Washington, D.C.— House Armed Services Committee Chairman Ike Skelton (D-Mo.) released the statement below following an announcement by Secretary Gates of plans to find efficiencies within the Department of Defense budget:

 

“Although I am still reviewing the specific details of this announcement, Secretary Gates has proposed a number of steps that appear to efficiently find savings within the defense budget without taking away resources from our warfighters. Supporting the men and women in uniform who protect our nation is a top priority, and I support any responsible shift of funds from overhead costs in order to strengthen the efforts of our brave troops.

 

“There are many functions within the Department that are critical to our nation’s defense, and we need to carefully analyze Secretary Gates’ new plan to ensure that no essential programs fall through the cracks. I look forward to holding a hearing on this proposal when Congress returns from the August recess.”

 

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