Should the U.S. approve the largest defense spending budget proposal yet?

National Security and Defense
National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2018 (H.R. 2810)
This bill has Passed the House of Representatives
Bill Summary

This bill would authorize appropriations for fiscal year 2018 for military activities of the Department of Defense (DOD) and for military construction, to prescribe military personnel strengths for Fiscal Year 2018. With a total cap of $696 billion, the bill authorizes personnel strength for active duty and reserve forces and sets forth policies regarding compensation and other personnel benefits, and matters relating to foreign nations as well as appropriations to DOD for the following: (1) Procurement, including aircraft, missiles, weapons and tracked combat vehicles, ammunition, shipbuilding and conversion, space procurement, and other procurement; (2) Research, Development, Test, and Evaluation; (3) Operation and Maintenance; (4) Working Capital Funds; (5) the Joint Urgent Operational Needs Fund; (6) Chemical Agents and Munitions Destruction; (7) Drug Interdiction and Counter-Drug Activities; (8) the Defense Inspector General; (9) the Defense Health Program; (10) the Armed Forces Retirement Home; (11) Overseas Contingency Operations; and (12) Military Construction. Sponsor: Rep Mac Thornberry [R-TX-13]
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Opponents say

•     “In other words,” John McCain (R-AZ) states, “President Trump intends to submit a defense budget that is a mere 3 percent above President Obama’s defense budget, which has left our military underfunded, undersized, and unready to confront threats to our national security.”
•     “It’s an Obama-esque budget with a Trump-sized sales pitch,” Paul Scharre, senior fellow and director of the Future of Warfare Initiative at the Center for a New American Security and Iraq War veteran, told NBC News.

Proponents say

•    Rep Adam Smith (D-WA) contends: “Look at the money we have. There are a lot of things that we feel are not funded […] and if we are committed to funding all of these shortfalls we’re [talking] about today then…provide the money.”
•    Rep. Max Thornberry (R-TX), marked up a defense policy bill that, he said: “it takes significant steps toward repairing and rebuilding our military” and continuing reforms to better support warfighters.
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