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HCON 92 IH

Expressing the sense of the Congress regarding the need to invest a minimum of 4 percent of gross domestic product on national defense.

March 13, 2003

Mr. SAM JOHNSON of Texas (for himself and Mr. HUNTER) submitted the following concurrent resolution; which was referred to the Committee on Armed Services

Expressing the sense of the Congress regarding the need to invest a minimum of 4 percent of gross domestic product on national defense.

Whereas national defense is a core responsibility of the Federal Government, as enumerated in Article I, Section 8, and Article II, Section 2, of the Constitution;

Whereas, during periods of war, significant percentages of gross domestic product were dedicated to national defense, including as much as 37.9 percent during World War II, 14.1 percent during the Korean War, and 9.4 percent during the Vietnam War;

Whereas, over the past 30 years, Federal spending on national defense as a percentage of gross domestic product has varied from a high of 6.2 percent in 1986 to 3 percent in the last three budgets of the previous administration;

Whereas, while defense spending has trended downward from an average of 6 percent in the 1980s to 4 percent in the 1990s, United States military deployments abroad have increased from 21 deployments during the 1980s to 56 deployments during the 1990s;

Whereas, given these trends of decreased defense spending and increased deployments, the Armed Forces face a critical need for new equipment and weapons;

Whereas, while recent expenditures for national defense have increased, they are still trending downward toward 3 percent of gross domestic product and 18 percent of the Federal budget, and, if this trend continues, defense spending will represent just 2 percent of gross domestic product by 2020; and

Whereas the United States can afford to invest a much greater percentage of gross domestic product on national defense than it currently does: Now, therefore, be it

Resolved by the House of Representatives (the Senate concurring), That this resolution may be cited as the `Military Investment Resolution'.

SEC. 2. It is the sense of the Congress that the United States should invest a minimum of 4 percent of gross domestic product on national defense in order to reverse the neglect of the 1990s and improve military readiness to levels necessary to defend the United States and promote American values domestically and abroad.

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