Jim Inhofe: “I have to ask the question, what is this obsession that we seem to have around this place for cutting the military, for…”

“I have to ask the question, what is this obsession that we seem to have around this place for cutting the military, for putting ourselves in a defenseless posture? I am just shocked every time this discussion comes up, and hardly a day comes by when there is not talk about this. It is interesting that a President who ran on a balanced budget, ran on a strong national defense, ran on all of these things, wants to cut only defense. He has increased spending in every other program. The only area where he has suggested, in his budget, he wants dramatic cuts is in defense. When he promised, prior to the 1994 budget, that he was going to ask for $62 billion, he ended up asking for $48 billion. For the 1995 budget, he promised he would ask for $55 billion and he only asked for $46 billion. I opposed sending troops to Somalia, even though they sent them over for 90 days and they did not come back until after 18 of our troops were murdered and their corpses were dragged through the streets of Mogadishu. I opposed sending troops there then. I opposed sending troops to Bosnia. I opposed sending troops to Haiti.”