Rep. Coffman to Appropriators: Cut Pentagon Pork

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May 1, 2013

Rep. Mike Coffman (R-Colo.) continues to be one of the few on a short but growing list of lawmakers from both parties leading the way on reining in wasteful Pentagon spending.

In a letter sent in mid-April to the House Appropriations Committee and the Defense Appropriations Subcommittee, Rep. Coffman recommends replacing the across-the-board sequester cuts with “targeted reductions in less critically important areas,” and doing so “by reforming our spending policies and taking advantage of efficiencies.”

Rep. Coffman provides ten recommendations, a number of which the Project On Government Oversight has previously supported, including:

• Reducing spending for contractor augmentee
• Delaying spending for the refurbishment of the Abrams tank
• Reducing spending for...units in European deployment

Additionally, Rep. Coffman proposes “Reducing spending on generals and admirals, with a goal of reducing their total number to 800 over 10 years.” This is a much needed right-sizing given the remarkable increase in generals and admirals over the last 10 years, as POGO has documented, and the exorbitant costs of generals and admirals.

In promoting efficiencies and reducing Pentagon bloat, Rep. Coffman’s recommendations would save taxpayers “hundreds of billions of dollars over the next ten years,” according to the congressman.

Recognizing the budget reality that is sequestration, Congress and the President must act now to reduce wasteful spending and reform our military to meet 21st Century threats; Rep. Coffman has offered a plan to do that. Will the Appropriators listen?

Topics: National Security

Related Content: Budget, Defense

Authors: Ben Freeman, Ph. D.

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