FederalDaily - March 16, 2007
House Members Seek Military Readiness Studies
House Armed Services Committee Chairman Rep. Ike Skelton, D-Mo., and Readiness Subcommittee
Chairman Rep. Solomon Ortiz, D-Texas, have the Congressional Budget Office (CBO)
and the Government Accountability Office (GAO) to study several aspects of the nation’s
military readiness. The legislators asked CBO to examine the impact of sustained
operations in Iraq and elsewhere, to look at the number of troops needed for current
operations, and to explore variations above and below current operations levels.
The letter also seeks a CBO review of options for addressing identified readiness
issues, the budgetary implications of implementing those recommendations, and a time
frame to completely address any recognized readiness shortfalls. The request to GAO
deals more specifically with concerns over the status of pre-positioned military
stocks—materiel and equipment that is in place for rapid deployment. “Readiness
is an issue our committee has been closely monitoring for some time, and with growing
concern,” said Skelton on March 14. To see more, go to:
http://armedservices.house.gov/apps/list/press/armedsvc_dem/skelton_ortiz_letters031407.shtml
:: Back to Top ::
Bill Would Transfer Inspections Back to USDA
A new bill would undo a portion of the Department of Homeland Security’s (DHS)
border protection unit’s “one face” program and return responsibility
for agriculture inspections back to the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA). Sens.
Dick Durbin, D-Ill., and Dianne Feinstein, D-Calif., introduced a bill March 14 that
would transfer responsibility for conducting agricultural inspections at all points
of entry from the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) back to the USDA’s
Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS). APHIS controlled agriculture
inspections prior to March 2003, when the responsibility was transferred to DHS as
part of the Homeland Security Act. Feinstein said the bill is necessary because agriculture
inspections have dropped dramatically since responsibility has been vested with DHS. “Inspections
are the first line of defense against exotic pests,” Feinstein said. “It
is time to put USDA back in charge of inspections and ensure that keeping these pests
out remains a top priority.” To see more, go to: http://durbin.senate.gov/record.cfm?id=270685
:: Back to Top ::
Subcommittee Questions EPA Budget Cuts
Lawmakers questioned the wisdom of a 5.5 percent cut in the FY 2008 budget of the
Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) during a March 14 hearing of the House Science
and Technology Committee’s Energy and Environment subcommittee. Subcommittee
Chairman Nick Lampson, D-Texas, expressed concern that the cut will prevent the agency
from supporting the research and development needed to address the nation’s
environmental problems. Critics of the budget, including EPA’s Science Advisory
Board, have argued that EPA’s core research programs are being eroded in ways
that will limit understanding of the environment and hamper the agency’s ability
to formulate sound policies. According to a release from the subcommittee, between
2004 and the proposed 2008 budget, overall support for research and development at
EPA has declined by 25 percent in inflation-adjusted terms. “Unfortunately,
for the fourth consecutive year the proposed budget falls short when it comes to
enabling our nation to achieve further success in environmental protection,” Lampson
said. To see more, go to: http://science.house.gov/press/PRArticle.aspx?NewsID=1723
:: Back to Top ::
|
