[Congressional Record Volume 140, Number 61 (Tuesday, May 17, 1994)]
[House]
[Page H]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]


[Congressional Record: May 17, 1994]
From the Congressional Record Online via GPO Access [wais.access.gpo.gov]

 
      PRESIDENT'S DEFENSE BUDGET DESTROYING OUR NATIONAL SECURITY

  (Mr. HUNTER asked and was given permission to address the House for 1 
minute and to revise and extend his remarks.)
  Mr. HUNTER. Mr. Speaker, President Clinton's defense budget is 
destroying our national security.
  We live in a very dangerous world with North Korea acquiring nuclear 
weapons; the Balkans continue to explode, there is massive death in 
Africa; China is attempting to take over the superpower status 
previously enjoyed by the Soviet Union, claiming most of the territory 
in the South China Sea; the former Soviet states are still unstable, 
and still possess nuclear weapons.
  Against this backdrop of danger, President Clinton is massively 
cutting the national security budget of the United States. He is 
cutting about 1,600 young people out of uniform every week. We are 
cutting back combat aircraft to roughly 50 percent of what they were 
just a few years ago. We are stretching our operating tempo to the 
limits, and we are returning to the hollow forces of the 1970's.

                              {time}  1310

  The Republicans stand for a strong defense. In a day or so, when the 
Committee on Armed Services bill reaches the floor, we are going to try 
to bring this House to a consensus, to a logical consensus, that we 
need to invest more in defense if we are going to remain strong in this 
very dangerous world.
  Democrats would be well advised to join us.

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