Pence - 'Military Spending Should be About Military Spending and Nothing Else'

Pence: "Military Spending Should be About Military Spending and Nothing Else"

"We owe our soldiers the resources they need to complete their mission, get the job done, and come home safe."

JULY 1, 2010

Washington, DC - U.S. Congressman Mike Pence, Chairman of the House Republican Conference, delivered the following remarks on the House floor today in opposition to the Supplemental Appropriation Act of 2010:

“I rise in opposition to the amendment and also to the underlying bill. I have great respect for the gentlelady who brings this amendment. She said earlier that there is, in her way of thinking, ‘no military solution in Afghanistan.’ But let me say that surrender is a military tactic. I just oppose it.

“This is a very serious time in the life of our country here at home. It's easy, I suspect, for some Americans to forget that we're a nation at war. But we are.

“As I was reminded when I traveled to Afghanistan the day after Christmas this last year, at this very hour, we have men and women in uniform in harm's way in Afghanistan and Iraq. We owe them, in this moment, the resources they need to complete their mission, get the job done, and come home safe.  We also owe them the respect of doing that without using our soldiers as a vehicle for other domestic spending priorities.

“Military spending bills should be about military spending and nothing else. This legislation fails that test.

“Before us today is a $75 billion spending bill. But less than half of this legislation will be used to support the Defense Department's war operations. Less than half. The military funding measure will spend almost $5 billion, supposedly on a temporary bailout for Federal Pell Grant programs. This so-called military funding measure will spend $50 million on the Port of Guam and $18 million for emergency re-forestation and $15 million for a highway safety study. This military funding measure will also even spend, as we've heard in earlier debate, $10 billion on teacher jobs.

“Now, I have been married, as of a month ago, for 25 years to a teacher. I support teachers. I believe education is a state and local function. But anyone else remember that we just spent $53 billion in supposedly one-time spending for education in the president's failed stimulus bill?

“And now, on the backs of our soldiers, comes another $10 billion that has to be appropriated to save teachers' jobs. We can do better, men and women. To top it all off, $63 billion isn't even paid for. Just more deficits and more debt. One of the ways the Democrats are saving a little money here is by $3 billion in cuts to the Defense Department.

“We can do better. Our soldiers deserve better. Let's reject this legislation. Let’s do right by our soldiers. Military spending bill should be about military spending and nothing else.”

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For additional information, contact:

The House Republican Conference Press Office at (202) 226-9000 or
Matt Lloyd (matt.lloyd@mail.house.gov)
Mary Vought (mary.vought@mail.house.gov)