Panel Rebuffs Powell Plan to Alter Military
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WASHINGTON — Congress signaled Wednesday that it is dissatisfied with the military’s latest recommendations for restructuring the roles and missions of the individual armed services and hinted that it is likely to mandate its own sweeping plan for trimming waste and duplication.
At a hearing on the issue, Democratic and Republican members of the House Armed Services Committee criticized as inadequate the blueprint outlined earlier this month by Gen. Colin L. Powell, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff.
The comments marked the first congressional reaction to Powell’s proposals, which called for only modest revisions of the individual services’ roles despite warnings by legislators that they expected broader recommendations.
Congressional strategists said that the Senate Armed Services Committee, which is to begin its own hearings sometime this spring, is expected to be even more critical.
Powell’s report rejected or sidestepped specific proposals raised by key lawmakers and endorsed by President Clinton.
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