Mandy Smithberger
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Articles by Mandy Smithberger
Its time to demilitarise America's democracy
After 20 years of endless war in which trillions were spent and hundreds of thousands died on all sides without the US military achieving anything approaching victory, the Pentagon continues to be funded at staggering levels, while funding to deal with the greatest threats from the pandemic to climate change to white supremacy proves woefully inadequate.
Shrinking the Pentagon
Skip to content Consider the second paragraph of the lead story in the November 20th New York Times: “The leaders of Western Europe have called Mr. Biden, as has the president of the world’s rising superpower, Xi Jinping of China.
Opinion | Ukraine War Cannot Justify Biden's Too-Damn-High Pentagon Budget
Opinion | Ukraine War Cannot Justify Biden's Too-Damn-High Pentagon Budget | William Hartung
Testimony: Watchdog Report Makes Case For Pentagon Reforms
Waste Statement to the House Committee on Oversight and Reform By Mandy Smithberger | Filed under testimony | January 19, 2022 (Illustration: Renzo Velez / POGO; Photo: DoD OIG, Audit of the Business Model for TransDigm Group Inc.
Spare Parts Contractor Profits From Broken System
Waste By Mandy Smithberger | Filed under analysis | January 12, 2022 (Illustration: Renzo Velez / POGO; Photo: DoD OIG, Audit of the Business Model for TransDigm Group Inc. and Its Impact on Department of Defense Spare Parts Pricing, page 11.) A new report from the Pentagon’s watchdog has shown that, yet again, the Pentagon is paying too much for spare parts.
Spare Parts Contractor Profits From Broken System
Waste By Mandy Smithberger | Filed under analysis | January 12, 2022 (Illustration: Renzo Velez / POGO; Photo: DoD OIG, Audit of the Business Model for TransDigm Group Inc. and Its Impact on Department of Defense Spare Parts Pricing, page 11.) A new report from the Pentagon’s watchdog has shown that, yet again, the Pentagon is paying too much for spare parts.
Three Steps to Help Stop the Pentagon’s Revolving Door
Ethics By Mandy Smithberger | Filed under resource | November 22, 2021 The Problem Existing restraints regarding conflicts of interest and lobbying after service at the Pentagon are woefully inadequate and undermine the reputation and operational integrity of the Department of Defense (DOD). Today, post-government employment restrictions on lobbying and recusal periods for certain individuals with financial conflicts of interest only last for one year.
3 ways to cut $1 trillion in defense spending over the next decade
Congress is moving to increase the Pentagon budget above the already astronomical level proposed by the Biden administration. But a new Congressional Budget Office report shows three ways to cut $1 trillion in defense spending over the next decade. Whether US leaders meet the challenges of today or continue to succumb to the power of the arms lobby is an open question. Loading Something is loading.
Let’s Stop Handing the Pentagon Blank Checks
The system is working—if you happen to be an arms contractor By Mandy Smithberger and William D. Hartung November 16, 2021 fb tw mail Print msg wa sms Bookmark November 16, 2021 A US drone flies on a mission over southern Afghanistan. (Lt. Col.. Leslie Pratt, US Air Force, File / AP Photo) EDITOR’S NOTE: This article originally appeared at TomDispatch.com. To stay on top of important articles like these, sign up to receive the latest updates from TomDispatch.com.
The Pentagon’s Yearly Blank Check
Waste By Mandy Smithberger & William Hartung | Filed under analysis | November 15, 2021 (Photos: Getty Images; Illustration: Leslie Garvey / POGO) This piece originally appeared on TomDispatch. Even as Congress moves to increase the Pentagon budget well beyond the astronomical levels proposed by the Biden administration, a new report from the Congressional Budget Office (CBO) has outlined three different ways to cut $1 trillion in Department of Defense spending over the next decade.
How to cut $1 trillion from the Pentagon
Bernie Sanders (Crush Rush via Shutterstock) Even as Congress moves to increase the Pentagon budget well beyond the astronomical levels proposed by the Biden administration, a new report from the Congressional Budget Office (CBO) has outlined three different ways to cut $1 trillion in Department of Defense spending over the next decade.
Report Outlining How to Cut $1 Trillion From Defense Budget Is Just a Start
Even as Congress moves to increase the Pentagon budget well beyond the astronomical levels proposed by the Biden administration, a new report from the Congressional Budget Office (CBO) has outlined three different ways to cut $1 trillion in Department of Defense spending over the next decade. A rational defense policy could yield far more in the way of reductions, but resistance from the Pentagon, weapons contractors, and their many allies in Congress would be fierce.
