Saturday January 03, 2009
Defense Budget
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See also: Tough fiscal realities face us at all levels, dictating wise allocation of scarce federal funding resources for our pressing needs. Programs and funding have to be evaluated today and projected years ahead. A sound, fiscally-responsible federal budget ensures national priorities and promotes efficiency in government operations. Protection of our freedoms and preservation of our safety--defense at home and abroad--are clear priorities.
The first obligation of any government, and a fundamental principle set forth in our Constitution, is to provide for the defense of the nation. Article I, Section 8 of the U.S. Constitution gives Congress the responsibility to provide for the common defense; to raise and support Armies; to provide and maintain a Navy; and to provide for organizing, arming and disciplining the militia. As such, Congress must ensure that the United States has the military capabilities necessary to respond to current and possible future threats from actively or potentially hostile sources.
As a result of short-sighted and drastic cuts in defense spending during the 1990s, the U.S. military experienced a sweeping shortfall of resources to invest in improvements and future weapons systems, as well as a significant reduction in active-duty personnel. The prolonged funding shortfall delayed necessary research and development for modernization, forcing the military to manage and maintain depreciating weapons systems for longer than hoped. While the damaging consequences of this drawdown are starting to be reversed, much more needs to be done. With an increasing operations tempo, the deterioration of our military equipment is outpacing equipment production, increasing tension and limiting options to maintain force readiness. Modernization programs necessary to sustain a robust force and replace war-torn equipment are being drawn out to maintain readiness in current operations. Despite the ongoing Global War on Terror and the need to meet ongoing national security requirements, the defense budget is smaller by relative measure than in past times of war.
While our nation’s military faces a number of challenges, external budget pressures from domestic mandatory spending programs will increasingly strain the national defense budget in future years. Of the more than $3 trillion the United States government spends every year, about two-thirds is automatically spent on mandatory programs – primarily entitlement programs, such as Medicare, Medicaid, and Social Security – and federal debt service. Federal spending on these programs already absorb more than four times the share of the federal budget that defense does. Without reform, rapid growth of mandatory spending will eventually overpower the federal budget, decrease defense spending, and compromise the ability to maintain an effective national defense.
The House and Senate Budget Committees are responsible for producing the annual budget resolution, which indicates the budget authority and outlays for each agency’s account in a fiscal year. The budget resolution does not require Presidential approval, but serves as guidance to Congress in the development of the annual budget. While our government must strive to operate in the most efficient way possible, we must also make certain that we have the military force and infrastructure capable of meeting all of our security needs, one that provides necessary support to our men and women in the military. As a member of the Senate Budget Committee, I am committed to working with my colleagues in Congress to ensure a responsible budget resolution that prioritizes our nation’s defense.
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Key Terms Related to Defense Spending
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