WASHINGTON – Today, U.S. Senator John Hickenlooper released the following statement on House Armed Services Committee Chairman Mike Rogers’ hold blocking the Department of Defense from transferring funds to cover a shortfall in the military’s budget in an apparent effort to force a decision on the permanent headquarters of Space Command. As a result, the Air Force has been forced to delay re-enlistment bonuses and planned station moves for personnel:
“Chairman Mike Rogers’ decision to block the Department of Defense from routinely reallocating funds is dangerous and harmful.
“The Alabama delegation is holding our military service members hostage. They are risking our national security to get what they want.
“This is not how our nation should make basing decisions. Period. It is, however, how you penalize our troops for the sake of narrow political interests.”
The House Armed Services Committee has placed a hold on the reprogramming of funds for all Military Departments. While DoD has requested approval for several requests, the Air Force is first impacted due to a budget shortfall.
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