BLSP E-alert: Analysis of the Proposed FY10 Defense Budget
The Fiscal Year 2010 Defense Department budget proposed by Secretary of Defense Robert Gates last week does not cut defense spending. In fact, it provides a $20 billion increase over the FY09 budget.
Yet Gates’ proposed budget does pave the way for the federal government to bring down overall defense spending over time by ending production of some of the most expensive, least useful weapons systems. Cut programs include the F-22 jet fighter, the DDG-1000 Zumwalt Class destroyer, the ground vehicle portion of the Future Combat Systems, and a reduction to the Missile Defense Agency.
A fact sheet from the Center for American Progress explains how Secretary of Defense Robert Gates’s proposed budget for FY2010 will affect defense capabilities, jobs, and servicemembers. And CAP’s Larry Korb provides a more detailed analysis of the proposed budget.
Business Leaders for Sensible Priorities is not alone in its belief that the F-22 is wasteful and should be discontinued. Even the Secretary of the Air Force and the Air Force Chief of Staff are recommending ending production of the jet fighter. Encourage your local newspaper’s editorial board to run their Washington post column that explains why the Defense Department should endthis program or share it with your friends and favorite bloggers.
