February 13, 2018
The new defense budget: what you need to know
The budget agreement finally reached by Congress last Friday provides around $700 billion for national defense in fiscal years 2018 and 2019, an allocation in line with President Trump's 2019 budget request, released by the OMB this morning.
Here's what you need to know about that spending:
- The defense budget is big, about the same size as the entire Swiss economy. It consumes over half of discretionary spending, though only about 16 percent of the total budget (including Social Security, Medicare and other programs). But the expenditure is not unreasonable: Not only is the U.S. military the finest fighting force in the world, with over 2 million men and women on active duty or in the National Guard or Reserves, it also has components that are basically a health care company, a global supply chain outfit, and a sizable retail operation.
Read the full article in Axios.
More from CNAS
-
The Risks of Downplaying China’s Military
Commentary
Deterrence can succeed, and continued U.S., Taiwanese, and allied investment can matter a great deal — if undertaken with the urgency the situation demands....
By Tom Shugart
-
Why Does the U.S. Military Seem Stymied in the War With Iran?
Podcast
Defense analyst Stacie Pettyjohn, a senior fellow and program director at the Center for a New American Security, says while the U.S. military is facing long-range missile sho...
By Stacie Pettyjohn
-
U.S.-Iran War Risks Repeated Cycles of Fighting
Video
Shifting US objectives and neither side able to secure a decisive military victory make a lasting resolution difficult and Bloomberg Economics Defense Lead and adjunct senior ...
By Becca Wasser
-
Iran and the U.S. Are Trapped In a War Neither Knows How to Win
Commentary
Both the US and Iran have adopted military strategies that can prevent defeat but cannot produce a decisive victory....
By Becca Wasser
