Graham on Defense Spending
January 6, 2012
WASHINGTON – January 5, 2012 – U.S. Senator Lindsey Graham(R-South Carolina) today made this statement on future reductions indefense spending. Graham is a member of the Senate Armed ServicesCommittee.
“We have built the finest military in the history of the world, and astrong national defense is the number one priority of the federalgovernment. I realize our current budget situation demands thateverything, including defense, be on the table for some level ofspending reductions.
First, we should place Defense Department spending under the microscopewith a goal of achieving $400 billion plus in savings over the nextdecade. This is a difficult but achievable task.
Second, we must replace the sequestration provisions of the BudgetControl Act which calls for an additional $600 billion in defensespending reductions. These additional reductions come about because ofthe failure of the Super Committee.
“Secretary Panetta has warned that an additional $600 billion cut todefense, coming on top of the $400 billion discussed today, woulddestroy our defenses. After ten years and more than $1 trillion intotal defense cuts, we would have the smallest ground force since 1940,the smallest number of ships since 1915 and the smallest Air Force inhistory.
“The Super Committee’s failure should not be an excuse to destroy ournational defense and I hope President Obama understands the real,negative consequences to our national security by cutting more than $1trillion out of defense over the next decade. He only needs to listento his Secretary of Defense and our military leadership who have warnedin the most candid fashion, what a reduction of this size would do toour nation.”
Graham on Areas to Explore for Future Defense Savings:
Weapons procurement reform: Cost-plus contracts should be scuttled whenit comes to major weapons systems. It’s a system only the governmentwould love — the longer it takes, the more it costs, the more thecontractor makes. This unsustainable system isn’t fair to the taxpayersand demands congressional reform.
Personnel cost reform: The single largest military expense is not tanksand planes and other equipment, but personnel, accounting for 45 percent of the base defense budget. The current rate of growth is clearlyunsustainable and — if not addressed — will pit the needs of retireesagainst our strategic interests and the needs of the active duty force.
Contract force reform: Since the Sept. 11 attacks, there’s been anexplosion in the number and cost of the contract force. Many times these civilian contractors will perform jobs similar to those of active-dutysoldiers, but at three times their pay. Today, there are more than500,000 civilian contractors working in the Defense Department’s service sector alone. We need to take a close look at this and put ideas on the table about how we can constrain and roll back the growth of civilianemployees, particularly the contract force.
