On September 26, 1796, President George Washington delivered his famous Farewell Address to the people of the United States. He emphasized the importance of maintaining a government that respects religion, morality, and sound economic principles. But he cautioned his fellow countrymen about the dangers of foreign entanglements abroad.

These gems of wisdom given by President Washington more than two hundred years ago still ring true today. It is important that we pay close attention to his warning about over-extending our military in numerous foreign campaigns. I often wonder how he'd view our situation today.

Since 1993, the Clinton/Gore administration has ordered US military deployments in over 15 locations across the globe in far off places such as Bosnia, Rwanda, Macedonia, Haiti, and Cambodia. According to the Armed Services Committee, the administration skyrocketed deployment by 300 percent, while slashing funds by 40 percent. This is a serious matter that needs careful attention from Congress.

Before leaving office in 1993, President Bush released a long-term defense budget plan for fiscal years 1994 through 1999. Understanding the dire need for a strong defense, he recommended providing $251 billion for basic needs of readiness and preparedness. The Clinton/Gore Administration ignored these proposals and CUT resources by $24 billion. The Department of Defense recently issued a startling report to Congress. It stated, "the United States will face significant security challenges in the coming years including a volatile mix of global, political, economic, social, technological, and military conditions."

Congress recently set aside $288 billion to the Department of Defense for Fiscal Year 2001. We provided an increase of over $1 billion for military health care, and a 3.7 percent pay raise to enhance the quality of life for the nation's 2.1 million active-duty reserve and National Guard personnel. For defense readiness, we provided $1.6 billion to help the Army increase its - rapid-response deployment capabilities.- This means that if a crisis ever erupts either at home or abroad, we'll be better prepared to meet the challenge. This badly needed legislation provides an increase of $18.2 billion, and nearly $3.3 billion more than what the Clinton/Gore administration proposed.

There is a real danger in using our military as the sole police power of the world. While we have a responsibility to prevent chaos from spreading, we must not forget that our first priority is to protect and defend America. Before endangering our troops, we must ask ourselves whether U.S. interests are directly involved, how far must we go to end a crisis, and how will it affect our national security? These are important questions because whenever American soldiers are sent abroad, we lose vital portions of our defense capabilities.