Jul 30, 2010
The final version of the fiscal 2010 war supplemental was approved by the House on July 27, 2010 by a vote of 308-114. The bill contains approximately $59 billion in spending for the wars in Afghanistan and Iraq, domestic disaster relief, Haiti, and Vietnam veterans, among other things.
Jun 11, 2010
House Financial Services Chairman Barney Frank (D-Mass.), along with a bipartisan task force that includes Senior Policy Analyst Laicie Olson, announced the release of a new report that identifies nearly $1 Trillion in Pentagon budget savings that can be generated over the next ten years from realistic reductions in defense spending. The report was produced by the Sustainable Defense Task Force, a group convened in response to a request from Rep. Frank to explore options for reducing the defense budget’s contribution to the federal deficit without compromising the essential security of the United States.
May 21, 2010
In 2008, the most recent year for which complete global data is available, the U.S. approved $696.3 billion in defense budget authority (fiscal 2010 dollars). This figure includes funding for the Pentagon base budget, Department of Energy-administered nuclear weapons activities, and supplemental appropriations for Iraq and Afghanistan. This number is eight times more than Russia, 15 times more than Japan, 47 times more than Israel, and nearly 73 times more than Iran.
May 11, 2010
Invoking the memory of President Eisenhower’s farewell address last weekend, Defense Secretary Robert Gates delivered a fiery speech aimed at overhauling the Pentagon’s budget and restructuring its bureaucracy.
Mar 11, 2010
The Pentagon's budget has increased dramatically since 2001. In inflation-adjusted dollars, the total defense budget has grown from $432 billion in FY01 to $720 billion in FY11, a real increase of approximately 67 percent. The Pentagon’s base budget, which excludes war and nuclear weapons funding, has also grown steadily over the last decade, increasing from $390 billion in FY01 to $540 billion in FY11, a real increase of 38 percent.
Mar 3, 2010
On March 2, U.S. Air Force Secretary Michael Donley announced a probable cost overrun and major delay in the tri-service, nine-nation F-35 Joint Strike Fighter (JSF). Under the Nunn-McCurdy statute, this would trigger an extensive, mandatory review of alternatives.
Feb 4, 2010
For Fiscal Year (FY) 2011, which begins on October 1, 2010, the Obama
Administration has requested a base budget of $548.9 billion for the Department of
Defense (DoD). This is $18 billion, or 3.4 percent, above the appropriated Fiscal Year 2010 base budget of $531 billion. In addition, the Administration has requested $159.3 billion for “Overseas Contingency Operations,” to fight the wars in Afghanistan and Iraq. This brings the Fiscal Year 2011 defense budget request to a total of $708.3 billion.
Dec 17, 2009
The Conference agreement on the Fiscal Year 2010 Defense Appropriations bill was adopted by the full House on Wednesday, December 16, roughly 24 hours after it became available for public viewing. The Senate is expected to act on the legislation this week. The bill includes $497.7 billion for the Department of Defense’s annual “base” budget, excluding funding for military operations in Iraq and Afghanistan.
Dec 3, 2009
As the United States and Russia negotiate bilateral reductions in nuclear warheads and delivery vehicles, attention must be paid to the composition of each country’s strategic arsenal of nuclear-armed bombers, land-based missiles, and submarine-based missiles. This fact sheet considers the arguments traditionally made about the strengths and weaknesses of each leg of the nuclear triad.
Dec 2, 2009
Adding 30,000 additional U.S. troops to Afghanistan will cost $30 billion during Fiscal Year 2010. In this new fact sheet, Travis Sharp expresses this hefty sum in more accessible terms, including the cost per taxpayer, cost per minute, and opportunity cost.
Oct 21, 2009
On October 7, a House-Senate conference committee finalized the Fiscal Year 2010 Defense Authorization bill. The bill authorizes $550.2 billion for the national security budget and $130 billion for Iraq and Afghanistan, which adds up to $680.2 billion in total funding, the same amount requested by the Obama administration. The House passed the conference bill on October 8. The Senate is expected to follow suit soon.
Oct 5, 2009
This essay argues that in order to reclaim its proper place alongside the Pentagon as the chief incubator and executor of U.S. foreign policy, the State Department must strengthen its legislative affairs activities, and thereby its relationship with Congress, through the improved utilization of congressional fellowships for Foreign Service Officers.
Sep 24, 2009
On September 10, 2009, the Senate Appropriations Committee completed its markup of the fiscal year 2010 Defense Appropriations bill (HR 3326). The Committee bill provides $625.8 billion in total discretionary funding, $3.5 billion less than the President’s request. Of the total, $497.6 billion is for the Department of Defense “base” budget and $128.2 billion is for ongoing military operations in Iraq and Afghanistan.
Sep 8, 2009
This new fact sheet by Christopher Hellman presents quick facts about the U.S. commitment to Afghanistan, including updated information on troop levels, costs, and casualties.
Sep 1, 2009
Would a senator from a state dependent on the nuclear weapons complex oppose an arms control treaty not on the basis of ideology, but because the treaty would mean the loss of jobs or funding in their home state? “Absolutely,” Travis Sharp argues in this new article for the Bulletin of the Atomic Scientists Online.
Aug 25, 2009
The Pentagon’s growing control over U.S. foreign policy is partly attributable to its highly organized and efficient legislative operations, which are far superior to those of the State Department and allow DOD to dominate the zero-sum game of congressional budgeting. In this analysis on the Stimson Center Budget Insight Blog, Travis Sharp argues that the State Department should at least double the number of Foreign Service Officers working on the Hill.
Aug 17, 2009
Today, problems that a robust defense acquisition and oversight corps might prevent are festering because there are not enough hands on deck, and the hands that are on deck all too often are attached to private industry. In this new op-ed published in Defense News, defense analyst Travis Sharp argues that it is finally time for Congress and the Pentagon to strengthen the largely forgotten defense acquisition work force.
Jul 31, 2009
Recent Senate and House votes to stop buying additional F-22 Raptor aircraft have been heralded as huge wins for President Barack Obama and Defense Secretary Robert Gates in the battle to reform the Pentagon. Certainly the votes were major political victories. Yet this year is not the first time Congress has attempted to stop the F-22. During the 1990s, legislators in both the House and Senate tried – unsuccessfully – to cut funding for the program. Why did Congress deliver the Obama administration’s preferred policy outcome this time around?
Jul 28, 2009
On July 22, 2009, the House Appropriations Committee completed its markup of the fiscal year 2010 Defense Appropriations bill (HR 3326). The Committee bill provides $636.6 billion in total funding, $3.8 billion less than the President’s request. Of the total, $508.4 billion is for the Department of Defense “base” budget and $128.2 billion is for ongoing military operations in Iraq and Afghanistan.
Jul 13, 2009
The Senate Armed Services Committee (SASC) completed its markup of the Fiscal Year (FY) 2010 Defense Authorization bill (S. 1390) on June 25, 2009. The marked up bill recommends $679.8 billion in funding, $375 million less than requested by the administration.
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