Ironing out a budget deal that lifts spending caps should be one of the first national security priorities of the next administration, according to a think tank expert.
Michele Flournoy, chief executive officer of the Center for a New American Security, said Wednesday that talk about strategy and vision for the country only goes so far without the money to pay for it and the predictability that comes from solid budgetary footing.
“Getting a budget deal early in the next administration has become a national security issue,” Flournoy said at a conference hosted by the Institute for the Study of War. “We can talk all we want about vision and strategy, but we can’t get there from here unless we sort that out.”
Flournoy has been widely talked about as Hillary Clinton’s top pick for secretary of defense if she wins the White House.
The Budget Control Act of 2011, which imposes sequestration cuts, is in effect until 2022. The most recent budget deal that softened the blow of the cuts extends only through fiscal 2017, meaning sequestration will come back in full force in fiscal 2018 without a deal in Congress.
Other immediate priorities for the next administration are a continued focus on counterterrorism as well as an increased focus on cybersecurity, an area in which the country is lagging, Flournoy said.
“I also think we have got to get a handle on cyber. Our government and our society is not where we need to be in being able to deter cyber threats and respond to them in the future,” she said.
Another short-term concern is increasing efforts to counter Iranian support for terrorism.
Mid-term priorities for Flournoy include boosting deterrence in Europe to counter Russian aggression and laying the groundwork so that the U.S. can “keep Iran in a box” to prevent it from getting nuclear weapons once the nuclear deal expires.
Flournoy also spoke about the importance of two of Defense Secretary Ash Carter’s top priorities. She called his push to bring new technology into the Pentagon “very, very important,” but stressed that the focus on bringing the best assets into the military also has to include recruiting the best people to serve.
“How are we going to develop the force of the future?” she said.
