Walter B. Jones: “I rise tonight to talk about national defense and the state of our military. It is a very important subject that does…”

“I rise tonight to talk about national defense and the state of our military. It is a very important subject that does not seem to have received adequate attention lately. In fact, the President this year devoted only one sentence in his entire State of the Union Address to the need to maintain a ready and modern force. Additionally, the President's 1999 budget proposes more than $100 billion in new domestic spending, but it fails to provide one dime in increased defense spending. The administration's budget request for defense in 1999, therefore, represents the 14th consecutive year of real decline in defense spending. I personally do not believe this is the right policy for our Nation, and I know from talking to citizens in eastern North Carolina that they do not think so either. My constituents, like so many people throughout America, realize that having a strong national defense has played a critical role in the history of our country and that now is no time to have a weakened military. Maintaining a ready and modern force is like insurance for our Nation. None of us would want to drive our cars without having car insurance in the event of an accident, but we seem to be denied that same protection to our national safety and freedom. There is clear evidence that we no longer have the military to fight in two regions at the same time.”