Joint Report on Pentagon Budget Aims to Benefit Taxpayers, While Preserving National Defense

The goal of balancing fiscal responsibility with efficiency when it comes to Defense spending has always been an important issue. In fact, the Taxpayers Protection Alliance has done extensive work on this matter and it is always encouraging to see other free-market organizations join in the effort to identify smart ways where money can be saved in defense spending, without jeopardizing important programs essential to national security.

Last week, a joint report put together by NTU and the R Street Institute was released entitled “Defending America, Defending Taxpayers: How Pentagon Spending Can Better Reflect Conservative Values” which focuses on the number of ways that the Pentagon’s massive budget can be cut, saving nearly $1.9 trillion dollars with 100 specific cuts to reflect smart defense policy, while at the same time being beneficial to taxpayers noting that the, “‘universe’ of programs and processes in need of reform at the Pentagon is more than large enough to allow for compliance with so-called sequestration while maintaining the strongest and most capable military the world has ever known.”

There are many recommendations that the report’s authors, Pete Sepp and Andrew Moylan, indentify and though they are all achievable it is not likely we will be able to see them all implemented, but what is important is that the report gives specific ways that the Pentagon can become more efficient, without deviating from their role as an agency vested with providing national security. The report does stress that there are a multitude of options lawmakers can take to set us on a course of cost savings in the trillions, while ensuring that taxpayers are getting the most bang for their buck, without sacrificing any essential programs needed in order for the Defense Department to fulfill their role in protecting the nation.

Here is a summary of the cost-cutting measures identified in the report:

• $878.5 billion through 30 recommendations by overhauling deficient processes and management structures, including a reduction in DoD printing costs, consolidation of foreign language contracts, combining support services at joint bases, and a full audit of Pentagon finances.
• $618.6 billion through 20 recommendations with personnel, compensation, and benefit reforms ranging from less spending on military bands to capping the troop presence in Europe; from health care benefit restructuring to adjusting the “high-three” retirement formula.
• $385.8 billion through 50 recommendations by eliminating wasteful, unnecessary, or low-priority weapons systems, such as the SM-3 Block II-B missile (eliminated in favor of less expensive options), the F-35 fighter (replaced with other jets), refurbishment of M-1 tanks (delayed), and the Virginia class submarine (reduced in procurement).

Spending is just one half of the equation when it comes to meaningful reform, the other half is accountability and the joint report details some of the proposals from members of congress who have focused on this aspect and have proposed legislation aimed at addressing ways to implement cost-effectiveness at the Pentagon, namely “Audit the Pentagon.” The report details how this legislation would work and the various forms it has taken in congress as both Senator Tom Coburn (R-Okla.) and Representative Barbara Lee (D-Calif.) have sponsored such legislation. The report identifies these types of reforms as “vital to establishing a basic accounting foundation at the Department of Defense upon which other fiscal reforms can be built.” Furthermore, the report notes that without a uniform accounting system the savings estimated in the report are likely to be understated, making an audit all the more sensible in order to achieve reform.

The Taxpayers Protection Alliance applauds NTU and the R Street Institute for their excellent work on putting this report together. We also support the goal of making sure the Pentagon seriously reforms the ways in which they are using taxpayer dollars while at the same time finding appropriate avenues to become more efficient and save the taxpayers as much money as they can, without doing harm to their overall role of defending and securing American interests both at home and abroad.