What happens when military contractors blow past their budgets on taxpayers’ dime, and why does Congress keep handing them the check?
In the third installment of our four-part series recorded live at Creighton University in Omaha, Nebraska, the discussion turns toward two of the most egregious vulnerabilities in American defense spending: runaway nuclear weapons modernization and what our panelist calls “outright corruption” in the Pentagon budget and spending process.
In this episode, you’ll hear from our final two panelists: Julia Gledhill, Research Analyst at the Stimson Center’s National Security Reform Program, and Joe Cirincione, veteran national security expert and former House congressional investigator. First, Julia pulls back the curtain on the astronomical cost of modernizing the U.S. nuclear triad. Then, Joe offers a candid assessment of how defense spending has transformed into what he calls an institutionalized “slush fund,” and delivers five concrete steps everyday citizens and lawmakers can take to force real accountability.
