William M. ``Mac'' Thornberry: “Today I rise in support of H.R. 1625, the ``Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2018,'' which begins to rebuild our…”

“Today I rise in support of H.R. 1625, the ``Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2018,'' which begins to rebuild our military. I do not agree with everything in the bill, but the importance of repairing our planes, ships, and training overrides other concerns. For too long, Washington has asked our troops to do more with less, sending them into harm's way without the training and equipment they need to defend themselves and the country. We have added mission after mission while we cut their funding again and again. Those decisions have brought consequences; experts say our troops are `outranged, outgunned, and outdated,' `treading water,' and that we are `stretching the force to the limit.' Secretary Mattis is warning that `our competitive edge has eroded in every domain of warfare.' We suffered four times as many deaths to accidents and training missions last year than we did to hostile fire. President Trump is right to insist on rebuilding our military, and this bill begins to do just that. A healthy economy and a robust military are mutually dependent. A vibrant and innovative economy funds our national defense and ensures that our technology stays ahead of our adversaries. A strong military protects the rules-based international order that has been the foundation of our economic growth since WWII.…”