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Washington, D.C., May 6, 2009 - Congressman J. Randy Forbes (VA-04), along with other House Armed Services Subcommittee Ranking Members, today sent a letter to Secretary of Defense Robert M. Gates expressing their concerns about a new policy that creates a “gag order” on senior defense officials and prevents transparency in the defense budget process.  Earlier this year, in what the Washington Post described as “unprecedented secrecy,” Secretary Gates asked senior defense officials to sign a Non-Disclosure Agreement, which would require them to keep defense budget deliberations secret. Additionally, the Department of Defense (DoD) has announced that it will classify routine reports on ship readiness.

In the letter to Secretary Gates, Members of Congress stated that they are “concerned that 1) this agreement is not strictly limited to predecisional discussions, and 2) that Congress may be excluded from oversight and engagement due to the restrictions put in place by this agreement.” They noted that the new restrictions will severely and unnecessarily limit Congress in its Constitutional duties.

“Congress is mandated by the Constitution to raise and support armies and navies, including funding the budget for our defense. To do this, it requires accountability and transparency. By instituting a gag order on senior defense officials, the Administration is essentially preventing Members of Congress from asking the questions necessary to ensure our soldiers are equipped to do their jobs, and is prohibiting media and public awareness on important defense issues,” said Forbes.

This is the first time the DoD has instituted a Non-Disclosure Agreement for DoD officials on priorities and cost-benefit analysis, and the first time routine ship readiness reports have been classified. Since the Non-Disclosure Agreement was instituted, the Army has refused to testify at a House Armed Services Subcommittee hearing on its top acquisition project, saying that it was “too closely aligned to the FY10 [defense] budget.”

“Instituting this Non-disclosure Agreement and classifying routine readiness reports are direct contradictions to an Administration that has prided itself on transparency. Especially in these economic times when every defense dollar should be used on the most important priorities, the budget process should be as transparent as possible,” said Forbes.

Congressman Forbes Ranking Member for the House Armed Services Readiness Subcommittee. To view a copy of the letter sent to Secretary Gates, visit forbes.house.gov/uploadedfiles/GatesLetter.pdf.