June 2, 2011 | View Online
Budget Bullets: Defense
Smart Defense Cuts Can Reduce the Deficit While Preserving National Security
By John Griffith |
While we must always adequately fund the military and honor our servicemen and women, Congress can save up to $1.4 trillion over the next 12 years by eliminating overbudget and unnecessary defense programs, revamping military health care, and consolidating and capping spending across the Departments of Defense, Homeland Security, and State. None of these actions will compromise national security:
- We can save more than $350 billion through 2015 by normalizing troop levels and cutting unneeded weapons.
- Nonwounded military retirees who are young enough to work and can afford to participate in their health insurance costs should do so—the alternative is unsustainable.
- We should cap long-term defense spending to keep it sustainable and affordable.
