House panel cuts authorization for Pentagon's IT programs

The House Armed Services Terrorism Subcommittee approved its portion of the fiscal 2006 defense authorization bill Wednesday, pushing forward a proposal that cuts the Pentagon's information technology authorization by about $250 million.

This marks the third year the panel has reduced IT accounts, though it is a far smaller decrease than the previous two years, when members cut funding by $600 million or more.

The cuts target administrative systems while budgets for tactical systems remained in place, a subcommittee aide said.

"We have recommended some reductions -- after all, we are a nation at war and our attention and resources should be focused on the war effort," said Armed Services Terrorism Subcommittee Chairman Jim Saxton, R-N.J.

Lawmakers increased the Special Operations budget by about $100 million, including $10 million for a threat warning system for C-130 cargo planes and $7.8 million to complete purchases of infrared suppression equipment for Chinook helicopters. Special Operations commanders have identified $300 million in unfunded requirements for fiscal 2006. The bill also increased medical research and development spending by $30 million and chemical and biological vaccine and other programs by $70 million, the aide said.

Subcommittee members plan to push for language during full committee markup next Wednesday that encourages Defense Secretary Rumsfeld to assert his wartime rapid acquisition authority, which allows him to circumvent the Pentagon's procurement policies for urgently needed equipment, the aide said.

The fiscal 2005 authorization established that authority for buys of less than $100 million. Rumsfeld used the authority for the first time two weeks ago to purchase equipment to jam improvised explosive devices.