[Congressional Record Volume 159, Number 108 (Thursday, July 25, 2013)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Pages E1136-E1137]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




             DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE APPROPRIATIONS ACT, 2014

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                               speech of

                          HON. EARL BLUMENAUER

                               of oregon

                    in the house of representatives

                         Tuesday, July 23, 2013

       The House in Committee of the Whole House on the state of 
     the Union had under consideration the bill (H.R. 2397) making 
     appropriations for the Department of Defense for the fiscal 
     year ending September 30, 2014, and for other purposes:

  Mr. BLUMENAUER. Mr. Chair, I would like to thank my colleagues, Mr. 
Palazzo and Mr. Nugent, for their work on this important amendment.
  Going forward, it is critical that we ensure our defense spending in 
no way disproportionally and unfairly impacts our Guard and Reserve, 
which this amendment would prevent.
  America faces an unusual national defense crisis.
  It's not that we are at risk of anyone surpassing our military might; 
America remains by far the most powerful nation on the planet.
  The problem is that the way we invest in our military is not 
sustainable. The U.S. accounts for almost half of worldwide military 
spending, more than the next 14 countries combined.
  We must find a way to maintain our strength, but spend less and 
smarter. This should be done by placing a greater emphasis on the role 
of our National Guard and Reserve to strengthen national readiness 
going forward.

[[Page E1137]]

  The many Guard and Reserve deployments over the last decade have 
resulted in highly seasoned guardsmen with more skill and experience 
than we've ever seen.
  We cannot allow Big Army, Air Force or Navy to push their 
sequestration-woes onto our citizen soldiers. Under sequestration, 
technicians are the only uniformed military personnel who are being 
furloughed. While we must continue working to replace the devastating 
sequester cuts for all affected, furloughing military technicians 
undermines our last decade of investment, which is imprudent and will 
cost us in the long run.
  When it comes to keeping America safe in the midst of shrinking 
budgets, the National Guard is an investment with a very high return 
and should play a critical role in meeting the demands of our 21st 
century commitments.
  I urge my colleagues to support this amendment.

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