Analysis

New budget review draws skepticism from those who once hunted for DOD savings

By Tony Bertuca / August 19, 2019 at 5:00 AM
Defense Secretary Mark Esper has ordered a review of a $116 billion Defense Department account outside the purview of the military services, stoking concern that officials will search for savings in civilian-led corners of the Pentagon already picked clean by previous efficiency initiatives. Esper on Aug. 2 ordered a " comprehensive zero-based review " of the DOD "defense-wide" account -- about 16% of the fiscal year 2020 base budget used to fund civilian management agencies often referred to as the...

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