Gates digs in on budget cuts

DoD CIO nomination hearing postponed

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  • Secretary of Defense Robert Gates wants industry to know he isn’t kidding about wanting cost savings from contractors. He met with more than a dozen defense industry executives and warned them to start delivering those savings, the Wall Street Journal reports. Gates called the meeting routine, but attendees tell the Journal that it was anything but. One said it appeared as if Gates wants to lead, and avoid following, efforts to rein in Pentagon spending. The secretary is trying to slow spending growth to one percent annually. Some members in Congress are calling for deep reductions. The annual defense tab is now about 700 billion dollars. Defense Acquisition Chief Ashton Carter held a similar meeting with industry executives in June.
  • The Pentagon delays plans to hire a new chief information officer. California CIO Terri Takai has been chosen to fill that role. But the Pentagon tells Federal News Radio that her confirmation hearings will have to wait until DOD finishes a review of its organizational structure. The review is in response DOD’s effort to reduce overhead.

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