Department of Defense Sees Debt as “Greatest Single Threat” to U.S. Security
In a recent speech by the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, it was stated that, “The national debt represents the greatest single threat to United States security.” This statement was meant to reinforce the importance of stimulating economic growth and improving fiscal leadership in the federal government.
According to Navy Admiral Mike Mullen, “In 2012, taxpayers in the United States will pay approximately $600 billion in interest payments on the national debt.” For its part, Admiral Mullen also stated that the Defense Department and Pentagon will have to do a significantly better job of reducing its annual budget and “cutting the fat” from excessive overhead spending.
Admiral Mullen’s statements come roughly a month after The Secretary of Defense, Robert Gates, also spoke out for Pentagon spending reforms. He called on the agency to reduce or eliminate unnecessary overhead and pointed out that since 2000, the budget for defense has nearly doubled. As evidence of this, the 2010 defense budget is approximately $664 billion while prior to the wars in Afghanistan and Iraq it was only $300 billion.
While these military leaders have been calling for reducing spending, it is also likely that such cuts will be very difficult to achieve. Even so, acknowledgment of the need to reduce spending and improve efficiencies within the military are top priorities for the Pentagon leadership. As Admiral Mullen stated, “To survive at all, we are going to have to do what is required of us and do it predictably.”
