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Saving Defense

“For more than two years, I have been fighting against sequestration and the hollowing out of our Armed Forces. I will continue to stand strong until the sequester is reversed, and America’s national security is protected.”

-Congressman Mo Brooks, AL-05

 

CONGRESSMAN BROOKS' VOTES TO HALT SEQUESTRATION

S. 365

The Budget Control Act of 2011

(Voted Against Creating Sequestration)      

H.R. 6684

The Spending Reduction Act of 2012

H.R. 6365

National Security and Job Protection Act

H.R. 4310

Rigell Amendment, National Defense Authorization Act

H.R. 5652

Sequester Replacement and Reconciliation Act

H.Con.Res.112

Concurrent Resolution on the Budget for Fiscal Year 2013 

H.R. 1960 National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2014

H.R. 2397 Department of Defense Appropriations Act, 2014

 

CONGRESSMAN BROOKS' RECORD ON PRESERVING OUR NATIONAL SECURITY

HOUSE

In August 2011, Congressman Brooks voted against the Budget Control Act that created sequestration and attacks national security funding, despite pressure from the White House, Senate, and House leadership to the contrary. Congressman Brooks knew sequestration posed a grave and unnecessary threat to national security, and refused to subject our national security to such incredible risk.

In 2012, Congressman Brooks voted multiple times for legislation that would have stopped, corrected, or mitigated sequestration’s attack on national security funding. Unfortunately, while these bills passed the House, they were never even taken up by the Senate. Even worse, the Senate has never passed any bill that addresses sequestration’s effect on national security funding (as of March 1, 2013).

In 2012 and 2013, Congressman Brooks cosponsored House Armed Services Committee Chairman Buck McKeon’s bill to mitigate sequestration by shifting funding from non-defense to national security.

In 2013, Congressman Brooks cosponsored House Armed Services Committee Vice-Chairman Mac Thornberry’s bill to mitigate sequestration by delaying ObamaCare, shifting freed funds to pay for America’s national security.

In 2011, 2012, and 2013, Congressman Brooks has given numerous speeches in Alabama, Washington, Tennessee, and Virginia warning of the great harm sequestration could do to our national security. He has personally urged House leadership to oppose the President’s sequestration plan.

In 2012 and 2013, Congressman Brooks reached out to other House Members to impress upon them the negative effect of sequestration, and encourage them to vote against sequestration measures.  In order to help Congressmen better understand the value of Redstone Arsenal’s civilian and military work force, Brooks helped present Redstone Arsenal to both Republican and Democrat Members of the House Armed Services Committee and Science, Space, and Technology Committee.

In 2013, Congressman Brooks urged the House of Representatives to stay in session until sequestration and national security funding cuts are fixed. In June, Brooks voted for the National Defense Authorization Act for FY2013-14, which seeks to restore spending to pre-sequestration levels.

In 2011, 2012, and 2013, as the founder and co-chair of the Army Aviation Caucus, Congressman Brooks has reached across the aisle to clarify the harm sequestration could do to our national security by hosting special briefings for more than fifty Members of Congress or their staffs. Recent speakers who informed Members about the effects of the sequester include top Army leaders at Redstone Arsenal, Ft. Rucker, and the Pentagon.

 

Co-Sponsored Bills:

113th Congress:

H.R. 607 To Replace FY13 Sequester By Delaying Affordable Care Act Implementation

H.R. 593 Down Payment to Protect National Security Act of 2012

 

112th Congress:

H..R 3662 Down Payment to Protect National Security Act of 2011                                

H.R. 5872 Sequestration Transparency Act of 2012            

 

Congressman Brooks has voted 100 percent, on every occasion possible, to protect America’s national security from the damage sequestration and disproportionate budget cuts could do to our country.

Congressman Brooks joins House Armed Services Chairman Buck McKeon and House Armed Services Subcommittee Chairs in a press conference calling for the protection of our national security.March 1, 2013, U.S. Capitol. 

SENATE

While the Senate has yet to take up a single bill to address the sequestration problem, Alabama Senators Richard Shelby and Jeff Sessions have been vocal opponents of sequestration, and Congressman Brooks has worked with both Senators to call attention to both this important issue and possible solutions.

 

WHITE HOUSE

In the two key House Armed Services Committee hearings addressing sequestration, Congressman Brooks called on the White House to stop sequestration.

In a Strategic Forces Subcommittee hearing on 4/17/12 Congressman Brooks asked, “The sequestration is eight and a half months away. As I understand the President’s position, he has said that he would veto changes by Congress to that law. Are you not conducting any drills or do you not have any plans in place for when these cuts occur January 1, 2013, eight and a half months away?” Hon. Madelyn R. Creedon, Assistant Secretary of Defense for Global Strategic Affairs answered, “…I don’t have an answer for you.” To learn more, click HERE.

In a second hearing on 9/20/12 Congressman Brooks asked Robert Hale, Under Secretary of Defense and Chief Financial Officer for details on a “sequestration-fix bill” offered by the President Obama.  

Congressman Brooks has written the President and Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid, calling for a stop to the sequester, and pointing out that, “If sequestration were allowed to proceed, our Armed Forces would have the smallest ground force since before World War II, the smallest Navy since before World War I and the smallest Air Force ever. …Sequestration would also have a devastating impact on our already fragile economy.” For more information, click HERE.

For more than two years, Congressman Brooks has been fighting against seque+stration and the hollowing out of our Armed Forces, and he will continue to stand strong until the sequester is reversed, and the future of America’s national security is protected.

 

HOW YOU CAN HELP

President Obama's sequester is harmful to our national security and our economy. You can tell him to stop the sequester by calling the White House Comment Line at (202) 456-1111 or by emailing him here: http://www.whitehouse.gov/contact/submit-questions-and-comments. Contact Senator Harry Reid and ask him to work with the House to stop sequstration (202) 224-3542, or email him by clicking here: http://www.reid.senate.gov/

 

MORE INFORMATION

Brooks Votes for National Defense Authorization Act and End to Sequestration

Congressman Brooks Calls on House Leadership to Keep the House in Session Until Sequestration is Solved

Congressman Brooks' Recent Work to Stop Sequestration

House Armed Services Committee Sequestration Resource Kit

Congressman Brooks' Floor Speeches on Stopping Sequestration

Congressman Brooks' Furlough Letter to Secretary Hagel

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