Polls show that when U.S. citizens understand just how much more money is spent on cold war weapons than on their children, by a ratio of two to one they want to cut the Pentagon budget and invest in their children. But the public is doubtful that just cutting weapons will guarantee a commitment to address domestic concerns. Legislation is needed to ensure that when Pentagon programs are cut, the money saved will fund effective programs that will address U.S. children's needs. In the late 1970s, Congressman Ron Dellums and the Congressional Black Caucus sponsored a transfer amendment that called for cutting funds for specific weapons and putting that money instead into specific social programs. If House rules were changed to allow cut and transfer amendments, legislators could apply the same principles today, by developing a Children's National Security Budget that would eliminate specific cold war weapons funding and transfer the money into successful children's programs.
National security is more than just another generation of jets, submarines, and bombs.
It encompasses people's needs and quality of life. Most of all, it concerns the next generation of U.S. children. U.S. citizens can redirect priorities to better meet the needs of the nation, but only if they convince Washington to redefine national security. Annual savings reflect Dr. Lawrence Korb's assessment of reductions that could take place in conventional force structure and conventional and nuclear weapons while maintaining the nation's national security. Cuts are based on reduced threats due to the end of the cold war.