Defense Spending: Hold the Line

James Carafano / May 23, 2011

In the midst of a debate over how and where to cut government spending, Congress needs to be careful not to throw the baby out with the bathwater when it comes to defense during wartime. There is undoubtedly need for Congress to continually demand efficiencies in the defense budget, but Congress should allow the military to use any savings that it generates to pay for urgent priorities.

Policymakers must be honest and start with national security strategy and military missions before approving arbitrary cuts. Only then will they be forced to acknowledge that the overall amount spent on defense is already selling the military short. Instead of addressing the real causes of runaway spending—major entitlement programs like Medicare, Social Security, and Medicaid—President Obama announced in April that he wanted to take an additional $400 billion from the military.

Already, annual spending to buy new equipment is under-funded, as noted by former President Clinton’s Secretary of Defense. Yet, Congress and the President continue trying to balance the budget on the backs of those in uniform who are spread thin across the globe. (more…)