Foxx: President Should Stop Holding Defense Hostage to Advance Class Warfare Agenda
Foxx Supports National Security & Job Protection Act to Avert Coming Defense Cuts

Washington, D.C. – Representative Virginia Foxx (R-NC) voted today to support the most recent House Republican proposal to avert the devastating Defense cuts scheduled to take place in January. The National Security and Job Protection Act (H.R. 6365) is the 2^nd piece of legislation to be passed through the House of Representatives that would spare the military from the brunt of these cuts.

“The President and Congressional Democrats have got to stop holding defense hostage in order to advance their class warfare agenda,” Congresswoman Foxx stated.

“At minimum, the President should submit a plan to the American people for how he expects our military to absorb these cuts without compromising national security. He’s failed to do even that.”

“Republicans are ready and willing to work with the President to maintain our strong military in the midst of this uncertain world.  I urge the Senate to leave tax demagoguery for another day and immediately take up the National Security and Job Protection Act and send it to the President.”

The following are some of the effects the Defense sequester will have, if allowed to persist by President Obama:

• 200,000 soldiers and Marines will be separated from service, bringing forces well below pre-9/11 levels;
• Ability to respond to contingencies in North Korea or Iran will be jeopardized;
• The ground force will be at its smallest since 1940;
• The U.S. fleet will have fewer than 230 ships, its smallest level since 1915;
• The Air Force will have its smallest tactical fighter force in history;
• The nuclear triad that has kept the U.S. and 30 of its allies safe for decades will be in jeopardy; and
• Two BRAC rounds of base closings.

What Military Leaders are Saying about the Coming Sequester:

Defense Secretary Leon Panetta:“If the maximum sequestration is triggered, the total cut will rise to about $1 trillion compared with the FY 2012 plan.  The impacts of these cuts would be devastating for the Department… Facing such large reductions, we would have to reduce the size of the military sharply.  Rough estimates suggest after ten years of these cuts, we would have the smallest ground force since 1940, the smallest number of ships since 1915, and the smallest Air Force in its history.”

General Dempsey, Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff:, “[S]equestration leaves me three places to go to find the additional money: operations, maintenance, and training. That’s the definition of a hollow force.”

General Ray T. Odierno, Chief Of Staff, United States Army: “Cuts of this magnitude would be catastrophic to the military…My assessment is that the nation would incur an unacceptable level of strategic and operational risk.”

Admiral Jonathan W. Greenert, Chief of Naval Operations:“A severe and irreversible impact on the Navy’s future.”

General James F. Amos, Commandant of the Marine Corps:“A Marine Corps below the end strength that’s necessary to support even one major contingency.”

General Norton A. Schwartz, Former Chief of Staff, United States Air Force:“Even the most thoroughly deliberated strategy may not be able to overcome dire consequences.”

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