Scholars Back Bipartisan Group of Lawmakers Advocating Defense Reform

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Monday, a bipartisan group of lawmakers sent a letter to Capitol Hill to advocate for reforms to the defense budget. The article Monday dove into the letter, as well as some of President’s Eisenhower’s warnings to the American people of the military-industrial complex.

Defense scholars from across the political spectrum joined together in an effort to underscore the need for overdue fundamental Pentagon reform. The panel included analysts representing the 25 signatories of the defense reform consensus letter published in The Hill newspaper on Monday morning.

These liberal, libertarian, and conservative thinkers urged Congress and the administration to reduce excess domestic bases, to shrink the defense civilian workforce, and to adjust military compensation. Representative Jim Cooper (D-TN), ranking member of the Strategic Forces Subcommittee of the House Armed Services Committee, confirmed that this effort is necessary and important and that it will require perseverance on the part of all parties to accomplish.

The bipartisan group stressed that with structural costs on the rise and the defense budget being squeezed from within, spending on core military capabilities and readiness is being crowded out. Left unchecked, the Pentagon and Congress may soon be forced to choose between maintaining the status quo or losing America’s military preeminence.

While the road to reform will be hard, all agreed that it is the only responsible way forward.
–Charles Morrison

Related articles

• Bipartisan Letter Sent Advocating Reform to Military-Industrial Complex (richardbaris.wordpress.com)