Trump’s Military Budget Proposal Gives Defense Hawks the Political Upper Hand
By Sandra Erwin
May 22, 2017
President Donald Trump releases his first budget proposal Tuesday, and the main storyline is that it is politically a nonstarter. The administration’s request of $603 billion for defense, in particular, will be sharply rejected by both sides of the aisle.
Chalk up an early victory for the defense hawks.
An unpopular budget plan from a politically weakened administration will give congressional advocates of higher military spending an opening to lead the debate, says Katherine Blakeley, a research fellow at the Center for Strategic and Budgetary Assessments. In this environment, she believes military hawks are in a strong position to gain an early edge in the messaging battle.
http://www.realcleardefense.com/articles/2017/05/22/trumps_budget_gives_hawks_the_political_upper_hand_111429.html
