[Congressional Record Volume 142, Number 28 (Tuesday, March 5, 1996)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E271]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]

[[Page E271]]


          THE CLINTON ``DEFENSE'': ANOTHER STEP TOWARD TROUBLE

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                     HON. RANDY ``DUKE'' CUNNINGHAM

                             of california

                    in the house of representatives

                         Tuesday, March 5, 1996

  Mr. CUNNINGHAM. Mr. Speaker, President Clinton's 1997 defense budget 
returns us to a Carter-era hollow military. It's like the difference 
between Desert Storm and Desert One, Jimmy Carter's failed mission to 
rescue hostages in Iran. By chopping about $10 billion from 1996 
spending, President Clinton jeopardizes the military's ability to 
train, repair and maintain equipment, and ultimately to defend our 
Nation.
  While the defense pot shrinks, President Clinton has increased our 
commitments to places like Haiti and Bosnia, costing the Pentagon and 
the taxpayer billions of dollars. He identifies spending for some 
important initiatives, but remains silent on where the cuts will come 
from. The fact is they will eventually come from important accounts 
that fund training, maintenance and upgrades to equipment. Either 
President Clinton is assuming Congress will provide necessary funding 
for defense, or he is not serious about defending our country.
  Our soldiers who risk their lives for our country are continuously 
being asked to do more with less. Without the proper training and 
equipment our national security and our soldiers suffer. The 3-percent 
pay raise for our soldiers included in the bill will help them make 
ends meet back home, but we must do more than that. We must make sure 
our military personnel have the training and equipment necessary to do 
their jobs. Cutting defense spending makes this difficult, if not 
impossible, to do.
  Clinton's shortsighted defense policy has been recognized by the 
Joint Chiefs of Staff who admit that defense has been under funded. 
Congress, which recognized the problem, kept its promise to begin 
fixing it. We began making the investments necessary to maintain 
America's standing as the world's most formidable military power. 
Unfortunately, while we took one step forward, President Clinton's 1997 
defense budget takes us two steps back.

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