European Stars And Stripes (Newspaper) - September 8, 1987, Darmstadt, Hesse                                Tuesday septembers 1987 the stars and stripes Page 3 flexibility urged in Dod budget cuts lawmakers seek Protection from Gramm Rudman by William j. Bartma Washington Bureau Washington if Congress realms the weak ened Gramm Rudman Hollings deficit reduction act it will be hard to protect military personnel account from the budget cutting Melee say sources on Capitol Hill. But the defense department in t exactly running for cover yet. That s because of doubts that Gramm Rudman parts of which were found unconstitutionally the supreme court will Ever be Given renewed strength to automatically Cut Federal programs if con Gress fails to meet its own spending limits. People on the political left and right Are More interested in protecting their programs than getting the deficit Down said an analyst with the House budget committee. A bipartisan group of defense minded congressmen has urged that military personnel and readiness accounts be protected from new automatic cuts in the Gramm Rudman Law. In the Senate republicans John Warner of Virginia and Ted Stevens of Alaska joined with Michigan Democrat Carl Levin in urging flexibility for the defens personnel and other accounts. And the House voted 267 to 156 just before leaving for recess in August to instruct its budget conferees to seek some flexibility in the application of a sequester order automatic cuts on the defense budget in their meetings with Senate counterparts. But while that might sound Good to the military sources on the House and Senate armed services committees say such Protection is not practical. Exempting military personnel from cuts sound Good but there has to be some balance said an aide on the Senate armed services panel. The personnel accounts Are so Large he said that if Congress were to keep them at present Levels you could be forced to wipe out your whole Effort for the future in terms of weapons and research. There s no question that if you had a major Bud get reduction and military personnel had to share in that it would have a tremendously Adverse effect incur personnel. You Are talking about a reduction in  s the Only Way i know to do it no one is talking of reducing benefits. You could do things like reduce pcs permanent change of station accounts. But then you would get into a situation where service members suddenly find themselves extended overseas and that s not right. It disrupts their children s schooling the family s plans for the future. It disrupts a whole lot of things " Congress thinks that it can make Gramm Rudman automatic budget cutting Power constitutional again with a plan to let the White House office of manage ment and budget enforce mandatory cuts if Congress and the president fail to agree on what programs to a. Critics of this plan already agreed to by House an Senate conferees finishing up budget deficit legislation say it is an outrageous abdication by Congress of it fiscal responsibilities. In the House s instructions to its conferees written by House minority Leader Robert Michel r-lll., and supported by House ways and Means committee chairman Dan Rostenkowski d-iii., restraint was urged on any defense reductions applied to our com budget history of United states surpluses i. Deficit in Bons of Donars per fiscal year Elenh 19707172 73 74 19757677 197679 80-81 in Jim is nwm1954-55 56 57 58 59 60 61 1962 63 1964 65 66 67 341 030 Federal i pending i hire Otth Economy Tom outlays As a percent of grow Niton product 26% 24 1954 56 58 60 62 64 66 70 72 74 76 76 80 comparing budget priorities in percent of total outlays 1973 1978 1963 direct Benefit a rect Benefit dec Benefit pay Metilor National payment Tot National payments for mild Utah defense Kew dual defense us morals 97% 31% 41% 21% 44% use died Benefi National payments Lor defense indmduals28% 42% _ _ to Stales other Grants to state other Grants to states Otner Grants to stat Sand localtm17% 12% end local Les 17% 1% and canes 12% 5% and localities 10% Eit kale proposed inc to Noune a Raffik Soun once of in genl am eur Odd Bat readiness those military personnel who serve sour front line of defense. The president could be Given the option of shifting these cuts to other program areas of the defense budget but defense would still be required to Bear the Brunt or so percent of the  sen. Phil Gramm a Texas one of the authors of Gramm Rudman proposed in the Senate that the Mil itary personnel accounts be exempted from the Auto Matic cuts. But armed services committee chairman Sam Nunn d-ga., expressed reservations Over such an exemption. The Senate aide said the Only other Way to avoid cuts in military personnel under a Gramm Rudman automated a would be to reduce the benefits to those on Active duty which to my knowledge nobody is pre pared to stand up and say that s what we should  not giving a pay raise Means you reduce the level of pay. Nobody i know has said that or that we should go out and reduce some other Levels of  meanwhile the White House s office of manage ment and budget said it called on All Federal agencies the defense department included last month to look for places to Cut Back. But others in the White House never bothered to Call the Pentagon. Dod was asked to come up with some cuts Saida spokesman at the budget office. But Dod officials said no one from the White House Ever told them to look for any cuts which the White House would like to see Range from $10 billion to $16 billion govern me twide. The House budget committee analyst speculated that this shows that bomb s Call for cuts was More Public relations than  amid All the arguments on How to reduce the Federal deficit and what programs to protect some on Capitol Hill believe that neither Congress nor the White House really wants to fix Gramm Rudman. Noting the failure of House and Senate budget conferees to come to terms with an effective Way of Mak ing budget cuts mandatory the House budget com Mittee source said there must be some forces at work and the White House would be one of them who Don t want Gramm Rudman to work Stark lacked firefighting apparatus paper says Philadelphia up a fire fighting equipment shortage and poor training contributed to the loss of life aboard the Stark after it was struck May 17 by two missiles fired from a iraqi Jet the Philadelphia inquirer re ported sunday. The guided missile frigate was so poorly equipped for fighting the fire caused by the French made exocet mis Siles that it would have sunk had a for eign tug not come to the ship s Aid about three hours after the attack the inquirer said. Thirty seven sailors were killed after two missiles slammed into the Stark while it was on patrol in the persian Gulf on May 17. The ship s commander capt. Glenn Brindel was relieved of his command and is being forced to retire from the Navy for failing to take actions to fend off the attack. Citing internal Navy documents an interviews with the ship s Crew the inquirer said the shortage of firefighting equipment was not unique to the Stark and is a growing concern among the increasing number of ships ordered to patrol the Gulf. The Reagan administration has stationed about 40 ships in the Oil Rich Region to protect 11 renamed kuwaiti Oil tankers flying the american Flag. The paper said its investigation revealed lacking Power tools common 10 local fire companies Stark Crew member were forced to use sledgehammers and axes to Cut through Metal bulkheads. The ship lacked sufficient breath ing equipment for sailors to fight the intense fire and Crew members were poorly trained As firefighters. The breathing devices which were supposed to provide oxygen for up to one hour ran out in As Little As 22 min utes. Firefighting equipment brought aboard from a Navy Rescue vessel could not be used because the electric plugs did not match the Stark s outlets. Several men who had enough Timeto Don emergency breathing gear in their smoke filled sleeping Cabins later died trapped below deck in intense fir and smoke. Capt. Robert Barr jr., the Navy s to firefighter As head of the service s ship survivability program told the inquire that . Ships Are vulnerable to fires. Barr said one of the lessons of the Falkland War in 1982 was How easily Modem ships burned especially after being hit by missiles according to the inquirer. But a shortage of Money for firefight ing gear and the slowness of the Navy s procurement system has hindered efforts to improve the situation Barr told the inquirer. A Navy spokesman defended the Navy s fire filming efforts