HUNTER SPEAKS OUT AGAINST DEFENSE CUTS

July 21, 2011 (Washington D.C.) -- Washington D.C.—U.S. Congressman Duncan Hunter (R-El Cajon), a member of the House Armed Services Committee and veteran of the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan, said yesterday that he will oppose any debt ceiling proposal that arbitrarily cuts spending—in particular, a “Gang of Six” agreement. 

Hunter cited the military’s existing mission requirements, aging inventory and the cost of containing emerging threats and strengthening force projection.

The “Gang of Six” is a bipartisan group of Congressional members that has proposed a combination of revenue increases and cuts in spending on defense and social programs as a compromise measure to reduce the nation's deficit. The proposal is one of several under consideration on Capitol Hill.

But Hunter stated in a press release, “It’s irresponsible to put defense cuts on the table without any reasonable examination of how these cuts would impact the existing force structure and, even more broadly, America’s national security.” He said the military is facing “enormous equipment shortfalls and reset burdens, underscoring the necessity for adequate investment where it’s needed most. Responsibly cutting defense spending is one thing and there are certainly places in the defense budget that demand greater efficiency, but, cutting defense spending without appropriate examination or insight is a reckless proposition. Doing so would directly undermine global security, military readiness and the safety of our nation’s military men and women, whom we all rely upon to keep us safe.”