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AN EMBARRASSMENT OF RICHES: It’s an enviable yet daunting problem: How can the Pentagon make sure a lot of money doesn’t slosh over the sides as the services race to spend a full-year’s budget increase of $80 billion in six months? At a House Appropriations subcommittee meeting yesterday, New Jersey Republican Rep. Rodney Frelinghuysen indicated the problem will be addressed with increased flexibility to spend the money into the next fiscal year, which begins Oct 1. That’s all predicated on the assumption Congress will in fact enact the bipartisan budget deal it forged last month by the March 23 deadline. “Sometimes when you get a huge bucket of money people say, ‘This is the gold mine,’ ” Frelinghuysen told Navy leaders at a House Appropriations defense subcommittee session. “I think we worked out a path forward to provide that degree of flexibility you and the other services are looking for,” he said. To which Navy Secretary Richard V. Spencer replied, “Outstanding. We welcome that with open arms. We will not do any sort of, quote-unquote, ‘foolish spending.’ We can’t afford to.” Recommended Stories
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