[infowar.de] Repräsentatenhaus will Pentagon 1,7 Mrd $ für IT kürzen

[Ralf Bendrath <bendrath -! - zedat - fu-berlin - de>]

Infowar.de, http://userpage.fu-berlin.de/~bendrath/liste.html
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http://dc.internet.com/news/article.php/2212251

May 27, 2003

Congress Splits on Defense IT Spending 

By Roy Mark 

The House and the Senate are $1.7 billion apart in their IT spending
plans for the Department of Defense (DoD). Last week, the House slashed
that amount from the 2004 National Defense Authorization Act while the
Senate approved the request backed by the Bush Administration. 

Overall, both chambers approved more than $400 billion in budget funds
for the DoD. Both IT spending versions now go to a joint negotiating
committee. 

In an official Office of Management and Budget (OMB) statement, the Bush
administration expressed disappointment with the House version of the
bill. 

"The administration strongly opposes the bill's $1.7 billion reduction
in for IT programs, including the $1.4 billion across-the-board
reductions across several titles," the statement says. "At a time when
IT investment is becoming even more crucial to success on the
battlefield and in business, the committee has proposed cutting the
department's IT budget by over 7 percent, reducing the allocation below
2003 levels." 

The OMB statement added, "These reductions to the IT budget request
would seriously impair the department's ability to continue the global
war on terrorism and defense transformation." 

House Armed Service Committee Chairman Duncan Hunter (R.-Calif.)
defended the cuts, contending Pentagon fiscal and management reforms
were necessary. 

"Important policy reforms would also be implemented by this legislation.
These range from acquisition reforms that would benefit small businesses
to the modernization of the Pentagon's outdated civilian personnel
system," said Duncan Hunter (R.-Calif.), chairman of the House Armed
Services Committee. "The new system would be based on many years of
successful programs supported by the tens of thousands of current
personnel who participated.

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