January 01, 2013 -
WASHINGTON, D.C. - Rep. Howard P. "Buck" McKeon, Chairman of the House Armed Services Committee, made the following statement on the fiscal cliff compromise bill:
"I support this proposal with important reservations. Our troops have shouldered an unfairly large share of budget cuts to date, in addition to the strains of combat. Rather than shield a wartime military from further reductions, this deal leaves the force vulnerable to sequestration's devastating and arbitrary cuts and it leaves Congress and the President with much work to do to end the crisis. It is unfortunate that President Obama missed an opportunity to honor the promise he made to our military and veterans, when he assured us all that sequestration would not happen. Every day of uncertainty over further reductions limits our ability to fight the war in Afghanistan, keep Americans free from harm at home, and prevent potential conflict abroad. I urge both the President and Congress to act worthy of the military we have inherited and resolve the deep threat of sequestration immediately."
"As we continue down this uncertain road, we must keep in mind that cutting spending and raising taxes can only get us so far. We must allow our economy to grow if we are to resolve this debt crisis. We must also, finally, address the entitlement spending that is driving our debt."
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