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Gates said eyeing early arms-program disclosures
By Jim Wolf
WASHINGTON (Reuters) - A senior U.S. lawmaker said on Wednesday he had been told Defense Secretary Robert Gates may announce decisions on the fate of major arms programs as soon as next week, ahead of a detailed fiscal 2010 budget presentation due in the next month or so.
"They say the secretary of defense is going to make some announcement about programs next week," Rep. John Murtha, chairman of the House of Representatives' Appropriations Defense subcommittee, told reporters. He did not specify his source.
Geoff Morrell, the Pentagon press secretary, poured cold water on the idea.
"I think we are still working, so it's yet to be determined precisely when he would make these decisions and then communicate them to the White House," he told a Pentagon briefing.
Details of President Barack Obama's budget for fiscal 2010, once expected to be sent to Congress on April 21, instead may end up slipping into May, White House aides have said.
The Pentagon said earlier this month that Gates had scratched plans to go to Strasbourg, France, for an April 3-4 summit marking the 60th anniversary of NATO.
"So that remains the only guidance I can give you at this point, which is it won't be before the NATO summit, because he's not going so he can continue to work," Morrell said.
"I think there are discussions under way as to how this will take place," he added, referring to disclosure of the programs that the Pentagon would ask Congress to cut to stay within the base budget of $533.7 billion sought by Obama.
An aide to Murtha, Matthew Mazonkey, said he understood Gates was "coming in (to Congress) next week so maybe we'll learn more."
Among programs that could be targeted are those of top Pentagon suppliers, including Lockheed Martin Corp , Boeing Co, Northrop Grumman Corp, General Dynamics Corp and BAE Systems Plc.
Kevin Scheid, the Pentagon's deputy comptroller, said earlier this month that the Pentagon was weighing a range of options to trim its procurement spending two percent to three percent in fiscal 2010.
The Pentagon's chief financial officer, Robert Hale, told the House Budget Committee last week that "nothing is off the table" for cuts or cancellation among major arms programs, "but no final decisions have been made."
By Jim Wolf
WASHINGTON (Reuters) - A senior U.S. lawmaker said on Wednesday he had been told Defense Secretary Robert Gates may announce decisions on the fate of major arms programs as soon as next week, ahead of a detailed fiscal 2010 budget presentation due in the next month or so.
"They say the secretary of defense is going to make some announcement about programs next week," Rep. John Murtha, chairman of the House of Representatives' Appropriations Defense subcommittee, told reporters. He did not specify his source.
Geoff Morrell, the Pentagon press secretary, poured cold water on the idea.
"I think we are still working, so it's yet to be determined precisely when he would make these decisions and then communicate them to the White House," he told a Pentagon briefing.
Details of President Barack Obama's budget for fiscal 2010, once expected to be sent to Congress on April 21, instead may end up slipping into May, White House aides have said.
The Pentagon said earlier this month that Gates had scratched plans to go to Strasbourg, France, for an April 3-4 summit marking the 60th anniversary of NATO.
"So that remains the only guidance I can give you at this point, which is it won't be before the NATO summit, because he's not going so he can continue to work," Morrell said.
"I think there are discussions under way as to how this will take place," he added, referring to disclosure of the programs that the Pentagon would ask Congress to cut to stay within the base budget of $533.7 billion sought by Obama.
An aide to Murtha, Matthew Mazonkey, said he understood Gates was "coming in (to Congress) next week so maybe we'll learn more."
Among programs that could be targeted are those of top Pentagon suppliers, including Lockheed Martin Corp , Boeing Co, Northrop Grumman Corp, General Dynamics Corp and BAE Systems Plc.
Kevin Scheid, the Pentagon's deputy comptroller, said earlier this month that the Pentagon was weighing a range of options to trim its procurement spending two percent to three percent in fiscal 2010.
The Pentagon's chief financial officer, Robert Hale, told the House Budget Committee last week that "nothing is off the table" for cuts or cancellation among major arms programs, "but no final decisions have been made."