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king to reporters about his forthcoming agenda as the head of the Senate Armed Services Committee, Carl Levin said he would not stint in unearthing contractual wrongdoings on Pentagon programs. The long-time Senator from Michigan has been a stalwart proponent of the military services, but he also has pushed for procurement reform, including supporting Arizona Republican Sen. John McCain’s push for a strict accounting of the Air Force’s tanker lease deal. Levin directed scathing remarks last year to then Pentagon Inspector General Joseph Schmitz for “critical gaps” in the IG’s accountability report of the tanker deal, saying they “raise serious questions about whether this report meets applicable requirements for the independence of Inspectors General.” (Read more in our September 2005 “The Tanker Blame Game.”)
F-35As from the Vermont Air National Guard have deployed to Puerto Rico in recent days, continuing a major buildup of U.S. Air Force assets in Latin America aimed at combating drug trafficking and pressuring the regime of Venezuelan leader Nicolas Maduro.
