[Congressional Record Volume 157, Number 51 (Friday, April 8, 2011)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Pages E675-E676]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




    THE NECESSITY TO RECOGNIZE BUDGET REDUCTION STRATEGIES THROUGH 
                  REORGANIZATION OF THE DEFENSE BUDGET

                                 ______
                                 

                             HON. TOM REED

                              of new york

                    in the house of representatives

                         Friday, April 8, 2011

  Mr. REED. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to speak about the current debt 
crisis our Nation faces and a strategy to rein in some significant 
federal spending, while strengthening our national defense initiatives. 
A paper written by Mallory Factor, published by Forbes on March 9, 
2011, identified a strategy intended to reduce the defense budget. As 
the defense budget represents nineteen percent of the total federal 
budget, the cuts would have a significant effect on deficit reduction 
and highlight our commitment, as a Congress, to the American public 
that we will leave ``no stone unturned'' as we work to reduce the total 
budget deficit.
  Mr. Factor's article does not suggest that we take an undiscerning 
approach to cutting the

[[Page E676]]

defense budget, rather ``Congress must reconsider the military's 
mission and what activities it should undertake.'' In this assessment 
by Mr. Factor, and supported by myself, there is no indication that 
American military power be restricted in missions concerning American 
security. Rather, that auxiliary duties performed by the military 
(e.g., humanitarian missions, peacekeeping, nation building and 
disaster relief) ought to be separated from the core mission of the 
military; to provide for the common defense of our great Nation.
  Further, by separating and focusing these mission directives, we will 
produce a Department of Defense budget that clearly defines where our 
money is being spent. This will allow for a thorough and honest review 
of the allocation of such dollars and produce the foundation upon which 
a responsible debate can be held in this chamber on an issue of our 
generation, spending and debt.
  Therefore all options must be on the table as we, the 112th Congress, 
have committed ourselves to deficit reduction. For our future, and for 
the future of our children and grandchildren, it is imperative that we 
undertake this difficult task in the short term to ensure our Nation's 
viability for the long term.

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