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Norton Says Defense Department Should Cut Internal Waste Before Receiving Massive Funding Increase at Expense of Other Agencies

March 21, 2017

WASHINGTON, D.C.—In questioning witnesses at an Oversight and Government Reform Committee hearing today, Congresswoman Eleanor Holmes Norton (D-DC) said that the Trump administration should focus on cutting the massive waste at the Department of Defense (DoD) instead of giving the defense agency a $52 billion spending increase at the expense of draconian cuts to dozens of other government agencies and programs. The OGR hearing examined a Defense Business Board (DBB) study, which concluded that the DoD could save $125 billion by instituting operational reforms and reducing non-combat operations.

"If President Trump is serious about targeting government inefficiency and waste, he should start with Pentagon spending, which has been shown to be out of control and not serving the American taxpayer," Norton said. "Providing the Defense Department with a massive spending increase would only further exacerbate the agency's inefficiency and waste, and remove all incentives for reform. It is unconscionable to drastically slash the budgets of much smaller agencies and programs, many of which serve the most vulnerable Americans, and install a federal hiring freeze, while the Defense Department is encouraged to go on a spending spree."