Vicky Hartzler: “I thank Congressman Taylor for hosting this very important, special event tonight. As a member of the House Armed…”

“I thank Congressman Taylor for hosting this very important, special event tonight. As a member of the House Armed Services Committee, I have heard too many testimonies after testimonies talking about the dangerously low level of our military's readiness. Years of budget cuts, coupled with continuing resolutions, have prevented and delayed the modernization of our airplanes, ships, and basic equipment, while at the same time reducing the readiness of our troops around the globe. Here is the stunning and sobering reality: Today, we have the smallest Army since before World War II, the smallest Navy since before World War I, and the smallest Air Force we have ever had. Only 50 percent of our Nation's fighter and bomber forces are able to fly, fight, and decisively win a highly contested fight, much like our forces would encounter with China and Russia. Get this: Less than half of the Navy's aircraft can fly due to maintenance and spare parts issues. Think about that. Less than half of the Navy's aircraft can fly due to maintenance and spare parts issues. Budget cuts and increased operations have depleted America's supply of precision ammunitions. Simply put, we are running out of bombs.…”