Congress is getting ready to sink its teeth into the massive shifts in defense spending proposed by Defense Secretary Robert Gates.

As reported in Politico, members of the Senate Armed Services Committee want to hear more about the massive budget shifts that have been proposed by Gates.

His “efficiency” initiatives would realign defense spending and call for “modest growth” in the defense budget of 1 percent to 2 percent over the next few years.

Gates asked each of the services and his own department to come up with $100 billion dollars in savings over five years.

Lawmakers are expected to look into the decision-making process behind the proposals and request any independent analysis that led to the choices.

The timing — and the politics — of these hearings can’t be ignored. The midterm elections are looming and these budget shifts could ultimately lead to layoffs in some lawmakers’ home districts.

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