorization bill to cut funding for overseas military construction mostly in Germany.
In our current budget environment we must cut spending particularly where we can find efficiencies such as reducing overseas military basing. By streamlining and downsizing our excessive force structure in Europe we will save billions in military construction operations and maintenance and family support costs" said Sen. Hutchison.
By basing more troops in the US combat readiness will improve with superior access to modern maneuver and training areas better joint and combined arms ranges and fewer training restrictions. In addition to saving billions in taxpayer dollars as well as improving troop readiness thousands of jobs will be brought back to the United States."
In July of last year Sen. Hutchison met with Defense Secretary Robert Gates to raise concern over the cost of overseas basing and its implications for Americans. In September 2010 the GAO released report requested by Sen. Hutchison that specifically examined the costs and benefits of basing alternatives for Army Forces in Europe. It concluded that keeping four Brigades in Europe instead of returning two Brigades as originally planned will cost taxpayers nearly $2 billion. GAOs analysis showed that of the approximately $17.2 billion obligated by the services to support installations in Europe from 2006-2009 $13 billion (78 percent) was for operation and maintenance costs.
Sen. Hutchison also lauded a GAO report released last month that criticizes the incomplete information used to assess the costs of U.S. military presence in Europe. Sen. Hutchison believes the Department of Defense (DOD) should heed the GAOs recommendations and broaden the scope of their cost analysis of overseas military basing. Comprehensive cost data is necessary for DOD and Congress to make fully informed decisions regarding overseas basing reductions.
GAO reports have consistently found substantial savings from reducing overseas basing but DOD and Congressional leaders are currently only seeing a partial picture with incomplete facts. Until comprehensive cost information is provided the true savings for the American taxpayer will not be fully recognized by DOD or Congress" said Sen. Hutchison.
Currently DOD does not require European Command (EUCOM) to include comprehensive cost data in their funding reports for regional overseas basing. While specifics on military construction costs are required the cost of operations and maintenance that fund day-to-day activity are not included in the overall cost analysis. As a result there is a lack of vital cost information that could be used by the DOD and congressional leadership as they deliberate cost efficiencies of basing alternatives for Army Forces in Europe.
Resources:
RELEASE: Sen. Hutchison Applauds Proposed Overseas Basing Reductions to Curtail Defense Spending (1/7/2011)
RELEASE: GAO Report Validates Hutchisons Concerns on Defense Department Plans to Expand Bases in Europe Rather than in U.S. (9/15/2010)
Weekly Column: Foundation of U.S. Military Should be Built on American Soil (7/16/2010)
