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SUNDAY, NOVEMBER 22, 2009
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NEWS ABOUT: defense spending

defense spending stories: 17 news summaries

Lobbyist Cozy With Lawmaker Wins Jackpot

Visclosky funnels $44M in earmarks to clients not even in his state

Oct 26, 09 8:26 AM CDT
(Newser) - If you’ve got a tech company looking for a handout from the Defense Appropriations Subcommittee, might we recommend calling Rep. Peter Visclosky? Or more accurately, call K&L Gates, a lobbying firm that boasts in its marketing documents, “a very good relationship” with Visclosky, the third-ranking member of... More »

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House Appropriations Committee • earmarks • pork barrel spending • defense spending • Pete Visclosky • House Defense Appropriations Subcommittee

 Afghan War Costs US 
 $3.6B Per Month 

Figure will go even higher if more troops are sent

Oct 15, 09 9:36 AM CDT
(Newser) - Waging a war in Afghanistan ain’t cheap. The US is spending roughly $3.6 billion a month there, according to data from the Congressional Research Service, and that number is likely to rise precipitously as the Obama administration sends more troops. That estimate is based on 51,000 troops;... More »

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Afghanistan • defense spending • war cost • Afghanistan war

Murtha Institute Hands Money to Murtha Friends

Funds to beef up security are showered on connected firms

Sep 21, 09 12:08 PM CDT
(Newser) - The John P. Murtha Institute for Homeland Security may look like a mostly deserted basement below an Indiana University of Pennsylvania dormitory, but over the years it’s overseen $50 million in federal funds—almost all of it going to Murtha’s friends and industry allies, a Washington Post ... More »

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John Murtha • earmarks • pork barrel spending • defense spending

(Newser) - House leaders are slashing their $550 million order for eight new executive jets for use by senior government officials, caving to pressure from fellow lawmakers and the Pentagon, Politico reports. John Murtha’s Defense Appropriations Subcommittee had more than doubled the Pentagon’s original request for $220 million to buy... More »

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Nancy Pelosi • Pentagon • House Appropriations Committee • John Murtha • planes • defense spending

UPDATED

 Senate Grounds F-22 Money 


Jul 21, 09 12:06 PM CDT
(AP) - The Senate has sided with the Obama administration in agreeing to cut off new spending for the F-22 jet fighter program. The 58-40 vote today removes $1.75 billion set aside in a defense policy bill to build seven more F-22 Raptors, adding to the 187 stealth fighters already in... More »

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Congress • Senate • US military • defense spending • Obama administration • President Obama • F-22 fighter jet

Obama Vows to Veto His Own Defense Bill Over F-22s

Congress tries to tack on $1.75B for planes

Jul 14, 09 7:46 AM CDT
(Newser) - Barack Obama has found himself in the odd position of threatening to veto his own defense spending bill, after senators tacked on a last-minute amendment to spend $1.75 billion on seven F-22 fighter jets, Fox News reports. The jets are outdated, costly to fly, require frequent maintenance, and have... More »

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Barack Obama • John McCain • Robert Gates • Adm. Mike Mullen • Carl Levin • pork barrel spending • defense spending • F-22 fighter jet

Obama's Cell Phone Plea Helps Clear War Funds

Last-minute tensions healed; measure set to pass next week

Jun 12, 09 7:02 AM CDT
(Newser) - Congressional leaders settled on a $106 billion spending bill for the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan last night, but it took a last-minute intervention by President Obama via Rahm Emanuel's cell phone. When talks got bogged down over the release of detainee photos, Emanuel rushed to the Capitol and had... More »

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Congress • White House • Guantanamo Bay • auto industry • Guantanamo prisoners • spending bill • flu • defense spending • Iraq war spending • torture photos

(Newser) - In his address to Congress, President Obama made it clear certain industries are in his crosshairs, from agribusiness to defense to health care. But those industries aren’t taking it lying down, the Wall Street Journal reports. They’re spending big on lobbyists, hoping to derail—or at least reshape—... More »

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Barack Obama • agriculture • Boeing • health care industry • lobbying • lobbyists • defense spending • utilities • Obama administration • President Obama

Obama Shoots Down New Helicopter Fleet

Joins McCain in dissing costly Marine One chopper upgrade

Feb 24, 09 8:20 AM CST
(Newser) - John McCain should know by now that Barack Obama is not an easy target. Yesterday, at the White House fiscal summit, Obama gave the floor to McCain, who tried to put some heat on his host by criticizing a plan to procure a new presidential helicopter fleet, ABC reports. Obama... More »

