The Pentagon's Bloated Budget
Every year, Congress allocates hundreds of billions of dollars for Defense. But where does that money go, and who is profiting from it? Can the American people be safer without the Pentagon taking a huge chunk of their taxes? Below is a collection of work from our Directors and Experts that brings some clarity while exposing some ugly truths.
Sustainable Defense: More Security, Less Spending
On June 19th, the Center for International Policy's Sustainable Defense Task Force released a groundbreaking report, outlining how to cut $1.2 trillion from the Defense Budget over 10 years, while simultaneously making the US more secure.
Click the image below to read the full report
Will Raytheon Derail Pentagon Reform?
by Arms & Security Director Bill Hartung
William Hartung writes in Forbes that the proposed merger of Raytheon and United Technologies could produce the second largest defense company in the world. "If the merger is approved, as seems likely, this new industrial behemoth will rival Lockheed Martin in political clout, both in its ability to make generous campaign contributions to key lawmakers and in its ability to use its expanded geographic reach to corral members of Congress into protecting its budgetary interests. When it comes to influence peddling, happy days are here for Raytheon."
Meanwhile, the US is Still Investing in Unnecessary Nukes...
As CIP Senior Fellow Melvin Goodman writes, "Last year’s Nuclear Posture Review referred to current weaponry as “old” and “untrustworthy,” which is part and parcel of the Pentagon’s con game for greater defense spending. New systems would merely increase the overkill capability that currently exists."
...And Selling Off the Arms it Didn't Need in the First Place, Without Congressional Oversight
Security Assistance Monitor's fact sheet shows how President Trump's "Emergency" arms sale bypasses checks and balances in the name of profit:
Full sheets available for Government arms sales here, and for Commercial Arms Sales here.