U.S. political leaders are facing a crossroads. They can step up and solve the budget impasse, or they can do nothing and let mandated sequestration cuts take effect. The latter course would have grave consequences for the nation. Lawmakers should keep several things in mind as we hurtle toward the …
There is little disagreement that looming cuts in the defense budget set to take place in January are ill-advised, though there is intense debate over how to prevent them. However, one way to improve the defense budget without sequestration, downsizing, or raising taxes is to increase partnerships between the military …
Yesterday, President Obama signed the Sequestration Transparency Act into law. It requires the Administration to detail how the mandated defense cuts of sequestration will be implemented. More transparency regarding this issue is good for Congress and for the American people, who deserve to know how the commander in chief seeks …
A senior Defense Department official testifying before the House Armed Services Committee last week said implementing sequestration, across-the-board budget cuts set to take effect in January, “would represent a major step toward creation of an unready, ‘hollow’ military force.” Deputy Defense Secretary Ashton Carter, the Pentagon’s second-in-command, told House members that sequestration …
Tomorrow, the House Armed Services Committee will hold a hearing on implementing the mandated defense cuts known as sequestration. Instead of implementing the cuts, Congress should be doing everything it can to overturn them. The committee has already projected the actual consequences of these across-the-board cuts, and the Secretary of …
In case no one connected the dots, a report this week from the Congressional Budget Office (CBO) held the solution to a serious problem plaguing Congress: How to replace the devastating spending cuts scheduled to carve up the Pentagon starting in January. Answer: Repeal Obamacare. If that sounds too simple, …
Despite the disastrous defense cuts that are looming with sequestration, the two main players—President Obama and Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D–NV)—see the situation as win-win. Sequestration will hit several areas in government, but defense will eat the lion’s share: 47 percent of the cuts come from defense, considerably less …
Which is the preferable philosophy, conservatism or libertarianism? Last Wednesday, interns from The Cato Institute (Matthew Cavedon and Jack Solowey) and The Heritage Foundation (Maura Cremin and Keith Neely) participated in the annual intern debate held in Cato’s F.A. Hayek Auditorium to sharpen their understanding of the differences between traditional conservatism and …
Constituents at a Great Falls, Montana, town hall meeting understand what many in Congress do not seem to understand: Cuts mandated by budget sequestration will erode the defense industrial base to the point where irreversible damage may be done to military readiness. Recounting a town hall meeting with Congressman Denny …
The House of Representatives has taken one step toward preventing the deterioration of America’s nuclear forces. It approved an amendment to the defense appropriations bill for fiscal year 2013 last Thursday that would prohibit the Obama Administration from using the funds provided in the bill to reduce the nuclear forces …
