PRESIDENT’S DEFENSE BUDGET IS A STARTING POINT, NOT THE END
Washington DC – April 10, 2013– News Release – The President’s FY2014 defense budget provides $526.6 billion in discretionary funding for the Pentagon’s base budget, a decrease of $900 million below the 2013 funding level. However, the budget fails to recognize the spending limitations imposed by the Budget Control Act.
“The President’s budget disregards sequestration, making it essentially dead on arrival,” said Laicie Heeley, senior policy analyst at the Center for Arms Control and Non-Proliferation, “Congress will be faced with the task of paring these numbers down to fit within the caps. Given the wide gulf that exists between the two parties, we will again be looking at a very complicated budget year.”
Analysis by the Center’s staff of experts has offered little hope of a Congress-led movement to trim Pentagon spending.
“Despite a bipartisan coalition in Congress to reshape Pentagon spending, the political will to make difficult decisions about specific Defense Department programs is low,” said Heeley.
####
The Center for Arms Control and Non-Proliferation is a Washington-based non-profit think tank working to reduce the number of nuclear weapons stockpiled across the globe, increase international nonproliferation programs targeted at preventing the further proliferation of nuclear weapons and nuclear terrorism, redirect U.S. military spending to address 21st century security threats and halt the proliferation of biological and chemical weapons. www.armscontrolcenter.org
