Team Infidel
Forum Spin Doctor
Politico.com
April 7, 2009
By Jen DiMascio
Defense Secretary Robert Gates is steeling himself against blowback from Congress over his sweeping defense cuts, but he’s also girding for a fight within the Pentagon’s five walls.
“I’ve made it pretty clear to everybody that I do not want to see any guerrilla warfare on these programs,” Gates told reporters Tuesday. “We have chain of command and that’s what it’s all about.”
It’s not unusual for each service branch to fight to keep its own pet projects fully funded, with intensive lobbying of Congress. But Gates said he’s worried that “a deterioration of discipline” has crept into the process, where even low-level officers are offering advice to Congress about what to keep.
Gates said it’s OK for the chiefs of staff to provide their professional advice to members of Congress, but not all Pentagon employees may do so.
Every year, the ranking member of the House Armed Services Committee asks each service chief of staff what else is required and the service chief sends back what’s called an “unfunded priorities list,” which often becomes the foundation for adding money to programs the administration tried to nix.
Gates has undertaken a media blitz of sorts to promote the proposed changes to more than 50 weapons systems he announced Monday, at the start of a two-week congressional recess. He followed Monday’s press conference with roundtables, conference calls, and one-on-one interviews with reporters.
April 7, 2009
By Jen DiMascio
Defense Secretary Robert Gates is steeling himself against blowback from Congress over his sweeping defense cuts, but he’s also girding for a fight within the Pentagon’s five walls.
“I’ve made it pretty clear to everybody that I do not want to see any guerrilla warfare on these programs,” Gates told reporters Tuesday. “We have chain of command and that’s what it’s all about.”
It’s not unusual for each service branch to fight to keep its own pet projects fully funded, with intensive lobbying of Congress. But Gates said he’s worried that “a deterioration of discipline” has crept into the process, where even low-level officers are offering advice to Congress about what to keep.
Gates said it’s OK for the chiefs of staff to provide their professional advice to members of Congress, but not all Pentagon employees may do so.
Every year, the ranking member of the House Armed Services Committee asks each service chief of staff what else is required and the service chief sends back what’s called an “unfunded priorities list,” which often becomes the foundation for adding money to programs the administration tried to nix.
Gates has undertaken a media blitz of sorts to promote the proposed changes to more than 50 weapons systems he announced Monday, at the start of a two-week congressional recess. He followed Monday’s press conference with roundtables, conference calls, and one-on-one interviews with reporters.