Gates criticized over budget secrecy

Senior House Armed Services Republicans are slamming Defense Secretary Robert Gates over secrecy in the defense budget process.

In a letter sent to Gates on Wednesday, members express concern over a new gag order policy that bars senior defense officials from disclosing any budget deliberations.

{mosads}The Pentagon is set to submit to Congress its formal budget request for fiscal 2010 on Thursday. Lawmakers in both parties have been increasingly frustrated over the lack of details on programs and initiatives they oversee and fund.

Gates, the lone holdover from the Bush administration, asked senior defense officials to sign a non-disclosure agreement, which would require them to keep defense budget deliberations secret.

The gag order in essence is impeding Congress in performing its duties and is creating the perception that the Pentagon is not interested in engaging with Congress “to determine the best possible solution,” the lawmakers argued in the letter spearheaded by Rep. Randy Forbes (D-Va.).

Also signing the letter are: Reps. Roscoe Bartlett (Md.), Joe Wilson (S.C.), Todd Akin (Mo.), Mike Turner (Ohio), Jeff Miller (Fla.), Robert Wittman (Va.), Buck McKeon (Calif.), John Fleming (La.), Trent Franks (Ariz.) and Frank LaBiondo (N.J.).

“Congress is mandated by the Constitution to raise and support armies and navies, including funding the budget for our defense,” they wrote. “By instituting a gag order on senior defense officials, the Administration is essentially preventing Members of Congress from asking the questions necessary to ensure our soldiers are equipped to do their jobs.”

They added that Congress can “ill-afford” to see the senior military leaders be “forced to equivocate or be pedantic in so far as their professional opinion is concerned.”

Apart from weighing and determining the national security needs, there is also much at stake for lawmakers and their districts in the defense budget. Many of the defense companies that have contracts with the Pentagon have extensive operations and suppliers in districts across the country.