Rep. McKinney: "DOD To Cancel Controversial Crusader Program"

"Now that the Crusader is gone, I hope to see high-deployment per diem overtime pay reinstated for our personnel."

(Washington, DC) --- The Office of Congresswoman Cynthia McKinney today received a phone call from the Pentagon informing her of Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld's intention to cancel the Army's controversial Crusader artillery program. The Pentagon indicated that an announcement on the cancellation would occur later today. Made by United Defense, a subsidiary of the Carlyle Group, the National Defense Authorization Act of 2003, H.R. 4546, contains $475 million for research and development for the Crusader in the next year alone. Representative McKinney offered an amendment to this week's consideration of H.R. 4546 to strike the $475 million authorized for the Crusader.

"I welcome the Defense Secretary's action to cancel the Crusader program. The Crusader's design is a relic of the Cold War, it has cost nearly $2 billion to date, and would cost at least $9 billion more to enter into service. Now, this half billion dollars should be set aside for military high-deployment per diem overtime pay," Representative McKinney stated. "With the questionable relationship that the Crusader's parent company, the Carlyle Group, has with the White House and senior Cabinet officials, it is a step towards accountable and responsible government for this program to be cancelled. Now that the Crusader is gone, I hope to see high-deployment per diem overtime pay reinstated for our personnel."

The Carlyle Group has been the target of criticism from an array of organizations, notably Judicial Watch, a conservative watchdog that found fault with the Clinton Administration. Less than a year ago, Judicial Watch filed a Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) request regarding the high level access that the Carlyle Group had to the Bush Administration's Defense Department. Judicial Watch has urged former President George H.W. Bush, to cease his employment with the Carlyle Group, where former Defense Secretary Frank Carlucci, former British Prime Minister John Major, and former State and Treasury Secretary and former White House Chief of Staff James Baker, III also work.

During the House Armed Service Committee mark up of H.R. 4546, an amendment was added to prevent the impending termination of the Crusader. On this, McKinney noted in her dissent that "It is unfortunate that, even when the Pentagon seeks to shelve needless and wasteful programs, this defense authorization and the defense industry are capable of keeping the Crusader and other questionable projects alive." "It is my hope that, when considering how to make use of the newly available half-billion dollars, that he will apply it where it can have the most immediate effect- to increase the compensation that our service men and women receive for their defense of our nation and its values, including the high-deployment per diem overtime pay that President Bush cancelled back in October," McKinney concluded.

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