{"id":41056,"date":"2020-07-16T15:43:06","date_gmt":"2020-07-16T15:43:06","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/defensenews\/uncategorized\/2020\/07\/16\/the-case-for-robust-defense-spending\/"},"modified":"2026-08-07T23:21:47","modified_gmt":"2026-08-07T23:21:47","slug":"the-case-for-robust-defense-spending","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/defensenews\/commentary\/2020\/07\/16\/the-case-for-robust-defense-spending\/","title":{"rendered":"The case for robust defense spending"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

President John Adams once wrote: \u201cNational defense is one of the cardinal duties of a Statesman.\u201d These words are as true now as they were when they were written in 1815. However, unlike in 1815, the weight of these words seems lost on some in Congress.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

As Congress moves forward with the National Defense Authorization Act and the passage of the defense appropriations bill, there are irresponsible calls for blanket cuts to defense spending<\/a> that are either misguided or willfully ignorant of the role the U.S. military plays in maintaining global stability. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

In a time where China continues its unprecedented aggressive actions, such as pushing into contested territory in India, attempting to subdue Hong Kong and continuing to antagonize partner nations in the South China Sea; where Russia advances its malign global state-building agenda through overt means while simultaneously using paramilitary mercenaries such as the Wagner Group to do the Kremlin\u2019s more insidious bidding; where Iran continues to terrorize the Middle East; and where North Korea remains a global nuclear threat, our response cannot be to cut our defense budget by nearly 50 percent, as suggested by some members of Congress.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Simply put, there is no shortage of global powers who wish to see the United States, our partners and allies<\/a> falter and fail.<\/p>\n\n\n\t