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Budget

Esper: Likely Flat Budgets Will Lead To More Legacy Cuts In The Near-Term

By Matthew Beinart

Tuesday, May 5th, 2020

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Esper: Likely Flat Budgets Will Lead To More Legacy Cuts In The Near-Term

Secretary of Defense Mark Esper

The secretary of defense said Tuesday a likely outlook for flat budgets in coming years will lead the department to prioritize moving on from legacy programs to ensure funding for its full range of modernization commitments. Secretary Mark Esper told reporters the Pentagon would not “risk the strategic deterrent,” affirming nuclear capability modernization as the department’s top priority. “Frankly, my inclination is not to risk any of the modernization programs. It’s to go back and pull out more of the…

Congress

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Budget

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Congress

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