This weekend we received the tragic news of the death of 30 Americans who were killed when a U.S. helicopter was shot down in eastern Afghanistan. The attack marked the deadliest day for Americans in the war in Afghanistan.  Twenty-two of the troops were reportedly from a specialized Navy SEAL Unit based in Virginia Beach.

We grieve the loss of these valiant Americans and honor the sacrifice they made while on a mission to rescue fellow servicemen and women. Their courage in advancing the cause of freedom was exemplary and it will not be forgotten. Our prayers continue to be with the families of these service members who will feel the absence of their loved ones long after the news stories have ended. We pray they find peace.

These charts highlight the shrinking state of readiness and the subsequent dire choices our nation's commanders are being forced to consider, issues that we are discussing in today’s House Armed Services Readiness subcommittee hearing with the service vice chiefs of staff.

Overlay these charts with the fact that President Obama has announced plans to cut a jaw-dropping $400 billion from the defense budget over a 12-year period, and the picture of our future readiness is grim. The United States is walking down a path where we eventually will not be ready as a nation to protect ourselves against future threats.

Consider the following…

(click the chart to enlarge)

In the last four years inspection failures for Navy ships have nearly tripled. Currently, 1 in 5 ships inspected is either unsatisfactory or unfit for combat.

Since 2007 inspection failure rates have risen from roughly 8% to 24%. Yet, this year alone, the Navy faces a $367 million funding shortfall for ship maintenance.

On average, Navy deployed ships are forced to spend nearly 40% of their time with at least one major equipment or systems failure.

Essential equipment or systems on Navy ships could include anti-air defenses, radar, satellite communications, or engines.  Almost 40% of the time, deployed ships have at least one essential piece of equipment that has failed and prevents them from meeting a primary mission.

Over one-half of our currently deployed aircraft are not combat ready.

Fifty-five percent of deployed Navy and Marine Corps aircraft are not fully mission capable. For every two aircraft sent on deployment, one of them cannot perform a critical mission for which it was deployed . Despite this, the Navy faces a nearly $100 million funding shortfall for aviation maintenance and logistics this year alone.

There is a stark dichotomy that emerges when assessing the readiness of the United States Navy:  on the one hand, we continue to boast the finest Naval fleet in the world while at the same time, we continue to learn more and more about the alarming shortfalls in the maintenance and future investment in our own defense capabilities.

Today, the Armed Services Readiness Subcommittee, which I chair, held a hearing to address these very issues. Testimony from Vice Admiral William Burke and Vice Admiral Kevin McCoy made one reality clear: we are not able to confidently answer one very important question – Is our Navy ready?

Weigh in: are you concerned about the readiness of our Navy?

We face a harsh reality that runaway government spending on bailout and stimulus packages has brought us to a point where we are considering cutting the national defense capabilities of our country. But before making any cuts in defense spending, Congress must first understand the nation's security risks. That’s what I discussed today on the House floor during debate of the annual Department of Defense Appropriations bill. Watch my full remarks in the video below.

Also, read about my efforts to ensure a clean financial audit of the Department of Defense’s basic functions so we know where defense dollars are going and that they are properly accounted for.  You can also read my statement on today's vote here.