A look at U.S. defense spending amid looming automatic cuts

Soldier
A member of Minnesota's 34th Infantry Division at Camp Ripley in Little Falls, Minn., on November 20, 2010.
MPR Photo/Nikki Tundel

A new White House report shows that if Congress doesn't act to prevent cuts, the defense budget will be slashed by 9.4 percent. But beyond those cuts, both candidates have unique visions of the money that should be increased - or decreased - for our national defense. So how much does the U.S. spend on military and defense, and what areas deserve more focus?

On The Daily Circuit Wednesday, we'll look past the politics to the crucial areas of need for defense.

Larry Korb, a senior fellow at the Center for American Progress, will join The Daily Circuit Wednesday. Megan Scully, a defense and national security reporter for Congressional Quarterly's Roll Call, and Russell Rumbaugh, director of budgeting for foreign affairs and defense at the Stimson Center, will also join the discussion.

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