A brief look into the 2009 Department of Defense budget

Overall the budget for FY09 is $515.4 billion. This reflects about a 5 percent increase over FY08. The department Controller Tina Jonas spoke of many "healthy increases," especially in systems investment and procurement and quality of life programs for soldiers. No weapons programs have been canceled. Though some procurement was delayed because the technology had not progressed to be worth the investment at this time.


The DoD's FY09 priorities are to:Increase ground force capabilities, improve force readiness, develop future combat capabilities, and improve quality of life for military members.


There was explanation of an interesting situation in regards to war funding. The Defense Department says that the Congress has only provided 46 percent of Bush's request for the war on terror. The Pentagon has requested $70 billion in supplemental war funding to fund the war from the beginning of the fiscal through inauguration. The controller also pointed out that Congress has yet to provide for $102 billion from Bush's original global war on terror funding request. They said that the would complete a request for the war budget after assessments are made by combatant commanders in the spring.

Talking Points: HHS Secretary Leavitt on FY2009 budget

Department of Health and Human Services Secretary Leavitt began his press conference on the FY2009 budget by warning that Medicare in its current form will be bankrupt within 11 years. Unlike Social Security, which he called "a math problem," Medicare will need to be heavily reformed in order to remain functional. He said that some people will see this budget's attempts to bring Medicare "into a more sustainable" form as a cut, but the changes in the new budget are aimed at improving the program's sustainability by improving efficiency and bringing in market forces, citing the Medicare prescription drug reforms as a positive example. He also said that the changes reduce the premiums that beneficiaries pay.

Leavitt also said work needed to be done to remove the tax discrimination against people who do not buy health insurance through their employer, saying up to an additional 20 million people might be covered if that change were made.

Leavitt said that the SCHIP program retains coverage of people with gross incomes of up to 200% of the poverty line, and it allows states to cover people up to 250% of the poverty line.

Senator Kent Conrad, (D-ND) the Senate Budget Committee Chairman and Rep. John Spratt, (D-SC) the House Budget Committee Chairman discuss the deficiencies of President Bush's Fiscal Year 2009 budget

Sen. Kent Conrad and Rep. John Spratt held a press conference today regarding the release of the President’s Fiscal Year 2009 budget.

Held in the House Radio/Television Gallery Studio, the conference had a largely negative tone toward the budget. Their message was repeated multiple times; as Spratt stated, “today’s budget bears all the hallmarks of the Bush legacy – it leads to more deficits, more debt, more tax cuts, and more cutbacks in critical services.”

Sen. Conrad opened up the hearing declaring that one of the biggest problems with the proposed budget is that nowhere has there been discussion on the debt, which is going to go up $700 billion, about 5% of GDP, in the next year. Furthermore, he declares that under the Bush Administration’s proposal, we would simply be building a wall of debt.

One of the most interesting factors pointed out by Sen. Conrad was the fact that President Bush has more than doubled the US’s Foreign Held Debt in the eight years of his 0presidency – something that has not occurred in the 224 years we have had a presidency. In addition, through his calculations, Sen. Conrad claims that all of the savings President Bush intends to incur from cuts in Medicare and Medicaid will be more than wiped out by his tax cuts.

When asked whether the budget would be dead on arrival, Sen. Conrad claimed, “No, it would not be dead on arrival, but debt on departure.”

Following Sen. Conrad’s speech, Rep. Pratt made a humorous comment about President Bush intending to have guns and butter and tax cuts too. It is this policy which has turned a $236 billion surplus into a $410 billion deficit. One of the more interesting aspects of the budget pointed out by Rep. Pratt was that today’s budget includes only a $70 billion request for military operations in Iraq and Afghanistan. This is curious because it will most certainly fail to fund the full cost of the Administration’s policy for 2009.

The bottom line is that a more realistic Bush deficit shows that the Administration’s budget never actually reaches a balance by 2013, and that the President has left the country in a debt of stunning proportions.

Pentagon PM Report

Pentagon Press Secretary Geoff Morrell held a press briefing. His opening statement concerned the defense authorization act which allows for an increase in pay raises for military personnel of 3.5 percent. He said that the Defense Department reiterates the president's request that Congress fully fund the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan. He also commented on some new proposals that come out of the State of the Union address, particularly a preferential hiring option for military spouses across the government. Right now only the Department of Defense has preferential hiring for military spouses.

He announced a two day conference with the eight combatant commanders from Iraq, senior civilian leaders, and the Joint Chiefs of Staff. Secretary of State Condeleezza Rice was expected to speak to the conference group, which is also expected to meet with President Bush. Morrell answered a question about the president's figure of 20,000 troops to be withdrawn from Iraq, admitting that this is not the full surge force when support troops are considered. Secretary of Defense Robert Gates has said that the rate of troop withdrawal will be conditions-based.



On Pakistan Morrell said that the U.S. stands ready to aid Pakistan militarily to fight terrorism, particularly in the Federally Administrated Tribal Areas of northern Pakistan. "But they have not asked at this point," he said.

Morrell said that the 2009 budget request was approximated at $70 billion dollars for the first quarter to cover the beginning of the Department of Defense fiscal year in October through the inauguration of a new president. After which Morrell said that the Defense Department will go back to request what will be needed at that time. He did emphasize that full funding had not been achieved for the fiscal 2008, "We're still about $102 billion short of what we need to do the job."

About an Army investigation into allegations that Iraqi detainees were killed after being captured on the battlefield last year Morrell was very cautious saying only that he could not comment very much on an ongoing investigation and that the military "takes all credible allegations seriously."

The Pentagon PM Report

Pentagon Press Secretary Geoff Morrell held a briefing with the press and began with an announcement about MRAPs or mine resistant, ambush protected vehicles, which have been ordered in almost non-stop production by the Secretary of Defense as the primary combat vehicle in Iraq.

Morrell reinforced the belief of Secretary of Defense Robert Gates that MRAPs are the safest, most live-saving vehicle choice in Iraq. This statement was made in response to a New York Times headline that suggested that MRAPs were being questioned by the Defense Department, after the first fatality in an MRAP caused by an IED (improvised explosive device) attack since the MRAP production program began. Morrell said that the Secretary of Defense has never been more convinced of the life saving quality of MRAPS than after the attack that took place over the weekend.

He also said that in retrospect the Pentagon is pleased on its decisions on a particular type of MRAP that will most likely be transferred to Afghanistan. One of the most lightweight designs ordered into ramped-up production, it turns out, is ideally suited for conditions on the ground in Afghanistan.

On the subject of Afghanistan Morrell said that the Secretary has commissioned a document that will take a look at the goals in Afghanistan for the next three to five years. It is a strategic document reflecting an overall vision for Afghanistan and is being constructed in cooperation with NATO allies. Morrell said that other U.S. government entities, such as the Department of State, will have a chance to collaborate as well.

ON the 2009 budget, Morrell said that there is a possibility that the 2009 war funding request for the military might be submitted to the Hill before the 2008 funding is passed. This does not seam likely to happen, but it is a possibility. Morell emphasized that the war is currently operating on a bridge fund passed by Congress before the intersession, but without continued movement on Capitol Hill in terms of war funding the DoD, would be forced to fund the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan with the budget for military bases.