Adam Smith, the top Democrat on the House Armed Services Committee, announced his bid to chair the committee in the next Congress. He said he would push for a lower Pentagon budget, greater public oversight and investigations into U.S. military operations.
Smith said defense spending should remain below $1 trillion. In doing so, he opposed the Donald Trump administration’s proposal for a $1.5 trillion budget for next year.
„To begin with, we must demand transparency and accountability to the public by insisting on more public testimony from senior Pentagon officials,“ Smith said.In a letter to his colleagues, the congressman called for reviews of the Pentagon’s investments in military companies. He also demanded investigations into the war with Iran, as well as U.S. strikes in the Caribbean and Latin America.
Bid for Committee Leadership
Adam Smith said he would lead a “more realistic and sustainable” strategy for defense spending. In his words, the next Congress must place greater emphasis on the accountability of senior officials and on how Pentagon funds are used.
Smith is the committee’s top Democrat and is running for its chairmanship. This means that his demands are part of a political platform for the committee’s work, rather than an already adopted decision to cut the budget.
The next Congress will determine who will head the House Armed Services Committee. If Smith wins the post, he will play a leading role in congressional oversight of the Pentagon, discussions on the defense budget and the investigations he is proposing.
Sources: news.bg