Defense Spending

Ending F-22: $2.9B, Laser Aircraft Savings: $214M, Cutting Wasteful Defense Spending: Priceless

Christina Bellantoni | October 28, 2009, 11:47AM

The Pentagon

The White House sent TPMDC some figures detailing the savings from the waste the Obama administration slashed from the Pentagon budget.

We detailed the cuts earlier, since President Obama will use them as an example of how "change" has come to Washington.

More information is here, but the list of cuts and their savings provided by an administration aide is after the jump.

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Defense Spending

Obama To Say Waste Cut From Pentagon Budget Proves 'Change Is Possible'

Christina Bellantoni | October 28, 2009, 6:00AM

President Barack Obama

President Obama today will trumpet his administration's efforts to slash wasteful projects from defense spending when signing the Defense Authorization bill approving the Pentagon's funding blueprint.

At 2:30 in the White House Rose Garden Obama will sign the measure authorizing 2010 spending of $680 billion . The president will laud Defense Secretary Robert Gates for helping him remove funding for F-22 fighter jets and a new fleet of presidential helicopters.

"Today, we are putting an end to some wasteful projects that lawmakers have tried to kill for years," Obama will say, according to excerpts of his remarks obtained by TPMDC. "And in doing so, we are changing business-as-usual in Washington."

The president will present the signing as proving that "change is possible." Gates, the lone Republican Obama retained from the Bush administration, will be on hand to reap the praise.

Washington insiders believe Gates won't stay through the entire administration, but Obama will signal he's happy with his defense secretary in his remarks, saying they will keep fighting to cut waste in the months "and years" to come.

As we've written, the authorization also will create a new federal designation for hate crimes.

The excerpts we've obtained after the jump.

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