[Congressional Record Volume 141, Number 30 (Wednesday, February 15, 1995)]
[House]
[Page H1765]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]


                THE NATIONAL SECURITY REVITALIZATION ACT

  (Mr. SAM JOHNSON of Texas asked and was given permission to address 
the House for 1 minute and to revise and extend his remarks.)
  Mr. SAM JOHNSON of Texas. Mr. Speaker, I am amazed at the comments by 
our Secretary of Defense and Secretary of State concerning the fact 
that they are going to recommend vetoing the National Security 
Revitalization Act.
  This bill addresses a crisis of paramount importance to our Nation, 
the defense of America.
  Not one of our four military services has been left unscathed by the 
radical defense cuts imposed by the Clinton administration. The numbers 
are staggering, amounting to almost 65 percent in real spending dollars 
already. These massive cuts come at a time when the military is being 
asked to do more with less, in a world that is still very dangerous and 
unpredictable.
  I served in the U.S. Air Force for 29 years, and I remember all too 
well the hollow forces of the seventies. I remember squadrons being 
grounded due to lack of spare parts, and I remember air crews dying 
because they lacked the proper amount of training. Now I am hearing 
those same stories again and again.
  We as a Congress have no right demanding that our service men and 
women put their lives on the line at the same time we are slashing the 
funds they need to perform their mission successfully. We must do 
everything we can to ensure the safety and security of this Nation and 
the protection of those who risk their lives for us.

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