Elizabeth Furse: “for 3 years I have joined my distinguished colleague from Massachusetts in sponsoring this amendment to require greater…”

“for 3 years I have joined my distinguished colleague from Massachusetts in sponsoring this amendment to require greater burdensharing of our allies. Now that the cold war is over, we can no longer afford to bear the full cost of our allies' defense. As we struggle to balance the budget at home, it is only fair that our allies pick up the cost of their defense. Here in the United States, we spend 4.7 percent of our GNP on the military. NATO countries in Europe spend just 2.7 percent and Japan spends 1 percent. It simply is not fair. We have a choice: We can invest in our jobs, safety on our streets, our education, or we can pick up the billions of dollars for our allies' defense while they invest in their own citizens' health care and education. I would say the choice is simple. Our amendment is about fairness and common sense, and that is why it is endorsed by Citizens Against Government Waste, National Taxpayers Union, and the Concord Coalition. Our amendment will save over $11 billion. By bringing this money home, we begin to give our own constituents a break. My constituents and all Americans deserve nothing less. Vote yes on our burdensharing amendment. Vote yes on the Frank-Shays amendment.”