{"id":46136,"date":"2018-12-24T17:44:16","date_gmt":"2018-12-24T17:44:16","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/defensenews\/uncategorized\/2018\/12\/24\/new-hasc-chairmans-tough-sell-more-defense-spending-isnt-always-better\/"},"modified":"2026-08-08T09:30:32","modified_gmt":"2026-08-08T09:30:32","slug":"new-hasc-chairmans-tough-sell-more-defense-spending-isnt-always-better","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/defensenews\/congress\/2018\/12\/24\/new-hasc-chairmans-tough-sell-more-defense-spending-isnt-always-better\/","title":{"rendered":"New HASC chairman\u2019s tough sell: More defense spending isn\u2019t always better"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

WASHINGTON \u2014 Adam Smith<\/a> isn\u2019t arguing that the military already has enough money<\/a> to face every threat. He\u2019s just pointing out that they\u2019ll never have enough.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cHere\u2019s how the House Armed Services Committee works,\u201d the incoming chairman of the committee told reporters at a recent roundtable event. \u201cWe have people from the Pentagon, we have people from think tanks come in and tells us about a threat. They then explain how we are totally unprepared for the threat, there\u2019s a risk we\u2019re all going to die, and they say we have to spend more money.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cThat is the entire theme of how 90 percent of the people look at our defense budget: Scare the crap out of you and convince you to spend more money. Some of that is self interest. But the bulk of it is simple paranoia.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The 53-year-old Smith, entering his 11th term representing in the House next year, has been the Democrats’ top voice on defense issues<\/a> for the last eight years, taking over the committee\u2019s ranking member role amid his party\u2019s congressional defeat in 2010.<\/p>\n\n\n\t