Defense Spending Cuts Draw Cheers, Jeers

Just as Sec. of Defense Robert Gates' proposal to save American taxpayers $87 billion by canceling further production of certain unneeded weapons systems drew cheers from taxpayer advocates, it drew jeers from others, like folks currently getting paid to build unneeded weapons systems.

Among the most notable weapon system cuts announced by Sec. Gates on April 6 were further production of the F-22 Raptor jet fighter, the C-17 Globemaster cargo plane, and a $1.4 billion cut to development of laser-based missile defense systems. Also recommended by Gates for termination was the VH-71 presidential helicopter program. The program was intended to design and build 23 new high-tech helicopters to support the president at a cost of $6.5 billion. President Obama had earlier stated that he had no need for new personal helicopters and asked that the plan be scrapped.

Quick to cheer the defense spending cuts, Taxpayers for Common Sense praised Gates for his “rigor in wielding the budget axe,” but warned that the cuts would be sure to garner the anger of certain “parochial interests” in both industry and Congress.

It didn’t take long to garner the “parochial” anger, either, as the International Association of Machinists (IAM) claimed cancellation of the F-22 Raptor fighter alone would cost more than 25,000 civilian defense jobs at the worst possible time.

“Not only is the decision to cut funding for the F-22 shortsighted militarily, but our economy can ill afford to disperse the thousands of aerospace jobs required to design, construct and maintain aircraft of this caliber,” said IAM President Tom Buffenbarger in a press release. “We simply cannot afford to cannibalize our national defense to repair damage caused by reckless financial institutions and greed-crazed corporate executives.”

Along with the cuts, Gates also announced the expansion of several defense systems and programs he considered to be more necessary and cost-effective, including an increase in production of F-35 Joint Strike Fighters from 14 planes in FY 2009 to 30 in FY 2010.

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Also See:
Congress on Track to Approve Obama’s Budget
The Federal Budget Process in a Perfect World