Important note: Information in this article was accurate in 1996. The state of the art may have changed since the publication date.
 |
Los Angeles Times (LT) - WEDNESDAY March 6, 1996 Edition: Home Edition Page: 16 Pt. A Word Count: 286
Art Pine; Times Staff Writer
At a hearing of the Senate Armed Services Committee, GOP lawmakers chided Defense Secretary William J. Perry for having reduced spending on modernization programs to "perilous" levels and renewed demands for early deployment of an antimissile defense system now in the works.
Perry warned the panel that he will consider recommending a veto if Congress appropriates additional money for the controversial B-2 radar-evading bomber, as the lawmakers did in the current year's defense bill despite the administration's opposition.
Gen. John M. Shalikashvili, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, told the same panel that he thinks it is unfair to require the armed forces to discharge service members who are found to be HIV-positive, as a bill Congress passed early this year would do.
Shalikashvili said that the services already have procedures to handle members who have medical problems that prevent them from being deployed. The discharge requirement, drafted by Rep. Robert K. Dornan (R-Garden Grove), is slated to take effect this summer.
The criticisms by Senate Republicans are likely to be echoed by their counterparts in the House today, when Perry and Shalikashvili appear before the House National Security Committee.
Republicans in both houses are expected to seek to boost the military budget as part of a drive to portray the administration as soft on defense.
The administration's new defense budget would slash spending for purchases of new weapons and equipment to $38.9 billion for fiscal 1997, which begins Oct. 1--down from $42.3 billion in the current fiscal year and 70% below its level a decade ago.
Copyright © 1996 - Los Angeles Times. All rights reserved. Reproduced with permission. Reproduction of this article (other than one copy for personal reference) must be cleared through the Los Angeles Times, Permissions, Times Mirror Square, Los Angeles, CA 90053. http://www.latimes.com.
AEGiS is a 501(c)3, not-for-profit, tax-exempt, educational corporation. AEGiS is made possible through unrestricted funding from Boehringer Ingelheim, Bridgestone/Firestone Charitable Trust, Elton John AIDS Foundation UK, the National Library of Medicine, AIDS Walk of Orange County, and donations from users like you.
Always watch for outdated information. This article first appeared in 1996. This material is designed to support, not replace, the relationship that exists between you and your doctor.
AEGiS presents published material, reprinted with permission and neither endorses nor opposes any material. All information contained on this website, including information relating to health conditions, products, and treatments, is for informational purposes only. It is often presented in summary or aggregate form. It is not meant to be a substitute for the advice provided by your own physician or other medical professionals. Always discuss treatment options with a doctor who specializes in treating HIV.
Copyright ©1980, 1996. AEGiS. All materials appearing on AEGiS are protected by copyright as a collective work or compilation under U.S. copyright and other laws and are the property of AEGiS, or the party credited as the provider of the content. .