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Barack Obama • John McCain • White House • defense spending • Marine One

analysis

 War on Terror Nears $1 Trillion 

And that doesn't count long-term costs

Dec 27, 08 9:02 AM CST
(Newser) - Washington's war on terror is about to cost $1 trillion, and even that is just the beginning, Mark Thompson writes in Time. Three recent government reports racked up the bills, showing that long-term costs like veterans health care and interest on loans are yet to come in. The trillion-dollar figure... More »

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War on Terror • Pentagon • homeland security • US military • budget • interest • cost • defense spending • Iraq war • Afghanistan war

ANALYSIS

Why Gates Should Stay
—and Why He Shouldn't


Nov 21, 08 1:25 PM CST
(Newser) - Conventional wisdom has it that Barack Obama will ask Robert Gates to keep his post as Secretary of Defense, but there’s no conventional wisdom about how wise that is. “It has more minuses than pluses,” opines one ex-Pentagon official, but others disagree. Some pros and cons:
... More »

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Barack Obama • Pentagon • Robert Gates • defense secretary • transition • counter insurgency • defense spending • Iraq war • Afghanistan war • President Obama

Obama Letters Promised Gov't Workers an Overhaul

He wooed bureaucrats with expanded roles

Nov 17, 08 8:11 AM CST
(Newser) - With the election fast approaching, Barack Obama sent letters to seven federal agencies, hoping to win the votes of their employees with detailed—and generally very generous—promises, the Washington Post reports. Obama promised to make departments more powerful and effective, to improve worker rights, and eliminate unpopular Bush... More »

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Barack Obama • federal employees • federal spending • defense spending • President Obama

 Al-Qaeda Crows 
 About US 
 Credit Crisis 

Some supporters hope for McCain victory

Oct 22, 08 1:25 AM CDT
(Newser) - Al-Qaeda websites are celebrating the crippling crisis sweeping the US economy and financial markets, with some internet postings crediting al-Qaeda for luring the nation into a war that has exhausted its resources, reports the Washington Post. Some writers are penning messages expressing hope for renewed terror attacks and a John... More »

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Iraq • Afghanistan • John McCain • Taliban • Internet • jihad • Osama bin Laden • al-Qaeda • defense spending • Islamic terrorism • Election 2008 • financial crisis • al-Hesbah • Site Intelligence Group

Army Overseer Ousted After Rejecting Bogus Iraq Bills

Says he was replaced after vowing not to pay dubious bills

Jun 17, 08 7:54 AM CDT
(Newser) - Did a top Army official lose his job for trying to save the Army money? Charles Smith was ousted from his job after refusing to pay then-Halliburton subsidiary KBR more than $1 billion in charges deemed bogus by Army auditors. “They had a gigantic amount of costs they couldn’... More »

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Iraq • Halliburton • Iraq contractors • defense spending • KBR

 War Killing Economy,
 Democrat Says 

Lawmaker calls war a 'leading cause' of economic woes

Apr 12, 08 4:42 PM CDT
(Newser) - While President Bush touted a "turnaround" in Iraq today, one lawmaker called the war "a leading cause" of America's economic woes, the Swamp blog reports. Test-driving the Democrat’s new anti-war argument, Kentucky Representative John Yarmuth blasted General Petraeus for advocating “more of the same, with U.... More »

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Iraq • Congress • taxes • defense spending • economy

John Murtha, War Critic,
Backs Clinton

Congressman says
Hillary has 'similar position' on Iraq

Mar 19, 08 3:30 AM CDT
(Newser) - John Murtha, the Pennsylvania congressman who has become a leading critic of the Iraq war, is endorsing Hillary Clinton for president, CQ Politics reports. “I know that Senator Clinton has a similar position that I have in regards to the war in Iraq,” Murtha said. While both he... More »

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Hillary Clinton • John Murtha • Pennsylvania • troop withdrawal • Vietnam veteran • war authorization • endorsement • defense spending • superdelegates • Pennsylvania primary • Iraq war

Dems May Block Record $3T Bush Budget 'Til Next Prez

Mammoth budget combines tax cuts with huge security spending hikes

Feb 4, 08 4:32 AM CST
(Newser) - President Bush today introduces a record $3 trillion budget into opposition from congressional Democrats so fierce that they could hold up the spending plan until the next president takes office, reports AP. Bush's plan envisions at least $400 billion in deficits this year and next, twice 2007's $163 billion debt.... More »

MORE ABOUT:
Iraq • Afghanistan • national security • Medicare • Medicaid • tax cuts • defense spending • educational programs • weakening economy • homeland

17 Stories


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