National SecurityNational Security

Providing for the common defense is a government function enshrined in our constitution. But every defense dollar we spend beyond our needs “has a long-term weakening effect upon the nation and its security,” in the words of President Dwight D. Eisenhower. Defense spending accounts for the...More

largest portion of the federal discretionary budget and is packed with contracts for goods and services the military does not even need, let alone want. Congress could find hundreds of billions of dollars in savings by reforming Defense Department contracts, delaying or eliminating costly, problematic weapons systems, and right-sizing our force to handle 21st-century conflicts.

Transparency and accountability for spending decisions at all national security agencies is critical to the task of trimming the federal budget and the national debt. These agencies include the Departments of Defense, Homeland Security, and State, as well as the Department of Energy’s nuclear-weapons functions.

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All the latest content from TCS in National Security
Our Take

Organizational Review of the Office of the Secretary of Defense

September 17, 2013

Organizational Review of the Office of the Secretary of Defense Secretary of Defense Chuck Hagel and Deputy Secretary of Defense Ashton Carter have instituted a review of the organization of the Office of... Read More

Letters & Testimony

Fiscal Conservatives Urge Open Rule for Defense Spending Bill

July 16, 2013

Fiscal Conservatives Urge Open Rule for Defense Spending Bill   July 22, 2013 Dear Speaker Boehner, We understand that the House of... Read More

Letters & Testimony

Letter to Congress: Trim Funding for B61 Bomb in Energy Spending Bill

July 09, 2013

Letter to Congress: Trim Funding for B61 Bomb in Energy Spending Bill Taxpayers for Common Sense sent a letter to Congress today urging support to trim funding for the B61 bomb.... Read More

Our Take

A Cigar for SIGAR – Documenting Hundreds of Millions of Dollars of Waste in Afghanistan

June 28, 2013

A Cigar for SIGAR – Documenting Hundreds of Millions of Dollars of Waste in Afghanistan The title says it all: “[Department of Defense] Moving Forward with $771.8 Million Purchase of Aircraft that the Afghans Cannot Operate and... Read More

Letters & Testimony

Joint Letter to the House: Reduce Wasteful Pentagon Spending

June 14, 2013

Joint Letter to the House: Reduce Wasteful Pentagon Spending      June 13, 2013 Dear Representative: We, the leaders of our undersigned organizations... Read More

Letters & Testimony

Letter to House: Support Common Sense Amendments to FY14 NDAA

June 14, 2013

Letter to House: Support Common Sense Amendments to FY14 NDAA These amendments would help bring the total level of spending in line with what is already agreed to in current law.... Read More

More in-depth material from TCS in National Security
Reports & Data

Sliding Past Sequestration: $2 Trillion in Common Sense Cuts to Avoid the Fiscal Cliff

October 01, 2012

Sliding Past Sequestration: $2 Trillion in Common Sense Cuts to Avoid the Fiscal Cliff In the summer of 2011, Congress sent the President a bill that acknowledged failure. Instead of swallowing hard and coming up with trillions... Read More

Policy Brief

Analysis of FY13 Continuing Resolution: Special Carve-outs

September 10, 2012

Analysis of FY13 Continuing Resolution: Special Carve-outs H.J. Res. 117 — Continuing Appropriations Resolution, 2013 was released this morning (9/11/2012). TCS staff will be posting relevant documents and analysis as we digest this proposal over the coming days.... Read More

Fact Sheet

Zombie Earmarks in Defense Spending Bill

July 15, 2012

Zombie Earmarks in Defense Spending Bill The Fiscal Year 2013 defense spending bill heading to the House floor Wednesday is a lesson in why it’s so hard to cut defense spending even... Read More

Fact Sheet

MOX Misses the Mark

June 19, 2012 > Updated: April 09, 2013

MOX Misses the Mark Despite the ever-increasing price tag, incessant delays in progress, and known safety risks, the Department of Energy continues to pour federal subsidies into the Mixed Oxide Fuel (MOX) program year after year. ... Read More

TCS appearances in the media in National Security

Congress’ Massive To-Do List

September 11, 2013 | U.S. News & World Report

Congress came back to town this week and there is plenty to do in the brief time both chambers are in session during September. First,... Read More

Obama and the GOP Hawks

September 10, 2013 | National Review Online

By all accounts, President Obama’s efforts to lobby Congress in support of military intervention in Syria are going poorly. Perhaps most... Read More

VA Budget Skyrockets Despite Federal Spending Cuts

September 09, 2013 | Dayton Daily News

DAYTON -- The Department of Veterans Affairs spends more today in inflation adjusted dollars than it did after World War II and the Vietnam... Read More

Don’t Bomb Us Back to the Fiscal Stone Age

September 06, 2013 | U.S. News & World Report

The decision by the President to seek Congressional debate and votes regarding military action against Syria is the talk of Washington this... Read More

Don’t Use Syria to Pump Up Pentagon Spending

September 04, 2013 | CNN

(CNN) -- A number of conservative hawks, including Senator John McCain and House Armed Services Committee chair Howard P. "Buck" McKeon,... Read More

Weekly Wastebasket

Our weekly reality-check for federal spending. View All

June 14, 2013

Dud Defense

Volume XVIII No. 24: The House of Representatives closed out the week by adopting their fiscal year 2014... Read More