Latest news with #I-Maine
Yahoo
16-05-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Opinion - The actual cost of a US ‘Golden Dome' could be staggering
Lt. Gen. Robert Rasch, the joint program officer for the Guam Defense System, testified at a Senate hearing this week that the cost of providing an integrated air and missile defense system — in effect a miniature 'Golden Dome,' for Guam — would total approximately $8 billion. These funds would cover the cost of placing sensors and launchers, as well as the command-and-control systems that would link them. All these systems either already exist or are in later stages of development; no new development would be involved. Responding to Rasch's cost estimate, Sen. Angus King (I-Maine) extrapolated the $8 billion figure to account for the 779 cities in the U.S. that are equal to or greater than Guam's population. According to his calculation, a Golden Dome over all of America would total $6.2 trillion. And King's figure was a bit too low; applying the same methodology results in a total cost of $6.4 trillion. Whether that $6 trillion figure is even remotely accurate is far from clear. Extrapolating the cost of defending Guam to the continental U.S., but calculating not on the basis of the number of cities to be defended but rather on the island's area in square miles relative to the mainland, yields a ratio of 14.86, which results in the far lower cost of $119 billion. Golden Dome will not replicate the system currently planned for Guam by 2031. President Trump's Jan. 27 executive order calls not only for current capabilities to be upgraded over time but also emphasizes the central role of space-based assets. Among the elements of the executive order relating to space are 'acceleration of the deployment of the Hypersonic and Ballistic Tracking Space Sensor layer; development and deployment of proliferated space-based interceptors capable of boost-phase intercept; development and deployment of a custody layer of the Proliferated Warfighter Space Architecture; and development and deployment of capabilities to defeat missile attacks prior to launch and in the boost phase.' These are all new capabilities that have yet to be developed. If the cost of President Ronald Reagan's Strategic Defense Initiative, which provided the inspiration for Golden Dome, is any indicator, the sums to be expended on Trump's proposal will certainly exceed $119 billion. In the 25 years after Reagan first announced his plan for a missile shield over America — which critics derisively labeled 'Star Wars' — the U.S. spent $120 billion ($235 billion in 2025 dollars) on the program. Since then, it has spent billions more on the program's offshoots, such as the missile defense system at Fort Greely, Alaska. None of these expenditures resulted in an operational space-based missile defense system. In late April, the House Armed Services committee included $24.7 billion in the $150 billion reconciliation package for fiscal year 2025. Even if annual costs for this program were to remain fixed at that level, a 25-year program, similar to that of the Strategic Defense Initiative, would total nearly $620 billion. The House figure is only a small down payment, however. The program will certainly call for far greater funding as it develops over time. It might well reach the total cost of $2.5 trillion that some analysts have estimated. Golden Dome will also generate opportunity costs in terms of other defense programs being either underfunded or entirely terminated unless the defense budget can sustain major annual growth rates over a period of two decades or more. That projection flies in the face of historic defense budget growth, which has varied sharply over time and with successive administrations, and has suffered from unanticipated inflation and cost growth. In the event that budgets do not show significant annual growth, the impact on other defense programs could be severe. In that regard, it is noteworthy that without the one-year $150 billion reconciliation package — which has yet to pass Congress — the next budget actually shows a slight decline in real terms. That does not bode well for other programs that would compete with Golden Dome for defense funds. The Strategic Defense Initiative experiment included plans for space-based capabilities that took a variety of forms — none of which ever materialized. Technology certainly is far more advanced today than when Reagan launched his initiative, but the viability of a space-based missile defense system has yet to be proven. Given its immense costs, and its effect on available funding for other defense programs, Golden Dome for America will call for cautious, careful and consistent congressional oversight and scrutiny for many years to come. Dov S. Zakheim is a senior adviser at the Center for Strategic and International Studies and vice chairman of the board for the Foreign Policy Research Institute. He was undersecretary of Defense (comptroller) and chief financial officer for the Department of Defense from 2001 to 2004 and a deputy undersecretary of Defense from 1985 to 1987. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
