Charles Skelton: “Mr. speaker, we are at a crossroads in American military preparedness. Since the Iron Curtain collapsed in 1989, the…”

“Mr. speaker, we are at a crossroads in American military preparedness. Since the Iron Curtain collapsed in 1989, the quantity and extent of U.S. military commitments abroad have stretched our forces thin. Today, there are signs of a serious weakening in troop training readiness. The Pentagon reports that key modernization programs have been interrupted to pay for current operations and an ailing base infrastructure. We have reduced our military too far and too fast. If we continue, by the end of the decade we won't have the military power to shape a peaceful and prosperous world. Without security, peace, and free trade, all Americans lose. The erosion in military preparedness disturbs many of our Nation's leaders. President Clinton recognized the shortfall in December when he added $2 billion to this year's defense budget. Several Members of Congress proposed staying at the fiscal year 1995 budget level, adjusted for inflation. That amount, about a $14 billion increase, would be a major step toward bolstering American military preparedness. Some critics argue that defense increases are not needed because today's world is less dangerous. They fail to remember that in 1994 the United States came close to armed conflict three times. In June, we deployed additional forces toward Korea to halt the production of nuclear weapons. In September, we sent 22,000 troops to Haiti to restore democracy and stop the flow of refugees to our shores.”