The Pentagon budget is spiraling beyond any rational limits
Secretary of Defense Lloyd J. Austin III briefs the press from the Pentagon Briefing Room in Washington, D.C. on February 19, 2021, Wikimedia Commons Even as Congress moves to increase the Pentagon budget well beyond the astronomical levels proposed by the Biden administration, a new report from the Congressional Budget Office (CBO) has outlined three different ways to cut $1 trillion in Department of Defense spending over the next decade.
Opinion | The Pentagon Budget Should Be Cut by At Least $1 Trillion-But War Profiteers Won't Go Quietly | Mandy Smithberger
Opinion | The Pentagon Budget Should Be Cut by At Least $1 Trillion—But War Profiteers Won't Go Quietly | Mandy Smithberger
The United States needs to cut military spending and shift money to two pressing threats: pandemics and climate change
The last year has made one fact quite clear: Spending huge amounts of money on defense has little to no impact on whether a country will be able to effectively protect its people and its economy from a pandemic. The COVID-19 pandemic vividly illuminated the many ways in which the American approach to national security has been fundamentally focused on the wrong threats.
Pentagon Spending Cuts Essential for Reform
Waste By Mandy Smithberger | Filed under testimony | July 20, 2021 Testimony of Mandy Smithberger, Director of the Center for Defense Information, before the House Armed Services Committee Thank you Chairman Smith, Ranking Member Rogers, and members of the committee for inviting me to testify before you today. I’m Mandy Smithberger, the director of the Center for Defense Information at the Project On Government Oversight.
Kristi Noem is sending South Dakota’s National Guard to the border. A wealthy donor is paying for it.
When Gov. Kristi L. Noem (R) announced recently that she would send 50 South Dakota National Guard soldiers to Texas at the expense of a private donor, criticism was swift. Arkansas Gov. Asa Hutchinson, a fellow Republican, said Noem had set a “bad precedent.” Rep.
America's nearly $1.3 Trillion national security budget isn't making us safer
President Joe Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris, joined by Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin, tour the Pentagon Wednesday, Feb. 10. 2021, in Arlington, Virginia. (Official White House Photo by Adam Schultz) President Biden's first Pentagon budget, released late last month, is staggering by any reasonable standard.
Use sticks, not carrots, to fix Pentagon waste
The Department of Defense receives more discretionary money every year than any other federal agency. It has a total budget request of $705 billion for fiscal year 2022. Taxpayers deserve to know where, when, and how that money is spent. Unfortunately, we haven’t received a full picture yet in the 31 years since Congress first required all federal agencies to conduct financial audits. The Pentagon has dragged its feet on this requirement for years and has failed to pass its first three audits since.
Opinion | America's Nearly $1.3 Trillion National Security Budget Isn't Making Us Any Safer | Mandy Smithberger
Opinion | America's Nearly $1.3 Trillion National Security Budget Isn't Making Us Any Safer | Mandy Smithberger
Commercial Item Contracting Scam Continues
Waste Acquisition laws are making it harder for the Department of Defense to get a good deal. By Mandy Smithberger | Filed under analysis | June 25, 2021 (Illustration: Renzo Velez / POGO)
The New Pentagon Slush Fund
President Biden’s 2022 budget request for the Defense Department took a big step toward eliminating the most notorious DOD slush fund of the past decade: the Overseas Contingency Operations account, or OCO. Unfortunately, a new slush fund—the Pacific Deterrence Initiative—may be taking OCO’s place. When lawmakers proposed to create PDI last year, we warned that, as “yet another special off-budget fund,” it could contribute to “more slush” in the defense budget.
Why the Pentagon budget never goes down
The first 100 days of President Joe Biden's administration have come and gone. While somewhat exaggerated, that milestone is normally considered the honeymoon period for any new president. Buoyed by a recent election triumph and inauguration, he's expected to be at the peak of his power when it comes to advancing the biggest, boldest items on his agenda. And indeed, as far as, say, infrastructure or pandemic vaccination goals, Biden has delivered in a major way.
500,000,000,000 reasons to scrutinize the US plan for nuclear weapons
Stacks of money. Accessed via Wikimedia Commons. Credit: geralt. CC0 1.0. The public debate about the future of the US nuclear arsenal is largely a controversy about strategy. But the outcome also has major implications for dollars and cents. The United States plans to spend more than $1.5 trillion over the next several decades to sustain and upgrade its nuclear delivery systems, associated warheads, and supporting infrastructure.
Why the Pentagon Budget Never Goes Down – Responsible Statecraft
A new cold war atmosphere will allow the Pentagon to horde resources that would otherwise go to our greater public health and safety needs. The first 100 days of President Joe Biden’s administration have come and gone. While somewhat exaggerated, that milestone is normally considered the honeymoon period for any new president. Buoyed by a recent election triumph and inauguration, he’s expected to be at the peak of his power when it comes to advancing the biggest, boldest items on his agenda.
