Omaha.com - The Public Pulse, Oct. 27

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Another note about Air Force band

The Oct. 20 World-Herald article, "Budget cuts cue "Silent Night' for Air Force band's holiday tradition," accurately reported the substance of my 2011 amendment to cut military-bands spending from $388 million to $200 million. That amendment did pass the House but didn't result in cuts to military bands, because it was left out of the final defense bill.

The reason for this concert's cancellation is the sequestration cuts to federal spending.

Sequestration hurts millions of Americans, not just military bands. Tens of thousands of low-income children have been cut from Head Start, grants for critical scientific research have been eliminated, and health care on Indian reservations has been reduced. Sequestration is also having a devastating impact on military readiness, operations and modernization.

While I oppose sequestration's indiscriminate cuts to the federal budget, I do support setting priorities and making smart cuts, such as reducing spending on military bands.

Cutting investments in children, scientific research and health care are not smart cuts. Congress has misplaced priorities when the Pentagon can spend nearly $400 million a year to fund 148 military bands and thousands of full-time musicians.

Betty McCollum, St. Paul, Minn.

U.S. House representative, D-Minn.

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