Senate Committee Launches Bid to Prune USD21 Billion from US Budget

A key US Senate committee is poised to recommend cutting an additional USD21 billion from the Pentagon's Fiscal Year 2012 (FY12) spending plan. The bill totals USD663 billion and would authorise spending for military personnel, weapons systems and the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan in the fiscal year that began on 1 October. The Senate Armed Services Committee had approved the bill in June but met behind closed doors on 15 November to cut the additional funds to meet the target of USD27 billion in defence reductions set for the committee under the Budget Control Act of 2011, which Congress passed in August. The committee voted unanimously to report a new bill to the full Senate for consideration in the coming weeks, according to Senate aides. Specifically, the bill would cut an additional USD2.8 billion in US Army procurement and another USD800 million in research and development (R&D) funds for the service. These recommended reductions include USD518.7 million from the Joint Tactical Radio System programme, USD224 million from the Warfighter Information Network-Tactical programme, USD172.5 million from the Ground Soldier System-Nett Warrior programme and USD157.3 from Humvee recapitalisation programmes.