Bush's Big Military Challenge: Finding Money

Jan. 10 -- Unlike when has father took office, future U.S. Commander in Chief George W. Bush’s military will not face a massive, unstable Cold War enemy with a conventional military force capable of overrunning American friends in Europe.

But the next president’s Pentagon is likely to face many challenges just as daunting, if not more. One of the most pressing will be the need to reconcile the military’s ambitious spending plans and Bush’s campaign promises — including a massive tax cut — with other federal budget priorities.

Also, new types of security threats have emerged, challenging the U.S. national security community’s flexibility, ingenuity, vigilance and resources. And debate continues to rage over how and where U.S. forces should be used, and whether gays should serve in the military.

Here are just a handful of the difficult issues the Bush Pentagon under the stewardship of Secretary of Defense-designate Donald Rumsfeld, whose confirmation hearings begin Thursday, could confront:

The Military Budget Crunch

Possibly the biggest challenge Bush will face is meeting the military’s spending priorities without shortchanging other federal budget items — including the tax cut Bush has promised.

Top military brass seem to agree, the military will need at least an extra $50 billion each year — above the roughly $305 billion budgeted this year — to pay for its current plans and commitments.

It won’t be easy finding that money in the Bush federal budget. Half of the government’s discretionary spending — that which presidents and lawmakers can adjust — already goes to defense. Unless the total federal budget is increased, money for increased defense spending would need to be taken from other discretionary programs, like education, health and housing. Federal budget spending is expected to be constrained by Bush’s campaign promise and continued vow despite a slowing economy to cut taxes by $1.6 trillion over 10 years.

Another top Bush priority, building an aggressive national missile defense system, could soak up well over $60 billion. Over five years, another $20 billion would go to Pentagon research and development under another Bush campaign pledge.

Behind all those machines and technology are fighting men and women. With some of the services having trouble keeping their top people from jumping to the private sector, the administration also will need to find a way to improve recruitment, retention and quality of life. Bush has pledged to spend $1 billion more a year on pay raises for service members. He also pledged increases for military housing and benefits such as health care.