Washington, D.C. — On Monday, June 3, scholars from a diverse group of think tanks, including the Center for American Progress, will participate in a discussion on the bipartisan consensus surrounding the need for fundamental reform at the U.S. Department of Defense. The event will involve scholars from the American Enterprise Institute, the Brookings Institution, the Cato Institute, the Center for a New American Security, the Center for Strategic and Budgetary Assessments, the Center for Strategic and International Studies, the Foreign Policy Initiative, and the Stimson Center.
With gridlock being a central feature of Washington politics, it is all the more remarkable when conservatives, libertarians, liberals, and centrists agree. When it comes to military spending, scholars from these groups are united around the imperative for structural Pentagon reforms to address rising internal costs related to excess domestic bases, the size of the U.S. Department of Defense’s civilian workforce, and to military compensation.
While acting to address these politically sensitive areas will not be easy, the Pentagon no longer has an option. As Secretary of Defense Chuck Hagel has argued, “the biggest long-term fiscal challenge facing the Department is not the flat or declining topline budget. It is the growing imbalance in where that money is being spent internally.”
The views expressed at this event and in the letter to policymakers are those of the participating individuals alone and do not necessary reflect the views of their respective organizations.
WHEN:
Monday, June 3, 2013
12:00 p.m. ET – 1:15 p.m. ET
Space is extremely limited. Seating is on a first-come, first-served basis and is not guaranteed.
WHERE:
Russell Senate Office Building
Room SR-485
Washington, D.C. 20510
RSVP through AEI to attend this event.
For more information, contact Anne Shoup at [email protected] or 202.481.7146.
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