A Call to Protect America

Mackenzie Eaglen / September 01, 2009

On July 20th, The Heritage Foundation launched the Four Percent For Freedom Petition calling on President Obama and Congress to halt defense spending cuts. If Congress passes Obama’s budget, America will spend less on defense than before the September 11th attacks. This puts our men and women in uniform at risk. In total, 112,623 Americans signed the petition to call on Obama and Congress to protect America by maintaining a minimum defense budget of 4% of GDP.

Obama’s budget will put defense spending at historical lows but this type of defense budget slash is nothing new from a Democratic President. At the conclusion of the Vietnam War, President Jimmy Carter began reducing funding for defense, shrinking spending from 5.2% of GDP to 4.9% of GDP in 1980. Under President Bill Clinton, total defense spending reached a low of 3% of GDP in 1999. Obama’s long-term plan will reduce defense spending to 3% of GDP by 2019.

This is a dangerous course of action by the Administration and jeopardizes American security. As The Heritage Foundation President Dr. Edwin J. Feulner writes: (more…)