[Congressional Record Volume 145, Number 68 (Wednesday, May 12, 1999)]
[House]
[Pages H3002-H3003]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




     NATIONAL SECURITY EMERGENCY CREATED BY CUTTING DEFENSE BUDGET

  (Mr. KNOLLENBERG asked and was given permission to address the House 
for 1 minute and to revise and extend his remarks.)
  Mr. KNOLLENBERG. Mr. Speaker, the Clinton administration has created 
a national security emergency by cutting the defense budget while 
spreading our troops all around the world.
  Between 1960 and 1991, the Army conducted 10 operational events. In 
the past 8 years, the Army has conducted an astonishing 26 operational 
events. Strangely enough, this increased activity has occurred during a 
period in which our military has been shrunk by 40 percent.
  This misguided policy is playing itself out in Yugoslavia. Already 
the President has had to call up thousands of reserves and divert 
planes from the strategically important Iraqi No-Fly Zone to carry out 
strikes on Milosovic's regime.
  Mr. Speaker, it is time for Congress to replenish our national 
defense which has been substantially weakened by the Clinton 
administration. The Republican majority stands ready to provide the 
resources to address the problems related to troop morale and 
readiness. I implore my colleagues on both sides of the aisle to join 
in this effort.

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