Joe Biden’s Pentagon Honeymoon
The President’s first 100 days were a Pentagon prize. fb tw mail Print msg wa sms Bookmark May 14, 2021 (Ivan Cholakov / Shutterstock) EDITOR’S NOTE: This article originally appeared at TomDispatch.com. To stay on top of important articles like these, sign up to receive the latest updates from TomDispatch. Subscribe to The Nation Subscribe now for as little as $2 a month! Get The Nation’s Weekly Newsletter Fridays. The best of the week.
Why the Pentagon's Budget Never Goes Down
The first 100 days of President Joe Biden’s administration have come and gone. While somewhat exaggerated, that milestone is normally considered the honeymoon period for any new president. Buoyed by a recent election triumph and inauguration, he’s expected to be at the peak of his power when it comes to advancing the biggest, boldest items on his agenda. And indeed, as far as, say, infrastructure or pandemic vaccination goals, Biden has delivered in a major way.
Pentagon Spending Ripe for Reduction and Reform
Waste By Mandy Smithberger | Filed under testimony | May 12, 2021 (Illustration: Renzo Velez / POGO) Thank you Chairman Sanders, Ranking Member Graham, and members of the committee for inviting me to testify before you today. I’m Mandy Smithberger, the director of the Center for Defense Information at the Project On Government Oversight.
The dirty little secrets of the Pentagon in the Biden era
President Joe Biden listens as Vice President Kamala Harris delivers remarks to Department of Defense personnel, with Secretary of Defense Lloyd J. Austin III, the Pentagon, Washington, D.C., Feb. 10, 2021. The first 100 days of President Joe Biden's administration have come and gone. While somewhat exaggerated, that milestone is normally considered the honeymoon period for any new president.
Why the Pentagon Budget Never Goes Down
Originally posted at TomDispatch. Strange, isn’t it? Our secretary of state emphatically claims that China has been acting “more aggressively abroad” and behaving “increasingly in adversarial ways.” No, he insists, we’re not exactly at the edge of a new cold war or planning, in the style of the last century, to “contain China.” All this country is doing is “uphold[ing] this rules-based order — that China is posing a challenge to.
Joe Biden’s Pentagon Honeymoon
Effectiveness The president’s first 100 days were a Pentagon prize By Mandy Smithberger | Filed under analysis | May 11, 2021 (Illustration: Renzo Velez / POGO) This piece originally appeared on TomDispatch. The first 100 days of President Joe Biden’s administration have come and gone. While somewhat exaggerated, that milestone is normally considered the honeymoon period for any new president.
Testimony on Strengthening Watchdogs and Whistleblower Protections
Oversight Military whistleblowers and sexual assault survivors deserve a system that will protect them from retaliation. By Mandy Smithberger | Filed under testimony | April 15, 2021 (Illustration: Leslie Garvey / POGO) Chairwoman Speier, Ranking Member Banks, and members of the subcommittee, thank you for inviting me to testify today. My name is Mandy Smithberger, and I’m the director of the Center for Defense Information at the Project On Government Oversight (POGO).
Testimony on the Need to End the Overseas Contingency Operations Account
Waste By Mandy Smithberger | Filed under testimony | March 23, 2021 (Photos: Getty Images; Illustration: Leslie Garvey / POGO) OCO has become almost totally disconnected from its original purpose of supporting unanticipated, emergency, or difficult-to-plan costs for operations in Iraq and Afghanistan as both Congress and the Department of Defense have used the funds to support base budget needs.
The Pentagon, first, last, and always – Responsible Statecraft
This country is in a crisis of the first order. More than half a million of us have died thanks to Covid-19. Food insecurity is on the rise, with nearly 24 million Americans going hungry, including 12 million children. Unemployment claims filed since the pandemic began have now reached 93 million.
Why Are We Still Giving the Pentagon More Money?
Focusing on the wrong threats—including a new Cold War with China—is the last thing we can afford right now. fb tw mail Print msg wa sms Bookmark March 5, 2021 (Ivan Cholakov / Shutterstock) EDITOR’S NOTE: This article originally appeared at TomDispatch.com. To stay on top of important articles like these, sign up to receive the latest updates from TomDispatch.
More money for the Pentagon in the pandemic moment?
This country is in a crisis of the first order. More than half a million of us have died thanks to Covid-19. Food insecurity is on the rise, with nearly 24 million Americans going hungry, including 12 million children. Unemployment claims filed since the pandemic began have now reached 93 million.
Demilitarizing Our Democracy
This month’s insurrection at the Capitol revealed the dismal failure of the Capitol Police and the Department of Defense to use their expertise and resources to thwart a clear and present danger to our democracy.
