{"id":56438,"date":"2021-05-14T13:31:24","date_gmt":"2021-05-14T13:31:24","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/defensenews\/uncategorized\/2021\/05\/14\/the-case-for-a-robust-defense-budget\/"},"modified":"2026-08-08T00:08:53","modified_gmt":"2026-08-08T00:08:53","slug":"the-case-for-a-robust-defense-budget","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/defensenews\/commentary\/2021\/05\/14\/the-case-for-a-robust-defense-budget\/","title":{"rendered":"The case for a robust defense budget"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

The United States is confronting a multitude of complex domestic and global challenges brought about by the COVID-19 pandemic<\/a>, disruptive technologies, severe weather events<\/a>, systemic racism, and great power competition with China and Russia. Now more than ever, Congress has a responsibility to ensure that we robustly fund our national security, even as the cost of doing so rises every year.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

We maintain our national security not only by the military dollars we spend, but also by the resources we dedicate to international diplomacy and development, and the investments we make at home in infrastructure and education, in climate change mitigation, and in health care, public safety and our democratic institutions.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

With ample defense and nondefense spending, we are better able to secure our nation, revitalize our economy, defeat the pandemic and restore U.S. global leadership.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The American Jobs Plan and the American Families Plan are bold initiatives that will strengthen our nation. They comprise long-overdue investments in infrastructure, innovation and our workforce, and they meet the equitable needs of our children and families. They promote American competitiveness and security. Yet, we should not irresponsibly cut defense spending as a way to offset the costs of these necessary investments. We cannot \u201crob Peter to pay Paul.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

We need a well-funded military because we ask the men and women in our armed forces to do more today than ever before.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Our military deters aggression from China and Russia. China seeks to exert more control over trade and resources<\/a> in the Pacific and to challenge the security of our critical infrastructure<\/a> while investing<\/a> significantly in its military. Russia threatens<\/a> our European partners and allies, increasingly tests<\/a> the boundaries of our air defenses and interferes<\/a> in our elections.<\/p>\n\n\n\t