The growing distance between the United States and its allies in NATO is an overdue nudge to European nations to start paying for their own defense rather than relying on Uncle Sugar. But it's also an opportunity for the cash-strapped U.S. government to cut costs on military expenditures as it shifts responsibilities to countries that have huddled under the U.S. umbrella for decades. Given the enormous role that defense spending plays in the federal budget, closing the gap between revenues and spending and reducing debt requires that hard choices be made by the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) and Congress about the military.
The Pentagon Welcomes DOGE
"We welcome DOGE to the Pentagon, and I hope to welcome Elon to the Pentagon very soon and his team, working in collaboration with us," Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth commented last month to reporters in Germany about scrutiny from Elon Musk and his cost-cutters. "There are waste, redundancies and headcounts in headquarters that need to be addressed."
