[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 163 (2017), Part 8]
[House]
[Page 10813]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




           MAINTAINING A STRONG DEFENSE IS NOT A NEW CONCEPT

  The SPEAKER pro tempore. The Chair recognizes the gentleman from 
Texas (Mr. Arrington) for 5 minutes.
  Mr. ARRINGTON. Mr. Speaker, before it was cool to quote Ronald 
Reagan's national security philosophy of peace through strength, there 
was our first Commander in Chief, George Washington, who, in his first 
State of the Union address, said, ``. . . to be prepared for war is one 
of the most effectual means of preserving peace.''
  See, maintaining a strong national defense is not a new concept.
  While more war has been diverted, more peace has been kept, and more 
freedom has been defended by our Nation's armed services, today we risk 
not only our Nation's security, but the lives of those who serve if we 
fail to adequately fund our military.
  The policies and posture of the past 8 years under the previous 
administration have left our defense arsenal dilapidated, our position 
in the world diminished, our allies doubtful, and, unfortunately, our 
enemies even more determined.
  Our military men and women have faced years of cuts, almost a quarter 
of our entire military budget, with defense spending at historic lows, 
over $170 billion, since 2010.
  So as the world becomes increasingly dangerous and unstable, the 
government has forced our armed services to do more with less.
  One of the United States' greatest assets in our national security 
arsenal and one of the crown jewels of west Texas is Dyess Air Force 
Base in Abilene, Texas. Dyess plays a key role in protecting our 
democracy against the rising global threats, and our airmen from Dyess 
have been deployed all over the world in countless military and 
humanitarian operations. Additionally, Dyess hosts the largest B-1 
bomber base in the Nation; and the city of Abilene has won the Air 
Force's award for most supportive communities so many times, they 
actually changed the name of the award to the Abilene award.
  Now, that may sound like I am bragging, but in Texas, that is just 
telling the truth.
  But while we put the lives of these men and women on the line daily 
and ask them to defend our Nation, they are crippled by this 
discouraging reality. The Air Force is now the smallest and the oldest 
it has been in our Nation's history. Altogether, given the current 
demand, our Nation's Air Force is short 1,500 pilots, 4,000 mechanics.
  Before the House Armed Services Committee, General Stephen Wilson 
testified: ``Today we find ourselves less than 50 percent ready across 
our Air Force, and we have pockets that are even below that.''
  In fact, just to get by, the Air Force has been utilizing bombers 
that were designed and constructed for World War II.
  This is a national security crisis, Mr. Speaker. This is a great 
American travesty.
  Why?
  Because I believe our former President, for political reasons, in my 
opinion, arbitrarily withdrew troops from critical battlefronts and 
dangerously drew down our overall military resources.
  Today, on behalf of Dyess Air Force Base and all the brave men and 
women who keep our great country safe, I urge my colleagues to pass the 
National Defense Authorization Act, which will rebuild our national 
security, repair our national defense, and restore America's leadership 
position in the world.
  The NDAA will provide our military with the resources they need to 
address our current threats. We have increased funding 10 percent over 
the previous administration. The NDAA will fund Dyess Air Force Base 
and other military installations at appropriate levels, increase the 
size of our armed services, enhance and modernize our defense arsenal, 
give our troops a pay raise.
  If anybody in the Federal Government has performed with excellence 
and with courage and distinction, it is our men and women in uniform, 
and they deserve a pay raise.
  This NDAA will also build on the reforms that we have enacted over 
the last 2 years to update, improve, and streamline services to our 
armed services.
  By passing the NDAA, we send a message to the world that America will 
continue to be the greatest force for good in the history of mankind; a 
message to our allies who promote liberty and democracy that you can 
count on us to defend you, we have got your back; a message to our 
brave military men and women that we are standing firmly behind you, we 
are going to put our money where our mouth is, we are going to protect 
you as you protect us; and a message to our enemies that America is no 
longer in the business of making idle threats.
  Mr. Speaker, before I close, I want to thank Chairman Thornberry for 
his hard work on this bill and for being a tireless advocate for our 
military. I am proud to call him a fellow west Texan, and I am even 
more proud to call him my friend.
  One must wonder, on the heels of our 241st birthday, how did this 
oldest continuous democracy persist for two centuries against all odds? 
Don't you wonder?
  Mr. Speaker, vote for NDAA, vote for our military.
  God bless America.

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