Just days after the House military spending bill advanced through committee, the Senate Armed Services Committee has passed its own $750 billion military spending bill for 2020. Senate officials presented it as a “realistic” plan to increase spending.
The Senate version of the bill broadly excluded the clauses in the House version, like the call to cancel the 2001 Authorization for the Use of Military Force, and the de-funding of the Yemen War.
Since the two houses of Congress are led by opposite parties, the
attempt to try to get the two versions in line will likely turn into an
ugly political battle. The 3.1% military pay raise is one of very few
topics of agreement.
Not that the Senate version doesn’t include its own policy diktats. One
of the provisions in their version aims to prevent President Trump
withdrawing from NATO by blocking funding for any effort to withdraw from Europe if the US is in the process of leaving NATO.
The bill also aims to “target China” on several fronts, mostly by
spending more money buying weapons, and doing more screening of Chinese
people and creating lists of Chinese “students and researchers.”
Efforts to prohibit a US attack on Iran failed in committee, but Sen. Tim Kaine (D-VA) says that he still intends to push for such a resolution once again when it comes to a floor vote.
It’s a crazy idea that they can block funding for withdrawal, as if that costs anything compared to occupying Europe militarily. If we are going to withdraw from Europe (and we should), they can simply redirect some of the funding of all those bases to withdrawing from those bases. The Senate apparently wants so little process before invading anywhere, but so much red tape before any US soldiers can come home from where they aren’t needed!
Of course, the troops aren’t needed in Europe – they are there for several reasons – none of which are really necessary. These reasons are:
1. Bases in Germany, Italy, etc. are for troop morale – can you imagine a 20 year career that consists only of Ft. Polk, and Ft. Bragg?
2. Many retired GIs live in Germany, Korea, Taiwan, etc. – they don’t want to live stateside and they need the base perks.
3. All of these foreign bases call for many field-grade officer slots.
Plus there are local economies to nurture. And commissaries and PXs to fill.
Notice who doesn’t count in this list – John Q. Taxpayer.
Let’s not leave out the military resorts and golf courses…..
It is not difficult to see where this going-in addition to the bribes (er, contributions) being paid to our honorable congress, we have the bolton PAC. It receives massive funds from warmongering oligarchs which is then paid out in bribes to our honorable congress. The system could not be more fixed for war.
The link is to an article listed above:
https://www.opensecrets.org/news/2019/05/interests-pushing-for-hard-line-against-iran/
From the article:
Overall, 28 sitting senators have received sizable contributions from
John Bolton PAC during the election cycle, as have nine representatives
on the House defense, foreign affairs, and homeland security
subcommittees.
This has nothing whatsoever to do with defense, but I suppose a war budget, or an aggression budget would be too truthful now that the USA has decided that free speech is no longer permitted.
Julian Assange has already changed the USA.