The Defense Authorization Act for 2024 is the end of the Pentagon’s outdated Cold War defense policy

On March 23, 2024, Congress passed the fiscal year 2024 defense spending bill, almost six months after the fiscal year began in October 2023 and just hours after funding for the Pentagon and other agencies expired on March 22.

The FY2024 defense budget marks the beginning of the end of a previous period of U.S. defense spending policy shaped by the inertia of outdated paradigms. The United States is still constrained by the legacy of its past military spending policy.

In the unprecedented $825 billion defense budget for FY2024, a significant portion is allocated to military pay, maintenance, logistics, and the upkeep of an extensive network of more than 800 military bases in more than 70 countries.