Wednesday, February 26, 2014

Supposedly Fiscally Conservative Republicans Make Exceptions For Defense Spending

Some supposedly fiscally conservative Republicans are upset that the Obama administration has proposed that Department of Defense spending for fiscal year 2015 be limited to roughly $496 billion.

Chairman of the House Budget Committee Paul Ryan (R-Wisc.), said that the Obama administration’s plans to cut the defense budget were “disappointing,” and Sen. Marco Rubio (R-Fla.) said that the proposed defense budget would put the U.S. military’s ability to protect American interests abroad, provide a deterrent to attack, and provide security for allies at risk.

Former Congressman Allen West (R-Fla.) issued a bizarre statement in response to the proposed budget, saying that it is being cheered by our enemies and that small cuts to our vast defense budget will “decimate our military capability.”

You would think that those who like to talk about fiscal responsibility would be more open to cutting defense spending, especially given that U.S. defense spending dwarfs any other country’s.

According to the International Business Times, in 2013 the top 20 military spenders spent $1.316 trillion on “defense-related expenditures.” The U.S. was responsible for an astonishing 44 percent of that spending.

Full article: http://reason.com/bl … _ids=728032573897827



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