Bush discusses defense budget, strategy

AUSTIN, Texas (CNN) -- President-elect George W. Bush joined a bipartisan group of lawmakers Monday in Austin, Texas, to discuss defense issues including updating military equipment, military technology and budgeting.

Joining him in the talks were Vice President-elect Dick Cheney and Condoleezza Rice, Bush's choice for national security adviser.

"We should be humble in our designs to keep the peace and be wise with the taxpayers money," Bush said following the meeting. "There is a lot of common ground here to keep the world more peaceful."

Bush said his wider military vision would be implemented with the aid of Congress, but added he would have to gain Congress' trust by sending Secretary of Defense nominee Donald Rumsfeld to the House and Senate to describe the new administration's strategy for deployment and modernization.

"Our job is to make sure that we have a plan and a vision, and then the budget will follow," he said. "One of the things we were doing was listening. I am mindful that the executive branch gets to propose, but the legislative branch gets to decide in terms of budget."

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Bush has proposed spending $20 billion more for weapons research and development and $1 billion more per year for a military pay raise. He also favors developing a missile defense system.

"Missile defense is a sensitive issue for some members (of Congress)," Bush said. "It is a sensitive issue for some of the leaders of countries around the world. But I think we have to protect America and our allies from real threats of the 21st century."

He promised during the campaign that, once in office, his administration would review all peacekeeping missions -- he has said he wants to reduce troop strength in the Balkans -- and would make an overall assessment of the nation's armed services to determine where investments should be made. Cheney will have a leading role in that review, aides have said.

Bush invited eight Republican and six Democratic lawmakers to Monday's meetings. They included Sen. John Warner, R-Virginia, chairman of the Senate Armed Services Committee; Sen. Carl Levin of Michigan, the panel's ranking Democrat; Rep. Bob Stump, R-Arizona, incoming chairman of the House Armed Services Committee, and Rep. John Spratt, D-South Carolina, a senior committee member.

Chairmen and senior members of House and Senate Appropriations defense subcommittees were also on hand.

"This meeting has been historic," Warner said shortly after the meeting. "This is the first time a president-elect has sat down with us ahead of the inauguration to hear our views."

"The president-elect is determined to get as much for the American tax dollar as he possibly can, and maintain a strong national defense," said C.W. "Bill" Young, R-Florida, the chairman of the House Appropriations Committee.

Ian Christopher McCaleb and the Associated Press contributed to this report.