Talk around the Beltway never strays far from spending puzzles—the latest, of course, how to pay for Katrina. Analysts project the cost for recovery efforts at nearly $200 billion. Thoughts naturally turn to cuts. Questioned if the Pentagon would have to cut programs to pay its share, Defense Secretary Rumsfeld opined, “There’s no point in speculating.” Of course, speculation already runs high that the Quadrennial Defense Review will be taking hefty cuts on its own.
The Air Force won’t finalize a new deal with Boeing for another 75 KC-46 tankers until some of the “deficiencies” with the refueler are resolved, new Vice Chief of Staff Gen. John D. Lamontagne told lawmakers March 4.