Ponying Up for Defense

In Congress’ fight over military spending this week, defense hawks are right: America’s armed forces need more money. Since 2011, the Pentagon’s budget has been held to mindless caps that have sapped readiness. While the nation’s enemies forge ahead with new generations of combat equipment, the US military has watched much of its own inventory become depleted or outdated.

“As hard as the last 16 years of war have been, no enemy in the field has done as much harm to the readiness of the US military” as Congress’ defense-spending caps, insists Defense Secretary James Mattis. A “failure to modernize,” he adds, would leave the military unprepared to face the challenges of tomorrow.

He’s right: The world hasn’t suddenly become less hostile. To deter threats and confront hostile moves abroad, the military needs to be ready — i.e., properly funded.

So it’s good that members of both parties now appear open to busting the caps.

That said, critics of greater spending aren’t wrong to warn of massive waste in a defense budget that may top $1.5 trillion over the next two years. A recent Ernst & Young audit, for instance, found one Defense Department agency couldn’t account for $800 million in construction funds.

Sen. Chuck Grassley (R-Iowa) argues that many rebuilding projects in Afghanistan were “mismanaged” and poorly documented. He cites a report of a gas station that cost $43 million. He’s clearly right to demand DOD be a better “fiscal steward.”

By all means, Congress needs to step up funding so the military is ready to face all the new challenges. At the same time, though, it should insist on more rigorous oversight — to ensure its funding is wisely spent.