Mac Thornberry opposes personnel and equipment cuts

According to the Stars & Stripes, Congressman Mac Thornberry (Republican from Texas) the new chairman of the House Armed Services Committee claims that he opposes further cuts to defense.

Rep. Mac Thornberry, R-Texas, staked out a hawkish position for his military oversight committee in his first major policy speech of the new Congress. He signaled he will follow his predecessor and push back against Pentagon plans to reduce servicemember compensation and retire weapons systems such as the A-10 Thunderbolt to balance budgets.

The speech was an early indication of how a new Republican majority in both chambers of Congress may deal with a $523 billion budget cap on defense spending this year, which will likely prompt the White House and Defense Department to again call for a range of cuts. Both are expected to release proposed budgets early next month.

I appreciate his attitude today, but I’ll just wait and see. Republicans have seemed more eager to slash defense spending to the bone than their Democrat colleagues in the past few years all in an effort to appear as if they don’t oppose the president every time he makes a proposal. But, here we are with thousands of troops deployed to various trouble spots around the world while the White House and the service chiefs sacrifice everything. Well, everything except trouble spots.

Category: Military issues