The Hill
16-05-2025
- Politics
- The Hill
The actual cost of a US ‘Golden Dome' could be staggering
Lt. Gen. Robert Rasch, the joint program officer for the Guam Defense System, testified at a Senate hearing this week that the cost of providing an integrated air and missile defense system — in effect a miniature 'Golden Dome,' for Guam — would total approximately $8 billion. These funds would cover the cost of placing sensors and launchers, as well as the command-and-control systems that would link them. All these systems either already exist or are in later stages of development; no new development would be involved. Responding to Rasch's cost estimate, Sen. Angus King (I-Maine) extrapolated the $8 billion figure to account for the 779 cities in the U.S. that are equal to or greater than Guam's population. According to his calculation, a Golden Dome over all of America would total $6.2 trillion. And King's figure was a bit too low; applying the same methodology results in a total cost of $6.4 trillion. Whether that $6 trillion figure is even remotely accurate is far from clear. Extrapolating the cost of defending Guam to the continental U.S., but calculating not on the basis of the number of cities to be defended but rather on the island's area in square miles relative to the mainland, yields a ratio of 14.86, which results in the far lower cost of $119 billion. Golden Dome will not replicate the system currently planned for Guam by 2031. President Trump's Jan. 27 executive order calls not only for current capabilities to be upgraded over time but also emphasizes the central role of space-based assets. Among the elements of the executive order relating to space are 'acceleration of the deployment of the Hypersonic and Ballistic Tracking Space Sensor layer; development and deployment of proliferated space-based interceptors capable of boost-phase intercept; development and deployment of a custody layer of the Proliferated Warfighter Space Architecture; and development and deployment of capabilities to defeat missile attacks prior to launch and in the boost phase.' These are all new capabilities that have yet to be developed. If the cost of President Ronald Reagan's Strategic Defense Initiative, which provided the inspiration for Golden Dome, is any indicator, the sums to be expended on Trump's proposal will certainly exceed $119 billion. In the 25 years after Reagan first announced his plan for a missile shield over America — which critics derisively labeled 'Star Wars' — the U.S. spent $120 billion ($235 billion in 2025 dollars) on the program. Since then, it has spent billions more on the program's offshoots, such as the missile defense system at Fort Greely, Alaska. None of these expenditures resulted in an operational space-based missile defense system. In late April, the House Armed Services committee included $24.7 billion in the $150 billion reconciliation package for fiscal year 2025. Even if annual costs for this program were to remain fixed at that level, a 25-year program, similar to that of the Strategic Defense Initiative, would total nearly $620 billion. The House figure is only a small down payment, however. The program will certainly call for far greater funding as it develops over time. It might well reach the total cost of $2.5 trillion that some analysts have estimated. Golden Dome will also generate opportunity costs in terms of other defense programs being either underfunded or entirely terminated unless the defense budget can sustain major annual growth rates over a period of two decades or more. That projection flies in the face of historic defense budget growth, which has varied sharply over time and with successive administrations, and has suffered from unanticipated inflation and cost growth. In the event that budgets do not show significant annual growth, the impact on other defense programs could be severe. In that regard, it is noteworthy that without the one-year $150 billion reconciliation package — which has yet to pass Congress — the next budget actually shows a slight decline in real terms. That does not bode well for other programs that would compete with Golden Dome for defense funds. The Strategic Defense Initiative experiment included plans for space-based capabilities that took a variety of forms — none of which ever materialized. Technology certainly is far more advanced today than when Reagan launched his initiative, but the viability of a space-based missile defense system has yet to be proven. Given its immense costs, and its effect on available funding for other defense programs, Golden Dome for America will call for cautious, careful and consistent congressional oversight and scrutiny for many years to come. Dov S. Zakheim is a senior adviser at the Center for Strategic and International Studies and vice chairman of the board for the Foreign Policy Research Institute. He was undersecretary of Defense (comptroller) and chief financial officer for the Department of Defense from 2001 to 2004 and a deputy undersecretary of Defense from 1985 to 1987.
