How Many Democratic Congressmen Will Stand Up To Obama's Increased Military Budget and War Spending?

[Mr. Ected]

Obama wants billions more for the Iraq/Afghanistan wars on top of a US military budget that already surpasses Bush-era spending by $21 billion. Where is the resistance?
by Jeremy Scahill

Much of the media attention this week on President Obama's new military budget has put forward a false narrative wherein Obama is somehow taking his socialist/pacifist sledgehammer to the Pentagon's war machine and blasting it to smithereens. Republicans have charged that Obama is endangering the country's security, while the Democratic leadership has hailed it as the dawn of a new era in responsible spending priorities. Part of this narrative portrays Defense Secretary Robert Gates as standing up to the war industry, particularly military contractors.

The reality is that all of this is false.

Here is an undeniable fact: Obama is substantially increasing US military spending, by at least $21 billion from Bush-era levels, including a significant ratcheting up of Afghanistan war spending, as well as more money for unmanned attack drones, which are increasingly being used in attacks on Pakistan. (David Swanson over at AfterDowningStreet.org does a great job of breaking down some of the media coverage of this issue across the political spectrum).

Obama's budget of $534 billion to the Department of Defense "represents roughly a 4-percent increase over the $513 billion allocated to the Pentagon in FY2009 under the Bush administration, and $6.7 billion more than the outgoing administration's projections for FY 2010," bragged Lawrence Korb, author of the Center for American Progress' report supporting Obama's escalation of the war in Afghanistan, in an article called, " Obama's Defense Budget Is on Target."

Obama and his neoliberal think tankers clearly didn't think much of Rep. Barney Frank's call earlier this year to cut military spending by 25% to pay for urgently needed social programs and economic aid to struggling Americans. "To accomplish his goals of expanding health care and other important quality of life services without ballooning the deficit," Frank said, Obama needed to reduce military spending. "If we do not get military spending under control, we will not be able to respond to important domestic needs." Well, not only is overall military spending on the rise, but Obama is about to ask for billions more for the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan in a "supplemental" spending bill, the type which were staples in Bush's campaign to mask of the full military budget and total cost of the wars. Obama could seek the funding as early as Thursday.


http://www.commondreams.org/view/2009/04/09-5

[babylonsister]

1. Probably a lot but not for such obvious reasons as

social programs and economic aid. The defense industry in each of their states who will be denied providing certain weapons systems and thus contracts and money I'm sure have already started screaming bloody murder.

And while it's a very noble idea on Scahill's part to do away with all defense spending, it ain't gonna happen.

[Mr. Ected]

2. Yes, But This Is About INCREASED Military Spending

Under the guise of moderation.

[babylonsister]

3. A lot of the increases are going towards veterans care, and I say

it's long past time for that to happen. And if cancelling some weapons systems is considered moderation, I'm all for it.

I will look for a breakdown of what specifically is involved and post it when I find it.

[Johonny]

5. Given that some of us are paid as part of the industrial military

complex and it's a recession and all... I'm kinda ok with it. I like eating and sleeping in a bed and stuff. The reorganization to worthy science projects seems like good news to the me. It's not like the vast industry and research institutions are inherently evil or the people in it are either.

[Mr. Ected]

6. Please Do.

And to the extent that any increases are allocated to veterans benefits, I'd have no complaint whatsoever. But to the extent that we are actually beefing up our spending in Iraq and Afghanistan...well...it's high time for us to take the opposite tack.

[babylonsister]

7. Here's some funding highlights for Vets:

http://ohmygov.com/blogs/general_news/archive/2009/03/08/2010-budget-notes-department-of-veterans-affairs-56-3b.aspx

Funding Highlights:

* Increases funding for the Department of Veterans Affairs by $25 billion above baseline over the next five years.
* Dramatically increases funding for veterans health care.
* Expands eligibility for veterans health care to over 500,000 veterans by 2013.
* Enhances outreach and services related to mental health care and cognitive injuries, including post-traumatic stress disorder and traumatic brain injury, with a focus on access for veterans in rural areas.
* Invests in better technology to deliver services and benefits to veterans with the quality and efficiency they deserve.
* Provides greater benefits to veterans who are medically retired from service.
* Combats homelessness by safeguarding vulnerable veterans.
* Facilitates timely implementation of the comprehensive education benefits that veterans earn through their dedicated military service.

Increases funding for the department of veterans Affairs (VA) by $25 Billion Above Baseline Over the Next five years

The President's Budget takes the first step toward increasing funding for VA by $25 billion over the next five years in order to honor our Nation's veterans and expand the services they receive.

Dramatically increases funding for VA health Care

This increase will provide adequate resources to give 5.5 million veteran patients timely and high quality care. This funding also enables VA to create Centers of Excellence and provides additional veteran-oriented specialty care in areas including prosthetics, vision and spinal cord injury, aging, and women's health.

Restores health Care Eligibility for Modest-income veterans

For the first time since January 2003, the President's Budget expands eligibility for VA health care to nondisabled veterans earning modest incomes. This expansion will bring over 500,000 eligible veterans into the VA health care system by 2013 while maintaining high quality and timely care for the lower-income and disabled veterans who currently rely on VA medical care.

Enhances Outreach and Services Related to Mental health Care and Cognitive injuries with a focus on Access for veterans in Rural Areas

Conditions such as post-traumatic stress disorder and traumatic brain injury present challenges in caring for veterans of current conflicts. The President's Budget expands the mental health screening and treatment services offered by VA and focuses on reaching veterans in rural areas. VA will increase the number of Vet Centers and mobile health clinics to expand access to mental health screening and treatment in rural areas. In addition, new funding will help veterans and their families stay informed of these resources and encourage them to pursue needed care.

Invests in Better Technology to deliver Services and Benefits to veterans with the Quality and Efficiency They deserve

To transform VA into a 21st Century organization, the President's Budget invests in information technology that directly benefits veterans in the areas of both health care and benefits. Through improved electronic medical records, VA will more efficiently retrieve active duty health records from the Department of Defense and enable all VA care sites to access the records of veterans needing care. VA will also invest in the development of rules-based electronic processes to increase accuracy, consistency, and timeliness in veterans' receipt of benefits.

Provides Greater Benefits for veterans Who Are Medically Retired from Service

For the first time, highly disabled veterans who are medically retired from service will be eligible for concurrent receipt of disability benefits from VA in addition to Department of Defense retirement benefits.

Combats homelessness by Safeguarding vulnerable veterans

The President's Budget expands VA's current services to homeless veterans through a collaborative pilot program with non-profit organizations. This pilot will help maintain stable housing for veterans who are at risk of falling into homelessness while helping VA to continue providing them with supportive services.

Facilitates Timely implementation of the Comprehensive Education Benefits Veterans Earn Through Their dedicated Service

The Budget provides the resources for effective implementation of the post-9/11 GI Bill-providing unprecedented levels of educational support to the men and women who have served our country through active military duty.

[Tierra_y_Libertad]

4. Being a fan of the Pentagon is now fashionable in congress and on DU.

Now that "our" guys are in charge of the killing machine.

[Vidar]

8. Kucinich & some of the Black Congressional Caucus. We have a few heroes

& a lot of quisling collaborators.

[emulatorloo]

9. You lost me at "commondreams.org"

They are always way to ready to jump to conclusions.