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US Senator Claire McCaskill today introduced a measure that aims to strip funds for large-scale construction projects in Afghanistan and redirect those resources for use in the construction of roads and bridges in America.
McCaskill, a member of the Senate Armed Services Committee, delivered a floor speech today (video available HERE) in which she explained her plan to limit U.S. Defense Department spending on unsustainable infrastructure projects in Afghanistan. The limits would not affect any resources directly supporting U.S. troops. The savings that result from the limits would be redirected from infrastructure projects in Afghanistan to road and bridge projects in the United States where there is currently an $2 trillion backlog in road, bridge, and infrastructure needs.
McCaskill: Stop funding construction in Afghanistan, build roads and bridges at home | Claire McCaskill | U.S. Senator for Missouri
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- Public Discussion (6)
Another bills aimed at reining in defense spending:
http://boxer.senate.gov/en/press/releases/120111b.cfm
U.S. Senators Barbara Boxer (D-CA), Chuck Grassley (R-IA) and Jay Rockefeller (D-WV) today applauded Senate passage of their Commonsense Defense Contractor Compensation amendment to the National Defense Authorization Act, which would lower the maximum amount taxpayers reimburse defense contractors for their salaries.
The Senators’ amendment would limit the taxpayer reimbursement for defense contractor salaries to the amount of the President’s salary – currently $400,000. The measure would also extend the cap to all defense contractor employees.
Currently government contractors can charge taxpayers $693,951 for the salaries of their top five employees, based on an executive compensation benchmark last amended in 1998. Employees of government contractors outside of the top five can and do earn taxpayer-funded amounts in excess of the current benchmark.
Senator Boxer said, “Taxpayers should not be on the hook for exorbitant government contractor salaries. This amendment ensures that no defense contractor will make more in taxpayer funds than the President of the United States, who is the commander-in-chief.”
- 4 votes
#1 - Fri Dec 2, 2011 1:12 AM ESTDefense spending in this country is insane. It has doubled sine 2001, and we spend almost 7 times more on defense than the second highest spender in the world, which is China. By cutting our military spending we could still spend the paltry amount we do now on foreign aid, and still be able to create jobs in this country at a level that would end high unemployment.
I've been seeding a number of articles on this topic recently. :)
- 2 votes
I'm all for that: we shouldn't be spending tax money to build infrastructure in foreign countries when the need is so great here.
- 4 votes
#2 - Fri Dec 2, 2011 1:40 AM ESTU.S. Senator Claire McCaskill today introduced a measure that aims to strip funds for large-scale construction projects in Afghanistan and redirect those resources for use in the construction of roads and bridges in America.
An excellent idea. There are several other countries in the world that are, for all real intents and purposes, lost causes that we should also pull our funds out of and spend the funds at home.
- 2 votes
#3 - Fri Dec 2, 2011 2:47 AM ESTFunny how we can build roads, schools and hospitals in Kandahar (ensuring the mobility, education and well being of terrorists) but you mention spending tax dollars for the same in Kansas and the teaclowns get all belligerent and crazy about "Socialism"!
- 3 votes
#4 - Fri Dec 2, 2011 3:14 AM ESTI hope she pushes hard to get it passed, but the defense contractor's lobbyists will be fighting just as hard against it. Too bad we don't have a majority of "exceptional", "thinking" people leading this country.
- 2 votes
#5 - Fri Dec 2, 2011 3:26 AM ESTYou're in Easy Mode. If you prefer, you can use XHTML Mode instead. |