Fox News
17-03-2025
- Politics
- Fox News
Schumer book events called off over 'security concerns' week of release
Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer's book, "Antisemitism in America: A Warning," is slated for release on Tuesday, but promotional events for the long-serving lawmaker's book that were scheduled for this week are being called off. "Due to security concerns, Senator Schumer's book events are being rescheduled," a statement to Fox from a book tour spokesperson noted. The senator had been scheduled for multiple events this week. Schumer irked some Democrats last week by voting to overcome a procedural hurdle and advance a Trump-backed government funding measure to a vote as the nation faced the prospect of a partial government shutdown. He and a number of other Senate Democratic caucus members voted to invoke cloture, but then voted against passing the measure. Two members of the Senate Democratic caucus – Sens. Angus King, I-Maine, and Jeanne Shaheen, D-N.H. – voted to both invoke cloture and to pass the measure. Shaheen announced last week that she will not seek re-election in 2026. Sen. Rand Paul, R-Ky., was the only Senate Republican who voted against passing the funding measure last week. Ahead of the vote, Schumer said that while the "bill is very bad, the potential for a shutdown has consequences for America that are much, much worse."
Yahoo
11-03-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Sen. King demands answers about latest round of Veterans Affairs cuts
Mar. 11—Sen. Angus King is demanding answers about the Department of Veterans Affairs' move to cut 585 contracted employees nationwide, and whether those contracts include critical jobs at the Togus VA Medical Center in Augusta. Among other questions, King said he has been unable to find out if the cuts include a key radiation safety officer position at Togus. Cutting that position "may force Togus to close their radiology department," King said in the March 6 letter to Doug Collins, secretary of Veterans Affairs. The topic is expected to come up during a hearing of the Senate Committee on Veterans Affairs in Washington Tuesday. King, I-Maine, is a member of the VA committee, and several top VA administrators will be testifying. In addition to the contract cuts, the VA secretary has called for widespread layoffs, with 80,000 job cuts expected by June among the 470,000 employees at the agency. The VA reductions are part of the Trump administration's sweeping efforts to reduce the size of the federal workforce. The decision to trim 585 contracted employees nationwide is separate from the seven firings of probationary employees that occurred at Togus in February. The elimination of seven positions — including a police dispatcher and a logistics worker — were part of an earlier round in the ongoing nationwide cutbacks at VA. The VA initially announced in February that a total of 875 contracted positions would be eliminated. That list included Togus' radiation safety officer. While the number of cuts has been reduced to 585 positions, the VA has not yet shared a list of the affected jobs. It's unknown whether the new list of 585 positions also includes the Augusta medical center's sole radiation safety officer, "Hospitals like Togus are required by multiple state and federal regulations to have an RSO," King wrote. "The RSO is responsible for overseeing radiation safety programs." King said the VA is not being forthcoming with information about cutbacks that could hamper the operations of VA services. "Despite committing to transparency to Congress in your nomination process, your department has refused to answer even the most basic questions," King wrote to Collins. The VA did not respond to the Press Herald's questions on Monday afternoon. King and other members of Maine's congressional delegation, as well as some leaders of Maine veterans' groups, condemned the firings of seven employees at Togus last month. The firings were "arbitrary and (made) without any strategic thinking," King said in a written statement at the time. The seven included five military veterans, King said. They included at least one police dispatcher, a member of the veterans experience office and members of the logistics team, King said. Rep. Chellie Pingree, D-1st District, said the VA firings, like others by the federal government, were "reckless" and "without clear justification." Sen. Susan Collins said the people operating Togus know their needs better than those in Washington and should have been consulted before the cuts were announced. Copy the Story Link
Yahoo
27-02-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
King, Pingree condemn firings of 7 Togus employees, including 5 veterans
