Defense spending

“ And yet defense spending is less than a third of the total budget. During the years of President Kennedy and of the years before that, defense was almost half the total budget. And then came several years in which our military capability was allowed to deteriorate to a very dangerous degree. We are just now restoring, through the essential modernization of our conventional and strategic forces, our capability to meet our present and future security needs. We dare not shirk our responsibility to keep America free, secure, and at peace. ”

“ Frelinghuysen, do you feel that the cut of five billion dollars in defense spending, and it is primarily in defense spending, is dangerous to the economy, number one, and number two, do you feel that it cuts defense too much? ”

“ We pledge together to hold real growth in defense spending to the bare minimum. My budget honors that pledge. And I'm now asking you, the Congress, to keep its end of the bargain. The Soviets must know that if America reduces her defenses, it will be because of a reduced threat, not a reduced resolve. (Applause.)
Keeping America strong is as vital to the national security as controlling Federal spending is to our economic security. But, as I have said before, the most powerful force we can enlist against the Federal deficit is an ever-expanding American economy, unfettered and free. ”

“ And that is why, because of rising research and development costs, because of increases in military and civilian pay, because of the need to proceed with new weapons systems, my budget for the coming fiscal year will provide for an increase in defense spending.
Strong military defenses are not the enemy of peace; they are the guardians of peace.
There could be no more misguided set of priorities than one which would tempt others by weakening America, and thereby endanger the peace of the world. ”

“ In all, the liberal alternative budget would approve nearly $200 billion in additional inflationary spending. Make no mistake, this money cannot be retrieved and the deficit reduced, as they claim, by slashing defense spending authority by more than $200 billion. Once you begin reducing personnel in our armed services, closing down aircraft plants, decommissioning ships, fighter squadrons, and one weapons program after another, you not only gamble with America's security, you create a new army of unemployed. ”

“ Now, some will tell you that we're spending too much on defense, that defense spending is responsible for the deficit, but that charge is belied by the facts. The great surge in spending has been on the nondefense side of the budget. In fact, the increase in nondefense spending, including interest, has been nearly twice as great as in defense spending. My budget proposal for the next 5 years asks for a modest 3-percent real growth in defense. This is the minimum we need for a stable, consistent growth in defense that will maintain the progress we've made. ”

“ Contrary to the drumbeat we've been hearing for the last few months, the deficits we face are not rooted in defense spending. Taken as a percentage of the gross national product, our defense spending happens to be only about four-fifths of what it was in 1970. Nor is the deficit, as some would have it, rooted in tax cuts. Even with our tax cuts, taxes as a fraction of gross national product remain about the same as they were in 1970. The fact is, our deficits come from the uncontrolled growth of the budget for domestic spending. ”

“ After years of cutting defense budgets, they have started to add billions to their defense budgets. And last year was the biggest increase in defense spending across Europe and Canada in that generation. ”

“ Beyond prudence, however, it is clear that without a major threat to generate consensus and to rally the country around defense and defense spending, the military posture of the United States will erode as the defense budget is cut. ”

“ From the very first defense budget I submitted for President Bush in January 2007, I have warned against doing what America has done multiple times over the last 90 years by slashing defense spending after a major conflict. The war in Iraq is winding down, and one day so too will the conflict in Afghanistan. When that day comes, the nation will again face pressure to cut back on defense spending, as we always have. It is simply the nature of the beast. ”

“ Defense spending accounts for less than 30 percent of our budget today - far less than 20 years ago. We've cut our planned defense buildup 3 years in a row and cut it again this year - and all this while our adversaries have raced ahead with the greatest military buildup in the history of man. ”

“ Three years of steady decline in the value of our annual defense investment have increased the risk of our most basic security interests, jeopardizing earlier hard-won goals. We must face squarely the implications of this negative trend and make adequate, stable defense spending a top goal both this year and in the future. ”

“ And it's very important to realize that the reason government spends money is not because it has a surplus, but because it has spending projections that build the increases into the budget. For example, under the President's budget for 2001 to 2002, defense spending is projected to go up from $303 billion to $330 billion. That's a $27-billion increase in just that year. And we still have a $2 billion surplus outside of Social Security. ”

“ Myth number one—and I'm sure you've heard this one again and again—is that increases in defense spending in recent years are one of the main causes of projected Federal deficits. The fact is that the defense share of the Federal budget and the gross national product has been shrinking sharply over the last 20 years. ”

“ The government is a big part of this economy, and it’s interesting that a lot of times you have people who recognize that when it comes to defense spending -- some of the same folks who say we’ve got to cut spending, or complain that government jobs don’t do anything, when it comes to that defense contractor in their district, they think, wow, this is a pretty important part of the economy in my district and we shouldn’t stop spending on that. ”

“ While spending control is vital to the economic well-being of this nation, the highest priority of any American Government is preservation of the national security. The maintenance of a national defense second to none, indeed, the only legitimate justification for running a large annual deficit-as we ran every year of World War II-is preservation of the Nation, itself. When the spending cuts are made by this administration, as they must be made, the security of this country, its allies, and its friends will not be put at risk. ”

