What is the future of combat systems?

By Suzia van Swol-University of New Mexico, Talk Radio News Service
Senator Joseph Lieberman (I-Conn.) said that “for over nearly eight years of war in Iraq and Afghanistan we’ve watched with pride and gratitude the magnificent performance of America’s land forces,” and that we have not done enough to support our ground forces transformation or to prepare them to meet future threats.

At the Senate Armed Services Committee hearing on the current and future goals of the U.S. military land power, Lieberman said that it is the intent of these hearings to identify requirements for land and air power as part of the committee’s primary responsibility to authorize funding for the programs for air and land power that they conclude are necessary to provide for the common defense.

Lieberman said that the question we need to ask is, “What is the future of the future combat systems program?” He said that the defense budget faces pressure because of the need to reset the equipment that has been used in our ongoing wars while also shifting new resources to support the fight in Afghanistan.

Andrew Krepinevich, President for the Center for Strategic and Budgetary Assessments said that “what we need is a rebalanced army, but the kind of army that we are looking at right now is in my estimation far too rebalanced and oriented on traditional conventional military operations.”

Thomas Donnelly, Resident Fellow at the American Enterprise Institute for Public Policy Research, said that administrations of both parties have wanted to preserve American leadership in a global sense. Donnelly said that “the outcome of this war is critical to us” and “the primary instrument that we have to achieve that success is our land forces.”

Donnelly says that we need to have an active duty army that is somewhere about the size that it was at the end of the Cold War, which was approximately 780,000.

Pelosi: Budget is “a statement of your national values”

By Kayleigh Harvey - Talk Radio News Service

“We are so, so very pleased of the work of the Budget Committee under the leadership of John Spratt, who really is a master at work,” said Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) at her weekly press conference, adding that the budget was “a statement of your national values.”

Speaker Pelosi said that after much debate and amendments, the budget came out “intact.” She said the budget “reflects the blue print for America that President Obama has put forth.”

“It reduces the deficit. It reduces taxes for 95 per cent of the American people. It is a job creator in every respect. When it comes to a greener America and clean energy, it creates new green jobs. When it comes to the education of our children, creating a global workforce for the 21st century, it creates jobs. When it comes to making to making America healthier through prevention, bio-medical research and technological advancement, it creates jobs.” Speaker Pelosi stated.

She went on to explain, “We look forward to going to the next step on the budget.”

On the topic of AIG, Speaker Pelosi said, “Our bill that we passed served a very good purpose. It put the spotlight on the AIG abusive bonuses, bonus practices, and it still may pass in the Senate. It didn’t this week, but I think it has produced a result.”

In closing, Speaker Pelosi commented on the sadness of the storms in North Dakota, Minnesota and Mississippi. She said, “We send out warm regards.”

Congressional budget still part of “same family”

By Suzia van Swol-University of New Mexico, Talk Radio News Service
Office of Management and Budget (OMB) Director Peter Orszag said today that the budget proposals under consideration in the House and Senate Budget Committees "are from the same family as the President’s budget." "The resolutions may not be identical twins to what the President submitted, but they are certainly brothers that look an awful lot alike,” said Orszag, speaking to reporters on a conference call.

In response to Republican criticism of the proposal, Orszag responded that it is “easy to lob criticisms, but part of governing, or part of the policy process, needs to involve putting forward alternatives.” He said that he hasn’t seen an alternative budget proposal on the Senate side and his understanding is that there won’t be one. “It seems off to be criticizing, without putting forward an alternative,” stated Orszag.

The tax gap in the budget proposal amounts to a figure around 300 billion a year, and Orszag says that there are some proposals in the budget to start to reduce this number. However, Orszag stated that “there is widespread concern, frankly, that perhaps even the 300 billion dollar estimate is too low because of the complexity of some of the transactions that are involved.”

