'Insult to taxpayers and servicemembers across America': Democrats slam Pentagon's move to scrap $800 million in 'near done' software projects
In a statement, Democratic Senator Tim Kaine stated that the Pentagon "has yet to show that it had a good reason for halting these contracts in the last inning and scrapping work American tax dollars have already paid for." He added, "If it can't show its homework, then this announcement - just days after Palantir's CEO spoke at Mike Johnson's Wyoming donor retreat - reeks of corruption.'
The comments are reported to highlight a growing concern among Democratic lawmakers about what they see as
wasteful spending at the Pentagon
. This comes even as Donald Trump's administration vowed to eliminate waste and abuse, creating the Department of Government Efficiency, which claims to have canceled over $14 billion in Defense Department contracts.
Democrats blast Pentagon's plans, call it "an insult to taxpayers and servicemembers across America."
Democratic Representative Maggie Goodlander, who sits on the House Armed Services Committee, told Reuters, 'If you're serious about cracking down on waste, fraud, and abuse, the last thing you'd do is cancel $800 million in projects that are nearly ready to roll out just to turn around and steer the same work to corporations of your choosing." She called the move "an insult to taxpayers and servicemembers across America."
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Another House Democrat on the Armed Services Committee, Salud Carbajal, described the action as part of a pattern of waste, citing "lavish" military parades and "unnecessary" troop deployments. 'This administration has repeatedly shown a blatant disregard for the responsible use of taxpayer dollars,' he said.
Echoing these concerns, Representative Jill Tokuda, also on the committee, reportedly said the move was "downright reckless." She noted that after many delays, the Pentagon was finally set to implement military pay systems that could pass an audit. "Taxpayers should not fund sweetheart deals for the well connected," Tokuda added.
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