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STATEMENT BY SENATOR McCAIN AT THE SUBCOMMITTEE ON FEDERAL FINANCIAL MANAGEMENT, GOVERNMENT INFORMATION, FEDERAL SERVICES AND INTERNATIONAL SECURITY HEARING ON COST EFFECTIVENESS PROCURING WEAPON SYSTEMS IN EXCESS OF REQUIREMENTS
July 13, 2010
“Since 2007, both the Bush and Obama Administrations have sought to end procurement of the C-17 aircraft because the Department of Defense has procured enough C-17s to meet future operational needs. Despite the President’s budget eliminating procurement funding, Congress has earmarked billions of dollars to continue this program.
“Neither the House nor Senate fiscal year 2011 Defense Authorization bills contain funding for the C-17. Whether the Appropriations Committees will continue this policy remains to be seen. I remind my colleagues that last year the House and Senate did not authorize the program, yet it still received approximately $2.5 billion through the Defense Appropriations Act.
“The Administration continues to oppose new money for the C-17. The White House’s Statement of Administration Policy (SAP) on the fiscal year 2011 House Defense Authorization bill reads, ‘The Administration appreciates that the Committee supports the President’s budget request regarding the C-17 program and that it did not authorize procurement of additional C-17 aircraft.’ Mr. Chairman, I ask that this Statement be included in the record.
“According to the Office of Management and Budget’s report on ‘Terminations, Reductions and Savings’ for fiscal year 2011, the number of C-17s in operation and on order, together with the existing fleet of C-5 aircraft, exceeds what is necessary to meet the Department of Defense’s future airlift needs – even under the most stressing scenarios. And, according to OMB, the substantial operational costs associated with buying additional, unneeded C-17s would have to be offset by retiring C-5s early. Those aircraft still have, on average, 30 years of useful service life. That’s not a reasonable use of taxpayers’ money.
“Perhaps most persuasively, as Secretary Gates noted in letters to me on this program, ‘continuing to purchase C-17s in numbers beyond what is required simply diverts limited resources from other more pressing needs’ including ‘critical warfighting capabilities.’ Mr. Chairman, I ask that those letters be included in the record. Secretary Gates has also made it clear that he will ‘strongly recommend’ the President veto any legislation that sustains the unnecessary continuation of this program.
“In remarks delivered over the past few months, Secretary Gates noted that it was time to return to the model in which real choices were made, priorities were set and limits were enforced. Secretary Gates specifically cited the C-17 program as an example where Congress was failing to make choices when it came to defense spending. He concluded that we all – civilian, military, in government and out – must be willing to ask and answer questions regarding real world requirements in order to have a balanced military portfolio and a defense budget that is fiscally and politically sustainable over time.
“Let me elaborate on Secretary Gates’ remarks: at this point, the only thing sustaining the C-17 program – in the face of a military requirement that is (and will likely remain) satisfied – is the predominance of the military-industrial complex. Such machinations must end. When decisions are made to start or continue new major weapons programs, the needs of the warfighter must preside – not the profit-maximizing tendencies of Industry or the strictly parochial interests of Congress. After billions of dollars wasted over the last few years, the C-17 program presents the clearest case why, in this regard, we must do better.
“Mr. Chairman, I look forward to receiving the testimony from our witnesses today and thank you for holding this hearing.”