“ We cannot go down the path of soaring budget deficits. We must meet our defense and homeland security needs, and hold the line on other spending. My budget raises defense spending by more than 14 percent. It nearly doubles homeland security funding. In all other areas, it increases spending by two percent. Many families are living with raises like that, and so should the government. ”

“ That means more jobs and rising living standards for the American people, low deficits, low inflation, low interest rates, low trade barriers and high investments. These are the building blocks of our recovery. But if we want to take full advantage of the opportunities before us in the global economy, you all know we must do more.
As we reduce defense spending, I ask Congress to invest more in the technologies of tomorrow. Defense conversion will keep us strong militarily and create jobs for our people here at home. ”

“ Since 1953, our defense policy has been based on the assumption that the international situation would require heavy defense expenditures for an indefinite period to come, probably for years. In this protracted struggle, good management dictates that we resist overspending as resolutely as we oppose under-spending. Every dollar uselessly spent on military mechanisms decreases our total strength and, therefore, our security. ”

“ This year, many people urged me to cut our defense spending further to pay for other government programs. I said no. The budget I send to Congress draws the line against further defense cuts. It protects the readiness and quality of our forces. Ultimately, the best strategy is to do that. We must not cut defense further. I hope the Congress without regard to party will support that position.
Ultimately, the best strategy to ensure our security and to build a durable peace is to support the advance of democracy elsewhere. Democracies don't attack each other. ”

“ With troops currently on the ground fighting our enemies, my budget increases defense spending by 7 percent, money that will go the pay for equipment, ammunition, and troop housing. We'll keep our military strong and ready for every challenge that may come. Since I took office, we have increased pay for our men and women in uniform by 21 percent. Next year, I propose raising their pay by another 3.5 percent. Our troops put their lives on the line to defend America, and we owe them our best in return. ”

“ We can be proud of the fact that a conservative administration has pursued these goals by confronting the nation's economic problems head-on. At the same time, we dealt with one other less publicized but equally grave problem: the serious state of disrepair of our national defenses.
The last Democratic administration had increased real defense spending at a rate of 3.3 percent a year. You know how much inflation was, so they were actually losing ground. ”

“ What the House Budget Committee calls a defense spending freeze is really a drastic cut requiring a reduction from current plans in research and development, construction, and procurement of 19 percent in 1986, 23 percent in 1987, and 28 percent in 1988. If the House budget were adopted, it would deliver a severe blow to our national security. ”

“ This $150 billion down payment deserves strong bipartisan support in the House because it will reduce the deficit in a way that's effective, responsible, and fair, by targeting $43 billion of savings in nondefense spending, $57 billion in defense authority reductions, and by raising some $48 billion in revenues, primarily from closing certain tax loopholes of questionable fairness.
Now, make no mistake. The defense cuts will slow our defense buildup somewhat, but not to a point of unacceptable risk. ”

“ China applies strict mechanisms of fiscal allocation and budget management on its defense expenditure. It pursues a level of defense spending that is demand-oriented, planning-led and consistent with its capacity. ”

“ Congress took an important step this year by heeding my call for a $20 billion increase in defense spending, and we're going to be doing even much more than that. But the servicemen and women who defend our nation with their lives deserve the predictable and consistent funding that will help them win quickly and win decisively. ”

“ The budget we've transmitted is true to that spirit. It reduces the level of deficit spending while at the same time holds the line against any general tax increase. It remains firm in our commitments to essential domestic programs. It also includes funding for the minimum defense program needed to keep our country safe and necessary to honor our commitments to our friends and allies. Anything less would not only jeopardize our national security but also dim prospects for further negotiated agreements with our adversaries. ”

“ I am particularly gratified to report that over the past 2 1/2 years, we have been able to reverse the dangerous decline of the previous decade in real resources this country was devoting to national defense. This was an immediate problem I faced in 1974. The evidence was unmistakable that the Soviet Union had been steadily increasing the resources it applied to building its military strength. During this same period the United States real defense spending declined. ”

“ With a national economic strategy, more companies will be able to make the most of changes that are affecting not only defense but every industry, and will be able to make products like these. Our economic plan cuts Government spending that we don't need and brings down the Federal deficit that threatens our future. ”

“ I should add that using revenues for these fundamental and worthy purposes would be more effective than spending larger and larger sums on security forces, which, while they are essential and some additional funds for existing security forces may be required, are not complete answer to current problems. ”

“ Additionally, the defense budget as a whole is in danger of disarray, as supplemental funding winds down and reset costs become clear. It will be a major challenge to meet ongoing requirements for other current and future security threats that need to be accommodated together with spending for operations and maintenance, reset, personnel, and benefits for active duty and retired personnel. Restoring the capability of our military forces should be a high priority for the United States at this time. ”

“ Ours is only 6.3 percent. The Soviets Union outspends us on defense by 50 percent, an amount equal to 15 percent of their gross national product. During the campaign I was asked any number of times: If I were faced with a choice of balancing the budget or restoring our national defenses, what would I do? Every time I said, "Restore our defenses." And every t me I was applauded.
So, let me be very clear. We will press for further cuts in federal spending. We will protect the tax reduction already passed. We will spend on defense what is necessary for our national security. ”