Patricia Schroeder: “Will the Pentagon be exempt from the cuts which we are going to exact on every other part of the Government as we move…”

“Will the Pentagon be exempt from the cuts which we are going to exact on every other part of the Government as we move toward a balanced budget in the year 2002, something that is absolutely essential to the economic security of our Nation? Is the Pentagon spending every penny and has it spent so well every penny in its whole budget that it should be exempt and not only exempt but it should get an add-on over and above that requested by the Joint Chiefs of Staff, the Secretary of Defense, and the President of the United States? Should they be exempt from procurement reform, prioritization, new efficiencies? I think not. I will use a couple of examples. I mentioned one earlier. In a GAO audit of procurement by the Department of Defense over the last decade, there is $15 billion, B, billion dollars totally unaccounted for, $15 billion was spent for which no one can find a receipt, a disbursement or a purpose, $15 billion. What was it spent on?”