Frederico Bartels is a policy analyst for defense budgeting at The Heritage Foundation's Davis Institute for National Security and Foreign Policy.
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President Donald Trump and Congress did what they had to do to get out of town for Congress’ two-week recess last Friday, agreeing on a… Read More
SecurityCommentary
The leaders of the Armed Services committees of the House and the Senate met Thursday to formally start negotiations on a bicameral version of the… Read More
SecurityCommentary
The House Armed Services Committee needs to do more if it’s serious about continuing to rebuild the military and meeting the challenges outlined in the… Read More
SecurityCommentary
Congress could do more to shore up the U.S. military, but at least both houses now acknowledge the need to increase spending to some degree…. Read More
SecurityCommentary
The House Appropriations defense subcommittee has slashed the Pentagon’s reprogramming authority by 75% in the approved defense appropriations bill reported out on May 15. The… Read More
SecurityCommentary
House appropriators have now released their budget top lines for every government agency, and their number for the Department of Defense shows they acknowledge the… Read More
SecurityCommentary
Inside Defense magazine recently reported that the Department of Defense returned $80 billion to the Treasury in canceled funds over the past six years. That… Read More
SecurityCommentary
The Pentagon on Tuesday released the president’s budget request for defense, which calls for the resources needed to sustain the increase in military readiness experienced… Read More
SecurityCommentary
Will the Trump administration be able to continue rebuilding our military? That depends in large measure on whether Congress passes the National Defense Authorization Act… Read More
SecurityCommentary
Rosie the Riveter. Liberty Bonds. Scrap drives. In World War II, it was practically impossible to live a day in the United States without being… Read More
SecurityCommentary
The Air Force recently came under scrutiny for spending $1,280 apiece on hot cups. The cups have become a symbol of two facts that shape… Read More
SecurityCommentary
[R]obust U.S. military power produces positive spillovers in other areas of statecraft. … Put simply, if the United States did not command such impressive military… Read More
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The military can celebrate some great news this weekend. On Friday, President Donald Trump signed the appropriations package that provides funding for the 2019 defense… Read More
SecurityCommentary
With President Donald Trump’s signature Monday at Fort Drum, New York, the John S. McCain National Defense Authorization Act for fiscal year 2019 will be… Read More
EconomyCommentary
When Americans buy plane tickets, they shop around to find the deal that best suits their needs and save a lot of time and money… Read More
SecurityCommentary
Before Congress sends the final 2019 National Defense Authorization Act legislation to President Donald Trump, lawmakers should improve upon certain areas. In June, the House… Read More
SecurityCommentary
Russia has re-emerged as a pernicious threat to Europe in recent years. It’s all the more vital for the U.S. to stand up for European… Read More
SecurityCommentary
A provision in the House version of the National Defense Authorization Act for fiscal 2019 would delay by at least two years a much-needed new… Read More
EconomyCommentary
The Republican Study Committee has released its fiscal year 2019 budget proposal, “A Framework for Unified Conservatism.” In light of the recent budget-busting deal and… Read More
SecurityCommentary
As part of the budget process for the coming fiscal year, the House Armed Services Committee hosted Secretary of Defense James Mattis and Chairman of the… Read More
SecurityCommentary
The Bipartisan Budget Act of 2018 raised the defense budget caps for both 2018 and 2019. For the coming year, the defense budget will be… Read More
SecurityAnalysis
The Pentagon on Monday announced the president’s budget request for defense at $716 billion. That number is in line with the recent budget agreement. The… Read More
SecurityCommentary
The continuing resolution recently passed by the House of Representatives includes a full fiscal year of appropriations for the Department of Defense. That’s good news… Read More
SecurityCommentary
The government shutdown may be over for now, but that doesn’t mean our military and national defense are on track to achieve the rebuilding that… Read More
SecurityCommentary
Congress faced a number of bad options on Friday, when government funding expired for the third time this fiscal year. But lawmakers picked the worst… Read More
SecurityCommentary
Lawmakers are discussing the possibility of passing yet another continuing resolution on Jan. 19 to keep the government from shutting down. If another continuing resolution… Read More
SecurityCommentary
The Congressional Budget Office estimates that it will cost an additional $295 billion over the next four years to execute President Donald Trump’s plans to… Read More
SecurityCommentary
Defense Secretary James Mattis sent a letter to Congress earlier this month calling for members to authorize a new round of base realignment and closures… Read More
EconomyCommentary
Last week, the Senate Budget Committee released its long-awaited fiscal year 2018 budget resolution. The purpose of such a resolution is twofold. First, as a… Read More
SecurityCommentary
“The [base realignment and closures] process offers us the opportunity to address readiness by providing our forces the best possible ranges and installations for them… Read More
