Congressman Kurt Schrader today released the following statement after final passage of the Department of Defense Appropriations Act, 2013 in the House of Representatives:

"Why are we increasing Defense funding as the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan come to a close," asked Congressman Schrader? "Our own military leaders have acknowledged that the greatest threat to our national security is not a military one, but a fiscal threat driven by our debt and deficits. The Department of Defense needs to be as dedicated to federal deficit reduction as everyone else. This outrageous $88 billion going towards war and foreign nation building would be better spent investing in job creation, economic opportunity, infrastructure building and taking care of our veterans here at home. I think the average Oregon taxpayer would say the same."