Panel calls for $1 trillion defense cuts

WASHINGTON, June 11 (UPI) -- The United States must cut military spending dramatically to allow the government to fund other necessary programs, Rep. Barney Frank, D-Mass., said Friday.

Frank released a report by a panel he created that recommends almost $1 trillion in cuts during the next 10 years, The Hill reported. The Sustainable Defense Task Force includes members from left-liberal groups and from libertarian ones like the Cato Institute.

Frank heads the House Financial Services Committee. He acknowledged many of the task force proposals will have trouble passing Congress, especially weapons systems that provide jobs for constituents.

The task force proposes cutting down the size of the F-35 Joint Strike Fighter program, delaying a new midair refueling tanker and cutting the Navy from 313 ships to 230. Defense Secretary Robert Gates backs the F-35 program, the Air Force wants the tanker and shipbuilding has a lot of friends in Congress.

The task force also recommended cutting the size of the military once the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan end, and a drastic cut in nuclear weapons and delivery systems.

Without cuts in defense spending "every other issue will suffer," Frank said.