WASHINGTON — The House of Representatives approved an amendment from Minnesota Democrat Betty McCollum on Thursday that cuts $120 million from the Department of Defense’s budget for military bands, which currently stands at $320 million. That funding had been cut when the bill was in committee, but restored by a voice vote on the House floor yesterday.

McCollum took on the military’s music spending in May after The Hill newspaper analyzed its cost.

In a speech on the House floor yesterday, McCollum said cuts to parental assistance programs, education and health care led her to look for areas where there could be other budgetary savings. Military band spending stuck out.

“I think its time we ask the Pentagon to make a small sacrifice in its military budget,” she said.

The cut was opposed by Texas Republican John Carter, who said military bands play an important patriotic duty by performing at military funerals or welcome home celebrations.

There are currently 32 active duty bands in the Army, 51 in the Army National Guard, 17 in the Army Reserve, 24 in the Air Force and 14 in each the Navy and the Marine Corps.

McCollum’s amendment passed 226-199. She offered a second amendment, a measure that would have capped military spending on motorsports endorsements and advertising at $20 million, but it was defeated 167-260.

Devin Henry can be reached at dhenry@minnpost.com.

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5 Comments

  1. and this is her answer to “I think its time we ask the Pentagon to make a small sacrifice in its military budget”? That’s pathetic! We need much deeper cuts than this…

  2. It’s a start. Music to my ears.

    We should have a musical theme expressing the spirit of “Full Spectrum Dominance”. Play it loudly during our numerous invasions.

    Could it be true that the only part of the military budget within our reach any more is the horn section?

    Ms. McCollum: I salute your effort, but it is too modest.

    Let’s aim to cut this monster’s budget so as to compel retraction of our policy of subordinating the sovereignty of all nations to our delusions.

  4. Stop picking on Betty, she is trying to do the very best she can in Washington, D.C.

    The Big Questions now are:
    Can Minnesota’s DynamicDuo of Amy and Al round up the votes in the U. S. Senate to adopt a bill with Betty’s Amendment?

    Will they even try?

    Will Amy and Al have Betty’s courage to take on both NASCAR and the Pentagon at the same time?

    Ah, The drama created our Above Average New Age Minnesota Congressional Liberals…How do they do it?

  5. Someone needs to explain to me how this cut is significantly going to help balance the budget. It will only put musicians out of work. Yes, it is a cut to the military budget – funny how this only applies to areas which humanize the military and actually may provide some relief to our overstressed troops and provide excellent PR around the country and around the world for our military. How about something that will truly attack the deficit, like rolling back the tax levels to Clinton-Era levels. This would affect the “job creators”? News-flash. They have been paying low taxes for a decade now and haven’t created jobs. McCollum is a democrat. It is time that she start acting like one.

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