“Fundamentally, this slush fund and wish list are an attempt to exceed the Murray-Ryan budget caps and funnel more money into the Pentagon,” noted Executive Director John Isaacs, a 35-year veteran of Capitol Hill politics and budget fights.
Misplaced Priorities: Nuclear Weapons Funded on the Back of Key Non-Proliferation Programs
“Threat reduction should not be the bill payer for weapons modernization. This request craters non-proliferation programs that keep nuclear weapons out of the hands of terrorists,” said John Isaacs, executive director of the Center for Arms Control and Non-Proliferation. “We should prioritize such programs that actively enhance national security instead of over budget, unrealistic and behind schedule nuclear weapons programs.”
Defense Legislation Moves Closer to Senate Vote
“Congressional leaders are coming to realize that Pentagon spending is coming down as the wars are coming to an end. Smart strategy has to be employed to make sure we reduce spending in the right way,” said Laicie Heeley, director of defense policy at the Center. “In future years, appropriators have to begin to reshape spending to address 21st century threats and not those of the past.”
Strategy, Not Cold War Ideology, Should Guide Conferees on Defense Bill
“The Republican leadership seems stuck in the Cold War, authorizing hundreds of million on nuclear weapons and missile defense programs that military leaders did not request,” said Reif. “Pentagon spending should be driven by strategic need and affordability.”
Ryan-Murray Budget Deal Misses Mark on Security Opportunities
“The deal increases funding for a series of critical international and domestic programs,” said Laicie Heeley, the Center’s Director of Defense Policy. “Tragically, the new deal still pours wasted billions into programs that do not enhance the security of the United States or our allies.”
