Gates faults Congress for ‘crisis on my doorstep’
Associated Press
OTTAWA, Ontario
Defense Secretary Robert Gates is accusing Congress of dumping a “crisis on my doorstep” by holding the Pentagon to last year’s spending levels and creating a potential $23 billion gap that could weaken a wartime military.
Gates said Thursday it looks increasingly likely that Congress will not act on the Pentagon’s 2011 budget request even as lawmakers argue over Gates’ proposal to slow the rate of increase in defense spending next year and freeze it by 2015.
Gates was in Canada for North American defense talks. In an interview as he traveled to the Canadian capital, the Pentagon chief said he understands that his proposal for $78 billion in cuts in future spending has run into opposition among lawmakers.
The opposition is bipartisan — from Republicans who oppose any reductions and Democrats along with some Republicans backed by the tea party who say Gates isn’t cutting enough.
He warned of emergency cuts if the Pentagon is forced to live within last year’s means.