FLOOR STATEMENT: Opposing the Department of Defense Appropriations Act

Thursday, 19 July 2012 15:52

Congressional Record Statement
Congressman Pete Stark
July 19, 2012

Statement Opposing the Department of Defense Appropriations Act

MR. STARK: Mr. Speaker, I rise today in opposition to HR 5856, the Department of Defense Appropriations Act for fiscal year 2013. Until we can rein in defense spending and treat it like all other federal programs facing damaging funding cuts, I cannot support yet another bloated defense budget. Republicans talk about how entitlements like Medicare are driving the debt. But it is clear that defense spending has become just as much of an entitlement, complete with a team of lobbyists and members of this body that are more interested in protecting defense contractors than protecting our country.

This bill marks the 12th fiscal year the United States has been fighting and funding the War in Afghanistan. During this time, we have pursued a variety of strategies and plans--- none of which have delivered peace and stability to Afghanistan or the region. The War has, however, contributed to fiscal instability in our own country. Since 2001, we have spent $634 billion on the Afghanistan War alone. This appropriations bill is going to cost another $608.2 billion that we do not have. Yet the cycle continues.

This year’s bill exceeds the Republicans’ own funding caps set by the Budget Control Act by almost $8 billion. This bill ignores Administration proposals to delay or terminate several military programs while providing funding for weapons programs the DoD said it doesn’t want or need. Apparently, funding wars and weapons instead of better health care, education, and repairing our crumbling infrastructure are more important to the Republican Majority. It is unconscionable for us to be cutting these vital programs at the same time we’re increasing the defense budget. That is why I joined with Representative Barbara Lee (D-CA) to offer an amendment to cut that $8 billion from the defense appropriations bill.

I urge my colleagues to support this commonsense amendment and join me in voting against this out of control defense spending bill.