DEFENSE

In an effort to address long-term budget deficits, Congress will look to gain potential savings from the Defense budget from various efficiency measures, including reductions in force of military troops, cuts to major weapons programs, controlling growing defense health care costs, and even substantial changes in the military retirement system.

Congress must address fundamental strategic and budgetary premises of U.S. defense policy. For example, the current size of the Army and the Marine Corps in large part reflects the need to sustain long-duration overseas deployments equal in size to current operations in Iraq and Afghanistan.  If such operations are unlikely in the future, then fairly substantial cuts in the size of the Army and the Marine Corps should be considered once wars in Iraq and Afghanistan end.  

Another strategic question for Congress is to determine whether China's rise as a regional military force requires a significant increase in U.S. naval capabilities, particularly large surface combatants with missile defense and strike capabilities.  Some experts recommend such an increase, arguing that allies in Asia must be reassured about U.S. intentions and capabilities.  Nevertheless, U.S. naval forces are unrivaled in its force projection  capabilities, as well as size, and technological superiority.  Therefore, cuts to the U.S. Navy could also be considered to shift the emphasis away from continued military expansion of naval fleets, and more of investment in soft-power and pragmatic diplomacy.