Writes John Tierney, executive director of the Council for a Livable World, the the defense authorization bill soon under consideration in the U.S. House is a disaster for safety, security and the economy. Worse yet, "The Chairman of the House of Armed Services Committee is proposing a $705 billion Pentagon budget, at least $75 billion more than President Reagan’s peak defense spending in adjusted dollars. This represents a massive increase of wasteful spending that can only be described as shameful." The Council noted of the bill:
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It carelessly restricts funding or undermines the goals for vital arms control treaties that make us safer, like New START, the Open Skies Treaty, and the INF Treaty.
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It disgracefully limits the dismantlement of nuclear weapons that have already been retired.
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It blindly adds new systems for a $40 billion unproven missile defense program.