This Congress is the most disappointing in my memory. It simply astounds me that we are almost 3 months into the Federal Fiscal Year and so much of the core responsibilities of Congress are not done. Worse, Congress is more concerned with pandering to political minorities than to getting the time pressing, overdue issues taken care of.
Senator Thune, I don't care if you work on Christmas Day, New Years Day, and New Years Eve. Our Troops will be manning the walls in Afghanistan whether you work or not. Get the DoD budget passed.
Senator Reid, Neither DADT or the START Treaty have to be passed by the end of the year. Get to the budget issues and leave the Dream Act for next year.
Rep Pelosi, These are your waning days of power for a reason. You were (and still are) focused on the wrong things. Get over your power trip because its about to be over.
You know what? Just pass an extension of the 2010 DoD budget as the 2011 Budget. Sure, you're kicking the can down the road to the next Congress to fix, but training stops when you don't pass any budget. The Army doesn't need you to fund condoms for SanFran drug addicts in order to man their posts in Kandahar, but they do need you to fund bullets and beans for Afghanistan and Ft Stewart to be able to do their jobs. Let the next Congress work out the extra details, of whether or not Parris Island needs $100 Million or a $1 Billion for solar panels to replace $10 Million in electrical usage.
And here's where it gets sticky: I once had a lot of respect for Robert Gates, but he seems to be a "yes, man" willing to push any agenda his boss tells him to. He should have been pressing Congress for a DoD budget for the last YEAR, but instead he's playing the last minute game and pressing Congress to pass the Omnibus plan. He should be pressing for a stand-alone DoD budget but instead is pushing the hundreds of billions in earmarks in the Omnibus.
Here's his excuse:
“The omnibus would allow the Department to pursue critical national security initiatives such as standing up the new Cyber Command, increasing special operations forces, and funding family support improvements including efforts to upgrade Department of Defense schools. And the heavy volume of reprogrammings needed to manage the vast and complex operations of this Department under a year-long continuing resolution would slow our efforts to meet unanticipated wartime needs." SecDef Gates
But even that is not his main focus. No, he's not pushing for a DoD budget for the year beginning October 2011. He's pushing a repeal of DADT, despite the fact that up to 30% of our most experienced Warriors may leave the military if he succeeds.
“Secretary Gates is pleased that the House of Representatives has voted to repeal the "Don't Ask, Don't Tell" law. He encourages the Senate to pass the legislation this session, enabling the Department of Defense to carefully and responsibly manage a change in this policy instead of risking an abrupt change resulting from a decision in the courts."
I don't care if the 1000 homosexuals kicked out in the last year or so, re-enlist and bring their homosexual partners with them, it won't make up for the number of Combat Experienced Warriors that are considering an exit before their exit hole gets plugged.
There comes a point when no matter how dedicated, no matter how patriotic, a Warrior will say enough is enough. Will that final slap be the repeal of DADT? Will it be the flippant "pay raise" while decreasing BAH/housing allowance? Will it be the vanishing re-enlistment bonuses? Will it be the the 4th combat tour? The 6th? Will it be the fact that some politicians are pushing for cuts in the number of Warriors? Will it be the vote that didn't count? Will it be the fact that politicians won't utter the word "Victory?" Will it be getting shot at while politicians deny Our Troops are in Combat?
It would be hard to say what the final straw was, when we see retention rates fall. At present, politicians are planning on a poor economy being enough to keep Our Troops fighting. Politicians may seem bent on keeping the economy broken, but despite them, it will eventually recover and then what will their plan be to man the overworked, undermanned Military? Increase the size of the Military, though that too can wait for January. Get them paid and do it now, in a DoD, not Omnibus Budget.