Charles Skelton: “in all of this budget business, which has been in the headlines, I found not one word referring to the budget for…”

“in all of this budget business, which has been in the headlines, I found not one word referring to the budget for national security. Thus, this second of three speeches I am making about the future of the U.S. military is not only appropriate, but timely. This afternoon, I will address whether projected defense budgets are sufficient to support the military strategy that is emerging from the Quadrennial Defense Review or QDR the reassessment of defense policy that the Defense Department is due to provide to Congress on May 15. In the first speech, I discussed the principles that should shape U.S. military strategy in coming years. In the final speech, I intend to consider how we are treating our people--the men and women in the Armed Forces and the civilian personnel who support them. Constitutional Role of Congress As I remarked in my first speech on these topics, I intend to begin each statement by reiterating a simple point under the Constitution, it is Congress' responsibility to ensure that the size and composition of U.S. military forces are sufficient to provide for the common defense. I referred to article 1, section 8 of the Constitution. Historically, Congress has often failed in this responsibility. As a result, the United States has repeatedly been unprepared for the military challenges it has faced. The price for this unpreparedness has been paid in the blood of young men and women in the Armed Forces.”