[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 160 (2014), Part 7]
[House]
[Page 10510]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




                 IN FAVOR OF A STRONG NATIONAL DEFENSE

  (Mr. PALAZZO asked and was given permission to address the House for 
1 minute and to revise and extend his remarks.)
  Mr. PALAZZO. Mr. Speaker, events in Iraq over the past week serve as 
a chilling reminder of the fact that the world is not getting safer. I 
am disturbed by these events, but I am not surprised. Over the past few 
years, my colleagues and I have warned against our Nation's weakening 
foreign policy and the devastating defense cuts this President insisted 
on making on the backs of our men and women in uniform. The result is a 
strained military and a world where our enemies don't fear us and our 
friends no longer trust us.
  On Monday, the USS Mesa Verde, one of our Navy and Marine Corps' 
amphibious warships in the LPD class, entered the Persian Gulf with 550 
marines onboard. These ships have a long history of supporting our 
missions and responding to numerous threats all around the world. This 
LPD ship sitting in the Persian Gulf full of marines sends a clear 
message: we will not waiver in defense of American interests or 
protecting American lives.
  I believe we need to keep sending that message. We must adequately 
fund our Nation's military, and we must provide for more ships like the 
LPD class amphibious warships so we can ensure the safety and security 
of our Nation and those who defend it.

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