Defense spending is a massive part of our federal budget - and a cause of equally massive debate, whether in wartime or in peace. With fiscal pressures rising, Defense Secretary Robert Gates has detailed a reprioritization of Pentagon resources and a $78 billion reduction in planned defense spending over the next five years. But he has also argued that "when it comes to the deficit, the Department of Defense is not the problem." Still, the $720 billion defense budget is a very large share of federal discretionary spending - more than half in 2010.
Five myths about defense spending
Kentucky U.S. Senator Rand Paul said Monday that he supports cuts to defense spending, breaking ranks with Republican leaders, many of whom have opposed such cuts.
There is a compromise, but the compromise is not to raise taxes, Mr. Paul said in an interview on CNNs State of the Union. The compromise is for conservatives to admit that the military budget is going to have to be cut.
Sen. Rand Paul calls for cuts to defense spending | The State Column
While we all can admit that spending is out of control and it's among the many issues we face as a nation. For the last several years the DoD's budget has become in many ways a cash cow for contractors and less so enhancing capabilities to the Warfighter. Our nation fought two wars and the Cold War on 2/3's the budget the DoD runs on now and our Defense budget represents almost the entire amount of Defense Spending for the rest of the world. It's high time that nations that are fully capable to defend themselves do so at their expense not only in terms of money but in terms of their young men and women as well. We are engaged in Iraq and Afghanistan and have been for years at the cost of thousands dead and even more thousands wounded and billions upon billions spent for a ZERO sum gain. It's about time someone had the courage to disengage from those area's and disconnect the DoD from contractors that use the Military as an ATM machine and spend the taxpayers money in a wise manner as well as deliver to the warfighter whats needed.
Five myths about defense spending
Kentucky U.S. Senator Rand Paul said Monday that he supports cuts to defense spending, breaking ranks with Republican leaders, many of whom have opposed such cuts.
There is a compromise, but the compromise is not to raise taxes, Mr. Paul said in an interview on CNNs State of the Union. The compromise is for conservatives to admit that the military budget is going to have to be cut.
Sen. Rand Paul calls for cuts to defense spending | The State Column
While we all can admit that spending is out of control and it's among the many issues we face as a nation. For the last several years the DoD's budget has become in many ways a cash cow for contractors and less so enhancing capabilities to the Warfighter. Our nation fought two wars and the Cold War on 2/3's the budget the DoD runs on now and our Defense budget represents almost the entire amount of Defense Spending for the rest of the world. It's high time that nations that are fully capable to defend themselves do so at their expense not only in terms of money but in terms of their young men and women as well. We are engaged in Iraq and Afghanistan and have been for years at the cost of thousands dead and even more thousands wounded and billions upon billions spent for a ZERO sum gain. It's about time someone had the courage to disengage from those area's and disconnect the DoD from contractors that use the Military as an ATM machine and spend the taxpayers money in a wise manner as well as deliver to the warfighter whats needed.