Cohen Voted to Reduce Federal Deficit by $66 Billion in Defense Spending Bill

WASHINGTON, D.C. – Congressman Steve Cohen (D-TN-9) recently voted to reduce the federal deficit by more than $66 billion when he voted on nearly a dozen amendments. The Department of Defense Appropriations Act of 2012 (H.R. 2219) passed the U.S. House of representatives late last week. The $649 billion defense spending bill increases the Pentagon budget by $17 billion and covers the costs of the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan. The Defense Department is the only agency that will see a double-digit increase in its budget.

“One of the best ways to reduce the deficit and balance the national budget is by responsibly cutting back on defense spending,” said Congressman Cohen. “We spend billions every month in Iraq and Afghanistan. We are spending a fortune and our futures on those wars when we should be focusing more on creating jobs and growing our economy. I will continue to support responsible initiatives that reduce our deficit and create jobs in our country at a time when people need them the most.”

Last Wednesday, Congressman Cohen offered two amendments to the Defense appropriations bill that was crafted to reduce aid to Afghanistan. One amendment would have reduced by $4 billion the $12.8 billion allocated to Afghan security forces and used the savings to reduce the deficit. The second amendment would have reduced Afghan infrastructure funding by $200 million and used the savings to also reduce the deficit. Unfortunately, both amendments failed to pass.

Below are the amendments Congressman Cohen supported to reduce the federal deficit by $66,076,274,000:

Wednesday votes, 7/6
Broun (GA) Amendment (#23). Reduces the Operation and Maintenance-Defense-Wide account by $216.6 million and increases the spending reduction account by the same amount, which is approximately a 10% reduction from the office of the Secretary of Defense

Welch (VT) Amendment. Reduces spending in the Research, Development, Test and Evaluation for the next generation bomber by $297,023,000 and applies those funds to the spending reduction account

Thursday votes, 7/8
Lee (CA) Amendment (#1). Reduces funding for combat operations in Afghanistan by $33 billion and increases the spending reduction account by the same amount.

Garamendi (CA) Amendment. Reduces funding for combat operations in Afghanistan by $20,887,651,000 and increases the spending reduction account by the same amount.

Poe (TX) Amendment (#1). Reduces funding for reimbursements paid from the Defense-Wide Operations and Maintenance Account to coalition partners in the global war on terror by $1 billion and increases the spending reduction account by the same amount. The adjustment would primarily affect reimbursements to Pakistan.

Lee (CA) Amendment (#2). Strikes all funding for the Overseas Contingency Operations Transfer Fund ($5 billion) and applies it to the spending reduction account.

Cohen (TN) Amendment (#41). Strikes $200 million from the Afghanistan Infrastructure Fund and increases the spending reduction account by the same amount.

Cicilline (RI) Amendment. Strikes all funding from the Afghanistan Infrastructure Fund ($475 million) and applies the savings to the spending reduction account.

Cohen (TN) Amendment. Strikes $4 billion from the Afghanistan Security Forces Fund and increases the spending reduction account by the same amount.

Poe (TX) Amendment (#2). Strikes $1 billion from the Pakistan Counterinsurgency Fund and increases the spending reduction account by the same amount.

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