Floyd Spence: “once again the Committee on National Security has reported a bipartisan bill that attempts to address many of the…”

“once again the Committee on National Security has reported a bipartisan bill that attempts to address many of the problems facing our Nation's military. H.R. 1119 also reflects the committee's deep concern over the difficulty in managing the risks posed by continued forced downsizing and budget reductions. The fundamental dilemma facing the Department of Defense remains the same: how to maintain a viable all-volunteer force in an environment where the number, scope, and duration of military missions, especially peacekeeping and humanitarian missions, continue to grow while military forces and defense budgets continue to decline. A long-standing gap between the U.S. military strategy and resources persists. In fact, it is widening. In looking at the challenges to our national security interests over the past year, the committee has continued to focus on China, an emerging power, and Russia, a once and perhaps future power. While neither nation is currently an enemy of the United States, they do represent the nations most likely and able to amass military power sufficient to challenge our vital interests. I support efforts to bolster the democratic process in Russia. However, Russia's future will be shaped less by our policy than by its own internal decisionmaking over whether to remain independent and driven by its own history and character or to form working partnerships with the United States and the West.”