A Missouri Congressman says he’s frustrated about a lack of resources for the Army, but hopes Congress and the Bush Administration are beginning to understand the need. West-Central Missouri Congressman Ike Skelton says every branch of the military needs more money, but the funding shortfall has hit the Army at the most basic level. He says the Army needs $17 billion just to shore up base operations support, covering day-to-day activities such as administration, training, even family support. Skelton has been complaining about tight budgets for the past few years and believes the message is getting across. Skelton says the problem stems from the Bush Administration’s failure to anticipate the needs of the armed forces and to fully budget for all of the Army’s needs.
