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Colin Powell: Defunding NPR Won't Solve Deficit Problem, Congress Should Look At Cutting Defense [View All]

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onehandle Donating Member (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Sun Jan-23-11 01:54 PM
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Colin Powell: Defunding NPR Won't Solve Deficit Problem, Congress Should Look At Cutting Defense
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Source: Huffington Post

NEW YORK -- Former Secretary of State Gen. Colin Powell disagreed with current proposals to cut the deficit on Sunday, saying that going after small programs one by one -- and not touching military and entitlement spending -- won't be effective in solving the country's long-term budget problems.

Last week, the Republican Study Committee, a conservative House GOP caucus, announced that it aims to return non-defense spending to 2008 levels and non-security spending to 2006 levels. It would cut funding for veterans programs, scientific research at the Department of Energy, Homeland Security, transportation, housing, education, legal services, foreign aid and the arts. The RSC proposal would save an estimated $16.1 billion by rolling back federal Medicaid funding, putting the burden for those patients on state and local governments.

snip...

The RSC document also doesn't go after defense spending, even though Republicans, Democrats and many Tea Party activists have all called for putting the military's budget on the table. Powell said that was a mistake.

"As we draw down from Iraq and as over the next several years as we draw down from Afghanistan, I see no reason why the military shouldn't be looked at," he said. "When the Cold War ended 20 years ago, when I was chairman and Mr. Cheney was secretary of Defense, we cut the defense budget by 25 percent. And we reduced the force by 500,000 active duty soldiers, so it can be done. Now, how fast you can do it and what you have to cut out remains to be seen, but I don't think the defense budget can be made, you know, sacrosanct and it can't be touched."

Read more: http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2011/01/23/colin-powell-defunding-npr-deficit-cutting-defense_n_812738.html
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