Paul Wolfowitz

The September 11, 2001, terrorist attacks on America led to a reevaluation of the nation’s defense capabilities and calls for increased military spending. Deputy Secretary of Defense Paul Wolfowitz contends in the following viewpoint, originally given as testimony before the Senate Appropriations Committee on February 27, 2002, that the United States must increase defense spending in order to protect Americans from new threats to national security. Arguing in support of President George W. Bush’s proposed 2003 defense budget, which significantly increased defense spending, Wolfowitz claims that increased military funding is necessary to fight the war on terrorism, transform the military, and defend Americans from future threats. He maintains that defense budget cuts after the Cold War left the United States ill prepared for the dangers it now faces. Bush’s defense budget was approved.

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