In a House Budget Committee hearing for FY 2021 for the Defense Department on Tuesday, Deputy Secretary of Defense David Norquist discussed Office of Economic Adjustment (OEA) funding with Rep. Jimmy Panetta of California.

“The OEA has provided a tremendous value to many local installations by responding to defense job losses, reductions in defense economic activity, tax base reductions… Programs of interest include the Community Investment Program, Military Installation Sustainability Program, the Downsizing Program,” said Panetta. He then questioned the Trump administration’s planned budget cut of over 418 million from OEA, from the enacted $450 million in FY ’20.

“We don’t normally request $450 million,” said Norquist, explaining that funding is in the enacted budget, not the president’s budget. He said that the DOD’s request for OEA is “much smaller” to help run the organization, with most funding coming from additions from Congressional interest.

Photo by Army Sgt. Amber I. Smith