No Time to Cash In a Peace Dividend: America's Defenses in a Time of Uncertainty May 7, 2009

Hosted by American Enterprise Institute.

In the years ahead, the United States must be prepared to face a range of potential national security challenges: a rising China, a resurgent Russia, a nuclear-armed North Korea, an aggressive Iran, instability in Afghanistan and Pakistan, and of course the continuing threat of al Qaeda-led terrorism. As such, it is imperative that the United States invest in armed forces that are properly sized, effectively trained, and fully equipped with the capabilities necessary to meet the full range of these threats.

Yet the Obama administration has made clear that defense spending is not a top budgetary priority either today or in the future. And, indeed, Defense Secretary Robert Gates has already begun a process of cutting defense programs that, if left unchallenged, will immediately impact the armed forces' ability to protect the country and deter potential adversaries.

What would be the strategic implications of an overall decrease in U.S. defense spending? How would America’s allies and enemies perceive such a shift? And how would a dramatic drop in defense spending affect our forces in the field? Please join us as Senator John Cornyn (R-Texas) addresses these and other security concerns.

Official Website: http://www.aei.org/events/eventID.1929/event_detail.asp