[Congressional Record Volume 158, Number 37 (Wednesday, March 7, 2012)]
[House]
[Pages H1214-H1215]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                       CUTS TO AIR NATIONAL GUARD

  The SPEAKER pro tempore. The Chair recognizes the gentleman from 
Vermont (Mr. Welch) for 5 minutes.
  Mr. WELCH. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to discuss the proposed fiscal 
year 2013 cuts to the Air National Guard.
  Let me preface my remarks by acknowledging that this country does 
have a serious debt problem that requires that everybody tighten their 
belt. It requires, in my view, that we have more revenues so that we 
can have a sustainable budget where everybody does their share, from 
taxpayers to every Department in the government. The Air Force has to 
be included.
  But under the Budget Control Act, the proposal that the Air Force has 
made to address the cuts that would be required there is to single out 
and focus its knife on the Air National Guard. Now, that would affect 
5,100 guardsmen who would lose their position. It would also demobilize 
scores of aircraft.
  Now, as I mentioned, the Air Guard is not by any means entitled to be 
exempt from the challenge of coming in compliance with the Budget 
Control Act. Here's the issue: when any Agency--whether it's the Air 
Force, the Army, whether it is the Department of Education--makes its 
recommendations to comply with the Budget Control Act, it should be 
doing so on the basis of what makes most sense to strengthen that 
Agency, not to weaken it.
  The studies that have been done with respect to the Air Force 
demonstrate that the Air Guard is extraordinarily cost effective. The 
Air Guard is getting the job done for less money than any other part of 
that Guard. Obviously, the full Air Force is extremely important. But 
why in the world would you focus on the Guard when the Guard is doing 
the job in a highly professional and successful way--widely 
acknowledged by all studies that have been done--and is doing it for 
less money?

[[Page H1215]]

  So, number one, when studies have shown that guardsmen and reservists 
cost far less than Active Duty members and you're trying to meet budget 
constraints, don't demobilize the efficient and effective.
  Number two, as our force shrinks as a whole, the Air Guard is key to 
the military term called ``reversibility,'' that is, they can serve as 
a critical operational and strategic reserve should a larger force be 
needed in the future to meet unforeseen circumstances. That is an 
essential requirement of military readiness.
  Third, the Air Guard can deliver--the Air Guard has delivered. Their 
record in Afghanistan and Iraq has proven that the force can mobilize 
quickly and accomplish the mission with great professionalism.
  Mr. Speaker, I don't doubt that these are very difficult and 
challenging choices for the Air Force command to make, and cutting the 
defense budget always involves very difficult choices. But these cuts 
that focus as significantly as they do on the Air Guard, which has 
proven to be efficient and effective, in my view are unwise.
  I look forward to working with the House Armed Services Committee and 
the Defense Appropriations Subcommittee to address my concerns.

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