Does America Spend Enough On Defense? Instead Of Bombing Bridges Abroad, We Should Be...
Does America Spend Enough On Defense? Instead Of Bombing Bridges Abroad, We Should Be Building New Ones At Home
By John B. Quigley
Tribune News Service
on August 2, 2015 - 12:01 AM
More spending on the military is not what this country needs.
A Republican-backed National Defense Authorization Act for fiscal 2016 is working its way through Congress. It would raise military spending over current levels.
President Obama is threatening to veto the legislation if it gets to his desk. He thinks we can do without additional military spending. He wants more domestic spending. If the president vetoes, there is a risk of a standoff and a government shutdown by Oct. 1.
Military spending is thought by many to be down in the Obama years, with troop withdrawal from Iraq and Afghanistan.
In fact, the average annual defense budget has risen since George W. Bush left office. Obama has not been stingy with the Pentagon. It is receiving more than spare change.
The Republicans in the House want more. They have inserted into the bill they passed a provision for an $89 billion “emergency” war fund. They are calling it “emergency” to get around growth caps on military spending that Congress imposed in 2011.
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http://www.buffalonews.com/opinion/viewpoints/does-america-spend-enough-on-defense-instead-of-bombing-bridges-abroad-we-should-be-building-new-ones-at-home-20150802
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