It’s Time to Demilitarize Our Democracy
The national security state has come to dominate our ostensibly “civilian” government. By Mandy Smithberger and William D. Hartung Today 5:00 am fb tw mail Print msg wa sms Bookmark February 1, 2021 A member of the Minnesota National Guard stands watch on the grounds of the Minnesota state capitol on June 1, 2020. (Sgt. Linsey Williams, CC BY 2.0) EDITOR’S NOTE: This article originally appeared at TomDispatch.com.
The erosion of civilian control: How the Pentagon is infecting American politics
Lloyd Austin. // DoD photo by U.S. Air Force Master Sgt. Adrian Cadiz, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons This month's insurrection at the Capitol revealed the dismal failure of the Capitol Police and the Department of Defense to use their expertise and resources to thwart a clear and present danger to our democracy.
In Search of Pentagon Officials Not Captured by Industry (excerpt)
President-elect Joe Biden promises the “most ethically rigorous administration in American history,” according to a spokesman. But with the nomination of retired general and Raytheon board member General Lloyd Austin III as secretary of defense, the strength of that promise is quickly faltering.
In Search of Pentagon Officials Not Captured by Industry
Corruption By Mandy Smithberger | Filed under analysis | December 10, 2020 (Illustration: Renzo Velez / POGO) President-elect Joe Biden promises the “most ethically rigorous administration in American history,” according to a spokesman. But with the nomination of retired general and Raytheon board member General Lloyd Austin III as secretary of defense, the strength of that promise is quickly faltering.
Will the Biden administration dare cut military spending? – Responsible Statecraft
Now that Joe Biden is slated to take office as the 46th president of the United States, advice on how he should address a wide range of daunting problems is flooding in. Nowhere is there more at stake than when it comes to how he handles this country’s highly militarized foreign policy in general and Pentagon spending in particular.
Will a Biden Administration Mean a Smaller Military Budget?
Preventing future pandemics, and addressing long-standing inequalities, will require cutting our bloated Pentagon budget. By William D. Hartung and Mandy Smithberger November 30, 2020 fb tw mail Print msg wa sms Bookmark November 30, 2020 Aircrafts from the Michigan National Guard's 107th Fighter Squadron in January of 2020. (US Air National Guard Photo by Terry Atwell, CC BY-NC 2.0) EDITOR’S NOTE: This article originally appeared at TomDispatch.com.
Shrinking the Pentagon
Source: TomDispatch.com Now that Joe Biden is slated to take office as the 46th president of the United States, advice on how he should address a wide range of daunting problems is flooding in. Nowhere is there more at stake than when it comes to how he handles this country’s highly militarized foreign policy in general and Pentagon spending in particular.
Preventing Presidents from Abusing Force at Home
Abuse of Power By Mandy Smithberger | Filed under analysis | November 18, 2020 (Illustration: Renzo Velez / POGO) In the lead up to the elections there was increased fear that President Donald Trump’s calls for “poll watchers” would lead to intimidation and violence that might require the use of military and federal force to restore peace. Fortunately, most of those fears never came to pass, though concerns about voter suppression endure.
‘Build Back Better’ Should Mean Reducing Contractor Influence Over the Pentagon Budget
As terrible as the COVID-19 pandemic has been for our country, it has illuminated just how distorted our defense policy and budgets have been. “The coronavirus pandemic lays bare the fragility of our health security,” Michèle Flournoy, who is widely believed to be named as Biden’s defense secretary, wrote in a joint op-ed for Defense One.
‘Build Back Better’ should mean reducing contractor influence over the Pentagon budget – Responsible Statecraft
‘Build Back Better’ should mean reducing contractor influence over the Pentagon budget The Pentagon and its budget have been captured by defense contractors and their boosters for too long.
Tomgram: Hartung and Smithberger, A Dollar-by-Dollar Tour of the National Security State
As the guy whose book, The End of Victory Culture: Cold War America and the Disillusioning of America, was published in 1995, not long after the implosion of the Soviet Union and what looked like the greatest victory in history, let me just say that I was ahead of my time. I was then taking a look at the sense of triumphalism that had permeated the world I grew up in, which had by the end of the Vietnam War essentially collapsed.
A Post-Coronavirus Economy Can No Longer Afford to Put the Pentagon First
The inadequate response of both the federal and state governments to the Covid-19 pandemic has had a devastating impact on the United States, creating what could only be called a national security crisis. More than 190,000 Americans are dead, approximately half of them people of color. Yelp data show that more than 132,000 businesses have already closed and census data suggest that, thanks to lost wages, nearly 17% of Americans with children can’t afford to feed them enough food.
Defense Contractors Don't Need Another COVID Bailout
Despite their claims, defense spending isn't driving major job growth. It just makes shareholders wealthier. fb tw mail Print msg wa sms Bookmark (360b / Shutterstock) EDITOR’S NOTE:  This article originally appeared at TomDispatch.com. To stay on top of important articles like these, sign up to receive the latest updates from TomDispatch.
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