Whither the Tea Party on the defense budget?
Posted by Jacob Stokes
So will they or won’t they? Amidst the hype during last year’s election season, there was much ink/bytes spilled over the question of whether Tea Partiers would include defense in their budget-cutting fervor. As we come into budget season, it’s time for the rubber to hit the road -- and it’s beginning to look as though the Tea Partiers are going to cave under pressure from their party brethren, as well as for the age-old reason that defense spending benefits their district. Enter this story from today’s NYT and this quote about how House Armed Services Committee Chairman Buck McKeon is “educating” – read: whipping – new members about the threats facing America:
Mr. McKeon, for one, is concerned, and has quietly been meeting with the new members — a number have no experience in government — to educate them on national security. One Congressional staff member who closely monitors the military said, “While McKeon would say that all members are entitled to advocate for positions they want to advocate, what he has been doing is working to educate new members on what the threats are, and why we need the defense budget close to where it is.”
To be fair, my contention that these new members are getting whipped into backing off defense cuts assumes that they were for reducing military spending in the first place, a proposition which Benjamin Friedman at CATO has so skillfully dissected.
It’s not a sure thing that the Tea Partiers have folded, far from it. There are still many high-level conservatives – most notably Eric Cantor and even Mitch McConnell – who have endorsed including defense spending in budget cuts. But my guess is it’s going to continue shaping up as we’ve seen the last few weeks, with assaults on civilian and diplomatic international affairs budgets – those at State, USAID, UN funding, etc. – without anyone calling out Buck McKeon for insisting on funding the programs the Pentagon and the service chiefs don’t even want, such as the EFV.
The end result of all this is the defense budget is unlikely to see any real cuts while the cuts that are made will undermine the civilian and diplomatic efforts across the world, including in Afghanistan and Pakistan. For a masterful takedown of this proposition as well as an explanation of why it shows conservatives still don’t understand today’s wars, see Andrew Exum.
One Congressional staff member who closely monitors the military said, “While McKeon would say that all members are entitled to advocate for positions they want to advocate.
Posted by: Pet Beds | January 31, 2011 at 01:52 AM
Bravo your web is very well done can you tell me more regularly with all the updates to your web thank you in advance.
Posted by: conversation erotique | January 31, 2011 at 05:59 AM
Bravo your blog is a goldmine! In addition it is beautiful and fun to use! Really well done
Posted by: horoscope | January 31, 2011 at 06:00 AM
Yes, I totally agree with your criticism. That's all I have to say ...
Posted by: voyance gratuite | January 31, 2011 at 06:01 AM
It really does not matter.Senators Paul,Lee and DeMint are showing that they will be the tip of the spear in the Senate for the Tea Party movement.The dead memorialized above represent just half of the victims of homicide and suicide in Arizona's state prisons since Jan Brewer took office.I'll vote for you but if you're going to institute a VAT tax you're going to have eliminate the income tax.Also,institute TERM LIMITS, and a balanced budget amendment.
Posted by: electronic drum kit | February 01, 2011 at 11:36 PM
The end result of all this is the defense budget is unlikely to see any real cuts while the cuts that are made will undermine the civilian and diplomatic efforts across the world, including in Afghanistan and Pakistan. For a masterful takedown of this proposition as well as an explanation of why it shows conservatives still don’t understand today’s wars, see Andrew Exum.
seslisohbet seslichat
Posted by: sesli sohbet | February 09, 2011 at 12:17 PM
Budgets cuts should not exempt anyone or any sector. They have to be fair and reasonable in they're decisions.
Posted by: Euro 2012 Jerseys | February 17, 2011 at 02:25 AM
Bravo your blog is a goldmine! In addition it is beautiful and fun to use! Really well done
Posted by: bedava porno | March 10, 2011 at 12:15 PM
Yes, I totally agree with your criticism.
Posted by: bedava porno izle | March 11, 2011 at 04:27 PM
TY, wonderful job! This was the info I needed to know.
Posted by: Luxury Womens Shoes | March 25, 2011 at 02:38 AM