Showdown Over the Defense Budget is Brewing…

Secretary of Defense Robert Gates and President Obama’s Debt Commission are looking to divert money away from defense and search for savings of $100 billion. (This is supposed to go to deficit reduction, but who is naive enough to believe that it won’t end up being applied to domestic programs instead?) Now comes word from the incoming head of the House Armed Services Committee, Congressman Buck McKeon, that in his view the defense budget needs to go….up. Josh Rogin at Foreign Policy reports:

“The incoming head of the House Armed Services Committee, Rep. Buck McKeon (R-CA) said that he will use his new perch to push for increases in defense spending — beyond what the White House and Defense Secretary Robert Gates are calling for. McKeon, speaking at a policy conference organized by the Foreign Policy Initiative, a conservative think tank, said that while he supports Gates’ drive to find $100 billion in efficiencies within the defense budget, he is worried that, once the defense secretary identifies possible cuts, deficit-minded officials and lawmakers will seek to take that money away from the Pentagon.”

And:

“‘One percent real growth in the defense budget over the next five years is a net cut for investment and procurement accounts. A defense budget in decline portends an America in decline. It will undermine our ability to project power, strengthen our adversaries and weaken our alliances,’ McKeon said.”