House Republicans are preparing to sacrifice blue collar workers with good paying jobs on the alter of weapons programs that the military doesn’t even want or need.
Six House Republicans have proposed legislation that would cut the civilian defense workforce by 15 percent in six years.
The bill from Rep. Ken Calvert (R-Calif.) is aimed at stopping the Department of Defense’s planned cuts to military personnel, and redirecting those cuts to a civilian workforce that Calvert says has grown too quickly.
The reality is the Department of Defense is perfectly capable of crafting a budget that meets their needs. The problem is Congress won’t allow it. Congress refuses to cancel weapons and equipment programs that the DoD wishes to cancel or shut down because those programs are produced in their states or districts.
The bill’s author, Rep. Ken Calvert, says cuts to the civilian workforce are a “tough but necessary decision,” but apparently the Pentagon doesn’t see it as necessary because they didn’t ask for it. This is House Republicans trying to micro-manage the Pentagon’s priorities so they can avoid making their own tough decisions on taxes and spending. If you’re a civilian contractor they are prepared to fuck you over to make their own jobs easier.