Our Defense Budget Deserves Responsibility

WASHINGTON – Congresswoman Renee Ellmers (R-NC-02) released the following statement this afternoon after the Pentagon released its proposed budget for 2015:

"The president's proposed military budget is just that - a proposal. Here in the House, we hold the power to put forth and pass a budget, and we will continue to work diligently towards common-sense measures that will fund our military in ways that provide peace through strength rather than scorched-earth political calculations."

"Even more alarming, this proposal seeks to reduce the size of our military at a time when threats to our homeland continue to increase, expand and evolve. There is no question that we as a nation need to reduce our spending, but we cannot continually reduce our deficit at the expense of national security."

"As the proud representative of Fort Bragg, I will continue to work with our military to ensure that they have the resources to remain mission-ready as the dominant force for freedom throughout the world."

The Associated Press reported on the proposed cuts yesterday:

President Barack Obama will submit the budget to Congress next week. At its core, the plan foresees the U.S. military as no longer sized to conduct large and protracted ground wars. Instead, more emphasis will be on versatile, agile forces that can project power over great distances, including in Asia.

The active-duty Army would shrink from 522,000 soldiers to between 440,000 and 450,000. That would make it the smallest since just before the U.S. entered World War II.

Other contentious elements include the elimination of the Air Force's A-10 "Warthog" tank-killer aircraft and the Cold War-era U-2 spy plane; Army National Guard reductions; and domestic military base closings that Congress has roundly rejected since Obama became president. Military compensation will also decline slightly. Another flashpoint could emerge over the fleet of 11 aircraft carriers that the Pentagon insists it is maintaining.