12.13.17

Defense Funding Must Be A Priority

‘If we are not able to come to a funding agreement, our military - and many other critical functions of the federal government - will suffer intolerable budget cuts next year. I hope that my colleagues on the other side of the aisle will work with us in a serious manner to make sure that we are able to responsibly fund the government so that our military has the tools it needs to keep us safe.’

WASHINGTON, D.C. – The following are prepared remarks by Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell’s (R-KY) regarding government funding and the need to provide the necessary resources to the Department of Defense:

“Over the last eight years, our foreign policy was guided by a Commander in Chief who wished to draw down conventional military power from across the globe. Iran, China and Russia have sought to fill this vacuum and exploit the perception that America was withdrawing.

“This Republican Congress has made a commitment to work with President Trump to rebuild our military and give our men and women in uniform the resources they need to face the challenges of a dangerous world. We know there is more work to do in restoring our military’s combat-readiness and meeting the full needs of the force. Earlier this year, we passed a funding measure that was an important departure from the Obama years.

“The president has renewed our commitment to Afghanistan, and is trying to train and equip a force that can meet the daunting challenge posed by North Korea. To begin rebuilding our military, we ignored the Obama-era demand that any increase in defense funding must be equally matched to non-defense increases. We did that earlier this year, and we must do it once again.

“As we continue to discuss a plan to fund the government, we must prioritize efforts to provide for our warfighters. The Defense Department suffered a disproportionate reduction under the Budget Control Act—one that has real consequences for readiness. 

“If we are not able to come to a funding agreement, our military – and many other critical functions of the federal government – will suffer intolerable budget cuts next year. I hope that my colleagues on the other side of the aisle will work with us in a serious manner to make sure that we are able to responsibly fund the government so that our military has the tools it needs to keep us safe.”

Related Issues: National Security, Budget, Homeland Security, America's Military