To finance the $1.5T defense budget, push for $600B in reconciliation
A $600 billion increase to the budget in reconciliation will be needed to get to $1.5T in spending, say a pair of AEI analysts.
What’s really in reconciliation, and how the pentagon can make it work
Elaine McCusker and John G. Ferrari of AEI run through some of the most important parts of the reconciliation bill, and what the Pentagon should do now.
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Undersea superiority: ASELSAN’s integrated approach to naval defense
As global navies adapt to evolving underwater threats, ASELSAN’s integrated sonar, countermeasure, and sonobuoy solutions offer a scalable, future-ready approach.
Four steps to creating a National Defense Strategy built on strength
In this op-ed, analysts from the American Enterprise Institute lay out four priorities Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth should focus on in the next National Defense Strategy.
If annual appropriations are dead, it’s an opportunity for defense
"Through congressional failure to pass a budget, the administration has been given an opportunity for DoD to be able to more flexibly manage its budget," write Elaine McCusker and Bill Greenwalt of AEI.
Where will Congress rank the nation’s security on its priority list?
In this op-ed, Elaine McCusker and John Ferrari of AEI explain that by not passing the defense bills, Congress is putting national security at risk.
Advana and harvesting the value of defense data
Elaine McCusker of AEI in this op-ed discusses how the Combatant Commands are using Advana to their advantage.
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How the “Doomsday Plane” contract highlights the rise of mid-tier primes
Midsized companies can offer flexibility and agility while keeping intellectual property in the hands of the government.
House defense policy draft: A good first step, but some missed opportunities
In this op-ed, Elaine McCusker and John Ferrari of AEI call out what they see as the good and the bad in the HASC NDAA draft.
Pass a preemptive CR, deal with inflation and watch the debt limit: 3 tasks for Congress
John Ferrari and Elaine McCusker of AEI argue in this op-ed that Congress needs to act quickly to ensure American national security before getting bogged down in election season.
Sheathing the Sword of Damocles: 6 steps to righting the ship as 2023 ends and 2024 begins
As 2023 is coming to a close, time is running out for Congress, the Pentagon and the Biden administration to act, write AEI's Elaine McCusker and John Ferrari in this op-ed.
Congress can’t get sidetracked: Keep the government open to ensure national security
In this op-ed, AEI's Elaine McCusker and John Ferrari, two former Pentagon budget officials, warn about the national security repercussions of a potential government shutdown.
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The uncrewed revolution: MQ-9B and Gambit Series forge a path to regional air dominance
The MQ-9B and Gambit Series represent parallel capabilities that address global challenges for security head-on.
Budget endgame scenarios: From acceptable to apocalypse
In this new analysis, budget experts Elaine McCusker and John Ferrari lay out a trio of likely scenarios for the upcoming budget negotiations - including one they deem the "doomsday" scenario for DoD.
Why the budget deal is good news for defense — with one key exception
AEI's Elaine McCusker, former Pentagon comptroller, argues the Biden-McCarthy compromise is a positive sign, but there's work to be done.
Another Continuing Resolution? The enemy is us
Another Continuing Resolution would impact military readiness when it comes to everything from munitions relevant to the fight in Ukraine to the newly revealed B-21 stealth bomber, warns Elaine McCusker of AEI.
For military spending to counter China, PDI tells only a small part of the story
Lawmakers and taxpayers should know PDI is not reflective of the defense investment to counter the pacing challenge of China, AEI's Elaine McCusker writes.