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Washington, D.C., Feb 1 - Congressman J. Randy Forbes (VA-04) released the following statement after the release of the Department of Defense 2010 Quadrennial Defense Review:  

“There is no job more important than protecting and defending the United States of America. While threats to our nation evolve, that high responsibility is unchanging – even in times of difficult budget constraints. In light of this, I welcome the Quadrennial Defense Review and look forward to giving it and the Administration’s defense budget the close scrutiny it demands. 

“Of particular importance, I intend to investigate the QDR’s one-line proposal to move an east coast carrier to Mayport, Florida. At a time when the size of China’s Navy surpasses our own and continues to grow – fueled by yearly double-digit defense spending increases – and at a time when we know we have a $1.3 billion shortfall in our public shipyard infrastructure, a looming shortfall of 125 strike fighter aircraft by 2015, and are offering the lowest pay raise for troops in decades, I intend to demand full transparency into the decision-making behind the proposed use of up to a billion of taxpayer dollars on a move regarded as duplicative and even ‘scandalous.’”   

Congressman Forbes is Ranking Member of the House Armed Services Readiness Subcommittee and Chairman of the Congressional China Caucus.