Word: aspine
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Retired Admiral Bobby Ray Inman, President Clinton's nominee to replace Secretary of Defense Les Aspin, revealed last week that after he knew of his nomination, he paid $6,000 in delinquent Social Security taxes that he owed on account of his housekeeper. More than two dozen officials have been allowed to serve in the Administration after quietly paying back Social Security taxes for household help. Here is a surprising partial list...
Most legislators enthusiastically agreed. But a few cautioned that the hard work is still to be done. "He's setting himself up for having to produce," noted Wisconsin Democrat Les Aspin, chairman of the House Armed Services Committee. "That looks like a tall order." Scoffed Jimmy Carter's arms-control adviser, Paul Warnke, "The music was much better than the lyrics. There wasn't much substance to the words...
...defenses. Because certain previously signed weapons contracts are protected from the Gramm-Rudman cuts, the burden will fall precisely where it will do the most harm to the military's readiness to fight: funds for operations, manpower, maintenance, training and supplies. Warns House Armed Services Committee Chairman Les Aspin, with perhaps a touch of hyperbole: "What you're seeing is a defense budget going down as fast as it went up, with double-digit negative growth in the future...
...level the issue was money. Aspin, a Wisconsin Democrat, agreed to go along with the Senate's total $302.5 billion for the Pentagon, some $10 billion more than the House had approved. This provides a 3% increase in funding, thus allowing the Pentagon to keep pace with inflation. Aspin, who headed the House conferees, traded the higher figure for language forcing the services to re-examine their purchasing procedures and the rising costs of some of their major new weapons systems...
...only twelve, presumably because all the services knew the politics involved would guarantee them the funds anyway. The transport plane is made by Beech Aircraft, which is owned by Raytheon Co., which happens to be in Massachusetts, the home state of House Speaker Tip O'Neill. He reportedly told Aspin "not to come back" from the conference without funds for the aircraft. In the debate Republican Barry Goldwater, chairman of the Senate Armed Services Committee, insisted that the project be opened so that other manufacturers could bid on it. The conferees appeased both of the powerful lawmakers by approving funds...