{"blocks":[{"id":"rl67rs7f-hv3lfo59","type":"linkTool","data":{"link":"https://nypost.com/2026/06/23/opinion/hegseth-we-must-spend-big-on-defense-to-save-americas-economic-might/","meta":{"title":"Hegseth: We must spend big on defense to save America’s economic might","description":"","image":{"url":"https://nypost.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/06/crop-39759082.jpg?quality=75&strip=all&w=171&h=114&crop=1"}},"variant":"compact"}},{"id":"5po5clq1-h3jv0763","type":"linkTool","data":{"link":"https://nypost.com/2026/05/05/opinion/as-us-debt-surpasses-gdp-uncle-sams-spending-is-dooming-our-kids-economic-future/","meta":{"title":"Uncle Sam’s spending dooms our kids’ economic future","description":"","image":{"url":"https://nypost.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/05/run-13-18-april-washington-125845668-e1777935753822.jpg?quality=75&strip=all&w=171&h=114&crop=1"}},"variant":"compact"}},{"id":"wh8z2gou-sgayx6qs","type":"linkTool","data":{"link":"https://nypost.com/2026/05/04/opinion/americas-debt-is-a-five-alarm-fire-and-theres-only-one-fix/","meta":{"title":"America’s debt disaster is a five-alarm fire — and there’s only one fix","description":"","image":{"url":"https://nypost.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/05/general-view-u-s-capitol-127006640-e1777945770431.jpg?quality=75&strip=all&w=171&h=114&crop=1"}},"variant":"compact"}},{"type":"paragraph","data":{"text":"The Biden administration is claiming that the amount it set aside for defense in its budget request is enough to carry out National Security and Defense Strategies."}},{"type":"paragraph","data":{"text":"It’s not."}},{"type":"paragraph","data":{"text":"The ask for national security programs and activities includes $842 billion for the Defense Department, which the Biden administration claims is a 3.2% boost."}},{"type":"paragraph","data":{"text":"It’s not."}},{"type":"paragraph","data":{"text":"Adjusting for inflation at 2.4% (the rate the administration likely used), the increase would fall to a measly 0.8 percent, or $6.4 billion. And figuring in the approximately $12.3 billion it’ll likely cost to provide civilian and uniform forces with the pay raise outlined in the budget request, the $6.4 billion increase becomes a $5.8 billion cut."}},{"type":"paragraph","data":{"text":"If we use a more realistic yet still conservative inflation rate of 5%, the cut to defense programs and activities is close to $28 billion."}},{"type":"paragraph","data":{"text":"This comes on top of at least $1.6 trillion in lost buying power, due to inflation, over the last two decades and would keep defense spending at a historical low as a share of the economy."}},{"type":"image","data":{"file":{"url":"https://nypost.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/03/mccusker-2.jpg?w=1024"},"caption":"\n Combatant command documents its need for $15.4 billion in fiscal year 2024 to address the growing challenge from China. ANP/AFP via Getty Images"}},{"id":"g9atfah1-dtqqc3eu","type":"linkTool","data":{"link":"https://nypost.com/2023/03/10/biden-whispers-reagan-was-wacko-liberal-guy-while-pushing-for-tax-hikes/","meta":{"title":"Biden whispers Reagan was ‘wacko liberal guy’ while pushing for tax hikes","description":"","image":{"url":"https://nypost.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/03/newspress-collage-26079262-1678471364583.jpg?quality=75&strip=all&1678453430&w=171&h=114&crop=1"}},"variant":"compact"}},{"type":"paragraph","data":{"text":"These cuts also come at a time when our military is facing growing global challenges. The Wall Street Journal editorial board summed up the threat environment: “China is building a world-class military to drive America out of the Pacific. Russia is committed to grinding down Ukraine and then moving its military to the Polish border; Iran may soon have a nuclear bomb; North Korea is lobbing missiles toward Japan. Hypersonics and missiles threaten the U.S. homeland.”"}},{"type":"paragraph","data":{"text":"The latest assessment from the combatant command in charge of the Indo-Pacific region documents its need for $15.4 billion in fiscal year 2024 to address the growing challenge from China."}},{"type":"paragraph","data":{"text":"The DOD Pacific Deterrence Initiative request in the Biden budget falls far short of this need at just $9.1 billion."}},{"type":"paragraph","data":{"text":"And Biden proposes to essentially cut defense while at the same time requesting large increases for non-defense discretionary spending, including hikes for the Environmental Protection Agency and the National Science Foundation of about 19% and the Departments of Agriculture and Education of around 14%."}},{"type":"image","data":{"file":{"url":"https://nypost.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/03/mccusker-4-1.jpg?w=1024"},"caption":"\n The ask for national-security programs and activities includes $842 billion for the Defense Department. AFP via Getty Images"}},{"type":"paragraph","data":{"text":"Two examples convey President Joe Biden’s priorities."}},{"type":"paragraph","data":{"text":"The budget proposes to quadruple international climate finance and establish another new US International Development Finance Corp. “equity” revolving fund to make “investments” to “empower early and growth-stage companies from low and lower-middle income countries.”"}},{"type":"paragraph","data":{"text":"I guess the Biden administration plan is to just leave the US military and the growth-stage companies that support it to make do with below-stagnant level investments."}},{"type":"paragraph","data":{"text":"The administration also proposes a 15% increase for the Treasury in part to “improve the taxpayer experience.”"}},{"type":"paragraph","data":{"text":"I know what would improve my experience as a taxpayer: lower taxes and less of my tax money going to activities that have nothing to do with military capability."}},{"type":"paragraph","data":{"text":"Yet apparently ramping up the ability to collect more taxes is a higher priority than deterring the nation’s adversaries and building a sufficiently sized and capable military to protect the people who pay those taxes."}},{"type":"paragraph","data":{"text":"No doubt a few bright spots in the defense-budget request will be important to evaluate and discuss once programmatic details are available."}},{"type":"paragraph","data":{"text":"

"}},{"type":"paragraph","data":{"text":"But the continued mismatch between strategy and funding that forces destructive tradeoffs between capacity and capability and that weakens overall military competitiveness eclipses those positives. "}},{"type":"paragraph","data":{"text":"“America’s defense budget should be guided by our values, needs and national-security strategy,” stressed Senate Armed Services Committee Chairman Jack Reed, reacting to the Biden budget."}},{"type":"paragraph","data":{"text":""}},{"type":"paragraph","data":{"text":"I couldn’t agree more."}},{"type":"paragraph","data":{"text":"This budget request does not do that. Instead, it prioritizes domestic spending with questionable purposes and outcomes over national security and the force dedicated to provide that security."}},{"type":"paragraph","data":{"text":"Elaine McCusker, a senior fellow at the American Enterprise Institute, previously served as acting undersecretary of defense (comptroller) at the DefenseDepartment."}}]}

Elaine McCusker

NypElaineMccusker@RoundtableIO

Don’t be fooled by Biden’s budget: He’s CUTTING military spending as our needs grow