[Congressional Record Volume 140, Number 21 (Wednesday, March 2, 1994)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Printing Office [www.gpo.gov]


[Congressional Record: March 2, 1994]
From the Congressional Record Online via GPO Access [wais.access.gpo.gov]

 
                              DEFENSE CUTS

                                 ______


                        HON. GERALD B.H. SOLOMON

                              of new york

                    in the house of representatives

                        Wednesday, March 2, 1994

  Mr. SOLOMON. Mr. Speaker, it has been suggested by the chairman of 
the Armed Services Committee that the defense budget is not being cut 
enough by the Clinton administration.
  Let me repeat that for those who may be in a state of shock. The 
chairman of the Armed Services Committee has suggested that defense 
spending has not been cut enough.
  Mr. Speaker, I am in a state of shock. For at least a year, the 
consensus among those who understand this Nation's defense 
establishment has been that defense is being cut too much.
  It is though some people are in a time warp, Mr. Speaker.
  To hear such sentiments, one might think it was 1985, when defense 
was eating up 27 percent of spending and 7 percent of GNP.
  Or perhaps 1991, when we were euphoric over our victory in the cold 
war.
  Maybe some still think it is 1992, when the Bush administration 
outlined a prudent plan to build our defenses down to 3.6 percent of 
GNP by 1998.
  But it is not 1985, 1991 or 1992, Mr. Speaker. It is 1994, year two 
of the Clinton administration, and here are the objective facts.
  We are now heading into our ninth year of real defense cuts.
  Real defense spending has declined by 35 percent since 1985 and 
procurement has been cut 50 percent.
  Defense spending is now at just 4 percent of GNP and 16 percent of 
spending, and with the Clinton cuts, it is headed to 2.8 percent of GNP 
and 13 percent of spending by 1998.
  It is simply behind the times to blame the defense budget for our 
budget and domestic woes. The numbers just do not bear that out.
  And what are the results of these already draconian cuts, Mr. 
Speaker?
  Well, for starters, even the Clinton administration admits that we 
are already $20 billion short of funding necessary to fulfill their own 
Bottom-Up Review.
  At current projections, Air Force structure will be 15 percent below 
Bottom-Up levels by 1998.
  Navy shipbuilding and aviation procurement is already short by $3.5 
billion in fiscal year 1995.
  And for the first time in 10 years, the Marine Corps' equipment is 
less than 90-percent battle ready.
  We are going hollow. Mr. Speaker.
  Again.
  And all of this comes at a time when our euphoria of 1991 has given 
way to reality.
  The reality of Vladimir Zhirinovsky.
  The reality of North Korea's nuclear bomb.
  The reality that the world remains an incredibly unstable and 
dangerous place.
  And the reality that there is only one country capable of leading the 
civilized world through these turbulent times.
  That country is us Mr. Speaker, and this is no time to talk about 
further defense cuts.
  Indeed, given today's reality, it is high time we begin talking about 
increasing the defense budget, Mr. Speaker.

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