January 15, 2021
How the Defense Budget Could Actually Increase (Slightly)
Conventional wisdom is that defense spending will be cut or remain flat under the next administration. There is certainly reason to think it might. The president’s Fiscal Year 2021 request indicates a flat budget over the next five years and the Democratic platform advocates a reduction in defense spending. It is a safe bet that President-elect Joe Biden’s budget request will reduce or maintain the defense budget. Once all is said and done, though, it is more likely that defense spending will end up growing rather than shrinking. However, there remain several potential political complications that could prevent the Pentagon from benefitting.
Once all is said and done, it is more likely that defense spending will end up growing rather than shrinking.
Reaching a bipartisan budget deal for FY2022 (along with passing all corresponding appropriations bills) will be a tumultuous and slow process whose conclusion is by no means certain. Should a budget deal be reached, it will likely include an increase, if only slight, to defense spending.
Read the full article from War on the Rocks.
More from CNAS
-
The Surprising Success of U.S. Military Aid to Ukraine
Ukraine’s military has defied expectations in its war with Russia, and many analysts attribute its success to U.S. help. But the mere fact of receiving aid is no guarantee of ...
By Rachel Tecott & Polina Beliakova
-
Defense & Aerospace Air Power Podcast with Stacie Pettyjohn and Becca Wasser
On this week’s episode of the Defense & Aerospace Report Air Power podcast, co-hosts Vago Muradian and JJ Gertler review the air war in Ukraine one year into the conflict with...
By Stacie Pettyjohn & Becca Wasser
-
Avoiding the Brink
The United States is entering an unprecedented multipolar nuclear era that is far more complex and challenging than that of the Cold War. This report examines potential trigge...
By Stacie Pettyjohn & Hannah Dennis
-
DEFAERO Strategy Series with CNAS' Richard Fontaine
On this latest episode of the Defense & Aerospace Report Strategy Series, Richard Fontaine, the president and CEO of the Center for a New American Security, discusses key take...
By Richard Fontaine