While Congress considers new money for the Pentagon, we have some suggestions for cutting back.
The Pentagon spends more than $600 billion annually. Now, some congressional leaders want to add an additional $430 billion over the next five years. The U.S. still spends three times as much as China and 10 times as much as Russia. This year, President Trump is expected to ask for an additional $30 to $40 billion in Pentagon spending. The military doesn’t lack funds; it does lack a culture of fiscal responsibility. Here are four programs Congress could cut to reduce Pentagon spending by $40 billion.
$12 billion a year for F-35 fighter planes.
These planes are expected to cost $150 billion more than the initial price tag. A case study in the failures of Pentagon procurement, these planes are plagued by software problems and are designed for wars the U.S. isn’t fighting.
$5 billion a year for limited, flawed Littoral Combat Ships.
The Pentagon says it doesn’t want them, but Congress is insisting the U.S. spend over $20 billion over the next five years on these shore-based vessels. Even after a bipartisan letter from Congress signed by Sen. McCain highlighting the ships’ flaws, the Pentagon continues to buy more.
$0.5 billion a year for reducing land-based nuclear missile bases.
Congress has refused to allow reductions requested by the Air Force, which spends billions every year to maintain three Intercontinental Ballistic Missile (ICBM) bases.
$25 billion a year in military waste.
The Pentagon suppressed an internal report identifying $125 billion in military waste over five years. The Washington Post recently uncovered a hidden report commissioned by the Pentagon that identified huge bureaucratic waste in back offices. The Pentagon spends $134 billion every year just in administrative costs. The military is close to having one staff member sitting at a desk for every soldier deployed in the field.