“Provide for common defense” is a core constitutional obligation of the federal government. Yet entitlement spending is putting unsustainable pressure on the defense budget. In 1965, Medicare, Medicaid, and Social Security constituted 2.5 percent of gross domestic product (GDP) while defense made up 7.4 percent. The Office of Management and Budget estimates that entitlement spending will reach 9.7 percent of GDP in 2012 while defense will shrink to 4.5 percent—even after the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan are included. (article continued below chart) The defense budget is further threatened from … More
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Sen. Jon Kyl (R-AZ) has been among the Senate’s strongest proponents of a robust national defense. In his role as Republican Whip, he is now leading the charge against efforts to shortchange our Defense budget, and warning of potential dire consequences for national security. Kyl spoke at the Heritage Foundation on Thursday as part of its Helms lecture series, where he discussed national security and the launch of Heritage’s Protect America Month. He explained why the federal government’s constitutional obligation to provide for the common defense must remain a bedrock principle of … More
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Should our fighting men and women be forced to drive unarmed SUVs into war zones, with speed as their only defense against rocket and car bomb attacks? Tragically, that’s a true story of U.S. military readiness today, and America’s defenses will only get worse under the drastic cuts aimed at our armed forces. In a new video by The Heritage Foundation, combat veteran Kerry Kachejian explains why U.S. military readiness is so crucial. He has first hand experience in the matter from his experience during the reconstruction of Iraq and … More
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It’s one thing to talk a good game about cutting spending, but it’s quite another thing to actually do something about it. This week, the House of Representatives has an opportunity to finally set some limits on Washington’s spending spree while also ensuring that the U.S. military has the resources it needs to defend America. Here’s the lay of the land this week in the nation’s capital. On Thursday, the House is set to take up a spending reduction plan known inside the beltway as “reconciliation.” Under the measure, Congress … More
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Representatives Randy Forbes (R–VA) and Scott Rigell (R–VA) will be hosting a listening session in Chesapeake, Virginia, on Monday, May 14, at 6:30 p.m. at the Chesapeake Conference Center. This event, part of a larger House Armed Services Committee effort spearheaded by Forbes entitled “Defending Our Defenders,” is an initiative aimed to raising awareness about the impact of existing and impending defense cuts to national defense and the U.S. military. This event is the first in a series of at least 12 town halls around the country designed to engage … More
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America’s all-volunteer military is the most well-trained, well-equipped fighting force the world has ever seen. But the strength of our armed forces should not be taken for granted. Unfortunately, the impact of looming defense cuts would be catastrophic to our military, local communities and veterans. If no action is taken by January 1st, the military will be levied with over $1.029 trillion in cuts to our National Defense over the next 10 years. These scheduled defense cuts would cause roughly 200,000 active duty service members to be forced to leave … More
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Last night, President Obama visited Afghanistan and stood on the shoulders of the U.S. military to trumpet his foreign policy. But that military is being eviscerated under the president’s budget cuts, creating a hollow force and exacerbating today’s readiness crisis. Since President Obama took office, more than 50 major weapons programs at a value of more than $300 billion were cut or delayed. On top of this, the Administration told the military to cut almost $600 billion more over the next 15 years. And that’s before any cuts under the … More
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Next week is the start of Heritage’s fourth annual Protect America Month. Protect America Month is the month where we highlight the need for a strong National Defense. Join us on Friday from 12-1 ET when we will be joined by Heritage’s Jim Carafano and he will be taking your questions about defense, defense spending, homeland security, what has been going on since Osama bin Laden’s death, and what the current threats are. If you cannot be here for the chat, leave a question in the comments and we’ll try … More
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Representative Paul Ryan (R–WI) generated a few headlines defending his defense budget. When pressed about why he wanted to invest more in the military than the Pentagon brass asked for, Ryan had an answer that raised eyebrows: “We don’t think the generals are giving us their true advice,” Ryan said at the National Journal Live Budget Policy summit, adding, “I think there’s a lot of budget smoke and mirrors in the Pentagon’s budget.” Ryan has good reason to be skeptical—not of the integrity of senior military leaders but of the … More
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When Representative Paul Ryan (R–WI) released the House Republican budget earlier this week, one thing was certain: It takes seriously the constitutional responsibility to provide for the common defense. Eschewing the Obama Administration’s call for higher taxes, the Ryan budget succeeds in restoring America’s defenses while restraining the federal government’s insatiable desire to increase taxes. Not surprisingly, this reality is lost on many of the more vocal critics from the left. Unwilling to acknowledge the Ryan budget’s ability to reestablish appropriate and necessary funding for the nation’s defenses while avoiding … More
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