Army Says No To More Tanks, But Congress Insists

[eridani]

http://www.manufacturing.net/news/2013/04/army-says-no-to-more-tanks-but-congress-insists?et_cid=3223131&et_rid=54679148&linkid=http%3a%2f%2fwww.manufacturing.net%2fnews%2f2013%2f04%2farmy-says-no-to-more-tanks-but-congress-insists

Built to dominate the enemy in combat, the Army's hulking Abrams tank is proving equally hard to beat in a budget battle.

Lawmakers from both parties have devoted nearly half a billion dollars in taxpayer money over the past two years to build improved versions of the 70-ton Abrams.

But senior Army officials have said repeatedly, "No thanks."

It's the inverse of the federal budget world these days, in which automatic spending cuts are leaving sought-after pet programs struggling or unpaid altogether. Republicans and Democrats for years have fought so bitterly that lawmaking in Washington ground to a near-halt.