Posted on 09/06/2019 6:27:28 AM PDT by BeauBo
U.S. Defense Secretary Mark Esper said that European nations should consider funding projects in their countries after the Pentagon diverted money to pay for a border wall with Mexico...
“The message that I’ve been carrying, since when I was acting secretary to today, has been about the increase in burden sharing,” Esper told reporters in London late on Thursday.
“So part of the message will be ‘Look, if you’re really concerned then maybe you should look to cover those projects for us’ because that’s going to build infrastructure in many cases in their countries,” he added.
“Part of the message is burden sharing, ‘Maybe pick up that tab.’”...
The Trump administration has repeatedly called on NATO countries to pay at least 2 percent of their gross domestic product for defense.
(Excerpt) Read more at reuters.com ...
The cuts seem to have been quite carefully distributed.
Half of the $3.6 billion being diverted from Military Construction is coming from projects in other countries. Rather than going back to Congress for all the money, they plan to get some of it (maybe half) from other countries.
Out of the half that is in the USA ($1.8 billion), a dis-proportionally large chunk is in territories (like Puerto Rico and Guam) that don't have the same political power in Congress. $400 million in Puerto Rico alone.
Out of the voting members whose districts actually get gored by the diversions, the cuts are spread around, so they are kind of within the local representatives range of ability to bring pork barrel spending back to their districts. A bunch could agree to vote to restore each others funding - agreeing to spend more money is one of the things they do best.
It has really eased the ability of Congress to absorb the change into the budget, to protect their home districts.
“That’s a very very good idea” Dr. Hook.
LOL! You'll have better luck with Mexico.
Is he immplying the taxpayers money is paying for infrastructure in those crap countries? Wall and wall only.
Funding projects in their own country....What a novel idea.
“Part of the message is burden sharing, ‘Maybe pick up that tab.’”"
The won't do it. They have "social" programs they have to fund instead. They'd rather the U.S. taxpayer carry the bigger burden to pay for their defense.
Of course he is. And he’s right. I was in West Germany at the end of the Cold War and the US was spending billions upgrading bases that were soon to be closed. My base, Fliegerhorst Kaserne, was an active airbase for helicopters and a base for artillery units. We put in $50 million in new motorparks, maintenance facilities and housing, only to start drawing down units almost as soon as those were finished. Now the entire kaserne is an industrial park. I remember when the first Gulf War ended, and V and VII corps started closing entire divisions. One hospital just had a $10 million makeover completed a month before it was closed. Crazy.
Not crazy.
That spending was part of the deal. Somebody knowingly cut that deal.
“You are either on the inside, or the outside.”
- Larry Summers, Former Treasury Secretary and Current Insider
The EU socialists, globalists, and LGBT de-genderizers are not our allies. I doubt whether even Russia would want to take them over.
“LOL! You’ll have better luck with Mexico.” (Getting them to pay)
Maybe they have coordinated something ahead of time. This has been cooking off since February in public, and in planning long before.
Alternatively, it might be a way to embarrass/pressure them further, to meet their longstanding commitments.
Regardless, it is politically easier to cut overseas than it is in US Congressional Districts.
They've shown themselves pretty immune to embarrassment in meeting their own defense commitments to date. I don't see them pitching in to help us meet ours.
Regardless, it is politically easier to cut overseas than it is in US Congressional Districts.
As it comes out exactly how much the cuts are taking from each state it'll be interesting to see how Republicans in Congress deal with this.
Here is the full list of projects paying the bill: https://partner-mco-archive.s3.amazonaws.com/client_files/1552944776.pdf
Funding projects in their own country....What a novel idea.
~~~
Team America, World Sucker/Sap
I become more and more of an isolationist as I get older. We get nothing but used.
We should divert all aid to Meehico until the wall is paid for.
If we're going to pay for the wall ourselves then where does it matter what other spending we cut to pay for it?
You make it sound like the money is coming from the treasuries of foreign countries, when the money is from America's treasury earmarked for projects in foreign Countries that American taxpayers are paying for.
Sure seems logical to me. Build the damn wall.
“You make it sound like the money is coming from the treasuries of foreign countries”
I believe that is where they are trying to get some of it. Most of the countries that host US troops/facilities pay some of the cost. Japan pays almost all.
It seems like they are actively passing the hat around, and trying to get other countries to pay some of this cost, from their treasuries.
The Pentagon said on Wednesday it would pull funding from 127 Defense Department projects abroad and at home, including schools and daycare centers for military families, as it diverts $3.6 billion to pay for President Donald Trump’s wall along the U.S. border.
Note that Reuters couldn't resist adding in: including schools and daycare centers for military families. In other words we are depriving our military families to build a border wall.
So special when they show concern for military personnel isn't it!!! /sarcasm
Normally of course they deride and mock the military and anyone who chooses to be a part of those who protect America and her freedoms.
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