“Provide for the common defense.” This responsibility was so important that it was one of the few directives that our Founding Fathers gave to Congress in our Constitution.  As a result, our United States military is the strongest and most effective force on earth.  However, for perhaps the first time in our history, that standing is in jeopardy.  If the President will not come to the table and offer a concrete plan to avert the fiscal cliff, “sequestration” will automatically go into effect. This means that  $492 billion in new defense cuts will be made over nine years in an illogical and indiscriminate manner.  

Sequestration would seriously jeopardize our country’s military readiness and could do serious harm to Robins Air Force Base, the other military installations in Georgia, and their surrounding military communities. That is why I voted against sequestration when it was originally proposed and have voted for measures that would prevent it.  Recently, I told the Atlanta Journal Constitution, “We understand that in getting to an agreement that drives down the debt ... that there are going to be cuts…Making cuts strategically makes sense. Doing it through sequestration does not make sense.”

The House of Representatives has passed a number of pieces of legislation that would address many of our fiscal obstacles, including a bill to fix the problem of sequestration.  In an effort to keep you informed of our work, I have created an, “In Case They Missed It” box on the right side of this e-mail to highlight those pieces of legislation, beginning with a House-passed bill to avoid sequestration.  My colleagues and I will remain persistent in our efforts to reduce spending and find a long-term solution for our fiscal situation.  We remain hopeful that the President will join us in that effort without compromising our Founding Father’s vision for this great country.