House Speaker Kevin McCarthy had to beg, plead and deal to get his current job. One of the agreements struck on the House floor with the most conservative faction of the Republican caucus was a promise to keep the next spending bill at levels that were agreed to in fiscal 2022. If McCarthy keeps his word, $130 billion in federal discretionary spending would be cut from the recently passed budget package. And if defense spending were to be included, $76 billion in military expenditures would be on the chopping block.
The prospect of the Pentagon losing out on tens of billions of dollars has caused panic on both sides of the aisle. Republican defense hawks are firmly opposed to a defense spending reduction and in fact are seeking annual, consistent hikes of 3% to 5% above inflation. The White House blasted the proposed cuts, stating that a push to “defund our military … is senseless and out of line with our national security needs.” Twelve moderate House Democrats sent a joint letter to McCarthy last week discouraging any budget cuts to defense.
It’s not every day when The Wall Street Journal Editorial Board and the White House are in alignment. But apparently, the need to spend a gargantuan $858 billion on the military is one of them. The problem: The Pentagon isn’t immune to critical spending decisions, or at least it shouldn’t be.
