Lawmakers must remember the mission when they consider military appropriations
BY ELAINE MCCUSKER AND JOHN G. FERRARI, OPINION CONTRIBUTORS - 07/18/24 12:00 PM ET
As the U.S. House rapidly approaches its planned August recess, members have some positive activity to report back to their constituents: development of defense policy and funding bills that contain elements of what the nation’s fighting force needs.
Whether all this productive activity turns into an accomplishment — that is, actual on-time enactment of the bills — is another matter.
As most of the underlying disagreements in play on programs for diversity, climate and social policies have little to do with military capability, we should focus on what is at stake for the nation’s security in these bills. This includes authorizing and appropriating sufficient levels of defense spending; addressing vital challenges of industrial base capacity and supply chain resilience; increasing responsiveness to innovation; and focusing on the core function of providing for both military capacity and capability.
By adhering to the budget caps in the Fiscal Responsibility Act, both bills fail to provide the defense top-line necessary for the military structure and capability that the nation needs. The defense core military mission and the force size to protect America, maintain operational readiness, deter aggression and remain engaged globally need more attention and resources to meet even the outdated National Defense Strategy under which the nation currently functions.
https://thehill.com/opinion/national-security/4775829-defense-funding-bills/