Orszag said that he takes issue with the objecture that there is “spiraling debt.” He stated that “we are inheriting a budget situation that is a mess and that we are working our way out of, and under both budget resolutions, the deficit is reduced in reduced in half—by more than half—by 2013.”

Orszag went on to explain that the only constraints on the task force are that there can be no tax increases during 2009 or 2010 and that the proposal should not raise taxes on American families making less than $250,000.

Orszag said that in regards to the committee using reconciliation this year,“reconciliation is not where we would like to start but we are not willing to take it off the table. There clearly are some differences between the Senate and the House on this topic and that will be worked out, assuming that both resolutions are adopted by the respective bodies; that would be something that would be worked out in conference.”

Boehner on President’s budget: It is time for a do-over

By Suzia van Swol-University of New Mexico-Talk Radio News Service
House Minority Leader John Boehner (R-Ohio) spoke today about the news conference President Obama will hold this evening. A lot of Americans believe that our economy is in a crisis and they are looking to Washington for solutions, said Boehner. “I believe that Republicans are offering better ideas to the president in hopes of building a better budget.”

Republicans plan to release an alternative budget sometime next week and Boehner said that, “Our alternative will create jobs by allowing American families and small businesses to keep more of what they earn.” He went on to explain that it will ensure that the federal budget doesn’t grow faster than the family budget as well as expand access to healthcare while preserving Social Security and Medicare and reform the financial system.

“This isn’t the first time we’ve offered better solutions, and the resident knows that,” stated Boehner. He explained that he and Congressman Eric Cantor (R-Va.) personally delivered the president a stimulus proposal at the White House in January, “and what was the response? The White House pretended they never even saw it,” said Boehner.

Boehner said that the president’s budget spends too much, taxes too much, and borrows too much from our kids and grandkids. In a time when our economy is in serious recession, “I think Americans deserve better,” stated Boehner.

Boehner said that the President’s budget hurts our economy and destroys the very jobs that we are trying to save and create. “It includes irresponsible levels of spending reaching 5.1 trillion (dollars) ten years out,” and it doubles the debt on our kids and grandkids over the next six years said Boehner.

“I just think that this may be the most irresponsible piece of legislation I’ve seen in my legislative career,” and “It is time for a do-over,” concluded Boehner.

Dog the blue dog

By Michael Ruhl, University of New Mexico – Talk Radio News Service

Grassroots advocacy groups are launching an offensive against conservative Democrats in Congress who are opposing President Obama’s legislation. Campaign for America’s Future has launched a program called “Dog the Blue Dogs”, which is aimed at persuading members of the Blue Dog Coalition into voting for President Obama’s legislation. The Blue Dog Coalition is a group of moderate and conservative Democrats in the House of Representatives.

Bob Borosage, President of Campaign for America’s Future, said that several Blue Dog Democrats are conspiring with the Republicans to be obstructionists of the president’s agenda, and are partnering with the likes of talk show host Rush Limbaugh to try to make Obama fail all together. The response from Borosage and groups like USAction is going to be a ground offensive against these Democratic members of Congress. The plan is to run ads in each member’s home district, informing the constituents of how their congressional representatives voted against the President. Borosage said that the campaign is about educating the public, not partisanship.

Senator Evan Bayh (D-Ind.) has been painted with a target for his position on the president’s budget. William McNary, President of USAction and part of Unity 09, said that his organization was going to be mobilizing grassroots efforts in Bayh’s home state of Indiana during the upcoming congressional recess, but could not elaborate on what specific strategies would be used. McNary said that if Senator Bayh wants some specific changes made to the Obama budget, he should express that in a clear and articulate manner, instead of simply voting against the bill.

McNary said that the public should not let members of Congress get “cold feet” about change. Borosage believes this reluctance by some members is because of the power of entrenched interests, rather than individual political stances. He continued that these legislators must “be heard by their constituents, not just their contributors”.

Borosage denied planning this with any of the Congressional Leadership, and said that White House Chief of Staff Rahm Emmanuel was also not involved.