Bringing down the defense budget

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SCOTT JAGOW: Congress is working on the federal budget at the moment. A report out today has some suggestions for defense spending. Jeff Tyler reports.

JEFF TYLER: The Bush administration’s proposed budget would allocate 90 percent of national security spending to the military.

The nonpartisan report released today by Foreign Policy in Focus proposes giving the military a smaller piece of the budgetary pie.

ANITA DANCS: We spend a lot of money on weaponry that is unsuited to today’s threats. Without endangering our national security, we can easily cut some of this spending.

That’s Anita Dancs, one of the reports authors. She says the government could save about $56 billion by eliminating unnecessary weapons systems, like the controversial hybrid jet-helicopter, the V-22 Osprey.

DANCS: Now the V-22 from its inception has been beset by safety, technical and cost problems.

The report suggests redirecting the funds to support things like port security and fighting nuclear terrorism.

I’m Jeff Tyler for Marketplace.