WASHINGTON, DC – U.S. Rep. Ron Kind opposed irresponsible over-spending in the Conference Report to the National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) for Fiscal Year 2013 which passed today. 

 

“I fully support training for our troops and providing our soldiers the equipment necessary to help them get the job done and get home safely,” said Rep. Kind. “But we’ve got to find a way to do that and still be fiscally responsible with our defense budget.” 

 

“The bill spends $1.7 billion more than the President’s request and allocates money for programs that the Pentagon doesn’t need and hasn’t requested.  The bill prohibits the Air Force from retiring a number of planes it says are unneeded, funds drones that the department claims are unnecessary, and authorizes funding increases to replace equipment and weapons that have been expended in combat operations in Iraq and Afghanistan.

 

“The spending is out of control, we’ve got to make responsible cuts and get our fiscal house in order. And that means we’ve got to start holding the Pentagon accountable to find real savings.” 

 

The agreement authorizes:

 

• $9.8 billion for missile defense programs, $152 million more than the president's request

• $6 billion for continued procurement of the F-35 Joint Strike Fighter plane 

• $500 million for the Global Hawk Block 30 aircraft, which the Pentagon decided to terminate to save $2.5 billion over the next five years

• And prevents the retirement of three naval cruisers that the Pentagon is seeking to retire