HUNTER CALLS ON SUPER COMMITTEE TO AVOID “NIGHTMARE” SCENARIO WITH DEFENSE CUTS

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Tax reforms including “plenty of loopholes to close” should be on the table, Hunter aide suggests

September 12, 2011 (Washington D.C.)—Congressman Duncan D. Hunter (R-El Cajon) has issued a press release urging the “Super Committee” tackling debt reduction to reach a timely agreement in order to avoid a trigger clause that would spark massive cuts to U.S. national security. 

 

If it takes closing loopholes on profitable corporations paying zero taxes, such as General Electric (GE) to achieve bipartisan agreement to spare deep defense cuts, Hunter now feels the commmittee should consider such options, his spokesman told ECM.

 

“The defense budget has already taken a major hit,” said Rep. Hunter, a member of the House Armed Services Committee and veteran of the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan. “Now, after already shouldering over half a trillion in cuts over the next ten years, the military services could face another $600 billion in cuts. This would be a nightmare scenario that must be avoided at all costs.”
 

Hunter has opposed budget proposals that called for revenue increases, such as raising taxes on wealthier Americans or closing corporate loopholes, instead supporting an all-cuts budget. He voted against the final budget bill, however, due to his concerns over the trigger clause, which would impose mandatory deep cuts in both defense spending and social programs if the super committee’s recommendations are rejected by either the House or Senate.

 

But Hunter aide Joe Kasper suggests the conservative legislator now believes some revenue raising measures could be considered if it meant preventing deep defense cuts under the trigger clause.
 

“He supports tax reform first—under the flat or the fair tax,” Kasper wrote in a September 8 e-mail to ECM, responding to an ECM question as to whether Rep. Hunter would support any revenue raising measures if it meant sparing deep cuts in defense. “But sure, he supports closing tax loopholes. Just look at GE, for instance,” said Kasper, an apparent reference to the fact that GE paid zero income taxes last year despite hefty corporate profits. “Also, there are plenty of tax loopholes that encourage businesses to go overseas, and even keep their earning overseas, too," Kasper noted. "So there are plenty of loopholes to close.”
 

Hunter argues that defense dollars provide Americans with security, give our troops better protection and strategic advantage, also create jobs---something San Diego, a military town, has clearly benefitted from through the years. Slashing the defense budget could leave the U.S. vulnerable to emerging threats amid combat operations in Afghanistan, he adds.
 

Driving home his point, Rep. Hunter released a chart showing military force structure reductions from 1990 to today:

                                     1990                  Today
Army brigades                    76                      45
Navy ships                        546                    288
USAF Fighter squadrons       82                      39
Strategic bombers             360                     154

 

The budget approved by Congress and signed into law was ultimately opposed by both East County representatives, Republican Duncan Hunter and Democrat Bob Filner, albeit for different reasons. Both voiced concerns over the trigger clause.

 

Besides mandating deep cuts in defense spending if the appointed “super committee” cannot reach a consensus for reducing the national debt that wins approval by Congress, the trigger clause also mandates very deep cuts in social programs benefitting the middle class, the poor, senior citizens, and many other Americans.
 


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