‘Let’s Give Those Who Keep Us Safe the Resources They Need To Do It’
‘The men and women we trust to lead our military have made it abundantly clear: The status quo in defense funding - let alone the further instability that would result from our failure to reach an agreement - is handicapping our servicemembers. In the next week and a half, let’s put aside partisan rhetoric and start heeding the warnings of our nonpartisan military leaders. Let’s give those who keep us safe the resources they need to do it.’
WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-KY) delivered the following remarks on the Senate floor regarding the need for a government funding agreement that ensures America’s military has the necessary resources:
“In the next eleven days, Congress needs to reach an agreement to fund the government. It is imperative that this agreement provide adequate resources for our men and women in uniform. Last week, leadership on both sides of the aisle expressed hopes of working seriously and collaboratively on a solution that enables our armed forces to advance critical missions at home and abroad. But at the same time, our Democratic colleagues persist in the notion that we should only increase defense spending if we increase non-defense spending by the same amount. As we lay the facts on the table, this political talking point simply does not hold up.
“By now, we all know that the Budget Control Act hit defense spending much harder than domestic spending. Since fiscal year 2013, to be precise, discretionary defense spending has been cut by $85 billion more than discretionary non-defense spending. This might sound like an abstract distinction. But it has very real, tangible consequences for our national security. These disproportionate cuts have reduced the readiness of American forces to meet and address emerging threats.
“Our military leaders have explained this over and over again. Just months ago, the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, General Dunford, told our colleagues at the Armed Services Committee that over the last decade, quote, ‘the U.S. military’s competitive advantage against potential adversaries is eroding.’ He cited budgetary instability as a key reason. At the same hearing, Secretary of Defense Mattis added that, quote, ‘no enemy in the field has done more to harm the readiness of our military than sequestration.’
“The men and women we trust to lead our military have made it abundantly clear: The status quo in defense funding – let alone the further instability that would result from our failure to reach an agreement – is handicapping our servicemembers. In the next week and a half, let’s put aside partisan rhetoric and start heeding the warnings of our nonpartisan military leaders. Let’s give those who keep us safe the resources they need to do it.”
Related Issues: Budget, America's Military
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