Paying for the War on Terror: Process and Budget Impacts
Abstract
The United States is engaged in a long war against terror as a top national security priority. While initial response to the unexpected on September 2001 (9/11), terror attacks was clearly unfunded, the U.S. is still using "emergency" appropriations to fund ongoing operations as well as other non-emergency defense requirements. Since 2001 over $500B has been infused into defense programs and operations through supplemental appropriations, separate from funds provided through DOD's comprehensive strategic planning and resource allocation process: Planning, Programming, Budgeting, and Execution (PPBE) Process. Is a PPBE process that funds peacetime requirements still relevant after six years of war and current projections of long-term operational commitments? After years of steadily increasing base budgets, should DOD seek additional base budget growth by requesting some portion of enduring war requirements transferred from supplementals into the PPBE process or should the nation expect a "peace-dividend" as happened after the Korean and Vietnam Wars? Can the federal budget withstand ongoing unbudgeted defense spending at the expense of domestic programs and in the face of looming fiscal challenges?
Document Details
- Document Type
- Technical Report
- Publication Date
- Mar 15, 2008
- Accession Number
- ADA480242
Entities
People
- Denise Atkins
Organizations
- United States Army War College