Feb. 26—Members of Maine's Congressional delegation condemned the recent firings of seven employees at the Togus Veterans Administration Medical Center in Augusta, as new details about which employees were impacted came to light Wednesday. The firings were "arbitrary and (made) without any strategic thinking," Sen. Angus King said in a written statement Wednesday afternoon. The seven included five military veterans, said King, I-Maine. They were part of a sweeping attempt to downsize the federal government spearheaded by President Donald Trump and billionaire Elon Musk. The firings included at least one police dispatcher, a member of the veterans experience office and members of the logistics team, King said. "Without a police dispatcher, there will not be someone to connect police and first responders as they respond to emergencies at Togus," King said. "Without logistics staff, there will not be anyone to distribute incoming supply orders; meaning medical departments across the hospital won't have timely access to the supplies they need." The logistics team oversees tasks like keeping supply closets stocked with essential medical supplies and removing expired or recalled equipment, one Togus employee told the Press Herald. The employee did not give their name out of fear of retaliation but argued that potential equipment complications could undermine care, despite repeated claims by the Department of Veterans Affairs that cuts would not impact patient experiences. Probationary employees at the Togus VA Medical Center were fired by email Monday night for alleged "poor performance" without warning, the Maine AFL-CIO said in a statement Tuesday. Probationary workers are those with two or fewer years on the job, but the label can also include more experienced workers who recently moved to a new agency or position. Rep. Chellie Pingree, who represents Maine's 1st District, said the VA firings, like others by the federal government, were "reckless" and "without clear justification." "It is unacceptable that Congressional offices continue to learn of such significant personnel decisions through news reports and affected constituents — only after the fact," Pingree said in a written statement. "The progress the VA has made to staff its health care facilities over the last 4 years should be built on, not erased." A spokesperson for Rep. Jared Golden, D-2nd District, did not return messages asking for the congressman's reaction to the Togus firings. VA Maine spokesperson Jason Carter said in an email Tuesday night that the cuts would "have no negative effect on veteran health care, benefits or other services. ... We cannot discuss specific personnel matters due to privacy concerns." The Togus employee, who has worked at the VA for several years, said managers are urging workers not to speak to anyone, including their families and members of the media, about their concerns. Maine's hospitals know their needs better than those in Washington and "deserve to be included in personnel decisions at their facility," Sen. Susan Collins, R-Maine, said in a statement Wednesday. She said Togus officials did not appear to have been consulted before the cuts were announced. Collins said she has been in touch with the Trump administration over the firings and defended the White House's right to make changes to services at the VA. "But it needs to be taking a careful look at the agency's needs, not making sweeping, indiscriminate cuts — especially when we are dealing with something as critical as caring for our nation's veterans," Collins said. Carter, the Togus VA Medical Center spokesperson, could not be reached by phone Wednesday afternoon and did not return emailed questions about the scope of the firings or details about those impacted. Al Lipphardt, the national commander of the Veterans of Foreign Wars, a national veterans service organization, said in a statement Tuesday that the emailed firings appeared "automated with little to no oversight or thought." Veterans make up nearly one-third of the federal workforce, which is the largest employer of veterans in the country, Lipphardt said. He added that employment is a "social determinate of health" and is thought to reduce suicide, a significant concern among veterans. "The American people are losing technical expertise, training and security clearances already bought and paid for by taxpayers," he said. "These veterans are now being told their skills are no longer useful to the government. We're losing people who are genuinely committed to the mission and find a continued sense of purpose in what they do." David Bianculli, commander of the VFW's Portland post, echoed that terminations like these should be made "with care and consideration" rather than through a mass email notice. He also questioned the legitimacy of the five veterans' firings under federal law. "In fact, because of their previous service, these veterans should not even be considered probationary if they were properly hired under the Veterans Recruitment Appointment," Bianculli said in a written statement. Veterans Recruitment Appointment is a tool that allows federal agencies to give certain preferences to veterans when hiring for competitive positions. Those given preference through that tool may be subject to a shorter probationary period, but the specific status of those fired as it relates to the practice was not clear Wednesday. The firings at Togus were part of firings at VA health care facilities around the country, according to local reports. In addition to the VA cuts, Maine has seen hiring freezes announced at Acadia National Park and the Portsmouth Navy Shipyard. Collins later secured an exemption from the freeze for seasonal positions at the park, her office said. Copy the Story Link
