Sidelined since August 2019 thanks to a major electrical malfunction, the USS Harry S. Truman was slated for early retirement in the Pentagon's FY2020 budget request. Under this plan, the carrier would not be refueled and instead would be used until its nuclear fuel is spent, which could save up to $5.5 billion -- although recent reports suggest immediate savings would be roughly $17 million.
“If we are going to effectively tackle the long-term national security threat posed by our national debt, then we need to seriously examine how our defense dollars are being spent. Waste and inefficiency within the Pentagon not only contributes to our nation’s debt and deficit, it also diminishes the effectiveness of our nation’s armed forces."
“I'm concerned that our increasing fractious political process, particularly with respect to federal spending, is threatening our ability to properly defend our nation both in the short term and especially in the long term."
“This guide is a much-needed first step toward encouraging politicians to consider all available options for substantive Pentagon reform. Our troops deserve better than broken bureaucracy, and politicians shouldn't fool themselves into thinking that throwing money at the problem is the solution."
