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President Obama came to office boldly promising “a new era of openness
in our country.” Less than twenty-four hours after taking the oath of
office, the new president declared that “transparency and the rule of
law will be the touchstones of this presidency.” In one of his first
executive orders he wrote that, “democracy requires accountability, and
accountability requires transparency.” Boldly beginning another
memorandum to his executive department and agency heads, he stated, “My
Administration is committed to creating an unprecedented level of
openness in Government.”
The Administration has certainly insisted on transparency when it
involves divulging our interrogation techniques to alleged terrorists,
but has refused to apply the same standard for the American people when
it comes to the readiness of our nation’s defenses. In a move the
Washington Post described as “unprecedented secrecy,” Defense Secretary
Robert Gates recently instituted a gag order requiring hundreds of
Pentagon officials involved in the budget process to sign a
non-disclosure agreement barring them from discussing any proposed cuts
or expenditures even to members of congress. These were the very
individuals who had the expertise necessary to assess any potential
damage to national security such cuts could present.
Additionally, when the defense budget for 2010 was sent to Congress,
Title 10, Chapter 9, Section 231 U.S.C. specifically mandated that the
Secretary of Defense include with the defense budget a 30-year
shipbuilding plan for the Navy and a certification that “both the budget
for that fiscal year and the future-years defense program” would be
sufficient to meet the plan. If the budget could not meet the plan, the
Secretary is required by statute to describe and discuss “the risks
associated with the reduced force structure of naval vessels that will
result…” The Secretary submitted none of this information with his
budget and has indicated he will not submit the plan or the
certification until the 2011 budget.
This information is essential for Members of Congress to analyze the
defense budget and ensure the country will have a navy strong enough to
meet our national security needs. Without it, there are huge concerns
that we will not have adequate funds for shipbuilding, ship repair, and
ship maintenance. This is especially important given the fact that last
year it was revealed by the media that two of our naval vessels failed
their InSurv inspections (the functional equivalent of a home inspection
for navy ships) and were deemed “not combat ready.” Shortly after this
revelation, the InSurv inspections were classified thereby preventing
the results from being brought to the public’s attention. Since then,
media reports have indicated that an additional four ships have failed
these critical inspections.
Under the Administration’s gag order, Army leaders refused to testify at
a House Armed Services Committee hearing on the Army’s top acquisition
project saying the hearing was “too closely aligned to FY2010 budget.”
Transparency failures of this type leave Congress, which is charged in
the Constitution with the responsibility “to raise and support Armies,”
and “to provide and maintain a Navy,” without the information necessary
to address national security weaknesses such as this year’s $417 million
shortfall in ship depot maintenance.
Furthermore, the Administration’s censoring of senior defense officials
and classification of routine reports make it difficult for the critical
assessments of our military readiness to occur well in advance of
conflict. Additional secrecy in our defense budget does not promote our
security but hides deficiencies in the infrastructure we rely on for
national defense.
Certainly, a degree of budgetary deliberations deserve to be kept
internal, and sensitive information that could be a threat to our
sailors should be protected. Yet, I question an Administration that
determines sharing previously unclassified ship readiness reports is
more dangerous than releasing memos on the way the CIA interrogates
alleged terrorists – the details of which were released by the White
House earlier this year over the protests of the current and several
former directors of the Central Intelligence Agency.
When it comes to the security of our citizens, we should be neither
assessing capabilities on the battlefield nor allowing our budget to
determine our strategy. In the near term, it may be politically
opportune for the Administration to hide defense shortfalls in favor of
funneling government spending elsewhere. In the long term, however, this
secrecy in spending priorities only temporarily conceals a dangerous
course for our nation. Unfortunately, as our nation’s intelligence
community found in the wake of September 11, if the defense of our
nation is tested and proven to be found wanting, it is too late to look
in hindsight to identify who was asleep at the switch while our military
was allowed to hollow. The Department of Defense ought to abandon its
most recent information lock-downs, lest the only thing transparent
about the Administration be its claim to be transparent.
A Safe Summer at the Pool
 This
Memorial Day weekend, families across the Fourth District will be
dusting off their swimming gear and heading to opening day at their
neighborhood pool. While the season’s first visit to the pool is an
exiting time for children, a pool can be a dangerous place for
youngsters. Each year, nearly 300 children under the age of five - or
the equivalent of a nursery class a month - drown in swimming pools.
Before you head to the pool this weekend or this summer review the
following tips:
• Never leave your children alone in or near the pool, even for a
moment. An adult who knows CPR should actively supervise children at all
times.
• Designate a “Water Watcher” to maintain constant watch over children
in the pool during gatherings.
• If a child is missing, always look first in the pool. Seconds count!
• Learn to swim and teach your children to swim. But remember: knowing
how to swim doesn’t make a child drown-proof.
• Never use flotation devices as a substitute for supervision.
• Practice touch supervision with children younger than 5 years. This
means that the adult is within an arm's length of the child at all
times.
• Emphasize the need for constant supervision to babysitters or other
care givers who may accompany your children to the pool.
• Remove all toys from the pool after use so children aren't tempted to
reach for them.
• Learn about the hazard of
drain entrapment and what to look for at pools your family
frequents. Individuals in the 5-9 year-old category had the highest
frequency of entrapment reports.
• If you own a pool, install a four-sided barrier, such as a fence with
self-closing gates completely surrounding the pool. If the house forms
the fourth side of the barrier, install alarms on doors leading to the
pool area to prevent children from wandering into the pool or spa. Also
install safety covers and perimeter or in-water alarms as additional
layers of protection.
For more information on keeping your family safe at the pool visit:
• PoolSafety.gov
• Pool Safety Council
• SafeKids USA
• National Drowning Prevention Alliance
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