Military procurement reform sweeps through Senate [McCain-Levin-Obama]

CNN ^ | 2009-05-07

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WASHINGTON (CNN) -- The Senate unanimously approved a bill Thursday to change the costly process of procuring weapons and equipment for the military, a budget reform pushed by President Obama.

Michigan Democrat Carl Levin, who sponsored the bill with Arizona Republican John McCain, called it a matter of not only saving money but protecting troops.

"Our troops have a right to the best equipment that we are able to provide them," Levin said after the bill was passed. "And when we use extra excessive funds for cost overruns on some weapon systems, that means we're denying other systems which we might be able to bring on board. ... And that means we're denying our troops, as well as soaking our taxpayers."

The bill would institute independent assessment of how weapons are acquired, increasing oversight and transparency of programs that are prone to bloated costs and deadline overruns.

Along with the Senate's 93-0 vote, a similar measure was approved by the House Armed Services Committee on Thursday by a vote of 59-0.

[rabscuttle385]

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[Tarpon]

20,000 new bureaucrats, I am sure that will speed things up.

But at least it blunt some of the firings from needed programs, like missile defense.

[DoughtyOne]

It all sounds good, until you realize this is just one more hurdle to the one real goal, destroying as many weapons programs as Obama can, with the quisling McCain’s nose firmly implanted.

[pissant]

The retards are going to hire 20,000, YES 20,000!!, new leftwing Pentagon bureacrats to further fiddle-f*** away our dollars.

[Attention Surplus Disorder]

“It all sounds good, until you realize ...”

Absolutely. Double absolutely. It’s like a jag these congresspukes get on, like a new Britney Spears CD. In this case, get out a pair o’ those shiny new GOP kneepads the Dems were kind enough to supply.

[Comparative Advantage]

When I saw Carl Marx Levin’s name on the bill (and McCain’s), I knew it was bad.

[cameraeye]

Like the title of a slasher flick!

[Mr Rogers]

If they wanted the truth, I can tell them: the bloat in defense acquisition comes from CONGRESS requiring the purchase of stuff the military doesn’t want, and refusing to buy what the military needs.

I’ve watched millions get poured into programs that would never field, because a Congress-critter voted funding for ‘his’ state that way.

And if you want to know why things take a long time...Congress. Even if it is a good idea, CONGRESS requires so many bids, tests, and offers competitors so many opportunities to challenge an award that the winning bid takes forever. And since it takes so long, the military needs to upgrade it while it is still in ‘development’ - stretching time lines further and causing further overruns.

DAMN! I just saved the government the need to hire 20,000 butt-kissing dimwits to reform acquisition! I think I’ll deduct the savings from my 2009 tax bill.