Republican Louisiana Gov. Bobby Jindal has been busy this week, potentially lining himself up for a 2016 presidential run as the GOP’s “wonk candidate.” In two major speeches, Jindal pedaled his new federal spending proposal that ties 4% of the gross domestic product to defense spending, a percentage the U.S. hasn’t seen since 2012 sequester.
“The reality is that there is less need to use the military when it is feared and respected,” Jindal said during a speech on Monday.
While sequestration and the drawdown of two wars have seen defense spending tighten up, the political climate may now be shifting in Jindal’s favor, as the U.S. faces emerging threats from ISIS and Ebola.