The Bush administration requested $190 billion in war funding for fiscal year (FY) 2008. Congress approved $87 billion of this request in late 2007, leaving the remaining $103 billion to be considered in 2008. Additionally, in February 2008 the administration submitted a placeholder $70 billion request for war funding in FY 2009. Press reports indicate […]
Tying U.S. Defense Spending to GDP: Bad Logic, Bad Policy
by Travis Sharp Arguing that defense spending is historically low as a percentage of GDP, and therefore must be increased, is a bit like a landlord arguing that because a tenant received a much-deserved pay raise, their rent should be increased automatically. Intelligent defense planning relies on requirements, tradeoffs, and a thorough evaluation of […]
Fiscal Year 2009 Federal Funding for Bioweapons Prevention and Defense
The Administration proposes $6.8 billion in regular funding on bioweapons prevention and defense activities in FY2009. This is an increase of approximately $340 million (5.2%) over the amount appropriated by Congress for FY2008.
Ten Questions for General David Petraeus and Ambassador Ryan Crocker
by Kingston Reif by Travis Sharp Download these questions in PDF format. QUESTIONS FOR GENERAL DAVID PETRAEUS 1. PETRAEUS: General, you told Fox News in 2007 that “Historically, counterinsurgency operations have gone at least nine or 10 years.” According to that timeline, how far along are we right now in Iraq? Are we half way […]
On 25th Anniversary of “Star Wars,” Cheney’s Missile Defense Claims Don’t Add Up
by Kingston Reif On March 11, 2008, Vice President Dick Cheney spoke at a Heritage Foundation dinner commemorating the 25th anniversary of President Ronald Reagan’s Strategic Defense Initiative (SDI), labeled by critics as “Star Wars.” Cheney used the occasion to reiterate five Bush administration talking points about the need for missile defense: In 1972, […]
