The barbaric invasion of Ukraine and the unleashing of Iran’s proxy forces are just a start if we don’t restore deterrence.
The barbaric invasion of Ukraine and the unleashing of Iran’s proxy forces are just a start if we don’t restore deterrence, which can’t happen unless the military is adequately funded.
W e have often been told by the Biden administration and the Department of Defense (DOD) that recent defense budgets are sufficient to deter China and Russia and to counter terrorists who are still a threat. On March 11, 2024, the defense secretary wrote that the president’s proposed 2025 budget “will bolster our ability to defend our country, paced to the challenge posed by an increasingly aggressive People’s Republic of China. It will continue to forge a more resilient joint force and a modern defense ecosystem, built for the security challenges of the 21st century.” This is baloney. The recent budgets are inadequate. We are failing to build a military that will deter China and Russia in the future. China will pass us by unless we respond with a sense of urgency.
Looking at the numbers, we are spending 3 percent of our GDP on defense, tied for the lowest it has been since before World War II. The other time we spent 3 percent was during the Clinton era when we thought we had a “peace dividend.” In the 1960s, we spent 8 percent of our GDP on defense. Reagan spent 6 percent. President George W. Bush spent 4 percent.
Spending 3 percent of our GDP on defense doesn’t allow us to modernize all three legs of the nuclear triad, produce fifth-generation fighters, design sixth-generation fighters, grow our Navy to match China’s rapidly growing Navy, increase attack submarine production, stay ahead and protect the space domain, build radars that can track hypersonic weapons fired from China and Russia, and much more. Further, we’ve eroded the quality-of-life programs to siphon money for weapons, which has put servicemen and women on SNAP and in condemned housing. Our recruitment has suffered as a result.
The news headlines back this up. The Air Force recently announced it’s considering scrapping the sixth-generation manned fighter called the Next Generation Air Dominance (NGAD) fighter. The Air Force is already thinking about reducing the future B-21 bomber force. The Navy only budgeted for building one attack submarine in this year’s budget, which is totally inadequate for deterring China. The U.S. Government Accountability Office gave failing grades to the military services for the quality of barracks and dormitories. We have billions of dollars in deferred maintenance on housing. The military services are constrained by the overall top line to do what is needed and they need to be straight with the citizens in the process.
Why is our defense spending going down as a share of the GDP? We have a growing annual deficit. Last year, we had a more than $2.2 trillion deficit. Our debt has exceeded $36 trillion. Our interest payments have now exceeded our defense spending for the first time in our nation’s history. Mandatory spending is now 72 percent of the federal budget, and it keeps growing, which chokes all the discretionary spending programs such as defense. The President and Congress have held down defense spending to reduce our deficits. But we should be honest about the impacts on our national security.
The only way we can satisfy our national security priorities is by getting our fiscal health back in order. That’s why I support a Bipartisan National Debt Commission that will provide recommendations on balancing our budget and saving Social Security and Medicare. Unlike previous commissions, the recommendations here will be required to be put on the floor of the House and Senate for an up or down vote, with no amendments. We have the world’s largest economy, and we can prevent this trainwreck before it is too late.
The past several years have shown us that China, Russia, Iran, and North Korea have an unholy alliance, and they are working together to build a new world order that is defined by “Might Makes Right.” The barbaric invasion of Ukraine and the unleashing of Iran’s proxy forces are just a start if we don’t restore deterrence. China is wondering when it can bring Taiwan back to the fold by force.
I believe in “Peace through Strength.” We need a military that makes this a reality. We should be spending at least 4 percent of our GDP at an absolute minimum. We need to restore America’s deterrence. America is the indispensable power for freedom.